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Israeli Soldiers Ordered To Fire On Crowds; No Progress On Ceasefire, Says Kyiv After Peace Talks, But Russia Vows To Exchange POWs; China And E.U. Summit Underway Amid Global Trade Tensions; Fighting Erupts Along Disputed Thailand-Cambodia Border; Polluting Nations May Need To Pay Reparations; Trump Unveils Plan For U.S. Dominance In AI Tech; Trump's AI Plan: Remove Regulations On Tech. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired July 24, 2025 - 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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[01:00:28]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: How much more misery, pain and death can the people of Gaza endure? Ahead on CNN Newsroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Have mercy on us. Enough, enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: A living hell on earth made even worse, it seems, with Israeli soldiers reportedly ordered to open fire on unarmed and starving Palestinians.

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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, these were barely peace talks at all, lasting less than an hour.

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VAUSE: And they barely spoke to one another. Russia and Ukraine agreeing to another prisoner swap, but little else.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're in the process of completing our deal with China.

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VAUSE: And Donald Trump's trade war causing friction between the EU and China as they meet for their annual summit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.

VAUSE: Right now in Gaza, there is no shortage of misery heaped onto misery after 21 months of war, mass starvation is now taking hold across the territory and is ready chokehold on food supplies and distribution now responsible for a growing number of dead, most of them children.

At the same time, Israel is ramping up a military ground offensive in central Gaza. And on Wednesday, thousands of Palestinians who were ordered to evacuate their tent city returned to find out a devastation.

While visiting Israeli troops in Gaza, President Isaac Herzog blamed Hamas for sabotaging aid distribution. And the government spokesperson also denied Israel was responsible for Gaza's famine, instead claiming Hamas had engineered the food shortage.

The head of the World Health Organization blames the Israeli blockade, now partially lifted, for causing mass starvation. And aid groups, including Doctors Without Borders, say even their stuff in Gaza are now going hungry.

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CAROLINE WILLEMEN, MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES/DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: We are enrolling 25 new children under the age of five or pregnant and lactating women into our malnutrition program. Every day, every single day, I'm having to tell desperate parents, your child is not malnourished yet, so it cannot enroll on the program.

We know very well that this child will be malnourished within a matter of time because there is simply not enough food for people to feed themselves, to feed their children. I have been doing this work for nine years. Never in my life have I seen have -- I been in a place where my own colleagues come to work hungry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And right now, cease fire seems a distant hope. US Special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected in Qatar later this week to discuss a potential truce. Source says it's now clear if that will even happen after the latest Hamas response on Israeli troop deployments during a truce was deemed, quote, unworkable.

The effort just to get food and water has become perilous for Palestinians in Gaza. Israel admitting at some sites it has been forced to fire warning shots. But the Israeli newspaper Haaretz quotes soldiers who say they were ordered to fire on unarmed crowds.

A warning this report from Jeremy Diamond contains some disturbing images.

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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cradling the body of his 13-year-old son, Mohamed Massoud cries out in agony. Ibrahim has just been struck down by Israeli gunfire, which is still crackling overhead.

Moments earlier, Mohammed and his son had arrived here in the hopes of getting flour for their family from a World Food Programme convoy. But as soon as the crowd surged toward the trucks, the World Food Programme says Israeli tanks and snipers opened fire on the crowd.

Ibrahim is one of more than a thousand Palestinians who have been killed by Israeli fire near aid sites and convoys in the last eight weeks, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Nearly every day since late May, hungry Palestinians have been killed while trying to get food for themselves and their families from one person killed on June 5 to 87 on June 17.

But Israeli gunfire has been the through line in this nightmarish game of survival. In almost every single incident, local health officials and eyewitnesses say Israeli military troops, often firing from tank mounted machine guns, open fire on the crowds.

Have mercy on us. Enough. Enough.

[01:05:00]

This man's brother was among dozens killed near a Gaza Humanitarian foundation site on June 24th. We have no food or drink and they shelled them with tanks, they sprayed them with bullets.

This month, 461 people have been killed while trying to get aid. 99 were killed on Sunday alone, the deadliest single day of aid related violence.

That day, most were killed while crowding around U.N. convoys, as they did here on Tuesday. In these eight weeks of carnage, 1,062 people have been killed trying to get aid, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. That's one out of every five people killed in Gaza during that time.

In a world where the quest for survival can turn deadly, none has been deadlier than trying to collect aid through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private American organization backed by Israel.

60 percent of all aid related killings since late May have taken place near GHF sites, according to a CNN analysis of Palestinian Health Ministry data. GHF rejected what it called false and exaggerated statistics and said there is violence around all aid efforts in Gaza.

The bullets crackling over this hunched crowd are among countless fired at Palestinians trying to make it to this GHF site in southern Gaza. Satellite imagery captured the next day. Three military vehicles can be seen parked between a crowd of people and the GHF site.

Tanks and troops have been posted near all four GHF sites that have been operational at different times since late May. It is a militarized aid distribution system that the U.N. warned would turn dead.

A CNN investigation into one of the first GHF link shootings in early June pointed to the Israeli military opening fire on crowds of Palestinians. The Israeli military denied it then. The military now regularly acknowledges that troops have opened fire on Palestinians heading to aid sites, often describing the shootings as warning shots.

But Israeli soldiers described a killing field near the GHF sites to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz last month, saying they were ordered to fire at unarmed crowds. Where I was stationed, between one and five people were killed every day, one soldier told the paper. They're treated like a hostile force. No crowd control measures, no tear gas. Just live fire with everything imaginable. Heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars.

In the wake of that firepower, Muhammad Massoud is left to mourn his son Ibrahim, remembering a boy who was always eager to help, joining his father on a hunt for flour so that he could help feed his grandmother and neighbors.

But as soon as they started moving toward the trucks, Ibrahim suddenly fell to the ground. I didn't see any blood on his body, but then he started bleeding from his mouth. I started calling his name. Ibrahim. Ibrahim. He said, take me to my mom. Take me to my mom. Please, dad, pull me out. A son's last words before the final breath that shattered his father's world. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

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VAUSE: After a third round of direct talks, Russia and Ukraine appear no closer to a cease fire deal. Negotiators met briefly on Wednesday in Istanbul, agreeing to another prisoner exchange. But beyond that, he barely spoke, as CNN's Matthew Church reports now from Moscow.

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CHANCE: Well, these were Bailey peace talks at all, lasting less than an hour, underlining just how far apart Ukraine and Russia are when it comes to ending this bit of conflict. Now, these were more like short technical talks focusing on the unpleasant but necessary logistical details of a conflict. Things like repatriating dead bodies to the families can give them a funeral or swapping prisoners of war captured by both sides on the front lines.

The head of the Ukrainian delegation said that their priority was to organize a meeting of presidents, including President Trump, as a crucial step towards peace. He also said they'd again called for a full and unconditional ceasefire.

Russia's lead negotiator said his side proposed only a short term ceasefire of 24 or 48 hours to allow medical teams to retrieve corpses from the vast and dangerous no man's land separating the Russian and Ukrainian armies.

[01:10:02]

There were other proposals too, but what we didn't see at these latest talks in Istanbul, as anticipated, was any significant movement towards an end to the conflict. Both sides are undoubtedly waiting to see if President Trump carries out his recent threat to impose sanctions on Russia and countries which buy Russian oil if there's no peace deal by early September, or if he will back down and allow the bloodshed in Ukraine to continue. Matthew Chance in Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: In the months leading up to the E.U.-China summit, many were hoping years of strained relations could be put to one side. A detente of sorts driven in part by a common economic threat looming punitive U.S. tariffs.

But all indications are the E.U. and China may be facing down Donald Trump's tariffs separately, not together. The summit was initially meant to be held in Brussels, but when Chinese President Xi Jinping canceled, the meeting was moved to Beijing and reduced from two days to one.

According to Chinese state media, Xi told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that they must demonstrate strategic vision and responsibility and stand the test of history.

Beyond trade tensions, a long list of other irritants continue to strain relations. Europe is frustrated with China's support for Russia as well as a flood of cheap Chinese goods into European markets.

Beijing has complained loudly about an increase in E.U. tariffs on Chinese made electric vehicles. Meantime, both sides are facing August deadlines for striking trade deals with the U.S. without an agreement, exports to the U.S. will automatically be subject to high tariffs.

The E.U. warns if that happens, U.S. exports to Europe could be hit with retaliatory tariffs. Beijing is hoping to extend what was a 90- day pause in Trump's trade war. And we'll meet with U.S. officials in Sweden next week for negotiations.

There's a lot going on now to Beijing. CNN's Marc Stewart. So, we've obviously had this meeting between Xi and Ursula von der Leyen. So was there agreement here? Was anything actually achieved during this high level talks?

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, a lot of diplomatic speak you could say, between this much anticipated meeting between Xi Jinping and Ursula von der Leyen. Not a surprise, as you know from spending time in this part of the world. That's very much a hallmark of Chinese diplomacy.

In fact, we are looking at some comments from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV in which Xi Jinping is quoted as telling these European leaders about making the right strategic choice and enhancing cooperation with China to inject stability into the world.

There's no question that both China and the E.U. have had some shared frustrations toward the United States, toward its approach to both trade and tariffs. But let's also make it very clear that this relationship between China and the E.U. is also one that has been very contentious. As you mentioned earlier, there has been frustration by the E.U. that

Chinese governments or the Chinese industries are flooding the European market with everything from EVs to solar panels. There has been frustration that the Chinese have not necessarily condemned Russia for its role in the Ukraine war.

And so we've seen a lot of back and forth. In fact, we noticed some coverage from Chinese state media quoted as saying that Europe really needs to, instead of focusing on rebalancing trade, really needs to recalibrate its mentality.

So, this is going to be a difficult series of conversations. You know, despite the fact that Ursula von der Leyen posted on X upon her arrival here in Beijing that she hopes for there to be a mutually beneficial cooperation in this discussion, it's very tough.

In fact, we heard from one analyst prior to the start of these discussions saying expect a very difficult moment, not a deal making moment, indicating that perhaps China will receive a hawkish approach by the E.U. as things move forward.

So these talks are underway. Obviously the whole world is watching, but in particular American diplomats because as you alluded to, John, there are another series of talks between China and the United States about their ongoing trade tensions. And perhaps the tone from this will set the tone for those conversations. John.

VAUSE: Marc, thank you. Marc Stewart live for us in Beijing. Appreciate it.

Weeks of tension between Thailand and Cambodia has erupted an exchange of live fire between troops on both countries. And just a short time ago, Thai Air force fighter jets launched strikes on a number of Cambodian military targets. Thai's military claims to Cambodia regional military headquarters with destroyed. No immediate confirmation though From Phnom Penh.

Armed clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces erupted Thursday. Civilians were injured and others were evacuated. Those clashes came a day after a Thai soldier lost a leg in a landmine explosion. Relations between the two countries are at their lowest level in years.

[01:15:00]

In a moment, The U.S. top court says the world's top polluting nations may have to pay reparations to countries harmed by climate change. More on this landmark opinion from the International Court of Justice in a moment.

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VAUSE: A landmark opinion from the UN's highest court could pave the way for reparations paid for by the world's top polluters to countries harmed by the climate change. The International Court of Justice found polluting countries may be in breach of international law if they do not protect the planet from the existential threat, in their words, posed by climate change.

[01:20:00]

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YUJI IWASAWA, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE: Unanimously, it is of the opinion that states have obligations under international human rights law to respect and ensure the effective enjoyment of human rights by taking necessary measures to protect the climate system and other parts of the environment.

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VAUSE: This is the first time the court has considered the climate crisis. And while the opinion is not legally binding, experts say it could bolster climate negotiations and boost climate lawsuits worldwide.

Sarah Mead is a co-director of the Climate Litigation Network. She is up early. She joins us now from Amsterdam. Sarah, thank you for being with us.

SARAH MEAD, CO-DIRECTOR, CLIMATE LITIGATION NETWORK: Thank you, John. It's great to be here.

VAUSE: OK, so this landmark opinion from the ICJ would never have happened if it wasn't for a determined campaign which lasted for years by law students from Vanuatu and other Pacific Islanders. So with that in mind, here's Vanuatu's Minister for Climate Change. Listen to this.

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RALPH REGENVANU, VANUATU CLIMATE CHANGE MINISTER: For the first time in history, the ICJ has spoken directly about the biggest threat facing humanity, which is climate change. And I want to note that the decision was unanimous.

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VAUSE: And right now, they have every reason to celebrate because the opinion was sweeping. The wording by the 15 judges was much stronger, went much further than many had expected from a court which is normally cautious. So from this point on, what will be the most notable impact from this opinion?

MEAD: Yes. Thank you, John. What we see here is a landmark opinion being issued by the world's highest court. And it confirms what national courts all over the world have already found, that governments have a legal duty to address the climate crisis and protect our future.

It is really good news for all of us because the majority of us want to see our governments taking stronger climate action. And it builds on AFF all over the world, including the Pacific island students, fighting climate change that you've already referred to demand that government step up to address this crisis. And what we can now expect to see is national courts, regional courts

picking this up and finding in favor of those applicants that are bringing these cases.

VAUSE: For many Pacific Island nations, where rising sea levels are a real and present danger right now, this opinion seems to also bring some hope. Listen to this.

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VISHAL PRASAD, PACIFIC ISLANDS STUDENTS FIGHTING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: I think it sends a strong message for all of us and to young people everywhere that there is still hope and there is a chance and there is a reason for us to keep fighting, because, as we said, that this advisory plan is a tool for climate justice. And boy, has the ICJ given us a strong tool to carry on the fight for climate justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So in your opinion, how much will this decision by the International Court of Justice sort of even the scales, if you like? Because in recent months, even years, there seems to be only grim news on the climate crisis, and it's being made worse by some major backsliding in the US under the Trump administration.

MEAD: Yes, that's true. And I think what's important here is, though it's only -- some people say, an advisory opinion, the Court is pronouncing on this at the request of a unanimous resolution from the General Assembly in 99 countries, including the U.S. showed up to the International Court of Justice to submit in relation to this question.

And so what we have is a very resounding and strong statement by the Court that international law requires governments to increase their ambition to be doing enough, to be doing their fair share, to address the global effort to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

And that is really important for all of us, including the states in the Pacific and those particularly vulnerable countries. They need all of us to be cooperating in order to reduce the effects of the climate crisis.

This also builds on a decade of legal momentum. So I think what we can expect to see is stronger climate litigation that goes on. Also new cases against governments and corporations. The Court is clear that governments have an obligation to regulate the private sector, including the fossil fuel sector. And that will affect, you know, a whole host of decisions by governments in relation to licensing and subsidies of fossil fuels as well.

So for vulnerable states, this is finally a clear message to governments around the world that if they want to escape liability, if they want to be complying with their international law obligations, it's simple. It's only necessary to stay start to address this climate crisis in a way that speaks to the urgency that it demands.

The courts, as you said, spoke about the unprecedented nature and scale of the climate crisis, and it spoke about the need for us to be doing more in order to protect not just our own future, but that of our children.

[01:25:02]

VAUSE: So in terms of jurisdiction or application here, does it only reply to governments on a nation by nation basis or can it apply directly to corporations? Can that big oil, can the fossil fuel industry now be impacted by this as well? Separately, anything that the governments do?

MEAD: Yes. So the international court was asked in relation to clarify the obligations of states and it is obviously applying international law which is applicable to states. Nevertheless, the court was very clear that in order to discharge their obligations, they states have or countries have obligations to regulate the private sector.

That in turn means that in terms of litigation against corporations, the position of litigants is much stronger. So even if it cannot be held -- if it cannot be applied directly, this will immediately influence how national courts and policymakers at the national level react in relation to the private sector.

VAUSE: The big question still is the U.S. how it will react because it often doesn't follow along with the International Court of Justice. But still, as you say, Sarah, this is a good day. This is a big legal win. And let's hope that you know from here there is only positive news. Sarah, thanks so much for being with us.

MEAD: Yeah, thank you.

VAUSE: Welcome. Still to come here on CNN, Donald Trump reveals his plans for U.S. AI global dominance. For the most part, it comes down to do nothing much to the delight of Silicon Valley and the megaworld.

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[01:31:43]

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TRUMP: First, my administration will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the United States can build and maintain the largest most powerful and most advanced AI infrastructure anywhere on the planet. The second pillar of our action plan for AI dominance is to get the entire world running on the backbone of American technology. And I think that's very much happening right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: U.S. President Donald Trump has revealed his plans for U.S. dominance of AI mostly involves rolling back regulations and eliminating what he calls political bias in large -- language models. How bias will be defined remains TBA. More details now from CNN Tech Reporter Clare Duffy. CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: This plan is 23 pages of 90 plus policy recommendations that I think on the whole Silicon Valley is going to be very happy about. Of course, a number of big tech companies provided advice and recommendations for the formulation of this plan. The plan breaks down into three key pillars, all centered around this core goal of making the United States the dominant leader in the artificial intelligence space.

And let me just walk you through these three pillars. The first is accelerating AI innovation by removing what the White House calls bureaucratic red tape that is affecting these tech companies. The second is investing in AI infrastructure, think data centers and power facilities. Of course, we've heard the president talk about those goals before in recent weeks. And finally, they want to make American technology the global standard.

So President Trump would like to see ally countries building new innovations on top of American hardware and software. Now, there's been this debate in the industry among the policymakers in Washington about just how much policymakers should be balancing AI safety versus AI growth. And I think what you're seeing with this plan is the White House really come down on the side of growth. There are now some civil society groups that are expressing concern that the Trump administration has been too deferential to the industry with this plan but President Trump defended this plan in a statement on Wednesday night during this event promoting the AI action plan. He called the AI industry, and I'm quoting here, "a beautiful baby" and said, we have to grow that baby, we can't stop it with politics, we can't stop it with foolish rules.

So Trump, they're really defending this idea of making American AI companies even more powerful in service of hopefully having the United States lead in this industry as we go into the era. Back to you.

VAUSE: Russell Wald is the executive director of the Stanford Institute for Human Centered AI and a recognized world leader in AI governance and policy. Thank you for being with us.

RUSSELL WALD, EXEC. DIRECTOR, STANFORD INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN-CENTERED AI: Thanks, John.

VAUSE: So the key to Donald Trump's plan for the U.S. to dominate AI seems to come down to this, the baby quote, here it is.

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TRUMP: We're going to make this industry absolutely the top because right now it's a beautiful baby that's born. We have to grow that baby and let that baby thrive. We can't stop it. We can't stop it with politics. We can't stop it with foolish rules and even stupid rules.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So it seems the baby will have no regulations, no safeguards, no oversight, no red tape. What could possibly go wrong?

[01:35:04]

WALD: Well, what I would say is one of the key parts to this is a removal of barriers and I think that's how they see it. But one important part to recognize is they also call for an open source community. And through an open source community that actually makes things, puts things more in the open. The U.S. currently works on a very proprietary based model way of doing this and having an open source community could incentivize transparency. And transparency is a positive thing in the AI community that is desperately needed.

So I wouldn't say it's completely no regulation, I would say it's more market based incentives towards safety.

VAUSE: So then is it possible to develop AI in an ethical, moral and responsible way in a market based system, you know, without guidelines and regulations?

WALD: Well, this whole product is essentially a guide towards that. And there are some actual things in this guide that says, for example, related towards high risk areas, for example, that affect national security, chemical, biological, nuclear weapons, things safety provisions in there on this. Can you build ethical AI? You certainly can build ethical AI if you don't allow just a few companies at the top having it, but instead bring in a wider ecosystem that includes start-ups, academic communities like the one I work in. So you actually can, in some degree, crowdsource this and understand better pathways towards it.

VAUSE: President Trump also explained why he believes U.S. dominance of AI is so crucial. Here he is again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: America is the country that started the AI air race. And as president of the United States, I'm here today to declare that America is going to win it. Because we will not allow any foreign nation to beat us. Our children will not live on a planet controlled by the algorithms of the adversaries, advancing values and interests contrary to our own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So we'll put TikTok to one side for a moment. I'm wondering, is it appropriate to think about AI in terms of a race like the space race during the Cold War and the first one to the moon wins. Is there actually a final destination for AI and is it winner take all?

WALD: I wouldn't say it's winner take all, but it's clearly there is a race that is happening right now. We see that just demonstrated in the data. We do see that the two frontier AI leading countries are the U.S. and China. And while the U.S. enjoys at this moment a lead when it comes to model performance, China is rapidly catching up. And to that end the question is is when with, in this frontier environment, with -- through an open source community, you're going to have the technology to fuse down and through that you're going to be able to see the rest of the world adopt the technology from the frontier, most likely the U.S. and China.

And so the question is, from a U.S. perspective, who should be building that? And the administration clearly says that they -- the U.S. should be building it.

VAUSE: One of the executive orders signed a few hours ago by the president requires any artificial intelligence company receiving federal funding to maintain politically neutral AI models free of ideological dogmas such as DEI, diversity, equity, inclusion. Who gets to decide what is politically biased here and how could that be abused should an administration choose to do so?

WALD: Well, that's really one interesting thing that we see here in some of these models ourselves. And some of the studies we've done at the Stanford Institute for Human Centered Artificial Intelligence notes that there is actually a bias on the outputs. And the bias actually does lean much more towards a preference towards liberal perspectives. And so this is data and research that we see. So what you do have is a conservatives that are voices that are left out.

And so how do you ensure that you have a wider spectrum of voices in this? So while DEI may be seen as a pejorative in some spaces, it's important to ensure that you have all different types of voices that go beyond just gender and race inclusion, but also diversity of thought. So it is important to understand that we want all voices at the table so you have the most diverse type of AI possible that meets people where they're at.

VAUSE: It is still early days for AI, but yes, this is -- it's going to be the dominant factor just in all of our lives, in every sector moving forward. It's incredible to think about all this, Russell. So thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate it.

WALD: Thank you.

VAUSE: Well, the convicted murderer Brian Kohberger will spend the rest of his life in jail without the possibility of parole. He was sentenced Wednesday for killing four college students in Idaho in 2022. CNN's Veronica Miracle has our report.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to go to hell.

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Friends and family members giving emotional and sometimes heated victim impact statements in court.

[01:40:04]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I will call you what you are, sociopath, psychopath, murderer.

MIRACLE (voice-over): At times expressing raw emotion.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want the truth? Here's the one you'll hate the most. If you hadn't attacked them in their sleep in the middle of the night like a pedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your (BLEEP) ass.

MIRACLE (voice-over): The families of the 4 University of Idaho students, Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle, all who were stabbed to death in their off campus home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Xana's story doesn't end with what was taken from her.

Kaylee's father, in a dramatic moment, moving the podium to look directly at his daughter's killer, who the family says stabbed her more than 30 times.

STEVE GONCALVES, KAYLEE GONCALVES' FATHER: Today we are here to finish what you started.

MIRACLE (voice-over): Bryan Kohberger, who confessed to the killings, sat quietly without expression, dressed in a prison jumpsuit while they spoke. When asked if he had a statement, he uttered only three words.

BRYAN KOHBERGER, SUSECT IN KILLING OF DAHO STUDENTS: I respectfully decline.

MIRACLE (voice-over): Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and one count of burglary in a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. Today he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for each of the four murder charges.

JUDGE STEVEN HIPPIER, IDAHO FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT: He is forever removed from civilized society.

MIRACLE (voice-over): The judge spoke passionately about what the families of the victims have endured.

HIPPIER: Even if we could get truthful insight into his why, I suspect it would not in any way quench one's thirst for actually understanding why. No conceivable reason could make any sense.

MIRACLE (voice-over): The two surviving roommates, victims themselves spoke about their enduring trauma.

DYLAN MORTENSEN, SURVIVING ROOMMATE: I had to sleep in my mom's bed because I was too terrified to close my eyes. Terrified that if I blinked, someone might be there. Then there are the panic attacks, I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't stop shaking.

MIRACLE (voice-over): For some families, the proceedings were a chance to get some semblance of closure. The final end to a brutal legal saga.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MIRACLE (on camera): Newly released documents by the Moscow Police Department paint a new picture about Kohberger's personality that we haven't seen before, including details from a co-worker who called him intelligent but selfish. And a woman that he was chatting with on Tinder who said she was so disturbed she cut off communication after he asked her what she thought were the worst ways to die. Now that this case has concluded, we expect in the coming weeks and months for more information and documents to be unsealed.

Veronica Miracle, CNN, Boise, Idaho.

VAUSE: The Macrons it seems to have had enough. On Wednesday, the French president and first lady filed a lawsuit in the U.S. of Delaware against a right wing American podcaster who for more than a year has claimed without proof that Brigitte Macron was once a man. Candace Owens is being sued for defamation and substantial economic damages for what the Macrons call a false claim to make money and they're asking the court for unspecified punitive damages. Owens is a well-known right wing conspiracy theorist as well and says this could be the biggest scandal in political history and responded to the lawsuit with a video on YouTube saying it is an obvious and desperate public relations strategy. CNN has reached out to Owens for further comment.

[01:43:34]

Next on CNN newsroom, a quiet crisis, the ever disappearing sounds of nature.

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VAUSE: Call it a quiet crisis, from the sounds of birds to chirping of insects, nature is falling silent. Today on "Call to Earth," we head to Columbia, where one conservationist is working to preserve nature's soundtrack.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Foreign language).

JUAN PABLO CULASSO, NATURE SOUND RECORDIST: When I enter to the forest, I try to walk slowly, breathe calmly, try to really connect what -- with that sound.

My name is Juan Paulo Culasso and I would like to invite you to observe the nature through your ears.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Juan Pablo has never seen a bird in his life, but the Uruguayan birder doesn't need sight to identify more than 700 bird species. His perfect pitch hearing does all the work instead.

CULASSO: Most people believe that only sighted persons can really enjoy nature. But from a blind perspective, I have other four senses to really enjoy what's around me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Blind since birth, Juan Pablo discovered his passion for nature at 16, when he was gifted his first audio recorder.

[01:50:01] CULASSO: I pressed the rec button and listened. That sound through headphones was so amazing for me, changed my life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): He's since memorized 3,000 bird calls and has traveled the world from Africa to Antarctica, capturing the diverse soundscapes of our ecosystems.

CULASSO: I use my material for many purposes, including science and conservation. Soundscapes are used in science to tell you how healthy is an ecosystem. For example, the most amazing indicator for that are birds. If you can record two or three species that really needs that ecosystem to survive, you can say that that ecosystem is really healthy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Over his 20 year career, he's noticed certain sounds are disappearing because of human activity and climate change. Which is why he's on a mission to preserve nature's auditory heritage through repositories like Cornell University's Macaulay Library, where his work can be used for educational research purposes like tracking ecosystem conditions.

For Juan Pablo, these recordings are also a bridge to inclusion.

CULASSO: It's a privilege to be there in a forest like this and touch the plants and touch the flowers and touch the trees. Here in La Elucion (ph) Natural Reserve, we are doing a lot of beautiful jobs regarding adapting trails, making 3D models of the birds, working with sounds. We are working with braille.

Here in the visitor center, there are some animals here. Our eyes are in our fingers. We need touch. We need really more of that experience around the world. So there are a lot of work to do. I'm so proud to be here, record soundscapes and show to the world the importance of conservation through sounds.

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VAUSE: Let us know what you're doing to answer the call with hashtag Call to Earth. Hashtag Call to Earth. We'll be right back.

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VAUSE: Welcome back. Well, for those who just can't get enough of the Titanic and you know who you are, a Spanish company is offering a new immersive experience. A two hour long journey with a fictional family begins with the ship's construction until it sank in April 1912. The company's CEO says the best part of the exhibit is the metaverse walk- through of the ship's interiors.

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JELLE DE JONG, CEO, MADRID ARTES DIGITALES: The biggest highlight of this exhibition is the metaverse experience where we do a 10 minute free roaming VR glasses walk-through where we start in a submarine, we find the shipwreck underneath the sea and from there we travel back in time and then go to the suite, the first class suite of Isidor Straus. We see the engine room, we see the Marconi Room where the SOS was send and of course we're standing on a beautiful sunset on the deck together with Captain Smith.

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VAUSE: Artifacts from Titanic survivors will also be on display. And from Madrid, the Legend of the Titanic exhibit opens in London on Friday.

[01:55:06]

Uganda has seen a rise in obesity among women in recent years. Now some elderly women are reclaiming their health with a new program where they can stay fit while also having some fun. Here's CNN's Larry Madowu.

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LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Women in Kivubuka, Uganda are having a field day with fitness by stretching, running and playing a form of crickets. This elderly community fitness group aims to reduce non communicable diseases or NCDs, such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes which can become more common with age. The workouts are practical, tailored towards movements used in daily life.

JANE ANONYAALABA, FITNESS GROUP PARTICIPANT (through translator): When I first started these exercises, I lost some weight. I no longer feel a lot of body pains. I walk properly, dig and do all my house chores without any help.

MADOWO (voice-over): At 70 years old, Jane Anonyaalaba says that the group fitness has reduced her pain and improved her mobility.

ANONYAALABA (through translator): My legs used to hurt a lot. I had chest pain. I could not move my hands like this and even during sleep I could not move my hands.

MADOWO (voice-over): Obesity rates have risen in Uganda over the past 25 years, although they're lower than the average across Africa. At the same time, the country has seen a rise in deaths from NCDs.

DANIEL TUMWAGALA, PHARMACIST: As people age, usually they tend to gain weight because of those diseases. One of the ways to reduce on that weight burden is physical exercise.

MADOWO (voice-over): AS A low cost approach to healthy aging, fitness clubs such as Kivubukas may be a model for groups across Africa, fostering both movement and community.

LArry Madowo, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Eat less, move more. Thank you for watching. I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Lynda Kinkade somewhere after a short break. See you next week or no, tomorrow.

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