Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Former President Trump to Face with a Judge for his Third Indictment; Nigerian Coup Leaders met with Wagner-backed Neighbors for Military Intervention; Pope Francis Kicks Off World Youth Day Festivities; China Proposes Plan to Limit Phone Usage for Minors; Israel Supreme Court Holds a Hearing on the Appeals vs. PM Netanyahu's Laws. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired August 03, 2023 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead on "CNN Newsroom," former U.S. President Donald Trump just hours away from facing a judge in his third indictment, this one for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election.
Coup leaders in Niger meet with Wagner-backed military neighbors as the U.S. orders all non-essential personnel out of the country.
And a Canadian real estate agent gets slapped with a $17,000 fine after surveillance video catches him helping himself to a homeowner's fridge.
In the hours ahead, former U.S. President Donald Trump will head to a federal courthouse in Washington for his first court appearance on criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
This will mark his third arrest and third arraignment in just a matter of months. Security has been ramped up in the nation's capital and around the courthouse ahead of Trump's arrival, with law enforcement now monitoring for any possible threats or protests. All this after special counsel Jack Smith's investigation led to an indictment with four counts against Trump, including conspiracy to defraud the United States. An attorney for Trump argues the former president did nothing wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN LAURO, ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP: You have one of the leading constitutional scholars in the United States, John Eastman, say, to President Trump, this is a protocol that you can follow. It's legal. That eliminates criminal intent.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: But the indictment against Trump details his false claims and prolific lies of fraud following the 2020 election. His former vice president had this to say about the advice his boss was getting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Sadly, the president was surrounded by a group of crackpot lawyers that kept telling him what his itching ears wanted to hear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: A magistrate judge will preside over today's arraignment, but a U.S. district judge with nearly a decade on the federal bench will take over moving forward. CNN's Jessica Schneider reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TANYA CHUTKAN, FORMER OBAMA NOMINEE FOR DISTRICT JUDGE: Impartiality is bedrock.
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Judge Tanya Chutkan was confirmed 95 to nothing by the US Senate in 2014 after being nominated by President Barack Obama.
UNKNOWN: The nomination is confirmed.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): For nearly a decade, she's served as one of about two dozen judges at the Federal Trial Court in Washington, D.C.
CHUTKAN: The ideal judge has always been for me one who is open- minded, fair and prepared.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): But now that she's been selected at random to preside over Donald Trump's criminal case for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, her impartiality is being questioned.
LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST, THE INGRAHAM ANGLE: She worked for Boyd Shiller, which of course is Hunter Biden's firm of choice.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): In November 2021, Chutkan forcefully rejected Trump's attempts to block the January 6th committee from accessing more than 700 pages of his White House records. Presidents are not kings and plaintiff is not president. Her decision was slammed by Trump but delighted Democrats leading the congressional investigation into the Capitol attack.
UNKNOWN: It's a big deal. We have a lot of information we've requested.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Judge Chutkan has also overseen dozens of criminal cases against Capitol rioters and in the process implicated Trump on several occasions, telling one rioter during sentencing that he did not go to the United States Capitol out of any love for our country, he went for one man. She also pushed back against claims that the protesters on January 6th
can be compared to other people protesting against racial inequality in recent years, saying during one hearing in 2021, to compare the actions of people protesting mostly peacefully for civil rights to those of a violent mob seeking to overthrow the lawfully elected government is a false equivalency and ignores a very real danger that the January 6th riot posed to the foundation of our democracy.
ELLIE HONIG, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: The judge has been very strong in her rulings relating to January 6. She has given many memorable statements. Presidents are not kings and the like, so, good draw for the prosecution.
[03:05:00]
SCHNEIDER (on-camera): Judge Chutkan has come down hard on sentencing those convicted capital rioters. She often references their disdain for the rule of law.
Now, notably Thursday's arraignment of the former president, it will be in front of a magistrate judge. After that, the case will then be handed over to Judge Chutkan to conduct the criminal proceedings.
Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: We've just gotten word that the British Embassy in the embattled country of Niger is temporarily reducing its staff after the military junta called for street demonstrations later today.
And the U.S. State Department has ordered all non-essential personnel and their families out of Niger with the political crisis approaching a crucial deadline. Now it comes as France's fifth and final evacuation flight has now taken off from Niger's capital, carrying French and other European nationals. France says it's flown more than a thousand people out of the country and the flights are now over.
Well meantime, leaders of the coup that ousted Niger's president visited the Wagner-backed military rulers of neighboring Mali and of Burkina Faso seeking military support. A block of West African nations has threatened to use force if the president is not reinstated by the weekend.
CNN's Jim Bittermann is in Paris with more on the evacuations and our Larry Medowo is in Nairobi. Welcome to you both. So Larry, I want to start with you. What is the latest on the crisis in Niger and of course the role that Wagner may end up playing in all of this?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The interesting thing is the British Embassy in Niamey deciding to scale down its operation today, being Nigerian Independence Day, 63 years of independence from France, because the military junta has called for new demonstrations to show support for the military, to show the world that they have the public backing, even as the international community asks them to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum and go back to the barracks. Instead, they are outrightly seeking support from their neighbors who
support them. The vice president of the Committee to Safeguard the Homeland, Salifou Modi, who was fired by President Bazoum earlier this year, and now the vice president of the coup leaders, went to Mali, met with the Colonel Asimi Goita, who is the military junta leader there, and they discussed ways to strengthen the security cooperation, he says, according to this statement from the Mali presidency, as some people are planning military interventions in their country, in Niger.
And this is important because after French troops left Mali, they invited the Wagner group in. They are fighting there alongside Malian forces against the extremists in that country. And so this meeting is important because it does appear that explicitly the Nigerian military junta reaching out to the Wagner group to invite them into the country as a form of support is not exactly clear. They haven't said that explicitly.
But then after that, this Vice President Modi goes to Burkina Faso and meets with the Captain Ibrahim Tlaure there, the other military junta leader, and says that they don't want Niger to become a new Libya.
And they said something that's interesting here, that we have to past that we have decided to undertake a certain number of activities to secure our populations of our two countries.
Again, the background here, Mali and Burkina Faso said that any military intervention in Niger would be tantamount to an act of war against them. They also got support from Guinea. These are the only three countries that recognize the military junta in Niger.
In the meantime, back at home, General Tiani, the self-declared leader of the country, was addressing the nation on the eve of Niger's independence day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDOURAHAMANE TIANI, NIGERIAN PUTSCHIST GENERAL (through translator): The National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland rejects all sanctions and refuses to yield to any threat, wherever it may come from. We reject any interference in Niger's internal affairs, and we reject the claim by any party to punish the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland and the people of Niger as an example.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: On Sunday, the deadline set by ECOWAS, the economic community of West African states, to use force if President Bazoum is not reinstated, will end. The chiefs of defense of ECOWAS have been meeting in Abuja in the Nigerian capital, so will they make good on that promise to actually militarily intervene in Niger? It's just a few days, the clock is ticking. Rosemary?
CHURCH: Yeah, it most definitely is. I want to turn now to senior international correspondent Jim Bitterman, who joins us live from Paris. And Jim, let's look at the latest on these evacuations to Europe because of course we are hearing France has ended its flights out of Niger for now at least.
But of course now the situation with the British embassy and we're hearing about these demonstrations, could France rethink maybe getting some of those essential staff out of their embassy?
[03:09:57]
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think at this point in time, one of the things that's happened is that the air quarters and borders have been opened up from Niger, and I think that may give people that want to get out at least another opportunity, another way of getting out without having to organize evacuation flights. The French organized five evacuation flights, evacuated more than a thousand people, ten different nationalities, a lot of Europeans among them.
So I think that for the moment this phase of their evacuations are over, but who knows what lies ahead here. A lot of these people evacuated, had kind of mixed emotions about leaving as this communication worker for an NGO did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTOINE DIESCE, FRENCH NATIONAL WORKING IN NIGER (through translator): I don't want to criticize at all. Nigerians are people with absolute kindness. But we could feel the rise of anti-French sentiment, which we can really feel. Honestly, it was starting to deteriorate, so in the end, it's not too bad that we're here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BITTERMANN: And the French as well as the Americans and now the Brits are saying they're going to try to keep their embassies open. That despite the kind of organized demonstration and protests that we saw last Sunday against the French embassy, quite violent in its nature, it was the kind of thing that triggered the evacuations in the first place.
And the French today were prompted to put out a demand to the coup leaders that in fact they respect the Vienna conventions, which means that they would protect the various diplomatic missions in Niger. Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right, Jim Bittermann, Larry Madowo, many thanks to you both, I appreciate it.
In the 17 months since Russian forces drove tanks across the Ukrainian border, sparking the greatest land war in Europe since World War II, nearly 11,000 civilians have lost their lives in the conflict, including 499 children.
And that is according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office, which is investigating Russian war crimes. It says those figures are likely to rise dramatically, once Ukrainian forces liberate occupied territories when the sheer scale of human loss can be accurately assessed. Nada Bashir joins me now from London. Nada, it is shocking. More than
10,000 Ukrainian civilians killed in this war and still the fighting grinds on and now, news of more drone strikes in Moscow. What is the latest on this?
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely, another round of drone strikes on both sides we are hearing. Just in the last few hours, the Russian Defense Ministry has issued a statement saying that the Russian air defenses were able to shoot down six drones overnight in the Kaluga region, just southwest of Moscow.
And they say no casualties or damage has been reported so far as a result of what the defense ministry has described as a foiled terrorist plot by the Ukrainian government, though no response from Ukraine at this stage. And typically, we do not hear responses from the Ukrainian government when it comes to attacks within Russian territory.
But of course, Ukraine's own air defenses have been tested for yet another night by Russian drones. Some 22 drones reportedly shot down by Ukraine's air defense systems, including 15 attack drones. And this follows a barrage of attacks that we saw overnight on Wednesday. 37 Iranian-made Shahed drones partially shot down, but some, of course, causing damage and landfall.
And of course, others meeting their targets, particularly in the Odessa region, where we saw damage to the port infrastructure there. And that has really raised concern, of course, over the food security situation as we continue to see Russia targeting Ukraine's port infrastructure.
But we have seen continued attacks across Ukraine's southeast region, particularly overnight. We have seen attacks in the city of Kherson, where at least three people have reportedly been injured as a result of Russian shelling in a nearby church in the city center. We've also seen to the northeast continued shelling and airstrikes in the Zaporizhzhya region. Of course, this battle continues to grind on as we continue to see the targeting of not only port infrastructure, but of course, civilian infrastructure as well.
CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Nada Bashir joining us live from London.
Well, now to a story of two soldiers, one Russian and one Ukrainian, who were separated from their units after being wounded on the battlefield. They both were saved by Ukrainian troops.
Nick Paton-Walsh reports, but we warn you some images in his story are graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is usually only the dead lying here in the craters of Ukraine's southern front. But sometimes a glint of life shines. This drone spotting a Ukrainian soldier, Serhiy, separated from his
unit. Wounded in the chest and leg by shelling, he filmed this as he lay alone bleeding.
[03:15:02]
He feared whatever fight to live he put up would not be enough, he later told CNN from his hospital bed.
SERHIY, UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): I was ready to fight for my life, and I did, even lying there under the blazing sun. I realized I was too close to the Russians, and you even start to look at your gun in a different way.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): But the drone operators had other plans. They attached water, medicine and a note to the drone and sent it back.
It found him again and dropped the package. But he didn't know if it was friendly or a Russian bomb.
SERHIY (through translator); All the time I was crawling, a drone was always hovering above. We didn't realize if it was friend or foe. It was a lottery.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): This is the moment he realizes the drone may save him. The water and medicine kept coming, easing the pain that was visible, even from up high. And then he crawled back to safety.
SERHIY (through translator): The combat medics who gave me first aid when they found me were very surprised I survived for two days with a pierced lung.
Serhiy is recovering and talks now of a new life with greater value and purpose. They don't want to leave anyone behind, said the drone operator.
Every life is important to us. I could not live with myself if we just left someone behind in the field.
Probably only several miles away, salvation was uglier. Here is a Ukrainian assault by the 15th National Guard on a Russian position.
It is ferocious and eventually forced a dozen Russian troops to pull back. Artillery had injured the Russian commander badly and the Russians left him behind, presuming he was dead.
But this video supplied by Ukrainian forces shows they found him alive. And he received medical treatment. We're not naming him for his safety, but he was later awarded a posthumous medal, according to Russian media reports. Left behind and declared dead by his comrades. The Ukrainians who found him say he may have wished he didn't survive.
We said don't try anything or you'll die, he says. And he asked us to shoot him. And we offered him a chance to do it himself, but he said he could not do that. He's an enemy and I had no real desire to save him. But orders are orders and they have our guys and we can swap prisoners.
As a human, another says, I was shocked that they had left him behind. But as a soldier, I know my enemy and I know it's not an uncommon practice for them.
The opposite fates on different sides. In these wide ugly expanses of violence.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And as the two sides fight on the front lines, Ukraine is also trying to bring more countries on board with its peace plan. Kyiv is preparing for a peace summit in Saudi Arabia, set to get underway this Saturday.
Ukraine says the meeting will focus on a 10-point peace formula proposed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last year. But Kyiv wants to include more countries in the process, especially from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, and it's hoping to build a bigger consensus ahead of a possible global peace summit in the future.
Joining us now from Washington is Jill Dougherty, adjunct professor at Georgetown University, CNN contributor and former CNN Moscow bureau chief. Always good to have you with us.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thanks Rosemary.
CHURCH: So Jill, what's achievable at these peace talks in Saudi Arabia, particularly given Russia will not be participating, although it does say it will be monitoring the talks?
DOUGHERTY: I don't think that there is really a great expectation that certainly this could end the war. That is not really going to happen, most likely. But I think it is bringing in members of the global South. And you know that Russia has been romancing them. In fact, at the recent Africa summit, Russia was talking to African countries.
[03:19:53]
And here is an attempt to bring countries together and bring them together in Saudi Arabia, which is what is really called a middle power, not a superpower, but an influential, independent force that has begun to show that it can bring people together.
So this conference, and I think it's important to mention, the summit is based on the Ukrainian peace plan. That's a 10-point plan by President Zelenskyy. And it's what Ukraine wants, you know, bringing back prisoners' compensation and reparations for damages, getting all of the Russian troops out, et cetera. That is something that Russia is not going to accept.
CHURCH: But could this be the first step, perhaps, in more peace talks like this? I mean, is this a positive signal, do you think? DOUGHERTY: Oh, I think it's definitely positive, because it does at
least begin to get people kind of on the same page. Again, the global South and these countries that so far have kind of taken, let's say, haven't really taken sides in this war to bring them together and try to come up with some principles might eventually lead to some type of peace agreement or at least negotiations, and you know Rosemary, also in addition to that Peace plan by President Zelenskyy.
It's going to go further afield. It will include things like food security, energy environmental issues, nuclear safety. These are really broader issues. So it's almost like that they are looking for a broader security-based agreement that would go on, just go beyond, let's say, the immediate needs of this war.
CHURCH: And as these efforts to find a path to peace get underway in Saudi Arabia, we are seeing a marked change in the trajectory of this war, with Ukraine increasingly taking the battle to Russian soil, making President Putin look weak and the country vulnerable. Could this mark a critical turning point in the war, and how do you expect Putin to deal with this and fight back?
DOUGHERTY: Well, I think when you come to President Putin, he obviously is, let's say, embarrassed, could be the word, but at least concerned that the idea that he is given to the Russian people, that he is in charge of things, things are going according to plan, is not correct.
And that right now, if you have drones hitting Moscow, and this is happening more and more frequently. Drones hitting Moscow is a problem for President Putin. That is where the rich, the influential, the elite work and live, and the particular targets most recently have been specifically buildings in this city complex, as it's called, which have government offices and important financial offices.
So symbolically, and you would have to say somewhat militarily, although it doesn't really carry out too much damage, but symbolically it's very, very important. So I think Putin is going to try to say this really isn't having an effect, but that is not going to go over, I think.
The question is, what is Ukraine trying to do with these? Is it trying to create damage, you know, in a military sense, or is it more for show and to undermine Putin's message to his people that everything is okay?
CHURCH: And Jill, how do you see this war ending with no clear off- ramp inside and Ukraine insisting this war won't end for them until they get Crimea back?
DOUGHERTY: Well, unfortunately, I think the consensus at this point is that President Putin is in this for the long haul. And in the same fashion, the countries that are supporting President Zelenskyy in Ukraine are saying they will be in it for as long as it takes. And right now, it does not appear that there is much of a chance for negotiations, let alone a solution to this war.
CHURCH: Jill Dougherty, appreciate your analysis.
Pope Francis is set to meet with university students and speak at a welcome ceremony in the coming hours as part of the Catholic Church' World Youth Day festivities taking place this year in Portugal.
On Wednesday, the Pope acknowledged the Church's sexual abuse scandals have made some people feel anger and disappointment toward the Church, and he also spoke out on the war in Ukraine. Take a listen.
[03:25:03]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE FRANCIS (through translator): We might ask Europe, where are you sailing if you are not offering the world paths of peace, creative ways for bringing an end to the war in Ukraine and to the many other conflicts in the world causing so much bloodshed? Or again, to widen the scope, west, on what course are you sailing?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN's Antonia Mortensen is in Lisbon with more on the Pope's trip.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANTONIA MORTENSEN, CNN PRODUCER: Pope Francis arrived in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, Wednesday to celebrate World Youth Day, a global gathering of young Catholics held every three years in different countries.
This is the first since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of people welcomed Pope Francis to the gathering, which has been dubbed the Catholic Woodstock.
Before he arrived, the Pope joked with journalists on board the papal plane that he would come back rejuvenated from the trip, and he promised to stir things up.
The Pope met with Portuguese president, the Prime Minister and members of the clergy. And in his first public remarks, the 86-year-old urged leaders to seek solutions to global problems, such as climate change, and he urged Europe to rise up to the challenge of welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating migrants.
Organizers say more than 300,000 young people have registered for the event, with many more expected to come. And despite his recent surge in struggles with mobility, the Pope has a jam-packed schedule in the upcoming days, including a trip to the country's popular shrine of Fatima.
Antonia Mortenson, CNN, Lisbon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: We are tracking a strong typhoon heading toward China after hitting southern Japan, but will it actually hit the mainland or turn away?
Plus, China proposes new daily screen time limits for miners. We will break down the possible new rules after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Typhoon Khanun is heading west through the Pacific after battering southern Japan. At least two people have been killed and dozens more injured in Okinawa. High winds flipped cars, uprooted trees and knocked out power to more than 200,000 households on the island.
Right now Khanun is on a direct path toward China, but meteorologists expect it will turn before major damage is done there. Still China, Taiwan and parts of Japan are in danger.
[03:30:00]
Well, Chinese officials want to limit the amount of time children and teenagers spend on their phones. A new proposal was released by the country's top internet regulator on Wednesday. The country has become more concerned about so-called internet addiction as well as health issues stemming from prolonged use of smartphones.
So let's turn to CNN's Anna Coren. She joins us live from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Anna. So what more can you tell us about China's proposed restrictions on screen time for minors?
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, screen time addiction is a global problem as we know, but as far as China is concerned, it's doubling down, proposing new restrictions on children and teenagers on the time that they can spend on the internet and mobile devices.
The country's cyberspace regulator said that it wants mobile devices, apps and app stores to introduce a so-called minor mode, and that would cut off users from accessing the internet or mobile devices from 10.00 p.m. through till 6.00 a.m.
Now the proposal also includes a limit on how much time that kids under the age of 18 will be allowed to go online each day. For those under the age of 8, it's 40 minutes a day. Those between 8 and 16 years of age, it's an hour a day. And then if you're 16 to 18, it's extended to two hours a day.
Now once you've reached your limit, the mobile device will shut down all the applications. There are a number of exceptions. emergency services, educational products such as online classes, apps for physical and mental development, you know, they will be exempt. And parents can also choose to exempt apps, plus opt out of time limits for their children.
We spoke to one parent this morning in China. Let me read to you what this mother of two had to say. She said, I think it's good. On one hand it can protect their eye vision as many young kids cannot stop themselves while watching something they like. It helps automatically cut it off. On the other hand it's easier for us parents to control our kids
screen time. Without parents' approval they only have 40 minutes. Most importantly the content under the teenage mode is more positive and healthy.
Now parents might be very happy about this but internet companies and their investors certainly were not. Shares in Chinese tech firms fell dramatically yesterday on use of these restrictions, some falling almost 7 percent but with trading resuming today they have bounced. One lawyer, Rosemary, said that these new rules will be a headache for internet companies, so a lot to unpack there.
CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Anna Coren, bringing us that live report from Hong Kong. I Appreciate it.
Still to come, Israel's Supreme Court is about to hear the first of several challenges to controversial new laws passed by the Netanyahu government. We'll have the details just ahead.
[03:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Israel's Supreme Court is hearing the first in a series of appeals against new laws passed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Live pictures here as a panel of three judges hears a challenge to a law which makes it more difficult to declare the Prime Minister incapacitated or unfit for office.
And journalist Elliott Gotkine is with us now from outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem. So Elliot, what is the latest on all of this?
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Rosemary, this hearing today has its roots, I suppose, in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's legal troubles. You recall that he's on trial for corruption, charges he vehemently denies. So about three years ago, there were petitions to the Supreme Court here to say that, look, Netanyahu's on trial for corruption, therefore he shouldn't be prime minister or be able to run for prime minister.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that, no, it's OK for him to be prime minister so long as there's no conflict of interest. Rolled on to this government, and it unveiled its controversial overhaul plans, those plans that have caused hundreds of thousands of Israelis to pour out onto the streets week in, week out for more than six months.
And the attorney general said, as a result of that, look, Netanyahu's got legal problems. Therefore, it would be a conflict of interest for him to be involved in this judicial overhaul. So what does the government do? It amends a basic law. These are one of the closest things that Israel has to a constitution, to say that it would be much harder to remove Netanyahu from office in the event of a conflict of interest.
And that's why we are here today. The three Supreme Court justices are hearing petitions saying that, no, that law was done specifically for Netanyahu, specifically tailored to him, and therefore represents an abuse of power. That's what the attorney general says, too.
And so the result of that right now is that if the justices agree with those petitions, then that law could be struck down. And that would be the first time the Supreme Court strikes down one of these so-called basic laws.
And the significance of that against the context of these controversial judicial overhaul plans is that when all 15 Supreme Court judges meet for the first time in September to hear the first part of that judicial overhaul, this so-called reasonableness bill that we've been talking about the past few weeks, perhaps it will have fewer qualms about striking down a basic law if one has already been struck down before. So that really, Rosemary, is why today's hearing matters.
CHURCH: All right. Elliott Gotkine, joining us from outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem. Many thanks.
Well, as vast strips of land bake under blistering temperatures and oceans heat to unprecedented levels, a new report from the non-profit research group Climate Central says four out of five people across the world experienced unusually high temperatures last month fueled by a human-caused climate crisis.
Eighty-one percent of the global population experienced at least one day in July with unusually hot temperatures. 870 cities globally had at least 25 days with unusually hot temperatures and at least 2 billion people, one quarter of the global population, felt a very strong influence of climate change every day last month.
Temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius in Iran today as much of the nation shuts down for the second day because of extreme heat. State media say most public offices and businesses are closed to keep people safe.
The move is also expected to take some pressure off the power grid. Temperatures climbed to almost 50 degrees in parts of Iran earlier this week.
And Iran's strict Islamic government is preparing a host of harsh new laws aimed at women who fail to wear head coverings in public. Final approval could come in just a couple of months. It's seen as a direct response to last year's massive protests after a young woman died for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. The draft proposal calls for enhanced use of artificial intelligence to identify alleged infractions in public places.
The consequences for violators could be severe, including long prison terms and exorbitant fines.
[03:40:03]
The draft law also singles out celebrities and businesses threatening them with harsh penalties if they ignore the new rules.
Well, after 18 years of marriage, Canada's Prime Minister and his wife are separating. A statement from Justin Trudeau's office says he and Sophie Gregoire have signed a separation agreement. They say they remain a close family and will even holiday together next week.
Mr. Trudeau's father, Pierre Trudeau, divorced his wife, Margaret, back in 1977 while he was Prime Minister. Mr. Trudeau broke the news on his Instagram account saying he and Sophie had agreed to split after many meaningful and difficult conversations. He ended with an appeal for privacy for the sake of their three children.
Still to come, the group stage at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is winding down, but it was yet another dramatic day at the competition yesterday. We will have all the highlights after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: The family of a U.S. soldier who crossed into North Korea last month says he's not the type to just disappear. Army private Travis King was immediately taken into custody when he ran across the border during a tour of the demilitarized zone.
CNN's Laura Coates spoke with King's family Wednesday in an exclusive interview. They say the lack of information from U.S. officials has been frustrating.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MYRON GATES, TRAVIS KING'S UNCLE: Calling the D.C. office, congressmen, senators, we get no answers.
LAURA COATES, CNN PRIMETIME ANCHOR: What do you want the administration, the president to be doing? Are they doing anything as far as you are presently right now aware to help find your brother, your loved one, your nephew, your grandson for his grandparents back there? Do you know if they're doing anything right now to try to bring him home?
UNKNOWN: No.
GATES: No, we wish they would come to our house to talk to us and let us know something.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: King was facing disciplinary action and was scheduled to return from South Korea to the U.S. the day before the incident. The United Nations command says North Korea has responded regarding King, but it's not releasing any details.
Taiwan's chief trade negotiator is bullish on the major new trade deal between the U.S. and Taiwan. He believes the historic agreement will give Taiwan greater leverage in resisting threats and intimidation from China.
CNN's Will Ripley has details from Taipei.
[03:45:01] (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Taiwan's top trade negotiator John Deng leading a fight for the island's financial future, battling what he calls bullying by Beijing from this boardroom in central Taipei.
RIPLEY: Do you feel like you're on the front lines of an economic war?
JOHN DENG, CHIEF TAIWANESE TRADE NEGOTIATOR: I feel we are on the diplomatic front lines.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The front lines of a battle waged in black and white, 75 pages, nine months of negotiations. Taiwan says the most comprehensive trade agreement with the U.S. in more than 40 years, since Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979, beginning decades of diplomatic and economic isolation for Taipei.
DENG: China is exercising their coalition all the time. Taiwan is not the only target.
RIPLEY (voice-over): But it could be the most vulnerable target, he says, a small democracy with a big authoritarian neighbor. And he says, a big problem.
DENG: China now, they will, and they are intensifying their pressure on Taiwan.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Pressure paid in full, powered by the world's second largest economy, mountains of money for China's massive military, cyber, and diplomatic operations. Targeting Taiwan with intimidation, disinformation and isolation, island leaders say. They don't have Beijing's budget, but they do have a big bargaining chip. You can only see through a microscope.
More than 90 percent of the world's most advanced microchips, Made in Taiwan, chips that power global tech and give Taiwan crucial soft power.
Deng says formal agreements with friendly democracies might deter a Chinese attack.
DENG: The check cannot solve all the problems, but trade can build up the confidence. If we can prove to China that we are, we can help each other. I think this sends much stronger message.
RIPLEY (voice-over): China says it strongly opposes official interactions of any form between what it calls China's Taiwan region and countries that have diplomatic relations with China.
RIPLEY: Do you think that this kind of a deal would increase or decrease the likelihood of China making a move on Taiwan?
DENG: I think we all have to prepare ourselves. If we can attract more foreign investment, if our investors can go to more countries to invest, Taiwan will be stronger. RIPLEY (voice-over): And safer, he says. Trade today, Taiwan's
democracy tomorrow.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: At least nine people have been killed in the latest deadly police operation in Brazil. Police say they shot a group of suspects while targeting an alleged meeting of crime groups in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday. But Brazilian authorities say the officers opened fire only after being fired upon first.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. MARCO ANDRADE, SPOKESPERSON, RIO DE JANEIRO MILITARY POLICE (through translator): After advancing through the terrain and reaching the area where the meeting was actually taking place we were met by many gunshots and an intense armed confrontation ensued.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The operation comes after a police crackdown on suspected organized crime in Sao Paulo State which left 16 people dead in recent days. Police were criticized for reportedly using excessive force which the state's governor denies.
It's been a week of high drama at the Women's World Cup with the last round of group fixtures throwing up countless storylines. But it's not over yet. Fans can expect yet more action in the final group matches in a couple of hours as Colombia take on Morocco and Germany play South Korea, all bidding to qualify out of Group H. Just a draw will suffice for Colombia in their match against Morocco.
And CNN's Don Riddell has highlights from Wednesday's matches.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: For the first time ever, South Africa have qualified for the knockout stage of the World Cup. But Banyana Banyana kept their fans on the edge of their seats until the very last seconds. South Africa's last game in Group G was against Italy, and they were trailing until a moment of good fortune when Benedetta Rossi made a disastrous back pass. No goalie Francesca Durante couldn't keep it out.
South Africa back in the game. It was tied at one-all until the 67th minute when South Africa went ahead with a well-worked move finished off with a thumping strike from Hilda Magaia. South Africa now in position to both win a World Cup game and qualify from their group for the first time ever.
But Italy had skin in this game too. A draw would take them through, and Ariana Caruso's header pulled them level. Two-all would have been enough to see the Italians through. However, there was a twist in the tale. In stoppage time, Thimby Catlana turned the ball in for a sensational 3-2 win.
[03:50:04]
Can you imagine how that must have felt, and historic achievement for these players and their country and a credit to all their hard work and sacrifice.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
How cool is this, a celebration inside South Africa's locker room a wonderful scene and such a contrast from their first World Cup four years ago when they lost all three games. Banyana Banyana qualify from their group in second place it was Sweden who finished on top with three wins out of three after beating Argentina two-nil, the Swedes are flying into the last 16 they'll have a mega clash against the USA on Sunday. South Africa's next game will be against the Netherlands on Saturday.
Joining South Africa for the first time in the knockout round will be Jamaica. The Reggae Girlz have progressed at the expense of Brazil. And that means the legendary Marta's incredible World Cup career has ended in heartbreak.
Brazil had to beat Jamaica to go through, and they would have been hoping that the World Cup's all-time leading scorer could deliver the goods. But after 80 minutes, Marta was taken off, and she had to watch from the bench as the game finished in a goalless draw.
Brazil's devastation though was Jamaica's joy. A goalless draw meant that the reggae girls are going to keep on making noise in this tournament. Neither their men's or women's team has ever made it out of a World Cup group before.
France top their group with a six-three win over Panama in group F. Jamaican fans will want to frame this group table and hang it in the Louvre and historic achievement but their results have been rather minimalist. One win, two only one goal scored and none conceded.
Hugely disappointing for Brazil though, it's the first time that they have failed to progress in 28 years. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Well still to come, caught on camera, chugging straight from the jug, and it wasn't even his house, we'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Well, some people prefer whole milk, others like low fat, but for many viewers, this next story may be 100 percent disgusting. Imagine a stranger in your home chugging straight from the jug. Here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Milk. The civilized way to drink it is out of a glass versus guzzling it out of a jug, unless of course you're celebrating a win at the Indy 500.
But it was no victory when a Canadian real estate agent got caught on surveillance video opening the fridge and chugging out of the milk jug for about six seconds while alone in Liska Fullerton's home waiting to show it to potential buyers.
LISKA FULLERTON, HOMEOWNER: Why? Why would somebody do that?
MOOS (voice-over): Mike Rose almost closed the fridge, then opened it again for another lingering look. The Fullertons were angry, having each lost a parent to COVID.
FULLERTON: The idea of it just, oh, that just, it just grosses me out.
MOOS (voice-over): Because of the way he --
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Got milk?
MOOS (voice-over): Mike Rose got whacked with almost 17,000 U.S. dollars in penalties and costs. The British Columbia Financial Services Authority calls it conduct unbecoming.
[03:55:04]
The homeowner confronted Rose last summer when the episode happened.
FULLERTON: I asked him, I said, is there anything you want to tell me about the last time you were in my home? And he said, oh, the milk incident? He was just so nonchalant about it.
MOOS (voice-over): Fullerton says he also accidentally broke her couch by sitting on the arm. CNN wasn't able to reach Rose, but he has apologized for his very unfortunate and very uncharacteristic decision.
Telling local outlet CFJC, I have never done this kind of thing before, nor will I ever behave in this way again.
He told the authority he was unusually dehydrated because he was taking new medication and under considerable stress.
(on-camera): What did you do with the milk?
FULLERTON: I threw it away.
MOOS (voice-over): Hide your milk when Mike's around, wrote one joker on Rose's Facebook.
He's had to move to a new real estate firm. Mike Rose found out what the star of Anchorman already knew.
WILL FERRELL, PLAYING AS RON BURGUNDY IN ANCHORMAN: Milk was a bad choice.
MOOS (voice-over): Jeanne Moos, CNN --
FULLERTON: Get a glass. Get out of this. Get a glass.
MOOS (voice-over): -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Israeli actress Gal Gadot may be picking up the lesser of truth again. The "Wonder Woman" star says she will be developing a third film in the franchise, together with James Gunn and Peter Safran, the co-CEOs of DC Studios.
CNN and DC are both part of Warner Brothers Discovery, and in an interview with Comicbook.com, Gadot says portraying Wonder Woman is dear to her heart. The exact plans for the movie have not been revealed. The world of the DC films will undergo a rebirth of sorts when "Superman Legacy" hits theaters in 2025. So expect the new "Wonder Woman" movie sometime after that. Look forward to it.
Well, fellow Justice Leaguer Jason Momoa celebrated his birthday on Tuesday, far from his home state of Hawaii.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON MOMOA, ACTOR: August 1st, never in my life 44 years, did i ever get in a hot tub, it's snowing, baby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The "Aquaman" actor appears to be celebrating from the Southern Hemisphere as he shared in another post. He's visiting one of his favorite places, New Zealand's South Island. Momoa posted on Instagram that his birthday wish is for the end of single-use plastic. The king of the seas indeed.
And thanks so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:00:00]
