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New Charges Filed In Mar-A-Lago Documents Case; New Judicial Reform Law In Israel Sparks More Protest; South Africa-Russia Relationship Under Scrutiny; North Korea Holds Military Parade for Victory Day; July Set to be Planet's Hottest Month on Record; Afghans Living in Limbo; Women's World Cup. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired July 28, 2023 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:23]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead here on CNN Newsroom. And three more felony charges makes it 69, former US President Donald Trump face the new accusations of obstruction for allegedly deleting security video and his Mar-a-Lago estate. Renewed protests in Israel over the government's so-called judicial reform, hundreds of thousands of Israelis say it's a threat to democracy. Benjamin Netanyahu says that's just silly. And how hot is it in Arizona, so hot cacti are dying. UN says the era of global boiling has arrived.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Wherever you are around the world, great to have you with us for another hour here. So, to borrow a phrase from the Watergate era, it's not the crime, it's the cover up. And that couldn't be more apparent given a list of new charges filed by a special counsel in the Donald Trump classified documents indictment.
Prosecutors claim the former president asked Mar-a-Lago employees to erase security camera footage to keep it from a federal grand jury. The Mar-a-Lago employee is now charged with lying to the FBI about moving boxes around the Florida resort. CNN's Paula Reid begins our coverage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: New charges add a new co-defendant for former President Trump in the criminal case alleging that he mishandled classified documents down at his Mar-a- Lago estate. Now, prosecutors have charged him with an additional count of willful retention of national defense information, as well as two additional counts of obstruction, alleging that the former president and two of his employees attempted to destroy surveillance footage from Mar-a-Lago from the summer of 2022.
And that surveillance footage is really at the heart of this investigation. It's key evidence for prosecutors as they tried to put together were exactly classified materials were moved on the Mar-a- Lago property after the former president left office. But we also know that witnesses have been asked if anyone tried to prevent them from getting all of that surveillance footage or if anyone tried to tamper with it, or destroy it.
Now according to the superseding indictment, two Trump employees wanted to destroy this surveillance footage because "the boss wanted it gone." Now, the new charges were filed not only against former President Trump and his co-defendant, Walt Nauta, but they also added a new co-defendant Carlos De Oliveira. He is a maintenance worker at Mar-a-Lago. He has been seen on surveillance footage with Walt Nauta moving boxes that contain classified information, including one incident where they moved boxes out of a storage closet right before one of Trump's lawyers went to search that closet for classified documents.
Now, Carlos is represented by a lawyer who is paid for by Trump-linked political action committee. His lawyer tonight had no comment but they're both expected to appear in court next week. Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Ron Brownstein is a CNN senior political analyst and senior editor for the Atlantic. He joins me now from Los Angeles. It's good to see, Ron.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, John.
VAUSE: What seems incredible is the timeline here in this indictment. I'm just going to go through something very quickly. June 22, 2022, Justice Department emails Trump's lawyers with a draft or grand jury subpoena demanding security video from Mar-a-Lago. The next day Trump allegedly speaks with Carlos De Oliveira for approximately 24 minutes. We don't know what they say. June 27th, Oliveira meets another Trump employee in Florida asking how long the service stills video footage, allegedly advised him the boss wants the server deleted.
The obstruction of justice allegations were pretty damning for this. This seems a whole new level. So in terms of cover ups, if this is true, does this make Watergate kind of look quite even timid?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think Watergate stands on his own as a pretty substantial threat to the country but, yes. I mean, many of the legal experts who have responded to this case from the beginning, have pointed out that the potential indictment around January 6 may be more consequential, may be more weighty, may get more to the heart of the threat that Trump pose and poses to American democracy. But this could be a very straightforward case, both on the obstruction side and both on the retention of the documents.
[01:05:10]
Of course, in the new count of showing the war plans to unauthorized, I mean, he is on tape in that incident. And, of course, later it's kind of there actually was no documented appears from this that there was -- there's enormous legal risk for him here. The trial may be pushed back to next May but the allegations of the behavior that are outlined in these indictments I think lead him in a very difficult position.
VAUSE: You mentioned that tape with Donald Trump waving around documents about a war plan for Iran. Here's part of it.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: I was just saying because we're talking about, and he said he wanted to attack Iran and what -- there are the papers --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You did.
TRUMP: This was done by the military given to me. I think we can probably, right ?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know. We'll have to see. Yeah, we'll have t try to --
TRUMP: Declassify it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- figure out a -- yes.
TRUMP: See as president, I could have declassified it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
VAUSE: He being like really the most senior military officer in the United States.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, right.
VAUSE: Yes. So this presumably is part of the indictment, which is under the felony count, which is covered by the Espionage Act for alleged possession of war plans or illegally retaining national defense information. What is getting -- it is so -- and striking about this is brazen. So it's hard to understand what -- did Trump know the law, didn't care about the law. What are your thoughts on how it's played out?
BROWNSTEIN: His language implies much more not caring about the law, because what's especially damning about the tape is him saying that he could have declassified it as president, which suggests obviously that he didn't, and undermines his claim that he could declassify documents just by thinking about it. He obviously was not think -- he obviously had not reached that conclusion at that moment. And he goes on to show it anyway and to wave it around anyway.
And so like the behavior here is so reckless, that again, it may be the easiest for the public to grasp in the end. These other potential indictments from Jack Smith about January 6 and trying to overturn the election, and potentially from Georgia about trying to overturn the election, these are truly momentous events that are hurtling toward us.
But they will be difficult legal cases. I think most of the experts point out, this could be a very different set of circumstances for the president, where there's just enormous evidence. And they are very clear, you know, yes or no questions that he is on the wrong side of on the basis of all the available evidence.
VAUSE: Ron Brownstein, it's great to have you here this. This story keeps on going and we'll talk to you again soon. Thank you, sir.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to test his controversial judicial reform law, which strips the Supreme Court had the authority to overturn government appointments, to reinstate a key (inaudible) ally and convicted tax felon Aryeh Deri. Earlier this year, the court ruled that it was extremely unreasonable for Aryeh Deri to serve as minister within Netanyahu's coalition government.
But now, the new judicial law, which was narrowly passed by parliament on Monday, has stripped the Supreme Court of that authority. That renewed mass protests on Thursday in Israel one day after that new law took effect, thousands were protesting in the biggest city Tel Aviv. We will hear from Prime Minister Netanyahu in a moment but first, here's CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reporting in from Tel Aviv.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Israelis are once again taking to the streets. And as you can see, they are out in force and they certainly are being very loud. Now, one of the things that people have been telling us is that they believe that there is an extreme sense of urgency, certainly after that vote that happened in the Knesset, but also after the Supreme Court decided against an immediate injunction against the Reasonableness Act.
They also tell us that despite some of the things that Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, has been saying, they believe that there is a serious threat to democracy here in this country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The government, the coalition saying new laws and regs in the constitutional framework of Israel, and concentrates the power in a single entity. The next step will be that they will -- there will be no more peril elections, we have to stop them because they're ruining our democracy.
PLEITGEN: Now, one of the really remarkable things about the protests today is that normally these protests happen on the weekend, they happen on Saturdays. But now it's a Thursday and people are still coming out by the thousands. And that's because they say they've had a really tough week with that vote that happened in the Knesset. And they believe that by and by the government is trying to push the judicial overhaul through.
Now, I was able to speak to one of the people who's very active here in this movement, a former member of the Knesset. And here's what she had to say.
[01:10:09]
STAV SHAFFIR, FORMER MEMBER OF THE ISRAELI KNESSET: It's our home. And Israel was based on an enormous dream to be a home for Jewish people, and be a true democratic home for all of our citizens, Jews and Arabs. And that's really now under threats from our own government. So people are not going to go home, they're not going to shut up. They are going to fight.
PLEITGEN: So as you can see here, on the streets in Tel Aviv, a big sense of urgency. And the folks here are saying they are going to keep coming out until they see results. Fred PLEITGEN, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: A series of interviews on US television and radio, the Israeli prime minister has repeatedly downplayed the impact of his new reasonableness law, insisting is little more than a minor change aimed at restoring balance between the elected government and an out of control Supreme Court. He's part of his conversation with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, thanks very much for joining us. As you know, Israel is reeling right now after the first part of your plan to weaken Israel Supreme Court passed into law. We're already seeing very negative impacts on the Israeli military relations with the United States, the economy, startup companies are leaving Israel, the far right is emboldened, Palestinians are afraid. Protests certainly continue as well. Is that the price, Mr. Prime Minister, you're willing to pay for this overall?
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Well, first of all, we're not trying to weaken the Supreme Court. We're trying to bring balance between the three branches of government, which is the essence of democracy in Israel. Over the last 20-30 years, the Supreme Court arrogated a lot of the powers of the judiciary and the executive that can basically nullify any decision made. That doesn't happen anywhere on the planet. And so, we're trying to bring it back in line.
And we don't want a subservient court. We want an independent court but not an all powerful court. And that's what the corrections that we're doing. I think a lot of the things that you described are in the choir, people are saying that, they're giving indications, but I've been there before. When I made these huge changes in our economy, they said, oh, we'll bring down the economy. Israel's become a juggernaut since. When I did the -- when I spoke out against Iran, against the entire world --
BLITZER: Mr. Prime Minister, let me interrupt with all due respect. Mr. Prime Minister, let me interrupt with all due respect. You, of course, control the executive in Israel, your coalition controls the Knesset, the parliament. You're weakening the Supreme Court. Where are the checks and balances? NETANYAHU: Well, they're -- in Israel, we have -- the Supreme Court has a lot of checks but there are no balances. For example, on the court -- on the decision that we passed on reasonableness, understand what that is. It's like, the court can nullify a decision, any decision by the government, by the executive, by saying it's unreasonable. Not because it's illegal, not because they're using other checks that they have, plenty of things that they could do, they can nullify an appointment.
It's like the Supreme Court would be able to nullify an appointment by President Biden, not by saying that there's a conflict of interest, that exists today in Israel. That's it's an undue process, that exists today in Israel. That it's not proportional, that exists in Israel. But just by saying, we don't think this appointment is reasonable.
That doesn't exist in America. It doesn't exist in most democracies, not to the scope. And that's the minor correction that we made that is now called the end of democracy. If that's the end of democracy, there are no democracies because none of them have this.
BLITZER: So let me just point out, Mr. Prime Minister --
NETANYAHU: -- There's a lot of concern, a lot of it is Knesset.
BLITZER: The US has a lot more checks and balances --
NETANYAHU: Wolf, please. You're asking me to come here --
BLITZER: Yes. Let me just point out, the US has a lot more checks and balances. And as you know, what's so disturbing is that thousands of Israeli military reservists are protesting, including pilots. They're refusing to serve right now. That's emboldening Israel's adversaries like Iran, they're watching. Is Israel less safe today because of what you're doing?
NETANYAHU: Well, I'll answer it if you let me answer your questions. If you just want to hear yourself, go ahead. But you want to hear my answer let me answer.
BLITZER: Go ahead.
NETANYAHU: Israel has a very strong military. It has a very strong military. It is able to deal with all the challenges that we have and we have many. But I want to tell you one thing, you speak of a few thousand who've expressed their reservations, their opposition, Israel as an army of hundreds of thousands with reservists. We had close to 100,000, 100,000 people who signed a petition to say that we support the current actions of the government. You didn't hear a word about it.
We had a quarter of a million people the other day in Tel Aviv supporting the government. You don't hear a word about it. Yes, there is a big debate but -- and some of the former generals are leading an effort against this reform. That's OK, it's a legitimate thing.
[01:15:03] But in a democracy, the day that Israel's -- that former generals can force an election -- the elected officials, democratically-elected officials to stop legislation on this or that matter, I would say that's the day that Israel really stopped being a democracy. Yes, we have now, we have now a big debate. I don't want to minimize it. I also don't want to minimize the concerns that people have, because many of them have been caught in this spiral of fear.
That's not going to happen. Israel is going to remain a democracy. There are checks and balances. We have to bring some of the Israeli judiciary, some of it back to a center where it's will be like most democracies. That's not going to end democracy, it's not going to weaken democracy. It's going to strengthen democracy. You're going to see that very soon.
BLITZER: Let me get your sense on some specifics, Mr. Prime Minister. Can you promise this new law won't be used to fire Israel's attorney general, who, of course, is overseeing your corruption trial?
NETANYAHU: Well, first of all, there is no connection between my trial and this reform that is the product of millions of Israelis' fear, saying that they've -- basically that people have taken away their democratic decisions, and that they don't decide anything. But 50 non- elected officials, judges, respectable judges, they decide everything. That's not what they want.
As far as my trial is concerned, it's been going on for three years. It's unraveling two, three weeks ago .The judges called in the prosecution and said, listen, drop the corruption -- not the corruption, drop the bribery charge, which is the really the lead charge, and haven't even heard a single, a single witness for the defense. That's -- the only thing I want for my trial is live coverage of TV.
That's enough, because I've always said the truth will come out and --
BLITZER: Let me press you on this.
NETANYAHU: -- and it will. As far as the Attorney General is concerned, and you ask that, I can't even deal with that. I've got it able to deal with it. But I can tell you that this is not going to happen because it needs the heads of all the coalition to agree to it, and they're not going to agree to it. That's not happening.
BLITZER: Do you expect to face any serious consequences from the United States, Mr. Prime Minister, for ignoring President Biden's repeated warnings against pushing through this overall?
NETANYAHU: I respect President Biden. I know he's been a great friend of Israel and a friend of mine for 40 years. We can have our disagreements. And, look, Wolf, I've been serving as prime minister for 16 years, that's a long time. During those 16 years, I've watched other democracies in France, the US and elsewhere, they have the same debates about the power of the Supreme Court, the power of the executive. They have riots, they have demonstrations and protests. I've declined to comment on that. I've never commented, ever, on what happens in the internal processes of democracies. Elected leaders and other democracies can comment on Israel. Everybody wants to comment on Israel, that's fine. They can do it. But ultimately, the decisions are made in our democratic institutions. And I think they'll be made in a measured way, just as we've done now. We've trimmed this reformed -- let's tell the truth. We trimmed it, we've listened to the concerns of the opposition and broad spectrum of the public. I think they're wrong in a lot of things, but I think that points, important points.
So we trimmed it down to a minor thing on reasonableness. We're trying now to achieve a gable, push the pause button on the legislation in which I had a majority. For three months tried to negotiate with the opposition. They wouldn't agree to anything, even a minor change. But I am not giving up.
And I think the fact that we -- that we won this, this particular round, I think maybe gives us the opportunity. When they see that we have a majority to legislate without them, maybe it will be about legislate with them. It's the rest to be hopeful that we can reach this compromise.
BLITZER: As a result of what you're doing, Mr. Prime Minister, the Biden administration has said, and this was very blunt, you're not invited to come to the White House. They say you'll meet President Biden in the fall somewhere else in the United States. Isn't that a very significant sign that US-Israel relations right now are suffering big time because of your policies?
NETANYAHU: Well, first of all, President Biden spoke to me the other day and he said specifically that he's inviting me to the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: More of Wolf Blitzer's interview with Israel's prime minister next hour here on CNN.
11 days after Vladimir Putin withdrew from the Black Sea Green Deal sparking fears of a global food shortage, the Russian president has told African leaders he's working to avoid a global food shortage. That's ahead. Plus, Nigeria's military and protesters throwing their support behind the leaders of a coup d'etat.
[01:19:55]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: The Kremlin says that Ukrainian drone has been shot down in the Moscow Region overnight, causing no damage or casualties. CNN cannot independently confirm that claim. Meantime, the Ukrainian counteroffensive, excuse me, is maintaining momentum after kicking into high gear in recent days. Your video shows Ukrainian troops taking control of a village in the Donetsk Region on Thursday. Russian forces withdrew after a week's long fight.
And for the first time, a Ukrainian military vehicle was spotted stuck in a ditch, it seems, along a Russian anti-tank obstacle known as Dragon's Teeth. The images are from southern Ukraine suggesting Ukrainian forces have pushed behind this Russian line of defense.
And the mercenary leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was seen in Russia for the first time since his uprising last month, holding meetings on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg. It also was on Thursday.
Last week, the Kremlin set the price of grain like wheat and corn soaring on world markets by officially withdrawing from a deal with Ukraine to provide safe shipping for grain exports to the Black Sea. Now, Vladimir Putin at a summit with African leaders is promising free grain to six countries. He says Russia is still a reliable supplier of food to Africa. He accused Western governments of hypocrisy for sanctioning Russian exports.
Those wheat prices shot up last week not just because Russia withdrew from that Black Sea deal but also because of repeated Russian attacks on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa and others within that region.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is among those attending that St. Petersburg Summit. It comes at a time of increased scrutiny of his ties between his government and Moscow. CNN senior international correspondent David McKenzie has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Abstentions, 32.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: South Africa's policy on paper is non-alignment on the Ukraine wall. But its actions have deeply angered Western powers, consistently refusing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the UN General Assembly. In February, hosting naval war games with Russia and China on the anniversary of the start of the war, a powerful propaganda moment for Putin, and the US Ambassador publicly rebuked the government and ruling ANC claiming there was intelligence showing weapons and ammunition loaded on a sanction cargo ship bound for Russia in December. It's now subject of a government inquiry.
REUBEN E. BRIGETY II, US AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH AFRICA: The observable gap between the rhetoric and reality of the government's professed policy of not alignment and neutrality.
MCKENZIE: The question is why? We've traveled to the remote Kalahari. In this desert soil, a highly lucrative manganese belt used in making steel, and the United Manganese of Kalahari mines or UMK. First revealed by nonprofit investigators at AmaBhungane, UMK has deep financial ties to this man, Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian oligarch linked to Vladimir Putin and to South Africa.
[01:25:05]
Here he is in 2006 in Cape Town, the US Treasury sanctioned Vekselberg in 2018 and again in 2022 for supporting Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Last year, Spanish authorities and the FBI seized his $90 million super yacht Tango. Despite the sanctions, Vekselberg still holds an important interest in UMK.
According to business records held in Cyprus, another significant player holding company Chancellor House, for years channeling funds to the ruling African National Congress. According to publicly available declarations, since 2021 UMK and Chancellor House combined have contributed at least $2.9 million to the financially struggling ANC.
This is a highly lucrative operation, and anti-corruption activists say that these alleged linkages pose serious questions. Is South Africa's policy towards Russia on the world stage influenced by money?
Is it possible that foreign policy also has a link to corruption or at the very least to a conflict of interest?
KARAM SINGH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CORRUPTION WATCH: I think this is an increasing concern that we've now more alive today than ever before. That there could be foreign money from a Russian origin that comes into the South Africa that flows into different political coffers. And I think that could absolutely have an impact upon, you know, as how South Africa takes positions on certain policies.
MCKENZIE: Substantial investment, preferential trade policies and critical foreign aid from the US and European Union are crucial to South Africa, the world's most unequal country, dwarfing Russia's contribution in both trade and aid.
STEVEN GRUZD, RUSSIA-AFRICA ANALYST: I think South Africa is playing a dangerous game here. And indeed, sometimes politicians are putting the political party, the ANC, before the needs of the citizens because it just doesn't make sense to be so closely associated with Russia when the stakes are so high and there's so much at risk.
MCKENZIE: And what does that risk for South Africa.
GRUZD: So it risks investment and risks trade, it risks jobs, it risks economic growth, it risks the currency, it risks isolation from the West. I think there are -- there's a lot at stake here.
MCKENZIE: A lot at stake for a country that has much to lose.
We've reached out to the parties involved Chancellor House, UMK and Vekselberg's Renova Group all deny any wrongdoing, any undue influence on the ANC or any sanctions violations. They say that their party contributions are all legal, transparent and without any preconditions. The ANC for its part did not agree to an on-camera interview or provide a statement. For more, go to cnn.com. David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Niger's military has publicly supported the ongoing coup, so to pro-military protesters. On Thursday, they set fires around the party headquarters of ousted -- the ousted president. Military has suspended all activities all political parties, will also warning against foreign intervention. Military claims to support the coup d'etat in hopes of preventing bloodshed. He is one pro-military demonstrator. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are protesting to show our support to the military who just put an end, I would say, to the rule of the 7th Republic. Yesterday, we saw the match of those supporting the president, but I am sorry, today the real Niger has come out on the streets. I am ready to support the military even if I have to risk my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: More details out from CNN's Larry Madowo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Events escalating fast in Niger, and especially the capital in the army where on Thursday, pro-military protesters hit the streets. They set the party headquarters of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on fire, set some cars on fire. And we even saw a Russian flag in the crowd. We heard some people shout (inaudible) Russia.
It's too early to tell but that's an interesting point, because after the coup in neighboring Burkina Faso, we also saw a Russian flag in the streets there. The Wagner Group affiliated to Russia is active in parts of the region in Mali, especially the Central African Republic. But the location the President Mohamed Bazoum is not clear. He was being detained by the presidential guard in the presidential palace.
The UN secretary general says he's spoken to him, the head of the African Union has spoken to him, and there's calls for him to be released, but so far has not been seen in public. He has the US secretary general talking about the situation in Niger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: You have military regimes in Mali, in Burkina Faso, now eventually in Israel. A fragile transition in charge and an horrible situation in Sudan.
[01:30:10]
So we are witnessing, that the whole belt, south of the Sahara, is becoming an extremely problematic area with terrible consequences for their populations, and with terrible consequences for peace and stability in the African continent and further afield.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: This area has been critical for the international communities, why does the health strategy as the region, especially in Mali and Burkina Faso, fight a jihadist insurgency there. The US has about 1,000 troops stationed there for the counterterrorism operations, according to US officials, and France has about 2,000 troops stationed in Niger and in Chad. This new military man in charge of the country say they want no foreign interference. And in fact, the military said that any foreign military intervention will risks having disastrous and uncontrolled consequences. So a big question about what happens in the days and weeks ahead, and if there's still a chance to return Niger back to democratic path. Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.
[01:29:51]
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a big occasion means bringing out the big missiles. How Kim Jong-un is trying to impress his besties as they makes a rare visit from Russia and China.
And yes, it is hot, really hot in the northern hemisphere, and even if we stop greenhouse gas, climate warming admissions right now, every last one of them at this moment, it's going to stay hot. We'll explain why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back. I'm John Vause, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
First, images now from North Korea of the latest military parade. Part of the celebrations of what Pyongyang calls a Victory Day. Also known as Armistice Day which ended in a cease-fire, which stopped the fighting on the Korean Peninsula 70 years ago.
North Korea's much prized Hwasong 18 intercontinental ballistic missile, a lot of other military hardware, will wheel into Kim Il-sung square. North Korea putting on quite a show for a high level delegation with close allies ?Russia and China.
CNN's Marc Stewart covering this live for us from Tokyo. He joins us now.
So I guess, just how impressed were the Russians and the Chinese with Kim showing off his rather large missiles and what message was he hoping to send?
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well North Korea certainly had an audience from superpowers that it wanted to have watching. So he did captivate attention.
[01:34:59]
STEWART: And look, this is all not a surprise. This is very much according to script. North Korea likes to use symbolism to send messages that it is a power on the world stage. So we had this military parade, in addition to missiles and tanks. It also displayed what appeared to be, drones.
In fact, according to state media, there was a drone flight during this parade, with North Korea promoting two types of drones -- one for reconnaissance, the other being described as a multi-attack drone. Again, whether or not these are truly effective, that still remains to be seen. But this was a captive audience from both China, from Russia, and is
of course, these images are being broadcast around the world.
You did mention, John, that Vladimir Putin sent a letter. He also gave a speech to North Korea, we are not sure if this is something that was written, or something that was through video. Basically he did thank North Korea for showing their support of Russia during the Ukraine war, saying that that support really emboldens the two nations to deal with any kind of threats from the west.
North Korea in recent weeks has certainly been trying to assert itself on the world stage, in addition to this parade, in addition to the Armistice Day celebration, or the victory celebration.
It recently have had a series of missile tests, short term ballistic missiles, but also a more long-range missiles, one that was in the air for 74 minutes. It launched in parallel to that big NATO conference, a symbolism that North Korea hopes will make its mark on the world, because we certainly know it is craving the attention, John.
VAUSE: Yes. Often, it's a cry for attention, isn't it? Marc Stewart live for us there, from Tokyo.
Greek wildfires are still burning in the hard-to-reach mountains around the island of Rhodes. More than 20,000 mostly tourists were evacuated from beachside homes and hotels last weekend.
Researchers believe, 10 percent of the lands on Rhodes have been destroyed by this month's fire. Greek officials say the country has suffered more destruction from wildfires this month, more than it has since 2010.
Greece is not the only place feeling the effects of a scorching heat wave. For weeks, temperatures have been soaring in many places across the northern hemisphere.
In fact, climate scientists now believe this month will be the hottest ever in human history. Hottest ever in human history. E.U. scientists say human caused climate change is the main driver of the recent heat wave, with global air temperatures rising, in proportion, to the amount of carbon emissions we pump into the atmosphere.
Rebecca Benner is deputy director of climate change at The Nature Conservancy. And it's good to have you with us, Becca. Thanks for your time.
REBECCA BENNER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CLIMATE CHANGE, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY: Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: Ok. So I want you to listen to the director of Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service on where we are heading this month in terms of record temperatures. Here he is. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARLO BUONTEMPO, DIRECTOR, COPERNICUS CLIMATE CHANGE SERVICE: These anomaly (ph) is so large with respect to other record-breaking months in our record that we are very virtually certain that the month as a whole will become the warmest July on record, the warmest month in history.
In all likelihood, we have never experienced a world so hot in modern history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It doesn't seem like he's going way out on a limb to make that prediction, really. Right now, are we, in terms of what were ceilings in record temperatures, are they basically now the new floors? And is that sort of the pattern that we are heading, you know, for the foreseeable future?
BENNER: I think where we're headed in the future is to see more of these events for longer. It might not just be the heat, you might have catastrophic rains, you might have catastrophic fires, you might have catastrophic throughout --you might have catastrophic storms.
But the key word there is more and catastrophe.
So, we are just going to start to see longer patterns of really hot temperatures or longer patterns of really long dry periods, and droughts.
And so it's very hard to know if this is the new floor, weather is variable, things change, but there is absolutely no question that we're going to see more of these really extended, awful, weather patterns. And they are just going to get worse.
VAUSE: The U.S. president was briefed Thursday on the soaring temperatures, and what is being declared a heat emergency in many parts of the country. Here is part of what he said after that briefing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Even those who deny that we are in the midst of a climate crisis can't deny the impact that extreme heat is having on America.
Americans like an elderly woman in Phoenix, who fell out of her wheelchair and after five minutes on the ground, had third degree burns -- third degree burns.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:39:57]
VAUSE: But wait, there is more. Arizona is so hot at the Desert Botanic Gardens in Phoenix, cactus are dying because nights in Phoenix have experienced record high heat which suffocates and stresses out the Saguaro which dehydrates them and makes them more susceptible to infections and insects. So you know, wherever you look, right now, it seems each day, each
week, each month, each year, if they don't set a record, they come close to it. And so this is the result of the years of carbon emissions, already pumped into the atmosphere, right?
I guess the question here is, this is the pattern that we are locked into, no matter what we do in terms of cutting fossil fuels, right now, at this moment.
BENNER: Yes, that's right. I mean the world has gotten so warm, I like to think of it as, you know, in the winter, if you are really cold and you put on a blanket to help trap the heat. But if you're still really cold, you add another blanket, and you add another blanket.
We have done that with the earth. We have this really thick blanket that's capturing all of this heat. And unfortunately, when you're sleeping at night, you can't just remove the blanket. It's actually really hard to do.
So even if we stopped emissions today, we still have this really thick blanket, which is trapping the heat.
So we absolutely have to stop emissions today. Otherwise, we are in this long, and who knows when it's ever going to end, cycle. And we actually have to start taking carbon back out of the atmosphere. And we have to do both of those things immediately and faster than we're doing it now.
Unfortunately, even if we did everything perfectly right this second which we can't, we are still going to get hotter for quite some time.
VAUSE: The U.N. Secretary General had a new catchy way of describing this disaster that we've created for ourselves. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUTERRES: Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning. The era of global warming has ended, the era of global boiling has arrived.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: He is 1,000 percent right while at the same time, being completely ignored by pretty much the entire world. Why doesn't that message resonate with leaders who are the ones who make the decisions?
BENNER: You know, I would argue that it doesn't resonate with leaders, but it also doesn't always resonate with the whole human population. I mean I think about and work on climate, every single day. That's what I do when I wake up every morning, thinking about it. And it's still, such a hard concept to think about how bad it can get, right.
You live your daily life and it is horrible, it is awful and it's everything he just said. It is too hot. You can't breathe in the air. It feels terrible. And yet, it's just a day in your life. The next day you wake up, you drink your coffee, you go about your day
again. And it's just really hard to think about the fact, what we are doing each day is not only perpetuating the problem, it's making the problem worse.
And so I think leaders don't act because they don't always hear from their voting constituents that they need to act. I think acting is also really hard, right.
There is all kinds of problems with any policy you pass and anything you try to do to incentivize change. Because someone's going to lose and someone is going to gain.
So none of these problems are simple. And I think it's great that we have this fantastically globalized world. And it makes it incredibly hard to move quickly and to move smartly in this case to actually help mitigate climate.
Becca Benner, that's a good explanation. Thanks so much for being with us. Appreciate your insights and also your time. Thank you.
Benner: Of course, thank you.
VAUSE: New research shows rising ocean temperatures are changing the behavior of sharks. They are now being seen in what was once considered colder regions.
Warmer temperatures also make their digestion less (INAUDIBLE). that means they heat more and that has an impact on the entire food chain. Sharks are among the most endangered marine animals on the planet, almost 40 percent. Overall shark species are threatened with extinction, mainly due to overfishing.
Typhoon Doksuri has made landfall in southeastern China, bringing torrential rain and winds, approaching 175 kilometers per hour, whipping up huge waves and (INAUDIBLE) and crashing on the shore.
Earlier the typhoon caused major flooding in Taiwan and the Philippines killing at least 39 people and including dozens on an overcrowded boat which capsized in the strong winds and dangerous seas.
The storm is expected to continue to track north, weaken as it passes overland and become a tropical storm within the next few hours.
Romanians were surprised earlier this week to find a lake near the coast of the Black Sea had changed color to a light shade of pink. According to a Romanian biologist the color is normal, but produced by bacteria that thrive in warm and salty water.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADRIAN BALBI, BIOLOGIST: The bacteria end up being the only ones to proliferate, to use the primitive photosynthesis pigment which has a pinkish color, and these bacteria also colors flamingo feathers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Who knew?
Well, the lake is safe for swimming. The bacteria is accompanied by a strong smell of sulfur.
[01:44:58]
VAUSE: We'll take a short break. When we come back, they helped the U.S., were promised visas, a better life. But long after the Taliban takeover, those visas have not arrived for many, and we'll hear from Afghans holding out hope, living in limbo and also living in danger.
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VAUSE: In the coming days the U.S. and Taliban officials are planning to hold talks in Doha, Qatar. The spokesperson for Afghanistan foreign affairs ministry says the Taliban's priorities are an end to U.S. sanctions and blacklists, also unfreezing Afghanistan bank reserves.
The U.S. froze billions of dollars of Afghan assets after the Taliban takeover and has refused to release the money saying there is no trusted institution to guarantee the funds will actually benefit the people of Afghanistan.
The U.S. is sending a special representative to Afghanistan to the meeting as well as a special envoy for Afghan women, girls and human rights.
It has been nearly two years since the U.S.-backed Afghan national government folded like a cheap suit and the Taliban took over. And since then, many Afghans who were promised a better life by the United States have been living in limbo. Some of them have been even sent back to Afghanistan.
Here's CNN Nick Paton Walsh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It was the end of America's longest war, the worst of days. As Kabul fell to the Taliban and its airport became the last chance for salvation. The United States pledged those who helped it would have a new life in America.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Those who helped us are not going to be left behind.
WALSH: But nearly two years later, not only are some Afghans who have been officially told they should get visas to America still waiting in neighboring Pakistan. Some have waited so long, CNN can reveal they've been deported back to Afghanistan, sent back by Pakistani police to the Taliban they fled.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They stopped and told us -- so we give you 24 hours deadline. We should not see you in Pakistan land.
WALSH: CNN spoke to two Afghans who are now back in hiding in Kabul, had paperwork confirming they were being processed for U.S. so called Afghan P2 visas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is very, very dangerous and it is very tough. You know that how many people have been killed. Have been tortured. Have been disappeared. They will punish me. They will put me in jail. Maybe they will kill me. I'm sure they will.
Still we believe that USA will help us. We believe. We didn't lose our hope still.
WALSH: Another said, he hadn't even told close family of his return to Kabul or deportation.
[01:49:53]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They did not hand us over to the Afghan border forces. They just released us on the border and told us to go back to Afghanistan. Also they did not give us any deportation document. It was me, my four kids and my wife who got deported together.
WALSH: For some, desperation means it is already too late. This is where one of two Afghan men waiting for U.S. visas took their own lives in the past two months, throwing himself from the sixth floor here, according to activists.
Hundreds of Afghans have been deported from Pakistan in recent months say human rights groups. No distinction apparently made for those with the promise of a U.S. visa.
CROWD: USA complete the visa.
WALSH: Last week Afghans in Pakistan waiting for U.S. visas staged a protest. CNN spoke to several who complained of police harassment and fear greatly deportation to Afghanistan.
One described how the Taliban had beaten him senseless in Kabul before he fled, but that he now fears the Pakistani police's harassment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were asking for visa. There were a lot of policemen. They came into the house without clear information and they took me out of home and they were just putting me in the van.
My kids, they were very harassed. They were crying and they were asking for help.
WALSH: He described how he once saved his American colleagues during a protest and had letters denoting his service.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course I am disappointed, because the way that I served the American in Afghanistan, and you know I was expecting them to welcome me there sooner. It seems like I have no future at all.
WALSH: The U.S. State Department told CNN the Biden administration, quote, "continues to demonstrate its commitment to the brave Afghans who worked with the U.S." but added the "processing capacity in Pakistan remains limited, but they are actively working to expand it."
And they urged Afghanistan's neighbors to quote "keep their borders open and uphold their obligations when it comes to asylum seekers." Pakistan's foreign ministry declined to comment.
Another family were also harassed by Pakistani police, the father briefly jailed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a very bad situation for me and for my family. I think it's a bad dream.
WALSH: His wife broke down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Save us from Pakistan. I can't come back to Afghanistan. Come back to Afghanistan is a big risk. And here we are dying every moment. Staying in Pakistan is a gradual death.
WALSH: Nick Paton Walsh, CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: With that, we'll take a short break. We'll be right back. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: When it comes to the World Cup, don't count Argentina out. South Africa went into the half with a comfortable two-goal lead but the blue and white came roaring back, destroying (INAUDIBLE) in its 79th minute. Both teams walked away with one point each, the first ever for South Africa in the Women's World Cup.
Meantime, there was a big upset. A very big upset on Thursday.
And CNN's Don Riddell has highlights.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: The host teams of the Women's World Cup had made winning starts. Meaning that both New Zealand and Australia went into their second group matches knowing they could advance to the knockout stage.
[01:55:01]
RIDDELL: But now both will have an anxious wait. New Zealand lost to the Philippines on Tuesday and now the Aussies have lost to Nigeria, a stunning upset in Brisbane, Thursday. Australia had been struggling with injuries. Sam Kerr and others out for this game. But you still would have fancied them to see off one of the weaker teams in the world rankings. Emily Vanegman (ph) putting the Matildas ahead in the first half
injury time. And they would have expected to carry the lead into the halftime team talk. But they say you are at your most vulnerable when you've just scored and so it proves.
Nigeria equalized through Uchenna Kanu in the sixth minute of stoppage time. And the Super Falcons kept it going after the break. Osinachi Ohale tracking the ball to throw a head at it for a 2-1 lead. That was a great header. And the Aussies were reeling. The nine-time African champions had brought Barcelona Asisat Oshoala off the bench just before that goal. She scored Nigeria's third of the night from a tight angle.
Australia scored a late consolation but they could not find an equalizer leaving Nigeria to celebrate a momentous win. The Super Falcons are now top of Group B.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I'm going to give kudos to my teammates. Everyone went out there to play their hearts out. No one knows what this team is made of. We only have to come to (INAUDIBLE) ourselves. And so the kind of (INAUDIBLE) we have.
Like I said earlier, this team has a lot to offer. And everyone and the world is seeing that today.
RIDDELL: What an achievement, having silenced the crowd outside, Nigeria were making all the noise inside. This was the scene in their locker room afterward, dancing and singing songs of celebration.
This is the situation now in Group B. Nigeria on top, ahead of Canada on goal difference and Australia's last game is going to be tough against Canada, the Olympic champions on Monday.
The co-host need a big result if they want to stick around for the knockout stage. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thank you Don.
Well, the Iranian chess player who competed without wearing a head covering officially has a new home. Sara Khadem has been granted, rather, Spanish nationality. Spain's justice minister called her circumstances exceptional.
In December Khadem competed in a world championship chess tournament in Kazakhstan. She was not wearing a head covering which is mandatory for women in Iran.
According to Reuters News Agency, an arrest warrant was issued for her by Tehran. And Khadem never returned home, instead living in Spain ever since. We wish her well.
I'm John Vause. CNN NEWSROOM continues with my friend and colleague Paula Newton in New York, after a quick break.
So you right back here next week.
[01:57:47]
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