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Qatar Says Gaza Ceasefire Talks At Delicate Phase; Ukraine Incursion Into Russia Expands; Trump And Harris Pitching Their Economic Policies; 5 People Charged In Matthew Perry's Death. Five Charged in Connection to "Friends" Actor's Overdose Death; Interview with Wife of Hamas Hostage, Gali Idan; Daughter of Former Thail Leader to become Next PM; Donald Trump Suggests Fleeing to Venezuela Ahead of Election; Rapidly Intensifying Typhoon Ampil Continues to Strengthen; Deadly Fires in Greece Blamed on Climate Change. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired August 16, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm John Vause. Ahead here on CNN Newsroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We believe that the best way forward for Gaza and for a sustained peace is to see the cease fire deal come through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: But after more than 10 months of war in Gaza, the death toll passes 40,000 and ceasefire talks appear to be going nowhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here now, claiming that it holds some 1,1150 square kilometers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Ukraine's bold offensive expansion to another border region of Russia. But this time, Russian forces seemed ready with reports of fierce fighting. Also this.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: How the ketamine queen of Los Angeles and another doctors blatant grieve ended up allegedly costing Friends' actor Matthew Perry his life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Talks in Doha, Qatar for a ceasefire in Gaza are expected to resume in the coming hours, just today, after Hamas officials announced the death toll in Gaza, after 10 months of war with Israel, has passed 40,000. Well, Israel disputes that the staggering number of dead, most of them women and children, has brought renewed pressure on both Hamas and Israel to make a deal and end the fighting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLKER TURK, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: On average, about 130 people have been killed every day in Gaza over the past 10 months. The scale of the Israeli military's destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and places of worship is deeply shocking. International humanitarian law is very clear on the paramount importance on the protection of civilians and civilian property and infrastructure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Also adding to the urgency for an agreement a looming Iranian attack on Israel retaliation for last month's assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the senior Hamas leader who was visiting Tehran at the time.
Well, Hamas officials who are no show Thursday, they're not expected to be there again. Today, they have made it clear, though, there will be no deal without a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. CNN's Jeremy Diamond begins our coverage from Haifa in northern Israel.
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: After hours of negotiations, those talks in Doha, Qatar to try and reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal, they have ended for the night, but on Friday, those negotiations are set to resume once again.
And so while we aren't getting many indications of the exact kind of progress being made inside that room, the thorny issues being sorted through, perhaps the most positive indication is the fact that those negotiations are indeed going to continue.
And while we know that Hamas hasn't been in the room as these negotiations have been ongoing between Israel, the Qataris, the Egyptians, and the United States. We are being told that the Egyptian and Qatari mediators have been updating Hamas, are engaging with Hamas, and so that is also a positive indication.
And I think it's important to note that we have seen this at various times when the negotiations get at their most sensitive points, that is often when people clam up. I spoke with an Israeli source earlier this evening who wouldn't provide any details of what's in the room, and that just tells you how delicate things are, and potentially how close these negotiations actually are.
We know, of course, that there are major differences between Israel and Hamas, but we also know that they are perhaps closer than they have been in a very long time to actually getting to a deal. The question, of course now is one of political will. Does the Israeli Prime Minister want to get to a deal? Does Hamas' leader Yahya Sinwar want to get to a deal as well?
Now one other key indication here is that the Qatari Prime Minister, who has been intimately involved in these negotiations, was in the room on Thursday after those negotiations ended, he got on the phone with one key person, and that was the Iranian foreign minister updating him on the progress of those negotiations and talking about what the Qataris described as the quote tensions in the Middle East.
And that just makes clear that there is a linkage between the ceasefire negotiations and those overall tensions in the Middle East as we are now more than two weeks removed from the assassination of Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, two weeks removed from Iran's vows of retaliation, and yet those have still not come.
[01:05:04]
And so I think it's very clear that if there is progress in the ceasefire negotiations, clearly the implications will be far more wide ranging, beyond just Gaza, further reaching throughout this region. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Haifa, Israel.
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VAUSE: Steven Cook is Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies with the Council on Foreign Relations, and author of "The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present and Future in the Middle East." Welcome back. Good to see you.
STEVEN COOK, SENIOR FELLOW FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES WITH THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Good to see you.
VAUSE: OK, so as you head into a day two of these talks, U.S. officials are still hopeful of some kind of an agreement. He's a spokesperson for the US Defense Department.
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SABRINA SINGH, DEPUTY PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: It is complex, but we believe that the best way forward for Gaza and for a sustained peace is to see the ceasefire deal come through, and also we want to see our hostages return home.
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VAUSE: Yeah. OK, right now it seems, you know, the people of Gaza are very much in favor of a ceasefire. So to the IDF, which believe it's that all it can militarily against Hamas or the families of the hostages definitely want a ceasefire. They say this is the moment the U.S., Egypt all pushing for a deal.
It seems the only ones who are reluctant at this stage what I've Netanyahu and a few extremists within his coalition government, and Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza
COOK: That's exactly right. It is clear that Palestinians very much want to ceasefire. Israelis want to ceasefire. But the two most important actors in this drama Yahya Sinwar, the newly installed leader of Hamas, but the long-time leader of Hamas in Gaza, and the parties to Benjamin Netanyahu coalition, who are to the right of him, and who want to prioritize the destruction of Hamas rather than return of hostages are opposed, and that is the sticking point, and that has been the sticking point over all of these months.
Yes, there are details that need to be worked out. There are details that the Israelis don't agree to that Hamas wants. There are details that Israel wants, that Hamas cannot agree to. But at that macro level, Yahya Sinwar and the radical right in Israel do not want a ceasefire.
VAUSE: So until they change their position, there's not going to be a ceasefire, is it?
COOK: It's very hard to imagine that there are touch points of commonality here where everybody can walk away with a win. Yahya Sinwar believes that Hamas is winning the conflict because he looks in this in a long term strategy. He sees the delegitimization of Israel internationally. He sees the idea basically stuck in the Gaza Strip.
For the Netanyahu partners on the radical right end of the political spectrum in Israel, they see the destruction of Hamas as a move towards their ultimate goal, which is the resettlement of the Gaza Strip and the consolidation of Israel's grip on both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
VAUSE: Is there a timeframe for these negotiations? How long will these discussions continue? Is it a day by day affair?
COOK: It's a day by day affair. And there was a glimmer of hope coming out of today in that the Israeli delegation stayed in Doha overnight. So there's clearly something to talk about here. The Israelis and the negotiators, not Hamas, that is Israel, the United States, Egypt and Qatar, who are sending messages to Hamas, are focused on some details.
But once again, it's hard to imagine, given these conflict between what Yahya Sinwar wants and what parts of the Israeli government want.
VAUSE: These talks are interesting because Hamas officials, you know, are not there indirectly, as they have been in the past. They're sort of indirectly, indirectly -- indirectly, away that they have a system now where, you know, Qatari and Egyptian mediators convey messages to Hamas officials in Qatar who then in turn communicate with the leadership in Gaza, who's Yahya Sinwar, I guess, and then when he wants to send a message back and goes all those steps again the other way. It seems to me, no shows out of protest, but then, essentially, still be there. But just create this cumbersome process which creates all sorts of problems.
COOK: Well, it certainly delays things. And of course, there is, as you go through this telephone chain, it creates the risk of miscommunication and misinterpretation, which would undermine agreements. We've had that before in this process where the Israelis and the United States believe that there was an agreement, and then the Hamas and Egyptians would come out and say something different because of the indirect mediation and negotiation that is going on.
So this is likely to drag things out, and, like I said, may end up with misinterpretation and miscommunication and doesn't move the process forward at all.
VAUSE: Not that there's any kind of time urgency here or anything on these talks.
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According to Hamas health officials to death on Gaza after 10 months of war is now more than 40,000. It's a staggering number which Israel disputes. But regardless, it's now adding to international demands for a ceasefire, foreign agreement. I want you to listen to the U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights.
(BEGIN VIDEO LCIP)
TURK: The hostages must be released. Palestinians, arbitrarily detained, must be freed. Israel's illegal occupation must end, and the internationally agreed two-state solution must become a reality.
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VAUSE: Yes, OK, is there anything else on that list? Maybe we just say go for the big overall break up into little, doable pits, so bite sized pieces, perhaps.
COOK: And that's exactly what's going on. I think that the negotiations in Doha to get hostages back and to bring peace fire to the god district are one piece of that, and that is where the United States is putting its diplomatic efforts at the moment.
You know, the U.N. Human Rights Commission is deeply, deeply compromised, and what he's asking for there is absolutely everything, and asking for absolutely everything is not going to provide relief for Palestinians who are most in need of it or relief for Israeli families that are waiting desperately for the return of their relatives, whether alive or dead.
VAUSE: Yes, there's history letting the great be the enemy of the good, so often with the UN. Steven Cook, so good to see you, sir. Thank you.
COOK: Thank you. VAUSE: Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank has come under
attack by heavily armed Israeli settlers. According to Israeli and Palestinian officials, more than 70 settlers set fires to cars and houses, throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails.
Palestinian health officials say a 20-year old man was shot dead. The Israeli military and border police dispersed the mob, the Israeli President, the Israeli prime minister and other senior Israeli officials have condemned the attack.
The Ukraine's bold offensive into Russia continues. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, confirming the town of Sudzha a is now in Ukrainian hands, more than a week after his forces first appeared there. Ukraine also says its forces have now advanced 35 kilometers into Russia since launching the invasion last week. They've reportedly captured more than 80 settlers and -- settlements rather, and over 1-- 1,100 square kilometers of land.
On top of that, these images show what could be the biggest capture of Russian troops in a single operation since the war began. Ukrainian security source says more than 100 soldiers were imprisoned while defending a well-fortified position.
Meantime, two senior U.S. officials tell CNN, Russia appears to be moving thousands of troops from Ukraine back to Russia to try and hold off keys events. Ukraine denies that, but the White House believes it is happening.
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JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER: It is apparent to us that Mr. Putin and the Russian military are diverting some resources, some units towards the Kursk Oblast to ostensibly counter what the Ukrainians are doing.
It doesn't mean that Mr. Putin has given up military operations in the northeast part of Ukraine, or even down towards the south, towards places like Zaporizhzhia. There's still active fighting along that front.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Some Western officials do not believe Ukraine will be able to hold on to the captured territory for long. They say it's too early to know what impact this will have on the bigger picture of the war. But what is certain right now Russia is forced to build defensive lines at home. Here's CNN's Clare Sebastian.
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SEBASTIAN: Now a week and a half in Ukraine, surprise offensive in Russia's Kursk region has gained them a pretty broad foothold. Kyiv now claiming that it holds some 1,150 square kilometers, or over 400 square miles. That's this yellow section here.
And the speed of this advance has turned the dynamic of this war upside down. Right now some 45 kilometers from the border, Russia is digging trenches. Satellite imagery revealing clear signs of these physical defenses.
Now, Russia says Ukraine entered its territory on August 6, initially launching what it called a massive attack on the town of Sudzha, that was an operation that relied on surprise, clearly shown by the reaction of local residents here and footage that we geolocated to a highway just east of Sudzha.
Now, a lack of Russian defenses, or effective Russian defenses, also held. Video evidence servicing from near the border of Russian troops actually surrendering. Now, Russia claimed to be rushing in reinforcements and hitting back hard, but they faced a fast moving enemy. On August the eighth, the Ministry of Defense published footage of an air strike here, claiming that they destroyed a column of Ukrainian armored vehicles. Within a few days of that down here near the town of f Geary (ph) footage emerged, reportedly showing a Russian attack on a Ukrainian tank, and more footage a couple of days later came up here, showing Russian planes at work again.
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So it's clear Ukrainian groups had fanned out Russia struggling to keep up with the threat, and Ukraine also using intensive air attacks to support its ground troops. It was up here, quite a way away from this action down here. Video surfaced last Friday of a convoy of Russian armored vehicles, some dozen or so trucks completely burnt out, stopped in their tracks.
Now, information is murky and the territory estimated to be under Ukrainian control if you compare it to the overall map of the front lines. It's just up here. This section in yellow is not huge, but Ukraine says Russia is already pulling troops from some of these areas along the front line to defend Kursk. That is one way that this small advance could start to impact the big picture of this war. Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
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VAUSE: In a moment, dueling visions for America's economy after weeks of exchanging insults, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris now talking policy, thought of.
Also, five people now charged to the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry. We'll have more on the alleged queen of ketamine in Los Angeles.
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VAUSE: It was 1992 when Democratic strategist Jim McCarville (ph) said it's the economy stupid. And ever since, it's been a common phrase in U.S. presidential elections, ever since, describing what really matters to most American voters.
And the presidential nominees finally actually got into specifics on Thursday and will again on Friday. During rival campaign events, Donald Trump promised to reduce prices. Kamala Harris also got a boost from her current boss, rather. More now from CNN's Julia Benbrook.
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JULIA BENBROOK, CNN NEWSOURCE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The President and the Vice President sharing a stage for the first time since Joe Biden withdrew from the race.
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: And of course, I could speak all afternoon about the person that I am standing on this stage with.
BENBROOK (voice-over): A significant moment as he passes the torch.
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Folks, I have an incredible partner in the progress we made, she's going to make one hell of a president.
BENBROOK (voice-over): The joint appearance focused on the administration's efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs.
HARRIS: Few leaders in our nation have done more on so many issues, including to expand access to affordable health care like Joe Biden.
BENRBOOK (voice-over): Biden is broadly seen by voters as performing poorly on the economy, creating a bit of a political challenge for Harris as she moves forward, something former president Donald Trump looked to highlight during his own press conference.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Harris has just declared that tackling inflation will be a day one priority for her. It's going to be day one, but day one really for Kamala, was three and a half years ago.
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BENBROOK (voice-over): The vice president is expected to reveal her own economic plan Friday, and while aides don't expect Harris to carry the banner of Bidenomics, advisors say her vision for the economy doesn't deviate in major ways from Biden.
BENBROOK: During that event, she's expected to highlight areas of Biden's record that enjoy broad support among voters, while advocating for additional policies that would lower the cost of health care, food and housing. Reporting in Washington, I'm Julia BenBrook.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Do billionaires buy their own groceries? Is Donald Trump, a real billionaire? Regardless, five times declared bankrupt, Trump has been discussing the cost of food against the backdrop of his private golf club in New Jersey, surrounded by an array of breakfast cereals, coffee, milk and fruit/
Trump slammed Harris' economic policies and falsely accused her of being responsible for rising prices and inflation fell all around the world. Well, he initially stated on message his attacks, once again, they got personal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think I'm entitled to personal attacks. I don't have a lot of respect for her. I don't have a lot of respect for her intelligence. And I think she'll be a terrible president. And I think it's very important that we win, and whether the personal attacks are good, bad. I mean, she certainly attacks me personally. She actually called me weird. He's weird. It was just a soundbite, and she called J.D. and I weird. He's not weird. He was a great student at Yale.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: He's not weird. Natasha Lindstaedt is a professor of government at the University of Essex, and she joins us this hour from Colchester in England. Thank you for taking the time to go up early. Appreciate it.
NATASHA LINDSTAEDT, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: OK, so in a stunning and surprising turn of events, both the Democratic and Republican nominees for president have actually been talking policy for a little bit. Kamala Harris will deliver a major campaign speech on the economy Friday as well, but she's been telegraphing for weeks what to expect. Here she is talking at the end of July.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: On day one, I will take on price gouging and bring down costs. We will ban more of those hidden fees and surprise late charges that banks and other companies use to pad their profits.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So clearly, that's a continuation of Joe Biden's populist approach, which has worked well for him. On Friday, though, Harris is expected to go a lot further, proposing the first ever federal ban on price gouging on groceries and food as well as financial help for first time home buyers who are, you know, struggling with the rising price of buying a home, also the rising price of groceries, also a major concern for voters, especially with corporations making record profits.
I guess the flip side to all of this is that Harris is proposing a level of government interference in the economy which this country has never seen before.
So is this something that will be a win for Harris? How is this expected to be received? Does it depend on, basically, come down to party lines?
LINDSTAEDT: That's a really good question how is this going to be perceived. And it depends the way she can articulate the message. So Joe Biden had passed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 which had far reaching policies that should be benefiting Americans, but he wasn't very good at articulating this message. He focused more on the fact that the economy was doing well, that
there are really, really low levels of unemployment, record levels of unemployment, strong growth, manufacturing was doing well, but he wasn't able to really talk to Americans about the cost of living issues and how he was going to resolve that, and how Inflation Reduction Act would resolve that.
So I would imagine that she will be better at articulating this message than Biden has been, and she'll focus on talking points that resonate at least with Democrats and possibly with independents, talking about just lowering the cost of food, lowering the cost of prescription drugs. Of course, recently, at the campaign rally with Joe Biden, they unveiled this new policy which would lower the cost of prescription drugs on 10 medications and save billions of dollars for Medicare.
So, they're focusing on these issues that are really important to American voters. And thus far, she hasn't gotten that specific. She's kind of focused on this idea of hope and optimism and the way that Donald Trump would threaten Americans freedoms. But she's getting more detailed, and that's because there's been more calls for her to really explain what she's all about and what her policies are.
VAUSE: Well, Donald Trump described the plan put forward by Harris, and one that will be put forward in the coming hours as essentially communist price controls. He also announced his plan to bring down the cost of food and other basic. Here he is.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: So when I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on day one, we will end Kamala war on American energy, and we will drill baby drill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yes, the cost of transportation and energy in the price of food and other goods is a big component, but that's not exactly a winning plan for the majority of Americans concerned about climate change.
LINDSTAEDT: Right. That doesn't -- that plan doesn't make sense, given that actually climate change affects the economy, it affects just everyday people who are facing, you know, rising temperatures, wildfires, hurricanes and so forth. So that's not a long term plan. That is just something that maybe speaks to sort of short term interests.
And there have been economists that have warned that the Trumpian economic policies could worsen inflation because of his policies on tariffs and that will raise prices for people. He didn't really get into other specifics of what he was going to do, and that press conference was a bit of a mess. It was just sort of 50 minutes of rambling. I don't know why he decided to do this in front of a country club and
then put all these grocery items and juxtaposed the vast differences of his own wealth with people who are just sort of struggling to pay for these items.
But as usual, Trump really struggles to articulate policy. He doesn't understand policy that well, and so instead, he kind of goes off on these different tangents and goes to populist talking points that really aren't part of a long term strategy.
VAUSE: Yes, it is sort of very -- there's a lack of focus. We could say. Thursday was also this passing of a baton of swords between President Biden. He was campaigning with Vice President Harris, their first appearance together since Biden dropped out of the race, and Biden seemed to be in pretty good form. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: The guy we're running against. What's his name? Donald Dunk, or Donald whatever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: A lot more energy at least at this appearance. And this was an important moment to show unity and support of Harris at the highest of levels. And then a reporter, though, asked Biden this question. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much does it bother you that Vice President Harris might soon, for political reasons, start to distance herself from your economics.
BIDEN: She's not going to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yes, it's a no brainer. At some point, Harris will just have to do that, because she won't have a choice, right?
LINDSTAEDT: So I think that in reality, she's not going to be pursuing policies that will be that different. It just depends on the way she articulates the message. And we've seen this in the way that she's talked about the threat that Donald Trump has to democracy.
Instead of talking about this in very dire, broad, stripes, strokes, excuse me, she's talked about the way that Donald Trump threatens our freedoms and how important it is to focus on the freedoms that women may want with reproductive rights or the freedom to read in a library, whatever books that you want. She's spoken more about things that are more positive and uplifting.
And so I don't know if there's going to be just this huge policy U- turn with her. But I think what you're going to see is she'll be able to articulate the message in ways that might connect a little bit better with voters.
You're not going to hear her talking about Biden economics or Biden's policies, per se, but she'll be focusing on things that Americans care about, whether it be lowering the cost of housing, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, lowering the cost of food, of course, and going after predatory companies.
VAUSE: Yes, it's all about, I guess, at the end of the day, the messaging and how she packages, how she sells it, how it's received, all that kind of stuff. Natasha Lindstaedt, thank you so much for being with us and getting up early. Really appreciate it. Thank you.
LINDSTAEDT: Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: Pleasure. Authorities have charged five people in connection with the death of TV star Matthew Perry. It comes after investigators say they've uncovered an underground network of drug sellers and suppliers allegedly responsible for disagreeing the ketamine that killed the actor. CNN's Nick Watt reports out from Los Angeles.
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MATTHEW PERRY, AMERICAN ACTOR: Could I be more sorry?
NICK WATT, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Two medical doctors, Matthew Perry's assistant and an alleged dealer known as the Ketamine Queen, among the five now charged in the death of the sometimes sardonic star known as Chandler Bing on one of the most successful sitcoms of all time.
PERRY: 215 coffee house.
WATT (voice-over): Perry had a long history of drug abuse and mental health struggles.
UNIDENITIFIED FEMALE: Matthew Perry sought treatment for depression and anxiety and went to a local clinic where he became addicted to intravenous ketamine.
[01:30:02]
When clinic doctors refused to increase his dosage, he turned to unscrupulous doctors.
WATT: Dr. Mark Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to sell the drug to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who allegedly would inject Perry and expressed a desire to be his go-to for drugs.
MARTIN ESTRADA, U.S. ATTORNEY, CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA: He wrote in a text message in September 2023, quote, "I wonder how much this moron will pay."
WATT: Prosecutors allege those doctors made tens of thousands of dollars from the "Friends" star.
MILGRAM: They supplied Matthew Perry with large amounts of ketamine in exchange for large sums of money charging Perry $2,000 for a vial that cost Dr. Chavez approximately $12.
WATT: When that became too much, prosecutors say Perry turned to a street supplier. He was 54 when he died last October.
COURTNEY COX, ACTRESS: I think he's probably one of the funniest human beings in the world.
You know, he's just so funny. He's -- he is genuinely a huge heart obviously struggled.
WATT: Cause of death, acute effects of ketamine with drowning, a factor according to an autopsy report. Found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home by his longtime live in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who authorities say admitted he injected Perry numerous times on the day he died. These pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing death.
ESTRADA: These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being.
WATT: Investigators believe this went well beyond Matthew Perry. They say they've uncovered a quote, "broad underground criminal network". They believe the queen of ketamine has been dealing in north Hollywood since 2019. That year they say she sold ketamine to a young man named Cody McLaury, who overdosed and also died. She was in court Thursday, pled not guilty.
So did Dr. Salvador Plasencia. He is still allowed to operate his clinic, but he has to have a note on the door telling patients about the case and he's not allowed to prescribe controlled substances. His trial date is set for early October.
Nick Watt, CNN -- Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: 313 days of hell and counting -- her husband was taken by Hamas militants October 7 and every day since has been living nightmare. And now she sits down to talk to Wolf Blitzer about these precarious ceasefire talks and the emotional rollercoaster.
[01:32:46]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: More now on our top story. The latest talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza are set to resume in the coming hours. Without a ceasefire though the fighting continues, so too the misery and death.
Gaza's health ministry says more than 40,000 Palestinians have now been killed since Israel went to war with Hamas ten months ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NAJY ABU HATEB, GRAVE DIGGER IN GAZA (through translator): Since the war began, we haven't stopped even for a minute, and we hope the war ends.
There's no place to bury people. We are even exhausted. We are working beyond our capacity and we wish for this war to stop.
Today, re roughly dig 50, 60, 70 graves daily until the death toll reached 40,000 people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The death toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in Gaza but Hamas officials say most of those killed are women and children.
Last month, Israel said it killed more than 14,000 combatants in Gaza since the start of the war and Israel disputes that 40,000 number.
In Israel, the families of those with loved ones still being held by Hamas are anxiously awaiting the outcome of these latest ceasefire talks.
Among them, Gali Idan. On October 7, her daughter was killed by Hamas, her husband kidnapped.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer spoke with her last November. And again this week, he sat down with her for an interview -- another emotional interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you very much for talking to us. It's been almost a year since we last had this conversation. First of all, how are you doing?
GALI IDAN, HUSBAND KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: Good question. In my worst nightmares, I wouldn't believe that we are meeting in this situation where nothing changed actually. Tsachi is still with Hamas.
BLITZER: Tsachi Idan, your husband.
IDAN: Yes.
BLITZER: 50-years-old. He was kidnapped by Hamas. And your daughter, Maayan, 18-years-old, she was murdered that day.
IDAN: Yes.
BLITZER: And you've been living with that both of those enormous, enormous tragedies all this time.
IDAN: Yes. It's been 313 days of hell. We are out of breath, just like them in captivity in being hostage by Hamas, which are terrorists and murderers.
BLITZER: He was kidnapped and taken to Gaza. What's the latest you've heard about his condition?
IDAN: The latest was at the end of November when the release of the hostages -- last release of hostages from Gaza, I had an eyewitness say that she was with him for a few -- for a day or two and she talked to him. And he was really emotionally down, and thinking about Maayan and what happened -- and that he missed us all.
I don't know if he knows if we are ok. And it was a really long time ago that day that she told me that she saw him.
It's unimaginable that we are sitting right now after this time, and nothing changed. He's not back. They're not back. They're not all back. It's unthinkable.
It's unthinkable and unbearable. And we live in this -- in this -- in this audacity every day, every hour, thinking about our loved ones in hostage conditions.
BLITZER: Do you have any hope that these negotiations, which are taking place and are about to resume will result in an, A, ceasefire and B, the release of the hostages, including your husband?
IDAN: Most definitely, yes. Yes, the only way that Tsachi and 114 other hostages can come back -- some alive, some dead for a proper burial is -- the only way is in a deal. The only way is in a deal.
We cannot make an army and you know a mission to save them all. We cannot do that.
BLITZER: Well, further complicating this whole situation now is the possibility that Iran might attack Israel.
IDAN: Yes.
BLITZER: And that could happen within days.
IDAN: Yes.
[01:39:49]
BLITZER: And presumably that would undermine whatever negotiations might be taking place for a ceasefire and a hostage release.
IDAN: Yes, I know. It's like -- it's -- I'm trying not to be -- trying to filter the ongoing threats from all over. And keep my eye on the hostages and on Tsachi, my husband, my loved one, my better half.
The threat is here. And I think it's been ongoing for a few months. It's not a new thing. I think they need to close this deal so all the -- all the Middle East can be relaxed from this situation because the situation is burning.
And if the Middle East will become a battle zone, it will be a Third World War. I don't see -- it will take all the allies into the situation. It's horrific.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Idan Gali (SIC), her husband is still being held in Gaza, speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
In a moment, the youngest daughter of Thailand's former prime minister will become the next prime minister. Which prime minister is she replacing. We'll tell you in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: To Thailand now where the youngest daughter of a former prime minister is set to be the next prime minister. On Wednesday, the current prime minister was dismissed by the constitutional court for ethics violations and then parliament's ruling coalition tapped Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra to take his place.
CNN's Marc Stewart live with us now for the very latest from Thailand's parliament. Theres a lot of parliament sort of stuff going on here. A lot of prime ministers in the mix. Explain what's going on.
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well John, my phone has been quite busy over the last few minutes because we have now learned that Paetongtarn Shinawatra indeed got the necessary votes, the parliamentary approval to move forward in this process, again to become Thailand's youngest prime minister.
This was pretty much a formality because her party's coalition had a commanding presence and told her that they would lend her support. There is a key milestone that needs to take place and that is the king of Thailand basically needs to sign off on it.
I was talking with our producer in Bangkok, the proper term is "royal endorsement", so that still needs to happen. But Paetongtarn Shinawatra is on the way to become the nation's youngest prime minister and the second female prime minister.
[01:44:46]
STEWART: She comes from a family that is very well-known in Thailand's political scene. Very powerful at times divisive, but one that has been prominent in Thailand for the last two decades.
She takes over as you reported, after the former prime minister was ousted earlier this week on constitutional grounds.
Let me give you a little bit more background on her. She is 37 years old, and this is where it's interesting. Her father served as prime minister in Thailand but was ousted in a coup back in 2006.
And her aunt was also a former prime minister, the first female prime minister, before losing power as well.
This is not necessarily a surprise that she rose on Thailand's political scene. A lot of observers have pointed out over the years, she had been by her father's side and it was only a matter of time before she entered the political arena.
Now she is going to have some challenges. There was some opposition to her vote, which shows that there is some fluidity in the political landscape in Thailand.
She will have a number of issues to confront, including the economy. It's a point of focus from her predecessor before he left office, really trying to create policies that would create jobs and spending.
It will be interesting to see if that's something she will pursue as well once she is formerly installed into this position of prime minister. She will form her own cabinet, so it'll be interesting to see not only the people with whom she surrounds herself with but the issues that she will tackle.
But John, the next step in all of this is royal endorsement from the King. But indeed she is set to become Thailand's youngest prime minister.
VAUSE: They've had a few (INAUDIBLE) -- 16 years and the court just keeps getting involved. It seems this crisis, this political crisis just goes on and on.
Marc Stewart in Beijing, thanks you.
U.S. President Joe Biden appears (ph) to voice his support for fresh elections in Venezuela. Biden's remarks on Thursday come on the heels of similar statements made by the leaders of both Brazil and Colombia earlier that day.
But the White House walking back Biden's comments with the U.S. National Security Council spokesperson saying "The president was speaking to the absurdity of Maduro and his representatives not coming clean about the July 28 elections. It is abundantly clear that Edmundo Gonzalez won the most votes on July 28."
The long-time Venezuelan strongman claimed victory over an opposition candidate in the country's election, which was marred by accusations of fraud and a lot of counting irregularities.
Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has suggested he'll flee to Venezuela if he loses November's election. It comes at a pivotal time for Venezuela, amid economic crisis and contested presidential elections.
Stefano Pozzebon has the very latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Venezuela, their crime is down 72 percent. They're taking their criminals, their murders, their rapists, and they're delivering them.
If something happens with this election, which would be a horror show, we'll meet the next time in Venezuela because it will be a far safer place to meet than our country. STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Unrest, deadly protests, mass detentions. These are images from the last two weeks in Venezuela, a country where democracy is fighting to prevail.
MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER: The regime is at its weakest position ever. They have lost total legitimacy, and what they had done is unleash a campaign of terror persecution.
POZZEBON: On July 28, authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro was declared winner of a presidential election by Venezuela's electoral body, which is stacked with Maduro's allies and has not released official voting tallies.
The opposition has called it a fraud, publishing tens of thousands of electoral records, and claiming their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, is the real winner.
Protests that've blown up across the country have been brutally repressed. More than 20 people have been killed, and over 2,000 have been detained, according to government's figure.
Local and foreign media outlets have been blocked, and Maduro has banned X, formerly known as Twitter, for 10 days.
This week, several opposition activists in pro-government areas of Caracas said they have received threats with their homes being marked out as a form of intimidation.
People who once wanted change now fear for their life and that of their loved ones. The relatives of opposition leaders detained in government crackdown, telling CNN they do not have proof of life or heard from them in days.
MARIA DE GRAZIA, DAUGHTER OF OPPOSITION FIGURE AMERICO DE GRAZIA (through translator): Of course, I fear for my life, for my sibling's lives, for my father's life. But even with this fear, I feel one of the things my dad passed on to us with his action is his bravery.
POZZEBON: The United States, the E.U., and the UN have all urged Maduro to release full election results and to refrain from causing (ph) dissent.
[01:49:53]
POZZEBON: Before the election, independent surveys found that up to a third of Venezuelans say they would consider leaving the country if Maduro stayed in power.
Donald Trump's rhetoric on Venezuela can be dangerous. CNN has fact- checked his comments and found them not to be true. With migration already a central issue in November's presidential election, the crisis in Venezuela could well prove consequential for both U.S. candidates.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Typhoon Ampil has now strengthened to the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane and could continue to strengthen as it approaches Japan's eastern coast.
Hanako Montgomery is live in Tokyo in a moment with the very latest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Japan's eastern coast, bracing for Typhoon Ampil now the equivalent of a category four hurricane.
CNN's Hanako Montgomery joins us now live from Tokyo. Hanako so whereas Ampil actually heading? And what are the main concerns right?
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John.
So Ampil is heading, as you mentioned, along the eastern region of the country, including Tokyo, which is where we are right now. And just for your reference, I mean this typhoon is the strongest typhoon we've seen all season so far.
But as you can tell from the scene behind me and also, of course, above me, it's not really raining right now. Its drizzling slightly.
The winds have also died down, but just a few hours ago, John, before we started speaking, the winds were really picking up. They were getting stronger and stronger, not strong enough to topple over any cars or trucks as the Japanese government has warned could happen. But still strong enough to affect the pedestrians walking along the street here.
Now the Japanese Meteorological Agency has warned that this typhoon could get worse in the coming hours, especially as it again moves across the eastern region of the country.
Also depending on how this typhoon moves, if it moves further inland, that could potentially mean more winds, more rain and potentially more devastating floods or landslides.
Now, the Japanese government has issued several evacuation advisories to certain cities and towns in the greater Tokyo area, especially to those who don't have safe shelters at home. They've asked them to go to evacuation shelters.
Japan has also canceled several hundred flights to and from the capital. It's suspended some bullet train rides, also some highways are closed. And again, this is all to avoid any potential destruction or damage to citizens.
But of course this has been very disruptive to people's summer holiday plans, John. Right now, it's actually Obon (ph) ban which is the holiday in the country where millions travel across the entirety of Japan to go see their relatives, to go see their families.
But again, as flights have been canceled, trains have been suspended. People just can't get to their relatives or simply just can't get home, John.
VAUSE: Hanako Montgomery there bracing for the storm. Get your anchor (ph) out. We'll check in with you throughout the day. Thank you.
Well, a faulty power cable may have sparked a deadly wildfires in Greece earlier this week near Athens, an area the size of Paris was left scorched and blackened.
Wildfires are becoming a regular part of the Greek summer now and as CNN's Eleni Giokos reports, climate change is to blame for increasing the frequency and the severity of fires.
[01:54:45]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The horror of Greece's wildfires. But these are not images from this year's fires. This is from 2018, 2021, and 2024.
Year after year fires rage across Greece, leaving a path of destruction.
This is part of Parnitha Forest. And if you look at the blackened trees behind me, you can tell that a fire ravage this area one year ago. And every now and again I get the smell of charcoal that still lingers in the air.
Last year, we were in this very street in Parnitha. This house looked like this then. And now. It's still exactly the same.
PANAGIOTIS SIDIRPOULOS, LOCAL RESIDENT (through translator): The situation hasn't changed over this year.
No one from the authorities has come here. It's complete abandonment and it doesn't just concern us. It's a general phenomenon in Greece.
GIOKOS: Annual fires have become one of Greece's biggest problems in the Attica region. That includes the entire Athens metropolitan area. In the last eight years, wildfires destroyed more than 700,000 hectares here.
Climate change has increased the risk of wildfires in Greece. High temperatures, drier forest, stronger winds.
SIDIRPOULOS: The climate has changed, the temperature has definitely risen. There is no vegetation anywhere. So even the stones are scorching hot.
GIOKOS: Many point the finger at the government, expecting more action.
STEFANOS KASSELAKIS, LEADER OF OPPOSITION PARTY, SYRIZA: Climate change is a reality, but it's not just a Greek reality. Why have we not seen this in other European capitals, including in our zone, our latitude? So it's truly something to consider particularly because we have been the recipients of a lot of E.U. funds and the question is, where have those gone?
GIOKOS: CNN's requests to the Greek government have not been returned. Greece's prime minister told Reuters that it is constantly improving, devoting almost $2 billion tackle fires and he says seven newly-bought firefighting aircraft are three years away.
Now, the damages is being assessed. Numbers will be attached to everything you see here.
But one thing that can't be quantified the fear and pain every time a fire strikes.
Eleni Giokos, CNN -- Parnitha, Greece.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thank you for watching this hour.
I'm John Vause.
Please stay with us. I'll be back with more news. Yes, me. After a very short break.
See you in a bit.
[01:57:25]
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