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Tens of Thousands Living in Flood-Ravaged Nepal In Need of Aid; After 30 Years, Keffe D. Guilty in Tupac Shakur's Murder. Aired 3- 3:45a ET

Aired September 01, 2026 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Live in New York and ahead this hour of CNN Newsroom.

As the death toll continues climbing after catastrophic floods, more than 4000 remain missing with weather conditions on the ground expected to worsen.

And President Trump saying that the latest U.S. strikes against Iran will be limited while Iran's President claims he wants talks to continue.

And Dwayne Davis becoming the first and only person to be charged in the murder of Tupac Shakur. An update from the courtroom on the way.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from New York, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: We do want to begin this hour with the mounting death toll in Nepal and China following last week's devastating floods. Authorities in Nepal now estimating that at least 987 people have been killed and that more than 3900 are still unaccounted for. And a sharp contrast in China where state media says that at least 16 people have died and just over 540 people there are still missing.

And while updates on the numbers of those rescued or confirmed that have been frequently released on the Nepal side, information has moved much more slower coming out of China prompting questions about transparency. Beijing has defended its release of information from its remote disaster area as open and timely.

And those who survived are still trying to process just how much was destroyed by the floodwaters. Many have had their entire homes and livelihoods swept away. And an assessment by the United Nations is now suggesting that tens of thousands of people in Nepal currently require emergency aid.

As search efforts expand, police announcing that 24 bodies were recovered from a house in one of Nepal's hardest hit regions. According to local officials, morgues and hospitals are now running out of space to store the dead. And that's forcing some areas to begin digging mass graves for the unclaimed victims. And urgent international rescue efforts are underway to reach buried hydropower tunnels in Nepal.

About 900 workers are believed to be trapped inside. CNN's Anderson Cooper visited some of the ongoing operations and brings us an update on the progress.

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ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): We've seen remarkable rescues of workers stuck in sludge-filled tunnels. But six days after the flood, hundreds may still be trapped. Hope is getting harder to hold on to.

In Syafrubassi today, we came across an Indian Army colonel leading his specialized troops in rescue operations in two nearby tunnels with Nepali forces.

COL. PARIKSHIT MEHRA, INDIAN ARMY: We hope that we find somebody alive, otherwise we should be able to at least recover the remains of those people.

COOPER: And did you have any communication from them?

MEHRA: We tried to communicate, voice communication, so we couldn't because there were a lot of debris in the tunnel, in the small tube, and so we couldn't make any visual communication. But we tried to shout and things like that, but nothing. People who are stuck tend to panic much more than when they're outside in the open and at least they can breathe fresh air.

Getting stuck in a tunnel, you can't see anything, generally if you stay in the dark you get disoriented about 24-25 hours.

COOPER: That fast?

MEHRA: Yes, so 24-25 hours in the dark you tend to, normal average untrained human being would start losing balance, you know, because you lose orientation. So that happens and then beyond that, say anything, 48 hours, you start hallucinating.

And then, I think from there on, it's always a fight, so I think the first 48 hours is the most crucial. But there have been miracles and we're expecting miracles everywhere.

And the Nepal government is doing a fantastic job wherein they're sending teams to all parts. The Nepalese army is just everywhere.

COOPER (voice-over): Further down river, at the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant, we find another rescue operation.

UNKNOWN: Multi-forces here, from APF, Nepal police, Nepalese army and special force, and even the sleeper dogs here. So, you can see here, this is a cable tunnel, so 170 meters inside, there is a powerhouse. So, I think there are about 45-50 people inside the powerhouse. [03:05:03]

COOPER: That many? 45-50?

UNKNOWN: Yes, because they are the working team inside the powerhouse.

COOPER: And they were here when the flood came?

UNKNOWN: When the flood hit this area, they were inside, right? So, we are trying now to excavate all this along the way. And you can see the guys, they are drilling there.

COOPER: Do you have any sign that they're alive?

You know, earlier we tried a vertical drilling there, so that there might be some presence of oxygen, so that we can send some oxygen there. I hope, I don't know, I hope they are --

COOPER: But you haven't had signs of life?

UNKNOWN: We have nothing yet.

COOPER: So, this was completely submerged, this tunnel was completely --

UNKNOWN: See, you can see this. It's about 10-15 meters deep. All the debris there, just on top of the tunnel.

So, Trishuli was there, and it was all the splashes. It came down rolling to the downstream, you know. So, it just buried all the whole dam piece.

COOPER (voice-over): Anderson Cooper, CNN, Nepal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And we'll continue our coverage of those ongoing search and rescue operations a little later in this hour.

President Donald Trump says that U.S. action in Iran will be, quote, "very limited" after tensions flared over the weekend, and that's when the U.S. and Iran traded attacks for the first time in more than a month.

When asked by a reporter on Monday, President Trump says that he would rule out using a nuclear weapon on Iran since the country is, quote, "defeated militarily." The President also dismissed concerns that the war has depleted much of the U.S.'s munitions stockpile. More from the President.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Number one, we have nothing else in mind. Number two, we're very respected. Nobody else would be crazy enough to do it. Number three, we have so much ammunition and munitions, as they like

to call it, all over the world that we can always take from if we want.

And this is a relatively little war for us. This is not a big war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Well, remember that war has already cost American lives. Iran's President says that Tehran is still pursuing a path toward an agreement with the U.S., saying continuing the war benefits no one.

Masoud Pezeskian's comments, reported by state media, came on Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Kyrgyzstan, where he's currently meeting with leaders, including Pakistan's prime minister.

More now from CNN's Paula Hancocks, who joins me live. So, Paula, what else are you hearing about these latest developments?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Polo, what we're hearing from the U.S. President at this point is that any future actions that could be taking place in Iran could be, quote, "very limited." He has also been telling reporters that Iran is in a very dire position when it comes to the economics, talking about 350 percent inflation, no currency, not paying soldiers, these are his words, but also says at the same time that he could still, quote, "smack them if necessary."

So at the same time as we're hearing the U.S. President saying the economic pressure, the efforts to isolate Iran economically is the path he is choosing, he is also saying that there will potentially be more attacks in the future.

Now, there was an attack by U.S. Central Command on Sunday overnight, against two missile launchers on Larak Island, just off the coast of Bandar Abbas. This was because the U.S. believed Iran was trying to place more mines inside the Strait of Hormuz, which the U.S. Navy claims that they have cleared of sea mines at this point. And then we saw an Iranian retaliation against Jordan and also the UAE.

So at this point, there hasn't been a response that the U.S. President said there would be. He told Fox News there will be a response. We will hit them hard after that retaliation against U.S. bases here in the region.

But we do see that the U.S. President has been favoring the economic pressure, the economic D-Day, as the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has called it. We're still waiting for more details as to exactly what that will look like.

We have heard from the Trump administration that it will be focusing on other entities, individuals, exchange houses that are helping Iran to fund its military. And that is what they will be focusing on.

Now, we also did hear from the Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, sounding a fairly conciliatory tone, as we have heard from the Iranian President before, saying that we continue to pursue a path towards agreement and understanding. He also said that we believe continuing the war benefits neither us nor the region nor humanity.

[03:10:09]

It is worth pointing out that the Revolutionary Guard, which is believed to be far more in control than the President is, is far more hardline and we're not hearing any kind of discussions about negotiations from them. In fact, the Trump administration has admitted that there are no negotiations with Iran at this point. And in the Strait of Hormuz, we did also see in the last day that another tanker has been targeted.

The U.K. MTO, the Maritime Agency, says that just off the coast of Oman, it was struck by three unknown projectiles. No casualties, no environmental damage, but a reminder of just how tenuous the situation is. Polo?

SANDOVAL: Very much so. CNN's Paula Hancocks, as always, thank you so much for that reporting.

And you heard Paula mention some of those hardline elements within Inside Iran. Let's see if we can just dive a little deeper on that and much more.

Joining me is Negah Angha, visiting fellow with King's College London. She was also a former senior advisor at the U.S. State Department and National Security Council. It is always great to see you, Negah, thank you so much for joining us again.

NEGAH ANGHA, VISITING FELLOW, KING'S COLLEGE LONDON, AND FORMER SENIOR ADVISER, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT, AND NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: Good morning. Thanks for having me back.

SANDOVAL: Good morning to you.

Negah, you previously told us that this recent exchange that we just saw over the weekend, exchange in strikes, that it demonstrates both the strength and the fragility of the current equilibrium. In your view, does it seem that these constant outbursts and strikes that we've seen, usually fairly short-lived, do they move the needle at all in this conflict?

ANGHA: I think what unfortunately we've been in is this constant escalation cycle, an escalation and de-escalation cycle. I think both sides are essentially playing with the same set of tactics.

You know, not necessarily achieving much success. I think both sides think calibrated violence can improve their bargaining position at the negotiating table.

But it seems like the tactics continue to remain the same, right? When we think about the recent attacks on Larak Island, you know, the attack itself, the strike itself was not so much as important.

As sort of what that strike actually entailed. You know, we have to think about the geography. Because the battle isn't over necessarily this island, it's over who has access to the Strait of Hormuz.

And we continuously get into where we are right now in this cycle of this conflict. It's an entire discussion over who has access over it. You know, Washington wanting to make sure that there is full access.

Tehran essentially wanting to ensure that they continue to have a say over which ships pass through that waterway. And that's kind of where the cycle is stuck in. And we're going to continue to see sort of this cycle of escalation and de-escalation just focused on the waterway.

SANDOVAL: And with Iran suffering economically, certainly with its people feeling the brunt of that, do you think that Iran risks losing any possible advantage that it may have over the U.S. when it comes to sort of a long-term period versus a short-term where they obviously have clearly an advantage with the politics in play in the United States ahead of the midterms?

ANGHA: You know, that is a very important question.

I think, you know, obviously Treasury Secretary Bessent yesterday was talking about how Iran is losing economically right now. And, you know, you have this sort of adjoining military response. But I think the reality is Iran is able to survive over the next several months, at least through the remainder of this year.

Of course they're going to be economically impacted, but they have been able to operate in this sort of economic constraint over the last 40 years. So they learned how to operate in this case.

The other component that we need to pay attention to is also where Russia and China come down in relation to Iran. I think so far the Chinese have rejected this idea of sanctions policy against Iran, and Russia hasn't necessarily shown any strong support of the United States' actions.

And I think until we see a change with Russia and China, I think we're going to continue to be in this cycle, and Iran will find ways of essentially surviving for a few more months.

[03:15:10]

SANDOVAL: I can't thank you enough, Negah Angha, as always for your perspective and your analysis as we've now passed the six-month mark of this ongoing conflict with no end in sight. Thank you so much.

ANGHA: Indeed, thanks for having me.

SANDOVAL: Now to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who says that Russian strikes on Kyiv have killed at least 12 people. Three children are among the more than a dozen people wounded in the attack, and Russia's defense ministry says that it used, quote, "precision- guided weapons and long-range strike drones" against what it claimed were military and energy targets.

Despite Moscow's claims, its relentless airstrikes and evolving weapons technology are putting Ukrainian civilians at very high risk every day. Ukraine's government is now racing to develop interceptors to counter a new generation of Russian jet-powered drones, which have been used to strike warehouses, gas stations, postal facilities, and other civilian targets.

The Russian President met with ally Xi Jinping on Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit that we mentioned earlier. During the talks in Bishkek, Vladimir Putin and the Chinese leader discussed the war in Ukraine, but did not let it dominate their meeting, and that's according to the Kremlin. They also agreed to deepen their countries' ties.

During the summit, India's prime minister also spoke with President Putin about Ukraine. Narendra Modi said that India supports any end to the war, calling that extremely important for all of humanity. But keep in mind that India remains one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil, which helps the Kremlin fund its war effort.

And now to somewhat of a lighter moment involving those three leaders that we just mentioned. Prime Minister Modi shaking hands with President Putin and Xi at the same time before they all took their positions for the summit's so-called family photo. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a security bloc, and now has 10 permanent members.

And there's much more to come here on "CNN Newsroom." We're including an update on the search and rescue efforts following the deadly flash flooding into Grand Canyon over the weekend.

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back.

A Las Vegas jury has found Duane Davis guilty of first-degree murder in the death of rapper Tupac Shakur. It took the jury just three hours to come to that decision after weeks of testimony in the 30-year-old case. Davis is the only person ever charged in Tupac's death.

The rapper died after a fatal shooting near the Las Vegas Strip back in 1996. That's Tupac's family there in the courtroom. Davis is being held without bond until his sentencing, which is scheduled for October 13th.

He faces up to life in prison and has already said that he'll be appealing his conviction.

Earlier I did speak with attorney and legal affairs commentator Areva Martin about this trial. Here's what she had to say about the importance of the verdict for Tupac Shakur's legacy.

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AREVA MARTIN, ATTORNEY AND LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: He was a cultural icon even before he died. After his death, he became even more important to the rap culture, to hip-hop culture, and some would say to the social justice culture. So finding ourselves 30 years later with a conviction for money is justice that they've been waiting for these three decades.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDDVAL: And two people are dead and at least one person still unaccounted for after a flash flooding ripped through the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Saturday. The National Park Service says that search and rescue efforts are still underway with one person that's still missing, and that's based on park permit records. But officials do caution that other visitors may have been in the area without knowledge of park officials.

And one of those killed has been identified by his family as this man, 53-year-old John Joste of Texas. He's a chiropractor who was camping and fishing in the canyon with two friends before the floods.

Nearly all footbridges and many of the trails in the affected area were destroyed by the flooding and debris flow, and that's significantly limiting access for emergency responders. Heavy rain and the threat of even more flash flooding complicated search efforts on Monday, but conditions are expected to improve overnight with those blue skies certainly a welcome sight.

And there's so much more to come here on "CNN Newsroom" at this hour, including a closer look at the international efforts to deliver aid to some of the hardest hit flood zones along the Nepal-China border. Stay with us.

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[03:25:00]

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SANDOVAL: And welcome back, I'm Polo Sandoval. Let's take a look at today's top stories.

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll stepping down from his post. Sources say the nation to President Trump, and this after months of friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a White House spokesperson said Driscoll has provided, quote, outstanding leadership during historic military operations. His departure comes six months into the war with Iran.

The first person to be charged in the death of rapper Tupac Shakur has been found guilty of first degree murder. Duane Davis is orchestrating Tupac's killing 30 years ago in Las Vegas, his sentencing now set for October 13th. Davis says he plans to appeal that verdict.

And international communities are offering disaster relief aid after floodwaters ravaged parts of Nepal and China, at least the border there last week. The United Nations estimating 65,000 people in Nepal alone require emergency water, sanitation, and hygiene support. [03:30:01]

A spokesperson also says that reunifying children who have been separated from their parents and guardians because of this tragedy is now an urgent priority.

Let's discuss more of this ongoing efforts to bring help to those affected. I want to speak to Sudarshan Neupane, he is the country director for WaterAid in Nepal. He joins us live from Kathmandu.

Sudarshan, thank you so much for taking the time.

SUDARSHAN NEUPANE, COUNTRY DIRECTOR, WATERAID NEPAL: (inaudible), pleasure to be talking to you.

SANDOVAL: And I'm so sorry that it's under these circumstances, but grateful nonetheless because you grew up in the foothills of the Himalayas, not far from one of the hardest hit regions. So this is personal for you. I'm just curious, Sudarshan, how have you been able to cope with seeing a place that you hold dear now virtually unrecognizable?

NEUPANE: Well, we have seen a lot of different types of disasters in Nepal. This one in particular caught me deep.

And as you said, it hit me very differently as the places I would go such as Betrawadi, which is only a couple of kilometers away from the village called Betini, where I grew up. And I have been in touch with my immediate family members.

One of my brothers live in that village still and the rest of the other extended family members who are still missing some members of their family in different places. It's not in one particular location, but they might have gone for either work or study or for other trade and tourism purposes. So it's really heartbreaking and personally so since I come from that area.

SANDOVAL: Of course, communities along the river's edge always live under the constant threat of flash flooding. But in growing up there, Sudarshan, was a tragedy of this magnitude ever something that people could have ever imagined was even possible?

NEUPANE: Well, I don't think people would have ever thought a disaster of this magnitude and intensity was going to hit us at any moment in time. That being said, Nepal being vulnerable to different sort of climate disasters, definitely one or the other type of disasters, be it earthquake or flood or different kind of landslides occurring, those were recurring phenomenon.

But disaster of this intensity where the entire villages could get swept away like it did was beyond anyone's comprehension, I suppose.

SANDOVAL: I want to pivot now to how you're taking action through your charity, working to get water for drinking and personal hygiene back to the affected regions. Tell me about how that's going and also some of the unique challenges given that some of the infrastructure was quite literally either wiped away or buried under thick mud.

NEUPANE: Well, it has been quite challenging. And this disaster in particular is quite complex in the sense that it's quite impossible to get to some of the villages still. And despite search and rescue efforts still being put in place, government is doing an amazing job but it is increasingly challenging given the devastation that has happened.

Like you said, the destruction it has caused in terms of the pipeline networks, the safe water supply and the sanitation side, as well as the concerns with the dead bodies and the animals that decayed and it is massive. So it's quite difficult to put it in figures as of now.

But I'm happy to report back that our team is going to be on the ground and we'll be conducting some sort of assessment in terms of the exact losses and how organizations like us can actually help in the relief and reconstruction work going forward.

SANDOVAL: That is some great news to hear, hopefully bringing you even closer to providing help.

I want to close with a very powerful right that you had in "The Independent" in which you write, "the response cannot end with recovery alone. Longer-term investments in resilience and preparedness are essential."

You write that "The climate crisis is a water crisis at its core. Ultimately, this is a wake-up call to the world." Sudarshan, can you perhaps close on expanding in that warning that you're issuing in that right?

[03:35:05]

NEUPANE: Of course, water crisis is a global crisis and WaterAid is a global organization. We have been fighting on that front and for a country like Nepal or communities that are very vulnerable to different type of climate disasters, we are having to pay huge price for the disaster that we contribute the least, if any.

And so, it is quite unequal and unfair on the country like Nepal and the communities that are hard-hit by different type of disasters like this one. And so, definitely, there is going to be a massive investment required in the form of grant and assistance for the longer-term reconstruction and rehabilitation so that the communities can not only build back better, but also ensure resilience going forward and their rights would be safeguarded so that they can enjoy living in a peaceful world.

SANDOVAL: Clean water, the lifeblood of recovery efforts and it will be a very long road to recovery.

Sudarshan Neupane, thank you and the rest of the folks at WaterAid for what you do. And we continue to think about you and the rest of those communities that are deeply impacted.

NEUPANE: Thank you, I deeply appreciate this opportunity. Thank you for giving us the platform to voice our opinion and look forward to staying in touch with you.

SANDOVAL: Please come back anytime. Thank you.

And still a lot more ahead here on "CNN Newsroom" including -- actually, we're going to give you a quick wrap-up of some of your business headlines in a moment. Don't go anywhere. You're watching "CNN Newsroom."

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[03:40:00]

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SANDOVAL: All right, time for your business breakout and these are your business headlines.

Shares in the fast fashion retailer Shein fell 8 percent in their first day of trading in Hong Kong. The Singapore-based company is now valued at about $25 billion, that's a significant drop from its 2022 peak of nearly $100 billion. Investors are worrying that Shein's competitive advantages have been eroded amid trade war frictions with the U.S. and Europe.

U.S. President Donald Trump says that he has signed a new pricing agreement with nine pharmaceutical companies, the President says that the companies offer drugs to state Medicaid programs at lower prices comparable to those paid in other developed nations, he calls it a tremendous discount. U.S. patients currently pay the most for prescription medications, often nearly three times more than other developed nations.

President Trump also appeared to play coy about Venezuela after striking a massive deal to control 65 billion barrels of the country's oil reserves. When asked whether Venezuela should leave OPEC, the world's most powerful oil alliance, he said, "I don't know, that's up to them." Such a move would deal another blow to OPEC, which has already been weakened by the war with Iran.

With that, thank you so much for watching, I'm Polo Sandoval. "World Sport" is next. I'll join you again at the top of the next hour with more of your headlines here on "CNN Newsroom."

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