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Blinken Seeks to Push Ceasefire Talks Forward; Russia Blaming U.S.-Made Weapons for Bridge Destruction; Democratic National Convention Set to Begin. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 18, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

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[03:00:00]

IVAN WATSON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Ivan Watson.

Ahead on CNN Newsroom, the U.S. secretary of state en route to the Middle East in hopes of pushing a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Why Israeli officials say they're cautiously optimistic.

Ukraine pressing forward with its incursion into Russian territory. Why Russia blames U.S. made weapons for destroying a key piece of infrastructure in the Kursk region.

And the Democratic National Convention kicks off tomorrow. How President Biden plans to pass the torch to the next generation of his party.

All right, the United States is putting new pressure on Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal. Just hours from now, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to arrive in Israel. Once there, he's expected to meet with Israeli officials. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office says Israeli negotiators met with Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday and remain optimistic. But they've said the same thing in the past and did not reach an agreement.

Meanwhile, Hamas says an Israeli airstrike in the West Bank killed two of its military commanders on Saturday. Israel says the pair were involved in planning a shooting attack last Sunday in the Jordan Valley.

In Gaza, this video shows an Israeli strike hitting a building in Nuseirat. The Israeli military says it killed several militants in Central Gaza on Saturday, including one who they say launched rockets towards IDF soldiers. Also on Saturday, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders in Gaza. The United Nations says, after these new orders, only 11 percent of Gaza can be considered humanitarian zones.

Journalist Elliott Gotkine is live in London with more on the situation in Gaza and on the ceasefire talks. Elliott, thank you for joining me. There is a process of negotiations, but there has been no let up in deadly strikes and conflict. Can you describe more about -- bring us up-to-date on that.

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: That's right, Ivan. You know, we were talking about this strike at around one o'clock in the morning in Central Gaza, in Al Zawayda, which killed 15 members of the same family, including nine children and five women. That's according to local civil defense groups in the Hamas-run enclave.

Now on Sunday morning, the Al Aqsa hospital in Gaza is saying that seven members of another family also in central Gaza, in another part of Central Gaza, were killed in further airstrikes, among those six children and one woman. The father of that family was also injured, according to the hospital.

Now, Israel says that it was targeting in the incident on Saturday. It said it was under review and in its statement, although it didn't specifically say specifically refer to that particular incident. It said that it carried out strikes and killed a number of militants, including, as you say, one that was firing rockets towards its troops.

And Israel also saying on Sunday morning that it's so it was targeting rockets that were -- launches that were being fired towards its troops. And indeed, it's rockets being fired from parts of central Gaza that are leading to Israel. It's says to issue additional evacuation orders to the dwindling so-called humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip, which U.N. authorities say now accounts for something like 11 percent of the Gaza Strip. In other words, 89 percent of the strip is considered at least by Israel to be a fighting zone.

Now, that's what's been happening in the Gaza Strip. In Lebanon, we also had, at least in the southern part of Lebanon, the deadliest day since Hezbollah started firing on Israel on October the 8th in solidarity with the Hamas-led terrorist attacks a day earlier, ten people were killed, ten Syrians were killed in that strike, according to the Lebanese health ministry, that included two children and five were wounded.

This was in a place called Nabatieh. And, of course, in response to that, we saw Hezbollah firing dozens of rockets towards Israel as well.

[03:04]

Now, that war that isn't an all-out war is still simmering, as it has been now since, as I say, October the 8th. And that is one reason, trying to forestall that escalating into all-out war, not just with Hezbollah, but with its patron, Iran. That is another reason why there is additional urgency to these ceasefire hostage negotiations that were taking place in Doha earlier this week.

Now, we heard back from a source familiar with the talks from Israel saying they were cautiously optimistic. Hamas doesn't seem so optimistic. The talks are set to continue on a technical level this week in Cairo, but perhaps cautious hope, Ivan, would be a more appropriate description rather than one of optimism.

WATSON: And we also saw protests in Tel Aviv calling for a ceasefire deal and a hostage release deal. Elliott Gotkine from London live, thank you very much for that update.

Now, in the last hour, I spoke with Israel's former Consul General in New York, Alon Pinkas, and I asked him about the reports we're hearing of optimism about a possible ceasefire deal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALON PINKAS, FORMER ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL, NEW YORK: A cautious optimism was already leveled with not so cautious pessimism this morning with other leaks supposedly from the Israeli negotiating team, saying that the gaps are still broad, wide and deep, and that anyone who speaks of optimism is just putting on a smoke and mirror show.

Now, the question is, is Mr. Netanyahu playing a blame game on the hours before Secretary of State Blinken is coming here, hoping that he could pin this on Hamas, or is he still consistent with his reluctance to accept the deal? And the reason for that is that a deal means the de facto end of the war, and that's something he's not interested in, patently not interested in.

WATSON: Alon, I read your piece in Haaretz, where you argue that since October 7th, Israel has been more dependent on the U.S. than ever militarily, even though we've heard about friction between the Biden administration and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Can you explain that argument?

PINKAS: Yes, sure. I mean, you know, we don't have time, I think, for a historical perspective here, but along the years, along the evolution of the Israeli-American alliance, which is basically since the mid or late 70s until today, but in between there was a major change with the disintegration of the Soviet Union and a change of American interests here, the two countries sort of diverged but ironed out so it won't be so visible.

Now, the paradox here is that whenever Israel thinks it is actually strong and its latitude is broad and its maneuvering room is abundant, it actually comes down to Earth realizing that its dependence on the U.S. is immense.

Now, take the last ten months of the war at the U.N. Security Council supporting Israel in the world. The U.S. has been the only one doing so, providing or supplying $14.3 billion worth of ammunition, and most importantly, Ivan, three times actively being involved in the conflict. First, when the two aircraft carrier strike force were dispatched to the Mediterranean in October, then in April, when the U.S. shot down incoming Iranian missiles and drones. And, again, in the last two or three weeks, after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the assassination of Fuad Shukr in Beirut, the U.S. augmented its forces.

So, the pressure is here. But Mr. Netanyahu seems still to be recalcitrant to engage the Americans on a ceasefire deal. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: And it's not just Alon Pinkas. Some other Israelis are also skeptical that a ceasefire deal will come through. And they doubt that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu actually wants one.

Protesters in Tel Aviv let a fire at an anti-government protest saying there would be a deal or escalation. Families of the hostages still in Gaza are tempering their expectations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YAIR MOSES, RELATIVE OF HOSTAGE: Every time there's a conversation like this, it's a very tense time for us. We learned from past experience that not to build expectations too much, because then if it doesn't complete to a deal, the disappointment is so huge and you go down so far that it's very hard to rise up again.

But we still try to stay optimistic and hope, but we really can't build our expectation too much, because then it will be very hard to recover for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: And now the latest in the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine is consolidating its foothold in Russia's Kursk region following the launch of its cross-border incursion.

[03:10:04]

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about that on Saturday after getting a report from his army chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: General Syrskyi also reported on the continuation of our advance in the Kursk region. The operation is proceeding exactly as we planned. The bravery of Ukrainians is achieving great things. We are now strengthening our positions. The bridgehead of our presence is becoming stronger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Ukraine says it has advanced 35 kilometers into Russia, capturing more than 80 settlements and holding more than 1,100 square kilometers of territory. As Kyiv pushes ahead, Russia is stepping up the evacuation of civilians from border areas. More than 3,000 were moved on Saturday, bringing the total to at least 200,000 since the Ukrainian offensive began.

U.S. officials say Kyiv is still technically in compliance with the restrictions on using U.S.-made weapons in Russia. They admit Washington did not anticipate those weapons would be part of a ground offensive across the border. But they say Kyiv is still using them within the areas allowed by the U.S. Let's head now to Brisbane, Australia, where we're joined by Mick Ryan, a retired major general of the Australian Army, and his new book, The War for Ukraine, Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire, came out just a few days ago. Congratulations.

I'd like to ask you, you know, a follow up on Ukraine's incursion into Russia. It's made clear that it is planning to hold on to this territory perhaps to use it as a bargaining chip in possible future negotiations with Moscow. But this is getting the Ukrainian military into new territory, that of occupation. Is it prepared, is it equipped for occupying foreign territory and potentially Russian citizens?

MAJ. GEN. MICK RYAN (RET.), AUSTRALIAN ARMY: Yes. Good day Ivan. It's a very interesting problem that the Ukrainians now have because all they've been doing until now is defending their own territory. They have recently appointed a military governor for the region. So, he will look after many of the humanitarian concerns and administrative concerns to allow the soldiers to keep fighting. But occupying foreign territory is a very difficult task.

WATSON: And what are some of the challenges that the Ukrainian military could potentially face on that front?

RYAN: Well, the biggest challenge they have is the amount of troops they have available to occupy that territory. 1,100 square kilometers is almost double the amount of territory that the Russian army has taken in the Donbas this year. So, do they have enough troops to do that? Compared to the defensive campaign, they must also wage in the Donbas. Supplying them will be difficult because their supply routes will be constantly interdicted by the Russians. And do they have enough electronic warfare, air defense, and these kinds of things?

So, there's a whole lot of military concerns in seeking to take and hold the enemy's territory for a long period of time, and that doesn't even include whether they can use foreign weapons, which they're currently restricted from using at the moment,

WATSON: Of course, you know, this incursion and the capture of Russian territory a symbolic victory for Kyiv and a real embarrassment for the Kremlin. But the fighting on the eastern front is as difficult and as bloody as ever. And we've been hearing for months about Ukraine's shortage of manpower and weaponry. What is your view of the situation there? Is it still under pressure there? What are the challenges it faces on those fronts?

RYAN: Yes, the situation in the east, especially on the Pokrovsk axis of advance is very difficult for the Ukrainians. They are giving ground there. The Russians are slowly advancing, particularly through the use of these main tactics and these long range glide bombs. And it's somewhat hard in some respects to square the situation there. The Ukrainians are facing with the allocation of their forces for the curse offensive, both sides are now undertaking two major ground campaigns. It's unlikely both of them can sustain those two campaigns for the medium term.

WATSON: And, Mick, from your perspective as a former major general, what did it tell you about the Russian military, Russian security in Russia proper, the fact that the forces lost control of 1,100 square kilometers worth of their own territory in the span of a week or so?

[03:15:06]

RYAN: Well, it's a clear failure of intelligence on the Russians. There were some indicators that the Russians did pick up, but these weren't passed up the chain, and they certainly didn't act on them. But it also shows that the Russians are fixated on Eastern Ukraine at the moment. That's where most of their forces are. I mean, there's always going to be gaps, unlike the counteroffensive last year, the Ukrainians are very cleverly picked where the Russians have waited and attacked them decisively quickly and shocked the Russian system in doing so.

WATSON: Are there echoes in your mind of that mutiny that we saw where you had a mercenary commander march on Moscow earlier this year?

RYAN: Well, we're not seeing any indicators that we're seeing a response like that from the Russians. Certainly, you're seeing a lot of Russians withdrawing from the area, but I mean, Prigozhin was an internal threat. That was probably a larger threat to Putin.

These Ukrainian troops that are currently occupying Russian ground do pose a political problem for Putin, but I'm not sure it's the same kind of threat that we saw from Prigozhin last year.

WATSON: All right. Mick Ryan, live from Brisbane, thank you very much for your analysis.

Still to come, the former U.S. president, Donald Trump, launches more personal attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, even saying he's better looking than her. The latest from the campaign trail, just ahead.

Plus, we continue to monitor Tropical Storm Ernesto, as it's expected to accelerate north in the coming hours. The latest on that, when we come back. Stay with CNN.

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[03:20:00]

WATSON: Welcome back Democrats are set to hold their convention in Chicago this week amid a dramatically changed political landscape. President Joe Biden who until a month ago expected this nomination would be his, well instead pass the torch to his second in command, Kamala Harris. That has led to a much tighter race, especially in some key Sun Belt swing states. New polling shows only a point or two separates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in Nevada and North Carolina, well within the margin of error. Trump leads by four points in Georgia, while Harris leads by five points in Arizona.

In Chicago this week, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will join a host of Democratic luminaries who will address the delegates and their party faithful. The commander-in-chief will also take the stage. He'll be the featured speaker on night one. Mr. Biden is at Camp David this weekend. He's working on his speech, and he's expected to make the case for a Harris presidency and warn that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy.

CNN Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak is in Washington with more on the president's preparations for Chicago.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Biden is spending the weekend at Camp David writing and revising his convention speech on Monday evening. Essentially, this high-stakes moment of passing the torch to his vice president, Kamala Harris, this could be one of his largest television audiences before the November election. And it also starts this long goodbye to political life for someone who has been in the sphere for 50 years.

And I say the start because President Biden's aides are emphatic that we will see plenty of him over the next five months campaigning for Kamala Harris, but also working to cement his legacy. But there's no question this speech that he will deliver on Monday is not the speech he was planning to give, not the speech that he was hoping to give, and certainly President Biden, I think, is still processing that prolonged effort to remove him from the top of the Democratic Party ticket.

But when he speaks to the delegates in Chicago, his goal will be to look forward. And certainly Democrats want to look forward as well. And what Biden advisers say the president will do is make the case for Kamala Harris as the natural successor to his accomplishments in office. He'll make a proactive case for his Vice president talking about her record, talking about her character, but he'll also make a case against Donald Trump, repeating his warnings that Trump represents a threat to American democracy, and in the words of a Biden aide, that Kamala Harris' election is necessary to ensure democracy is preserved.

So, that's a lot that he will need to pack into his speech on Monday night. When we heard from him on Friday evening, as he was heading out to Camp David, he was a lot more concise in describing his goals. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Are you going to work on your speech this weekend?

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Yes.

REPORTER: What's your message to Democrats on Monday night?

BIDEN: Win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: When you talk to White House officials, they say Biden is extraordinarily proud of how the Democratic Party has coalesced around Kamala Harris, in no small part because of how quick he was out of the gate to endorse her once he withdrew from the race. And what I think you'll see from Democrats throughout the course of next week's convention is conveying their thanks to President Biden for his handling of the COVID pandemic, for his legislative accomplishments.

In fact, in those large screens inside the United Center in Chicago, where this convention is being held, you'll see some quotes from President Biden, his, quote, spread the faith, something he says a lot, the quote history is in your hands, which comes from his Oval Office address that he delivered a few weeks ago, explaining his reasoning for dropping out of the race.

Now, on Monday evening, Kamala Harris will be on hand in Chicago for this historic handing of the torch in the Democratic Party. For President Biden, that will be his last night at the convention. After he speaks, he will head out of town, essentially leaving this event and leaving this gathering to his chosen successor.

[03:25:01]

Kevin Liptak, CNN, Washington.

WATSON: Thanks, Kevin. In the meantime, former President Trump was campaigning in Pennsylvania on Saturday, his second visit to the battleground state since last month's attempted assassination. During the rally, Trump escalated his personal attacks on Kamala Harris.

CNN's Danny Freeman has more.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No doubt this was a packed and raucous rally for former President Donald Trump here in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. But the big question leading into this rally was, could the candidate stay on message? Could he stick to the topics of the economy, immigration, and crime? Because allies and advisor of the former president said that that was the primary way that he could start to blunt some of the momentum that Vice President Kamala Harris has had in her campaign over the past few weeks.

Now, there were some lines that were specifically on topic. I'll get to that in a moment. But make no mistake this was generally a normal Trump rally which included a lot of wandering and meandering lines. The crowd loved a lot of that, but it was, again, far from on message. There were certain points where the former president made fun of Harris' laugh. He also called her a lunatic. And then at one point, he actually referenced a TIME Magazine cover and took a moment to say that he's better looking than Harris. He also spoke at length about debates and also spoke a lot about President Joe Biden, who is no longer his opponent in this race.

Now, there were a few moments where the former president was able to stay on message. He brought up a man who had family in Venezuela who talked about his fear of communism. He also played an attack ad for the crowd that really painted Vice President Harris as a radical liberal. And there was one moment where he actually addressed some of the new economic policies that Vice President Harris released back on Friday.

Take a listen to how he addressed these new policies. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Kamala laid out her so called economic plan. She says she's going to lower the cost of food and housing starting on day one. But day one for Kamala was three and a half years ago. So, why didn't she do it then? So, this is day 1,305. We're at 1,305. So, why isn't she doing it now? Why doesn't she get away from her nice little place with her wonderful husband, go to Washington and do it now? You can do it right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Now, importantly to note, on Friday, Vice President Harris said that her economic plan is supposed to ideally cut taxes for the middle class and reduce costs at the grocery store. But you heard former President Trump said, well, if that's what Vice President Harris wants to do, if she's elected, why hasn't she done this as part of the Biden-Harris administration?

This was the primary new issue focused attacks that we heard from former President Trump at this rally, but it was frankly a small part of the about hour-and-a-half speech that we heard here in Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon.

Danny Freeman, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, CNN.

WATSON: Okay. Stay with CNN for complete coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It begins Sunday at 7:00 in the evening Eastern Time. And for those of you who need time zone help, that's Monday 7:00 A.M. here in Hong Kong.

Ernesto may have weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm, but forecasters warn it could still pose a serious threat along the U.S. eastern seaboard this weekend.

Plus, a global day of protest in support of Venezuela's opposition movement, as the international community continues to put pressure on Maduro's government to release results of the contested election.

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[03:30:00]

WATSON: Welcome back. Let's take a look at some global weather. Bermuda still remains under a tropical storm warning after what was Hurricane Ernesto made landfall on the island early Saturday as a Category 1 storm. Heavy rains and high winds continue to impact Bermuda as Ernesto makes its way north. Although it won't directly hit the U.S., Ernesto is expected to bring life threatening surf and rip current conditions along the eastern seaboard over the next few days.

The latest now from CNN meteorologist Elisa Raffa.

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Ernesto continues to pull away from Bermuda after lashing the island with tropical storm force winds nearly all day and all evening on Saturday. That's after dumping more than a month's worth of rain on the island on Friday. Rain totals there approached 5.5 inches or 140 millimeters on Friday, their average for the entire month of August is just over 5 inches or about 130 millimeters, so a significant amount of rain just in one day.

Those winds will continue to churn and swirl across the Atlantic, scraping some of these Canadian islands with some intense winds as we go into Monday. But this will continue to pick up some significant wave height in the Atlantic through the weekend and going into early next week, which is really posing a concern for coastal erosion, large swells and rip currents.

Look at the rip current risk from Miami to Maine stretching up and down the east coast here. A lot of the coast highlighted in red for that high risk of rip current. So, you want to just be careful and keep that in mind as you're headed to the beach.

Remember, rip current takes you out to sea. Your instinct, if you're caught in it, might want to be to fight it and swim back to shore, but you absolutely cannot do that. You need to swim faster than an Olympic swimmer to beat out that current, which most of us can't do.

So, the safest way to get out of this rip current is to swim parallel to the shore to get out of the current. Then you're in much safer waters and will be able to make that trek back to the shore safely. That is the best way to get out of a rip crew. Remember, try not to panic, but really to avoid all of this. If you see those double red flags, even red flags on the beach, just don't go into the water.

WATSON: Staying in North America, parts of Central Canada are trying to recover after being submerged by wet weather. Heavy rain triggered flooding in Toronto and neighboring communities as Environment Canada issued weather alerts. Firefighters helped people stranded by high water and there were reports of a tornado touching down elsewhere in Ontario. Severe thunderstorms also caused numerous flight delays and diversions at Toronto's airport. The rain is expected to continue into today.

[03:35:02]

A wildfire in Turkey's Izmir Province has eased up a bit and no longer poses a danger to residential areas. Firefighters flying through heavy smoke continue to douse the flames. The fire broke out Thursday when forestry officials say three people built a fire while they were on a picnic. Authorities say they are close to identifying the subjects -- suspects rather.

Still ahead, Venezuelans at home and abroad demand truth and transparency weeks after the country's disputed presidential election.

Plus, as mpox cases soar in Africa, the deadly virus is now popping up in other parts of the world. What you need to know just ahead.

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WATSON: Welcome back to the program. Thailand's newly elected Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has officially assumed the leadership after formal endorsement by the country's king. The 31st prime minister of the country and its youngest ever faces the task of reviving a sluggish economy while fending off potential opposition from conservative, military, and royalty-aligned parties. In her acceptance speech, Shinawatra said she would take the country forward with stability.

Now, a global show of support for Venezuela's opposition movement on Saturday in what the party calls a protest for the truth. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado joined the demonstrations in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, marking her first public appearance in weeks. Thousands of Venezuelans living abroad, many of whom fled after Nicolas Maduro took power, demanded the authoritarian leader respect the will of the people following the country's disputed presidential election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMULO SANCHEZ, VENEZUELA NATIVE: The dictator, Nicolas Maduro, is doing a bloodbath and is carrying it out.

[03:40:03]

It is violating the rights of all Venezuelans. It is not fair that 8 million of us are outside our country. Venezuela is a great country. We don't have to leave Venezuela, maybe only to be tourists, as it was before. Now, we are here working, working hard to be able to help those who are there. That's why I'm here, to help my country move forward and be free.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: And that sentiment is shared by many. Stefano Pozzebon reports from a protest in Colombia.

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Thousands of Venezuelan citizens took to the streets this Saturday to mark three weeks since Venezuelan electoral authorities proclaimed Maduro the winner of a presidential election in July without showing any proof. Because almost 8 million people left Venezuela since Maduro took power, there were protests not just inside the country, but all around the world, from Australia and New Zealand to Colombia, where we are. In Bogota, which is the home of the largest Venezuelan community out of Venezuela, many people, like Sandra, came out with their voting tallies that they say prove that Venezuelan authorities have committed a fraud.

Sandra, (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

POZZEBON: Sandra here is telling me that documents like these proof that, for example, in the election center where she was a witness, Maduro only obtained 92 votes against 541 for the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez. These tallies has since been put online by the opposition, and Sandra says that she took this one as part of her job as an electoral witness in the country. In Caracas, the protest was headed by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who has spent the last two weeks hiding because she fears of detention after Maduro publicly called for his arrest.

And meanwhile, the diplomatic chess game is also working really fast around this issue. On Friday 21 countries signed a statement to urge Venezuelan authorities to release all the voting tallies as soon as possible and clarify whether Maduro really won this election.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

WATSON: To India now, where more than a million doctors staged a 24- hour national strike on Saturday over a brutal rape and murder of a female colleague. They demanded protection from bullying and threats from violence from patients and their families. And they're also frustrated with the problem of violence against women.

The murder echoed the notorious fatal gang rape of another medical student in 2012 on a bus in New Delhi. That victim's mother lent protesters her support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The way this misfortunate incident happened inside the hospital, it is a matter of concern and very disheartening to know that the heinous crime happened in a place where this child was working and taking care of the patients and treating them. It is believed that doctors are gods, and if a doctor is working in a hospital and is not safe there, how can we think that other women and young girls are safe anywhere?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: The protests this week include sit-ins, vigils, and demonstrations for greater protection for medical staff. The 31-year- old trainee female doctor, she was raped and murdered in a Kolkata medical college when going for a nap after working 20 hours of a 36- hour shift.

The World Health Organization describes the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa as just the tip of the iceberg. The virus is now popping up in other parts of the world, prompting health officials to warn that more cases are likely.

CNN's Michael Holmes reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Alarmed by the rapid spread of an mpox outbreak in Africa, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern and warned of possible new cases in the coming days and weeks.

TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, WHO DIRECTOR-GENERAL: It's clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop this outbreaks and save lives. HOLMES: Formerly known as monkey pox, mpox infections have surged in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 15,000 cases reported to the WHO this year, and more than 500 deaths, including many children.

It's since spread to at least 13 African countries and has been detected in Sweden and Pakistan too, although it's unclear if the strain there is from the current outbreak or one that circulated during a previous health emergency in 2022.

[03:45:03]

What health officials do know is this new mpox outbreak is driven mainly by the relatively new clade 1B variant, which is deadlier than past strains. It's highly contagious and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and is spread by skin to skin contact and touching contaminated objects, making it very transmissible in close quarters.

DIEU MERCI MONGOU POUTOU, MPOX SURVIVOR: Three of my children and I were infected. One was treated here, and the other two were taken to another hospital. After two weeks, they were discharged from the hospital, and a week later, my wife was infected.

HOLMES: In severe outbreaks of clade 1 mpox, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says up to 10 percent of infected people have died from it, with health officials particularly concerned about vulnerable populations, like pregnant women and children.

MARGARET HARRIS, WHO SPOKESPERSON: It's particularly dangerous for those with a weak immune system, so people who've maybe have HIV or who are malnourished. And, as you know, in the area that it's spreading very rapidly, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, there are a lot of people who were displaced because of conflict.

HOLMES: Countries like Pakistan are taking precautions to try to prevent further infections by screening passengers in airports and fumigating luggage carousels and common areas. Sweden's state epidemiologist says public awareness on mpox as well as contact tracing and isolation of patients are key to containing the virus. And there are talks of travel recommendations, including vaccines for those traveling to the region.

MAGNUS GISSLEN, STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST, SWEDISH PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY: We do have vaccine and we have a stock of vaccine. And we are also discussing together with a lot of other European countries if we need more vaccine.

HOLMES: Biotech firm Bavarian Nordic says it plans to ramp up production of its mpox vaccine and can supply 2 million doses this year and 10 million by the end of 2025. But getting those vaccines where they are most needed is critical. And right now, mpox vaccines are not widely available in Africa.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WATSON: I don't have to tell you, but rising temperatures and heat waves are making us all miserable. UNICEF says, children, they are especially vulnerable to the dangerous effects of extreme heat. We'll hear why ahead. Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:50:00]

WATSON: Welcome back to CNN. Some sad news just in, the French movie heartthrob, Alain Delon, has died at the age of 88. Delon starred in a series of classic French films that won international acclaim, including Plain Soleil and Le Samourai. His English films included Scorpio and Is Paris Burning?

He was considered a dashing and seductive leading man, and was even dubbed the male Brigitte Bardot. He won the French Oscar, the Cesar, once for playing an alcoholic in our story. He once said one thing he was really proud of was his career. His family said he had been in poor health and passed away surrounded by children and other family members.

Italy is sweating through a heat wave, which has brought on a surge of related illnesses. In Rome, there's been an uptick in emergency room visits. Doctors say it's mostly tourists who get dehydrated. Since mid-June, consecutive heat waves have swept across Italy, leading the health ministry to place 22 cities on red alert this week. Many regions have been enduring temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

The punishing heat is also gripping parts of the U.S. In Colorado, more than a hundred people were treated for heat related illnesses while attending an air show on Saturday. At least five people were sent to the hospital. With few clouds in sight, very little shade, and the blazing sun beating down, many suffered heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and dehydration. Forecasters say temperatures reached around 96 degrees Fahrenheit, or 35 degrees Celsius.

UNICEF is highlighting the problem on a larger scale. They've just published a new report about the global health heat crisis and its uniquely dangerous effect on children.

Lynda Kinkade reports.

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Many places in the world are experiencing extreme heat right now. And according to UNICEF, that's a particular threat to children. In a new report, the U.N. agency says almost half a billion children are experiencing at least double the number of extremely hot days as their grandparents did when they were kids.

LILY CAPRANI, UNICEF CHIEF OF GLOBAL ADVOCACY: On that trajectory, it's getting worse and worse for those children. And it's not just in countries that you might think traditionally are hot countries. It's happening in every continent. We're seeing heat waves all over the world, in Northern Europe, in the United States, as well as in countries in Africa. And if you can imagine the type of temperatures we're talking about, that kind of heat is dangerous. It's dangerous for anyone, but especially for young children.

KINKADE: UNICEF says one major impact is on children's health. Extreme levels of heat stress can contribute to malnutrition and increase the likelihood of infectious diseases, such as malaria and dengue. Countries like South Sudan, Sudan, Mali, Niger and Senegal are home to children spending half the year in temperatures over 95 degrees Fahrenheit or 35 degrees Celsius.

In the United States, 36 million children are facing twice as many heat waves as children in the 1960s.

CAPRANI: The bodies of young children are not like little adults. They have much more vulnerability to extreme heat. Their hearts beat faster, they breathe faster, and they can't cool themselves down.

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So, it's actually very dangerous for them from a health perspective. But also, schools are closing, so they're missing out on education. So, it's really has a long-term impact on children.

KINKADE: UNICEF's point is not just that schools close when temperatures are too hot, but also that high temperatures can negatively affect brain development. So, the agency is advocating not just for more air conditioners in schools but long-term action against climate change.

CAPRANI: We're calling on governments everywhere to understand that and think long and hard about policies that really meet the needs of the most vulnerable groups, not just because they need to be protected now, but it is their future that we are handing to them. It's the legacy we leave behind for them that these climate plans now will set the course for in the future.

KINKADE: Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

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WATSON: All right, trigger warning. You may want to cover your ears, because we're going to call all husbands.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dominic!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rudy! Rudy!

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WATSON: Wow. The Iowa State Fair, it crowned the winner of its annual husband calling contest. Yes, you heard that correctly. The idea is to screech and yell to get the spouse's attention. Wendy Bryce took home the blue ribbon for summoning her husband, Risty, to dinner. She wowed the judges with a one of a kind call that included tap dancing and music. Risty sat in the audience with a shirt that said, I'm the husband. You see it there. He smiled and gave a thumbs up. Thumbs up, Risty.

Thanks for joining us. I'm Ivan Watson. Another hour of Newsroom with my colleague, Kim Brunhuber, is just ahead.

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