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Ukraine Says It Hit Four Russian Air Bases In Major Drone Attack; W.H.O. Declares Mpox Outbreak A Global Health Emergency; Hamas Refuses to Attend Upcoming Ceasefire, Hostage Talks; Trump's Economy Speech Veers Into Personal Attacks On Harris, Biden; Harris to Roll Out Her Economic Proposal on Friday; Thai PM Srettha Thavisin Ousted after Shocking Court Ruling; Taliban Mark Three Years in Power; Destructive Wildfires in Greece; Tourists Flock to Japan for Luxury Good with Volatile Yen; ESports World Cup. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired August 15, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Warm welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom. Ukraine launches a massive drone strike on Russian air fields. The latest round of ceasefire talks gets underway in Qatar in the coming hours, minus a key player and World Health Organization declares the mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: Ukraine is targeting the source of Russia's air power with what a security source is calling the biggest attack on Russian airfields since the war began.
This video posted on social media shows what looks like a drone crashing down on an airbase in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, east of Moscow, a Ukrainian security source tells CNN that they struck four key Russian airfields in several regions, including Kursk, where Ukrainian forces are currently gaining more ground in their week long incursion.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy is praising his military, and is asking allies for more support. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Thank you for the accurate, timely and effective strikes on Russian airfields. Our Ukrainian drones are working exactly as needed, but there are things that drones alone cannot do. Unfortunately, we need other weapons, missile weapons, and we continue to work with our partners on long range solutions for Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Ukrainian officials say that part of their mission in Russia's Kursk Region is to create a buffer zone along its northern border. Kursk sits north of Ukraine's Sumy region. Ukrainian officials say this summer alone, Russia launched more than 2,000 missile artillery, drone and mortar strikes into Sumy and Ukrainian officials say they're taking care of Russian civilians in Kursk better than Moscow is. Fred Pleitgen gives us the latest on the ground offensive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONENT (voice-over): A humiliating scene for the Kremlin. Ukrainian troops sweeping through A Russian village behind a U.S. supplied Max Pro armored vehicle.
Kyiv soldiers taking down the Russian flag in another town, with Ukrainian TV reporting from the scene. Ukraine's Top general telling President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the advance continues.
Troops have advanced one to two kilometers in various directions, he says. And then adds, since the beginning of this day, we've taken captive about 100 enemy soldiers.
The Ukrainians say they want to create a buffer zone in this part of Russia to stop Moscow's army from attacking Ukrainian territory in the future, but the blitz offensive is also a major morale boost for Ukraine. Commander fighting inside Russia tells CNN, catching the Russians off guard.
They were shocked by such a rapid advance, he says. They were in tactical encounters and willingly surrendered to the defense forces, and then every warrior, every soldier who defends their homeland, probably had a dream of stepping onto Russian soil and destroying the enemy there. These feelings are impossible to forget.
While the Russians claim they are stopping Ukraine's assault releasing this video of their jets dropping powerful glide bombs. Ukraine says it shot down a Russian war plane, and a security source says it launched the biggest drone attack on Russian air bases since the war began.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has vowed a crushing response to Ukraine's incursion, but even Kremlin control TV acknowledging that won't be so simple.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Unfortunately, I must say that in some settlements, the enemy is holding their ground, and we will need to fight them out of there. That will not happen as fast and as easy as we want it to.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The Ukrainians have said they will continue to push forward and fortify the gains they've made, hoping to withstand the massive counter attack the Kremlin has promised. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton joins you now from Washington. Thank you so much for being here with us. So, right after the incursion some thought that this was just a way to sort of deal a blow to Putin that Ukraine might quickly withdraw.
[01:05:05]
But it's been a week. Ukraine's digging in, bringing in more equipment, building new defensive lines. Do you get the sense that the aim here really is to hold on to this territory, or, as we heard there in that in that package, even advance and take more?
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, that's really a possibility, Kim, and it's great to be with you. There are certain elements of what the Ukrainians are doing which indicate that they, at the very least, want to stay long enough for this to make a difference at the negotiating table.
So what that would mean potentially, is that the territory that they're taking right now, if they keep it, could potentially be used as a bargaining chip for the exchange of territory that the Russians currently hold in Ukraine. So that's one possibility.
Plus, we also have to remember that they're capturing prisoners. 100 was the total we heard about today or yesterday, and that very fact is also something that can be used in the negotiations, should they eventually take place.
BRUNHUBER: Right. So let me ask you about those prisoners, reportedly Ukrainian troops. They haven't faced all that much opposition. Many of the Russian troops have been quick to surrender, as you say. So what do we know about the troops that are placed there? And what do you think it says about Russia's fighting force?
LEIGHTON: Well, Russia's fighting force is really basically thinned out, especially along that Northeastern border of Ukraine. And what the Russians have done is they've basically moved a lot of their units, at least the elements of those units, into areas like the eastern front with the Donbas region of Ukraine. They've also moved some of them across from Kharkiv in the Belgorod region. And of course, they have them stationed in Crimea. They are suffering from a manpower shortage. Of course, the Ukrainians are suffering from a manpower shortage as well.
So what this does is it complicates things for both sides, but the side that can move more quickly is the side that will definitely have the advantage. And at the moment, the Ukrainians have the morale, they have the esprit de corps, and did they have the movement, the quickness of movement, where they can actually gain some territory. The Russian soldiers that were in position when the Ukrainian incursion occurred were not of the same quality that they have in other parts of the front.
BRUNHUBER: But, you know, morale and esprit de corps can only take you so far. Is it possible that Ukraine could suffer huge losses here with a Russian counter attack that will presumably eventually come?
LEIGHTON: Well, I think that's certainly a danger, and we've already noticed that there is some slowing in the Ukrainian advances. The Russians are moving troops from the Donbas area and from Crimea into position in the Kursk area. So we can expect there to be some heavy fighting in that area shortly. And that's going to, I think, challenge the Ukrainians and their ability to not only stay put, but also obviously challenge their ability to move forward, so they may have a bit of a tougher slog ahead, but they could still do some things that can cause damage to the Russian forces.
And it really depends on the Russians ability to be innovative and to fight back. But if the Ukrainians dig in, like they say they are, like we've seen, that could present some problems for the Russians as well.
BRUNHUBER: Right. Then, on the flip side, if Russia is rushing troops in from other areas, what effect might that have on the shape of the front lines overall?
LEIGHTON: Well, that could make a difference in certain areas, especially in parts of the Donbas. So far, we have only seen some continued advances, but very slight advances in the area around Porosk (ph), for example, in the Donbas area. But the more they move their troops out of the region, out of that region, the more likely it will be that the Ukrainians, at the very least, can hold their own there, but more likely will be that they will actually advance in certain areas in the Eastern Front, so that could make a big difference.
Plus it also means that the city of Kharkiv, I will be better protected from Russian advances in that area as well.
BRUNHUBER: That could be significant. Indeed. Listen, always great to speak with you. Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you so much for speaking with us. Really appreciate it.
LEIGHTON: You bet, Kim, any time.
BRUNHUBER: Now to Doha, Qatar, where the latest round of Gaza ceasefire and hostage release negotiations will get our way in the day ahead, a diplomatic source tell CNN, Hamas won't be participating in the time. But is willing to meet with mediators afterwards, if there are developments or serious response from Israel.
[01:10:05]
Negotiators are hoping to close any remaining gaps on a proposal to end the fighting and return all the hostages held in Gaza, and progress on the talks could potentially prevent Iran from attacking Israel. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, the expectations are not particularly high for a deal to be reached during these negotiations on Thursday in Doha, Qatar, but there is certainly the potential for progress to be made, and with that comes the potential to lower the temperature in this very volatile region.
That also, of course, means that there's the potential for a lack of progress, a lack of progress that could hasten that Iranian response that we've been waiting for over the course of the last two weeks. But this is the first time in several weeks now that you will see all the key players in Doha, and that is to say the Mossad director, David Barnea, leading the Israeli delegation, sitting down with the head of the CIA, the Qatari Prime Minister, as well as the head of Egyptian intelligence.
Hamas, for its part, says that it will not participate in these discussions. But there's a key caveat there, because they do say that they are willing to listen and to hear out the mediators after those negotiations happen. And frankly, that's different rhetoric, but it's not all that different from the way these negotiations have happened at key moments.
They have been -- Hamas and Israel have never actually sat down together in the same room. It's the Egyptian and Qatari mediators who, after meeting with the Israeli officials, then go and pass along a message to Hamas. So it appears that we may see something quite similar unfold after that initial meeting between the Israeli delegation and the other heads of intelligence.
Now the real question is how much progress can actually be made here. The Israeli prime minister, as we understand it, has given an expanded mandate to his delegation, but my sources tell me that they are still uncertain that that is going to be enough to bridge the gap with Hamas.
What is clear, though, if progress can be made. There's real potential for lowering the temperature in this very volatile region. The U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein, who was in Beirut on Wednesday, he made very clear that he sees an opportunity, not only to reach a cease fire in Gaza, but also saying that he believes that would then present a window of opportunity for a diplomatic solution between Israel and Hezbollah. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Haifa, Israel.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Officials in Gaza are reporting that at least 36 people have been killed in the latest Israeli air strikes, including three children. A spokesperson says a house in southern Khan Younis was hit, resulting in at least 13 deaths. The Israeli military says its operations in central Gaza are dismantling Hamas infrastructure.
The death toll in Gaza since October 7 is now closing in on 40,000, nearly 2 million people have been displaced from their homes over the past 10 months of fighting, and many say they're cautiously optimistic about the cease fire talks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED ABU MALIQ, DEIR Al-BALAH RESIDENT (through translator): God willing, the expectations will prove true. As everyone is expecting a solution, everyone is hopeful that a cease fire will be achieved.
RAMI AL-KHODARI, DISPLACED FROM GAZA CITY (through translator): We hope to god there will be solutions. Everyone, youths, women and elderly people is not begging for money. We are broke, and everyone is either dying, injured or getting amputated. No one has been spared.
IBRAHIM KHADER, DISPLACED FROM JABAIYA (through translator): Our only hope is that tomorrow's negotiations turn out positively, so that this war ends and we can return home. We hope that this war ends and that there will be no more wars, because we are as tired as they are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Earlier, I spoke to Scott Anderson, the director of UNWRA Affairs in Gaza, with the focus lately shifting away from the suffering in the territory. I asked him what he's been seeing. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT ANDERSON, DIRECTOR OF UNWRA AFFAIRS IN GAZA: What we see is a situation where the vast bulk of the population is displaced. Many of them been displaced multiple times. And on average, people have been displaced once a month, and every time somebody moves there, is displaced, they lose a little bit more of their worldly wealth, and they become a little bit poor, and it makes it harder for them to continue finding their basic necessities every day.
And we have the vast bulk of the populations in the last area, probably 1.6, 1.7 million people. And when you go out, talk to everybody, despite the fact that the needs are great. They need food, they need water, medicine, so all very basic things. The number one thing they ask about is a cease fire, because they know without a cease fire, this won't end and things will just continue. And we do need a cease fire that will allow the hostages to return home and allow people in Gaza to return to their homes and start rebuilding their homes and their lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa is now officially a global health emergency. The World Health Organization made the Declaration on Wednesday after a more deadly strain of the virus call clade 1b spread to four new countries.
[01:15:00]
Until recently, it's been contained to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mpoxes has infected more than 17,000 people in Africa this year, killing more than 500 of them. The WHO chief is concerned the virus could keep spreading. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: It's clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives. A public health emergency of international concern is the highest level of alarm under international health law.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Mpox formerly known as monkeypox can spread through contact among people or through contaminated items. The WHO is moving to ramp up vaccinations and other health measures.
Now for more on this, we're joined now by Dr. Scott Miscovich, the President and CEO of Premier Medical Group USA, and he's speaking to us from Kailua, Hawaii. Thank you so much for being here with us, doctor. So, the who declared a public health emergency over mpox a few years ago. So what's different now? What's changed?
DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, PRESIDETN AND CEO, PREMIER MEDICAL GROUP USA: Well, the biggest thing Kim that has changed is the fact that the clad has changed. Now people may not be used to hearing that term, and when I teach my students, I say, think of a clan. It's an easy word, but a clad is the family that the virus lives in. So you will be reading about clad one and clad two.
Now, for a long period of time and the outbreak we had in 2022 it was clad two. And that's been kind of the slow horse that's been moving through and been present for quite a long time, 30 or 40 years. But now a big difference is we have moved over to clad 1b and clad 1b is believed to be a little more contagious, and it definitely has a higher mortality rate.
And we are now seeing this spread outside the Democratic Republic of Congo into the surrounding four countries, and that is setting off the alarms right now.
BRUNHUBER: So it's more contagious and potentially more deadly as well, given that, does this announcement, do you think come too late?
MISCOVICH: You know, Kim, you and I had this conversation three and a half years ago, and I remember so well as we were talking about COVID, and we were watching this massive outpouring of effort by the United States and North America and Europe, and we were vaccinating everyone, and just a trickle was going over to Africa and some of the other poor countries in Asia.
We're back at the same thing right now, where the effort that's going into vaccinating the people in these areas, and remember, the vaccine is about $200 a pop. And there's two vaccines that are made in Europe. It's just a trickle.
You know, the African CDC is just right now they have -- they're crying out to the world, and they know they need at least 100 million vaccinations to start getting ahead of this. And I think the United States promised 40,000 and they haven't even sent them yet.
BRUNHUBER: So, I mean, a cynic might say that we potentially won't see a huge international response, the type you're talking about, unless it poses a great threat to Western countries like the US. What kind of threat does it pose to Western countries do you think?
MISCOVICH: Well, you know, remember, the public needs to understand there's a huge difference between this and the coronavirus or COVID. COVID was a respiratory spread virus, so it was so much more easily transmitted. This needs touch. You need to have the secretions to be able to contact this and spread it. So that does decrease the amount of spread that we have from this virus, so therefore the transmission can be lower.
But, you and I know the world is flat to people flying in and out of Africa all the time and flying in and out of the world. Remember, we have no travel vaccination or no travel vaccination requirements for people flying into this area. We just had our last update from CDC to the providers was on the 29th of June, and we don't even have this is what really worries me also.
We talked about clad 1b which is the one that's worrying us. Do you realize that in the United States, the majority of the labs, we have no way of differentiating whether it's clad two or clad 1b the more contagious. We won't even really know if this is coming into the United States this point.
So, we're worried that, because of the slow response, there could be more of an international spread on.
[01:20:00]
The good news is for the people in the United States that have already been vaccinated. CDC did confirm in that call that you just need two vaccines. You do not need a booster. But there's still plenty of people not vaccinated, and plenty of people across the world have not been vaccinated for this.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, so other than ramping up vaccine production, getting more people vaccinated, making it more available, what else should the world be doing right now? And what does that WHO declaration actually do?
MISCOVICH: You know, it basically just alerts the world that the imminent spread of this to the rest of the world is now being alarmed to everyone. So that's really what this has done. They realize that it is more lethal. They realize, as we have been told by the WHO today, 85 percent of the spread that's occurred in Congo is in children, and that is believed to be coming from touching materials and by animals.
Remember, this is a zoonotic infection. We know that term by now, because we know that animals will spread disease to humans. This is another example. So it's spreading in the children's population, which is not an STD, so it's more contagious from contact.
So, you know, we just have to have all the precautions. You got to go back to the hand washing. You got to be getting tested. If you've traveled anywhere in the African continent, anyone who has sexual activity that puts them at high risk, and there's a large number of activities that they've mentioned at CDC has to be testing if they have any type of skin lesions or any type of infection.
BRUNHUBER: Important to sound the alarm on this. Dr Scott Miscovich, thank you so much for your expertise. Really appreciate it.
MISCOVICH: And it's good to see you again, Kim. Take care. BRUNHUBER: Still to come, the U.S. economy in focus, both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are zeroing in on that key election issue this week. But how do their messages differ? We'll take a look at that next.
Plus, as the Taliban mark three years of their takeover of Afghanistan, there's growing concern over what rights groups call the worst humanitarian crisis for women. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Iranian hackers are putting in more work than previously thought in attempting to interfere with the U.S. presidential election. That's according to Google, which describes the Iranian operation is ongoing and wide ranging, and its reported targets include the email accounts of people associated with President Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Trump campaign was also targeted by suspected Iranian hackers.
[01:25:00]
Some of its internal documents were later leaked to the media, but it's not clear if the two events are connected. Iran claims it has no intention to meddle in the U.S. elections.
Well, it was meant to be a speech focused on the economy, but U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump went off message several times at an event in North Carolina, lobbying insults at vice president Kamala Harris about her laugh and her intelligence. He also went after her running mate. Now those attacks coming before Harris is set to roll out her own economic proposal later this week. CNN Kristen Holmes was there for the speech and has more from Nashville.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Former President Donald Trump set out to give a policy speech on the economy, and for all intents and purposes, he did. It was certainly more off message than what we had seen in the excerpts from the remarks. But he did talk a lot about the economy, and just before we get into what exactly he said, the note here is the reason that his team has been pushing this idea to Donald Trump that he needs to focus on the economy, he needs to focus on immigration, he needs to focus on crime is that if you look at the polling between Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, he out pulled Joe Biden on those three topics.
Voters believed he did a better job on those three things, and the plan is for Donald Trump to link Kamala Harris to those same policies of President Joe Biden's to say that they are the same administration. She's obviously the vice president. So any unpopular policies that Joe Biden had should also be that of Kamala Harris.
Now obviously, as we have seen, Donald Trump has had rather hard time staying on message or even defining his attacks against Kamala Harris, but he did seem to have some new lines this time around, essentially doing just that, linking Kamala Harris to Joe Biden and those same policies, particularly on the economy. Take a listen.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Kamala has declared that tackling inflation will be a day one priority. Think of it for her, but day one for Kamala was three and a half years ago. Why hasn't she done it? Kamala Harris won't end the economic crisis. She will only make it worse. And why hasn't she done it? She talks about it. She's doing a plan. You know, she's going to announce it this week. Maybe. She's waiting for me to announce it so she can copy it.
HOLMES: Overall, the speech was fairly light on policy. He would actually put in place, other than lowering inflation, lowering costs. But he did commit to one thing. He said, The -- if he was elected, the U.S. would commit to cutting us energy and electricity prices by 50 percent within a year to 18 months. Not a lot of detail on how exactly he would do it, but the crowd did go wild.
The one thing to remember here is, as we talk about the economy, we talk about the economy getting better, which it certainly is by all statistics and measures, I do continue to talk to voters on the ground who specifically point to costs, not necessarily the economy as a whole, but what things that are important to them, that they need every day, what those things cost, like groceries, like fuel, and they still say that those costs are impacting them, impacting their wallet, and that's why they believe Donald Trump would be better in office.
It's just something to keep note here, as when we talk about why his advisers are pushing this messaging so hard, and hoping Donald Trump will stay on with that same messaging. Kristen Holmes, CNN, Asheville, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: And Kamala Harris will make her own visit to North Carolina on Friday, where she is set to deliver her first major economic policy speech as the Democratic nominee, but first she will head to Maryland with President Biden. CNN's Kayla Tausche has details from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden and vice president Kamala Harris will appear in Maryland on Thursday in their official capacity for the first time since Harris ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket.
In this event, they're going to be touting lower drug prices, a central focus of the Biden Harris administration and their economic platform for the last three and a half years. But it comes before Harris herself is set to roll out her economic platform as candidate. Sources close to her expect that she's going to be tacking more toward the middle with proposals that aim to not only lower costs for everyday Americans, but also cut taxes elsewhere.
One source close to her putting it this way, saying that she's going to toe the line between helping people build lives and not interfering with people who have already done that, like wealthier people in this person's estimation.
Now, as Harris tax more toward the political center, she's finding herself increasingly on common ground with her Republican opponents, who have backed both an expansion of the Child Tax Credit, which Harris has supported for years, as well as the elimination of taxes on tips, which Harris herself just recently supported a few days ago.
[01:30:00]
It all comes as both sides of the aisle are trying to cater toward the Independent voter, the small slice of Americans, just a few hundred thousand of them who will decide this election in critical battleground states but the devil will be in the details when Harris rolls out that plan in the coming days.
Kayla Tausche, CNN -- the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Kamala Harris' running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he's agreed to take part in a vice-presidential debate on October 1st. CBS News took to social media Wednesday to post its invitation to both Walz and Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance, offering four different dates over the next two months.
Walz responded writing, "See you on October 1st, J.D."
An official with the Harris campaign says the Minnesota governor looks forward to debating his opponent, quote, "if he shows up".
Now, Vance told Fox News on Wednesday that he is certainly going to debate Walz but didn't commit to a specific date.
All right. Now to Thailand, where the prime minister has been forced out of office by a shocking court ruling. And it's raising questions about whether the country's democratic freedoms are eroding.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout explains what happened and what comes next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A stunning political change of course in Thailand. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has been removed from office after a court ruled that he violated the Constitution.
And this is the latest court decision that brings even more political turbulence to the kingdom.
The court says Srettha violated the Constitution when he appointed a former lawyer who had served time in prison. The lawyer also once represented the powerful Shinawatra family. This is the politically powerful family that founded Srettha's ruling Pheu Thai Party.
Now, Srettha denied wrongdoing and said that the lawyer who has since resigned was properly vetted. Now, with Srettha now dismissed, the first deputy prime minister will step in as a caretaker prime minister and a new government must now be formed.
The ruling coalition will nominate a new candidate for prime minister for parliament to vote on.
So now the jostling and the horse trading begins. Now, the candidates include Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a leader of the party and daughter of the influential billionaire and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as well as a former justice minister, interior minister, energy minister, and an influential former army chief who was involved in two coups.
The process could take several weeks. The ruling comes just days after the court disbanded Thailand's most popular political party, the progressive Move Forward Party.
Last year, Move Forward won a landslide victory as it drew huge support from across Thailand, especially among young people. But it was blocked from forming a government by lawmakers allied with the military. Its leaders are now banned from politics for 10 years.
Both cases are raising concerns about political stability in Thailand. This is Southeast Asia's second biggest economy. And over the past two decades, multiple parties have been disbanded and governments overthrown in coups or court rulings, with the judiciary playing a key role in the relentless struggle for power in Thailand.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: As the Taliban celebrate three years in power, their hardline rule has led to what many international groups say is one of the most severe human rights crises in Afghanistan.
Plus, we'll hear from a Greek sculptor on how he plans to rebuild his life after wildfires destroyed his artwork.
Stay with us.
[01:33:37]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: The Taliban are celebrating the three-year anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan.
Holding a military parade at the former U.S. airbase in Bagram, which was once the center of coalition operations.
Now, this was the scene three years ago after the militant group retook Afghanistan's capital, almost two decades after they were driven from Kabul by U.S. troops, reimposing strict Islamic law and stifling the rights of women.
CNN's Anna Coren joins me now, live from Hong Kong. So Anna, you've been looking at all the ways the Taliban's return has
set back women and girls rights and education. What more can you tell us.
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely.
You know, women and girls they are prisoners in Afghanistan. But let's start with those victory day celebrations at Bagram Air Base, which as you say, Kim, was once the nerve center of the U.S. war on terror.
This was really the television showing off to the world and claiming legitimacy as it marked the third anniversary of its return to power. You know, this took place just north of Kabul.
It actually happened yesterday which obviously is the day before the anniversary. It was attended by high-ranking Taliban officials, thousands of men -- not a woman in sight.
On display, U.S. and NATO weaponry seized and left behind when U.S.- led forces withdrew in August of 2021. We're looking at, you know, American Humvees, MRAPs, armored personnel carriers.
I mean, this really was a message to the world and in the speeches, you know, by those senior Taliban officials. They praised their achievements and strengthening of its strict interpretation of Islamic law and then providing peace and security to the country.
What it didn't address is the economic and humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the country. You know, the U.N. Kim, reports that more than half the population, almost 24 million Afghans and mostly, you know, women and children need humanitarian aid to survive. And this year, donor countries have provided only a fraction of the funds.
But we talk about women and children. Well, women and girls, the Taliban's war on women continues unabated. Human Rights Watch describes Afghanistan as the most serious women's rights crisis in the world.
And under Taliban rule, you know, girls are banned from school beyond the sixth grade. This is the only country in the world that bans female education.
Women can't travel alone. They're not allowed to work. Laws and institutions that were there to protect women against violence have been dismantled. You know, they are basically prisoners in their homes. This is gender apartheid. That's according to the U.N.
But let's now have a listen to the U.N. women representative in Kabul.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALISON DAVIDIAN, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE U.N. WOMEN AFGHANISTAN: Three years ago the world was watching a takeover that was live streaming, horror after horror. And three years later, while the world's attention may have turned elsewhere the horrors have not stopped for Afghan women and girls. But no one (ph) has the conviction to stand against oppression. We
cannot leave Afghan women to fight alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: And before I go, Kim, I want to read a statement from a 21- year-old university student who I've been in touch with since the fall of Kabul. Her name is Zahra. Let me read it to you.
She said, "today my heart is heavy with sadness. Three years ago was a day when our dreams were crushed. We lost our freedom and safety.
I remember the fear in our streets. Families were torn apart. Women and girls lost their rights to education and work. We felt hopeless as darkness took over our land."
[01:39:48]
COREN: "But we will not stay silent. We want education for women, peace, justice, and a future where everyone can live freely. Our voices matter. Silence is betrayal, and we will not give up. Together we will fight for a better tomorrow."
So Kim, let's hope the world is listening.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. Just heartbreaking to hear. But as she says, their voices matter.
Thanks for bringing their voices to us, Anna Coren in Hong Kong. Appreciate that.
Hurricane Ernesto is turning north and headed out into the open Atlantic Ocean right now. The category 1 storm leaves behind destruction and flooding in its wake after lashing Puerto Rico and knocking out power to half of the island.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center predicts the storm could strengthen to category 3 by Friday. Expected (INAUDIBLE) to slow down as it approaches Bermuda, dumping up to nine inches or nearly 230 millimeters of rain on the island.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Typhoon Ampil continues to grow stronger in warm waters as it surges towards Japan. Right now, it's the equivalent of a category 2 hurricane with winds of almost 160 kilometers per hour, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
It predicts the storm will only brush Japan's coast, but Tokyo and other coastal areas will bear the brunt of up to 200 millimeters of rain and winds nearly 120 kilometers per hour in some areas.
After a short break from the wildfire dangers, the threat level is expected to rise again in parts of Greece, strong winds will be back on Thursday and dry conditions along with higher-than-normal temperatures are also returning.
At least one person was killed when gusty winds caused the fire to spread rapidly through the Attica region and then to the suburbs of Athens on Sunday and Monday.
The fires have destroyed homes and businesses across Greece. But one sculptor who lost his life's work in the blaze is vowing to rebuild.
CNN's Eleni Giokos spoke with him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Emotions just too strong to hold for this local Greek sculptor who lost everything in the fires.
VANGELIS ILIAS, GREEK SCULPTOR (through translator): I've lost part of myself, part of soul, my state of mind is here.
GIOKOS: This is what's left of his pieces carefully carved by hand using an ancient Greek technique.
Years of work reduced to rubble. So Vangelis has also stored some of his most prized possession, some of the work he does for fun in this container. There's a secret lock inside. You can't open it.
The metal is completely melted. And if you look inside, completely dark and the smell of smoke so evident.
He just doesn't know the status of his work right now and he needs to bring someone in to cut this open.
Many like Vangelis were not ensured. They now depend fully on the government assistance plan. Residents can get up to 10,000 euros in aid.
Vangelis estimates 60,000 euros worth of damage, but that's not really what hurts.
ILIAS: When I work on my artworks, I don't do it with money in mind. I work with creativity, aesthetics and my spiritual state is the guiding principles.
GIOKOS: But the fire won't win, says Vangelis. He has vowed to rebuild his life's work stone by stone.
ILIAS: I believe this won't ruin me because I will put in personal work. I believe not. I believe not and I will fight for it. A flower must bloom from the ashes.
GIOKOS: Eleni Giokos, CNN -- Penteli (ph).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Europe's largest and most active volcano has forced a partial closure of an airport in Sicily. The airport in Catania has reduced its operations to five arrivals per hour as Mount Etna keeps spewing lava and ash. The limited operations will be enforced for at least another hour-and-a-half. Mount Etna's current eruptive phase began last month. all right. Still the come, tourists are flocking to Japan in record numbers many of them looking for luxury goods at low prices but how long can the thrifty travelers count on the economy working in their favor? We'll take a look.
Stay with us.
[01:44:05]
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BRUNHUBER: Some positive sign in the U.S. economy when it comes to inflation. New data shows price hikes slowed more than expected last month. The Consumer Price index fell below 3 percent for the 12 months ending in July, a milestone not seen since march of 2021.
Wednesday's report builds on another positive report from June, which has helped reassure the markets and the Federal Reserve that inflation is moderating. And this could all pave the way for the Fed to cut interest rates next month.
Japan is marking an economic achievement of its own. The country's GDP grew by more than 3 percent in the second quarter according to government officials. Now it's the first time in two quarters that Japan has seen positive growth.
Reuters initially cited a forecast of a little more than 2 percent for the same period. Public investment is 4.5 percent higher up from 1 percent decline in the first quarter.
Tourists are capitalizing on the unpredictable nature of the Japanese yen right now. Japan's National Tourism Organization says more than 3 million people visited the country in June and is on pace to break its annual tourism record.
Now one of the big draws for visitors to Japan is getting luxury goods at a bargain price as CNN's Hanako Montgomery reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With a wad of cash or the swipe of a credit card, tourists from China, the U.S., Thailand, Australia are buying up Japan's high-end items at an unprecedented rate, defying global trends of a luxury slowdown.
The reason for this shopping spree? The weak yen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had to come and help their economy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The reason why we come to Japan for traveling.
MONTGOMERY: I see.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's more cheaper than before.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 100 percent. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does. It does.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes a huge difference.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's one of the main reasons that we're here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was here a couple of years ago and it was like a completely different experience. The amount of money I'm willing to spend, huge difference.
MONTGOMERY: As the yen hits historic lows this year, foreign tourists are snapping up luxury goods for less than back home, and buying tax free doesn't hurt.
The luxury market is booming in Japan as it sees record foreign tourist numbers and spending, with estimates surpassing US$54 billion this year alone.
But elsewhere, big brands are feeling the pinch. LVMH, the world's largest luxury group and giant behind Louis Vuitton, saw a 14 percent revenue dip in Asia, excluding Japan, during the second quarter of this year compared to 2023. Brands like Ferragamo and Kering also took a hard hit.
But Japan's bucking the trend, even riding a wave of celebrity-driven demand for vintage luxury.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, Japanese vintage is very popular. From a global perspective, Japan excels accurately at appraising (ph) items and distinguishing between authentic and imitation designer pieces.
MONTGOMERY: Japan's vintage scene, already a top destination for high quality finds, is also getting a boost from the weak yen. Asia's second-hand luxury market is set to reach US$4.38 billion this year, 165 percent bigger than the U.S. with Japan leading the way.
Though with higher Japanese interest rates looming and a fluctuating currency, experts warn this travel trend may not last.
NOBUKO KOBAYASHI, ASIA-PACIFIC STRATEGY EXECUTION LEADER, EY: So, the price harmonization across the region will eventually take place. So, far it's been so volatile, it's not been caught up.
But these two factors will kick in and the arbitrage opportunity will be lessened.
[01:49:47]
MONTGOMERY: For now, tourists are cashing in on this luxury paradise while their wallets can hold up demand.
Hanako Montgomery, CNN -- Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Video games on a global center stage. Still to come CNN speaks with the head of Esports World Cup about the meteoric rise in the popularity of electronic games.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: The biggest growth area in sports these days is Saudi Arabia, which is pouring billions of dollars into football, golf, Formula One, and boxing. But right now, it's the host of the inaugural edition of the ESports World Cup.
CNN's Don Riddell spoke with Ralf Reichert, the CEO of ESports World Cup Foundation about the event.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RALF REICHERT, CEO, ESPORTS WORLD CUP FOUNDATION: First and foremost, it's about the players, right. We have 1,500 of the best players in the world here, which actually there's not many sports event in the world at that scale.
We have $60 million of prize money which shows a little bit the relevance and the scale of the commercial side of it. We have three mini stadiums plus entertainment areas, fan fests around. And we have somewhere between 10,000 and 30,000 people here every day joining the event and being part of it.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLDSPORT ANCHOR: Obviously, you were dreaming big when you set this up, but since it is the first of its kind, I guess you might not have known exactly how it was going to go.
What has surprised you most?
REICHERT: Because we're across these 22 tournaments it's that we speak to more than one game community. If you look historically at esports, which I've been heavily involved and I'm a big fan, you would speak to one discipline, right?
To 50 million fans, 100 million fans, maybe even for the biggest one to 200 million fans. But because we're, you know, almost speaking to the whole games industry, our target group I would argue are all 3 or 4 billion gamers in the world.
And even that might be a little bit too small.
RIDDELL: when I think of the legacy sports and their world cups like the FIFA World Cup, the Rugby World Cup, or the Olympics, for example, they happen every four years.
I appreciate you guys have only just started, but how often do you think there might be an Esports World Cup? REICHERT: This needs to be an annual thing. This is the clear
communication. We have, and I believe, you know, seeing that success now, I would be (INAUDIBLE) to wait two or four years to for the next iteration.
RIDDELL: I mentioned the Olympics, and I would have thought the Olympic games might look at the rise of esports and how popular it is with younger audiences. And perhaps worry about their own future.
But interestingly, there is now a partnership between the world of esports and Olympics. What do you know about that and how do you think that's going to impact the landscape?
REICHERT: I believe that the Olympic Games as being one of the largest, if not the largest traditional sports property getting into esports will have a huge positive effect.
It's great for the sport and most importantly, it's great for the players. Because more -- the more opportunity players have, the better is it for any sport.
Number two, the national pride, the clear combination with national teams which the Olympic will bring into this. They've been very clear about that is something that the esports world has not prioritized so far. Its very club-driven. That's why the ESport World Cup is a club competition as well.
But the national competition is very welcome. It might need to find its place but I believe it has a very big opportunity.
[01:54:51]
RIDDELL: This industry is moving rapidly. It's changing and growing so fast. Have you spent much time thinking about where you might all be inside a decade's time? What do you think it's going to look like?
REICHERT: You don't need to be very visionary to see that video games every kid in the world, every young adult is growing up with it. Everyone has a game console called a mobile phone in his pocket, a very potent one.
And even if you think a little bit different about it, gaming is always based on playing. And playing as almost like a human base instinct. Even if you look back at the cave times, right. The first thing the human did after it had enough food was actually creating dice and playing, so to speak.
So this instinct of socially doing something together, which (INAUDIBLE) gets gaming with some rules and gets actually sport or esports with the right support structure around it is a very basic human instinct.
So this will continue to grow. And therefore esports will continue to grow among the biggest sports in the world and will be something that, you know, I will be privileged to enjoy with my kids together. And I hope you too. (END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Stonehenge in England is one of the world's most mystifying prehistoric monuments. And now a new analysis shows one of its stones traveled farther than previously known. The altar Stone, which lies at the heart of the ancient monument is a perfect match to the bedrock found in what's now northeastern Scotland.
The massive rock was originally thought to be from what's now Wales. The discovery means the six-metric ton slab traveled a whopping 700 kilometers. There's no record of any other stone being transported that far during the time period.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK PEARCE, PROFESSOR, ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY: It's very different, so it must have had stood out like a sore thumb. And to bring it 700 kilometers, however you brought it, whether you brought it down by boat or whether you brought it over land, yes, it must have taken a huge effort to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The finding suggests the people of ancient Britain were far more advanced than previously thought.
I'm Kim Brunhuber. CNN newsroom continues now with Rosemary Church.
Stay with us.
[01:57:15]
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