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Former Italian Prime Minister's Funeral Set For Wednesday; BTS Fans Celebrate K-Pop Band's 10th Anniversary; Ukrainian Officials: Three Dead, 25 Injured After Overnight Russian Missile Attacks On Kryvyi Rih; Trump Back In Florida Ahead Of Tuesday's Historic Court Appearance In Classified Document's Case; Trump Lashes Out After Indictment On 37 Counts. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 13, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:36]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM. Overnight strikes in Ukraine. A massive missile attack by Russia kills at least three and wounds dozens more.

Donald Trump is set to appear in a Florida courtroom in the coming hours to be arraigned on federal criminal charges. We will break down how it will all play out and the legal and political ramifications of this historic day.

Plus, Italy prepares for a state funeral for former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a man who revolutionized television and up ended politics.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Well, we begin in Ukraine where officials say Russia carried out high precision strikes on civilian targets overnight. At least three people were killed and 25 injured after a massive missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih. Officials say the missiles hit a multi-storey apartment building and other civilian infrastructure. More on that in just a moment.

Meanwhile, there are reports of intense fighting along the border of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine is reporting more gains on the ground. A top defense official says they have captured seven villages in the past week. And CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more now from Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Ukrainian military video purporting to show strikes on Russian positions behind the front lines, as Kyiv says its forces have dramatically ramped up their offensive operations, taking several villages over the weekend in the southeast of the country. This drone video that Ukrainian say showing their troops sweeping a settlement and taking several prisoners.

The same unit displaying Ukraine's flag after the battle.

They try to push us back with their artillery, the soldier says. We managed to seize back the initiative and slowly liberated the settlement one house after another.

Well, Ukraine says it's attacking the Russians in several areas of the vast front line. Kyiv remains coy about whether the long anticipated large-scale offensive has really begun.

The head of Ukrainian military intelligence releasing this video of himself just sitting at his desk with a message, plans love silence. But the Russian say they're holding the line in most areas. This defense ministry video allegedly showing a Russian chopper destroying Ukrainian Reconnaissance Vehicles. In total, the Russians say they've already destroyed a large number of Western-provided armor including German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks and U.S.-donated Bradley Infantry fighting vehicles.

But as Russia's defense minister Sergei Shoigu, hands out metals to Russian soldiers, the infighting between Russia's military and the Wagner private military company continues.

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin refusing to abide by a defense ministry decree to sign a contract with the Russian army saying he's mercenaries are more efficient than regular troops.

Unfortunately, most military units do not have such efficiency, he says and precisely because Shoigu cannot manage military formations well.

Balancing the rival factions in his war machine a tall task for Vladimir Putin as the country celebrated Russia Day. Putin urging people to keep supporting his war in Ukraine, while calling it a difficult time for his country.

Russia is based on faith and people, he said. People who go from victory to victory basing their lives and all their work on faith. Faith in victory, faith in justice, faith in Russia.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Zaporizhzhia Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And Clare Sebastian joins me now live from London. Good morning to you, Clare. So what more are you learning about these attacks on civilian targets overnight?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is what the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region is calling a massive missile attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih which I think we can pull up the map and show you is sort of in the southern central part of Ukraine.

[02:05:05]

Relatively close so that Ukraine is a huge country to those frontlines where you're seeing intense fighting at the moment. But this, you can see from the images that are emerging was a pretty serious attack. They are saying that a five-storey building was hit. Three people now reported dead, 25 injured of which 90 have been hospitalized. Another four people were injured and another location.

They're talking about a warehouse, an automobile company, also being hit. Rescue efforts clearly very much still ongoing in that city. This is also by the way, President Zelenskyy's hometown and he has already come out with a statement saying Russian killers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people. Now overall, the Ukrainian Air Force is talking about a sort of broader missile attack, including 14 cruise missiles of which they destroyed 10.

Four Shahed attack drones of which they destroyed one. Apparently, according to city officials in the capital of Kyiv, all of the missiles that were launched at the Capitol were destroyed. But clearly Rosemary we are continuing to see this tactic by Russia of overnight aerial assaults on people while they sleep this tactic of attrition of trying to wear down the resolve of the Ukrainian people.

CHURCH: And Clare, what is the latest on more Ukrainian gains on the ground?

SEBASTIAN: Yes. So, these are sort of meter by meter, small village by small village. The Deputy Defense Minister now talking about seven small settlements that had been taken which amount to about 90 square kilometers. These are mostly as Fred was pointing out on the border of Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk region where we've seen the fiercest fighting. So Ukraine seems to have some momentum here.

But they're facing very, very stiff resistance as well from Russia. Don't forget, this is an area where Russia has built up, you know, many, many miles worth of defenses, trenches, dragons, teeth, minefields. Things like that. So, this is a very, very difficult battle. And it's something that Ukrainians are having to manage expectations about. Take a look -- take a listen to one of the advisors to President Zelenskyy speaking to CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IGOR ZHOVK, CHIEF DIPLOMATIC ADVISER TO PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY: Once again, this is not the first counter offensive operation we were having, and definitely probably would not be the last counteroffensive operation. The ultimate goal of the counteroffensive as a process is to win back all the territories, including the Crimea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: The counteroffensive as a process, so don't expect this to be done in a few weeks. I think reading between the lines there. We know as well, Rosemary, from some open-source intelligence by Dutch firm Oryx, that in just a few days over the past week, Ukraine has APPARENTLY lost 16 Bradley armored vehicles supplied by the U.S. And I think those weapons suppliers will be coming very fondly back into focus this week.

We're expecting another Ramstein contact group meeting on Thursday. Clearly if you look at the intensity of these battle ammunition, air defense missiles, those will be top of mind.

CHURCH: All right. Clare Sebastian, many thanks.

So, let's get some perspective now from retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling. A former commanding general of the U.S. Army, Europe and Seventh Army. Always a pleasure to talk with you.

MARK HERTLING, RETIRED LIEUTENANT GENERAL: It is great to be with you, Rosemary. Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: Absolutely. So, Ukraine has made significant gains in the East during these early stages of their counteroffensive. Taking back several villages and planting the Ukrainian flag. How significant is this, though? And how do you expect their counter offensive will play out in the days, weeks, perhaps months ahead?

HERTLING: Well, you know, the pundits over the last few weeks, Rosemary have been calling the shaping operations or reconnaissance in force. Ukrainians are trying to get a feel for the battlefield where the strengths and weaknesses of the Russian defenses are. They have done that in relatively small packets of force. This is not the main offensive just yet. They're feeling their way through it in my view.

What we're going to see in the future is a shift from those probing attacks or those shaping attacks into more main effort and supporting efforts in key areas where they think they've found weaknesses. So, the recent liberations of several villages and small towns, the movement through the first two of what seemed to be about four defensive belts of minefields and wire and trench lines, it's still going to be significantly tough.

Ukraine has kind of felt their way through the early stages with small types of units. And pretty soon, I think they're going to see where they can place their main offensive operations. Where they can hold their main attack and we'll probably see that in multiple axes. But so far, it looks like their plan is going very well.

[02:10:00]

There's been a little bit of misinformation on the Russian side in terms of some of the early attacks where Ukraine suffered losses which is to be expected in it any kind of offensive operations. So we're seeing just the very beginning of this offensive right now.

CHURCH: And Russia claims to have mounted a counter attack in the Zaporizhzhia region. What could -- what could that mean for Ukrainian efforts to cut the land bridge between the Russian-occupied Donbas and Crimean territories?

HERTLING: Well, like I said, the Ukrainians are feeling their way through. The Russian has -- the Russians have claimed our counter attack. There's not a whole lot of substance behind that. They have been repeatedly showing some pictures of destroyed Western equipment. But truthfully, having seen this kind of operation in in my own time, both in training and actual combat is heartless as this seems to appear.

I'm going to say you're going to expect those kinds of losses early on. So, I don't think Russia has conducted a major counter attack. They may be fighting for terrain, countering the offensive operations of the Ukraine forces, but I don't see any large movement of the Russian forces against this beginning of the -- of the offensive from the Ukrainians.

CHURCH: And what was your reaction to the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam and what impact has that had on Ukraine's counteroffensive or early stages you say perhaps they move into that counteroffensive?

HERTLING: Well, my early reaction to it was it was going to significantly affect the offensive maneuver, because a lot of areas that the floods covered. I think that, you know, I believe personally, although there's not 100 percent proof that the Russians did blow this dam, and I suspect that we're going to find out that they wanted to do a partial flooding and it got out of control.

So when you see the humanitarian crisis that this caused, this would certainly put the Ukrainian commander on the horns of a dilemma. How much humanitarian assistance do I provide to both the east and west or the left and right bank is, as they call it of the Dnipro River. How many people can I get out and at the same time, how much of the territory that's been flooded, which was probably part of the plan for offensive operations do I have to shift?

But it certainly also affected the Russian side as well, because they had their defensive belts in the area that actually received the most flooding. The eastern flank of the Dnipro -- eastern bank of the Dnipro River. So, I think it probably hurt the Russians more than it hurt the Ukrainians. Ukraine actually adjusted their plan appears to go in several other different directions.

But certainly, any kind of a humanitarian crisis of this time requires military assistance to get civilians out and save some of the territory.

CHURCH: Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, appreciate your military analysis. Many thanks.

HERTLING: Pleasure, Rosemary. Thank you.

CHURCH: In just a matter of hours, former U.S. President Donald Trump will walk into a federal courthouse in Miami where he will be arrested and arraigned on 37 federal criminal charges. The extraordinary event is already being acknowledged by the judge, who called the proceedings genuinely historic. Trump traveled to his golf club just outside Miami on Monday where sources say he spent the day speaking with potential candidates to add to his legal team. We're told Trump is pushing for his attorneys to take a more

aggressive stance against the Justice Department as they defend him against allegations of mishandling classified documents. Sources say law enforcement officials are expressing concerns over the potentially large number of Trump supporters expected to gather outside the courthouse. But heavy security is already in place with both Miami's mayor and police chief saying the city is ready to handle a large crowd or any protests that may break out.

CNN's Paula Reid is following developments from Miami.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The documents, whole thing is a witch hunt. It's a disgrace, it should never happen.

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Former President Trump in Miami I heard of his historic arraignment in federal court. With him was his personal aide and co-defendant Walt Nauta who has been with him in Bedminster since the indictment came down. Trump will be staying at his Doral Golf Course where he is expected to meet with his legal team currently being led by white call Defense Attorney Todd Blanche after the departure of his other top lawyers over the past few weeks.

[02:15:05]

TIM PARLATORE, FORMER ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP: There are things in here that I think, you know, if they have backup for or certainly problematic.

REID (voiceover): Trump is looking to bring in additional attorneys to handle the Florida-based case. But he has had trouble in the past hiring lawyers amid concerns about him paying his bills and firms worrying about alienating other clients by taking him on. In the court of public opinion.

BILL BARR, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: If even half of it is true, then he's toast.

REID (voiceover): Trump's former Attorney General Bill Barr who helped spin the Mueller Special Counsel findings in Trump's favor said the indictment alleging his former boss mishandled classified information is damning.

BARR: He's not a victim here. He was totally wrong that he had the right to have those documents. Those documents are among the most sensitive secrets that the country has, and he kept them in a way at Mar-a-Lago. That anyone who really cares about national security with their stomach would churn.

REID (voiceover): But his staunch allies on Capitol Hill, Mike Senator Lindsey Graham and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan jumped to Trump's defense.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): The espionage charges are absolutely ridiculous. He did not disseminate, leak or provide the information to a foreign power or the news organization to damage this country. He is not a spy.

REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): If he wants to store material in a box in a bathroom, he wants to store it in a box on a stage, he can do that.

REID (voiceover): On Tuesday, the former president will surrender to authorities, be arrested and booked before his arraignment where he's expected to plead not guilty. The case landed in Florida where the alleged crimes were committed after a year of prosecutors collecting evidence with a Washington, D.C.-based Grand Jury. But the South Florida venue poses challenges. The jury pool is likely to be friendlier to Trump.

TRUMP: It's called election interference and they're doing the best they can with it.

REID (voiceover): And even before trial, Trump's lawyers are likely to try to suppress key evidence from one of Trump's own attorneys, Evan Corcoran, who testified to the grand jury in D.C. and whose own notes are used in the indictment to make the case that Trump tried to hide incriminating documents. He made a funny motion. Corcoran noted as though well, OK, why don't you take them with you to your hotel room. And if there's anything really bad in there like, you know, pluck it out.

Trump will make his first appearance Tuesday before a magistrate judge but then the case will be heard before a federal Trump appointee Judge Aileen Cannon.

AILEEN CANNON, JUDGE OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA: My sincerest thanks to the President for the honor of this nomination.

REID (voiceover): She was previously criticized for a ruling in another matter related to the Mar-a-Lago documents case. That decision was ultimately overturned.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID (on camera): It's unclear if Trump will have his final legal team in place ahead of tomorrow's hearing. But his current legal team can absolutely handle this arraignment as it is just the first step in this historic case.

Paula Reid CNN, Miami.

CHURCH: Joining me now, Renato Mariotti is a former federal prosecutor and host of the It's Complicated podcast. Appreciate you joining us.

RENATO MARIOTTI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Happy to be here.

CHURCH: We are just hours away from Donald Trump being arraigned on 37 felony counts relating to his mishandling of classified documents and obstructing their retrieval. Making him of course, the first former U.S. president to face federal charges. He's in Florida now meeting with his legal team and trying to add more representation. What can we expect to happen in the coming hours once Trump arrives at the courthouse, and what will happen after that?

MARIOTTI: So, at the courthouse, he'll be informed of the nature of the charges against him, which he's already aware of, of course, but that will be done formally on the record. He will be read his rights. And he'd be informed of the maximum possible penalties that he faces which are many years in prison. Then the judge will ask him how he pleads to those charges. He is going to say not guilty to all of the charges.

And then the judge will let him out on bond. And we'll set a number of different deadlines in the case. In a case like this national security case, one of those first deadlines is going to involve entry of a protective order. A special protective order to protect the sensitive material in the case.

CHURCH: And we know that special counsel Jack Smith is also adding to his legal team. How strong is his legal case against the former president do you think?

MARIOTTI: It's extraordinarily strong. It's -- it is a case that if the person on the other side of the V, so to speak, it was United States versus John Doe always opposed to United States versus Donald John Trump. I would say that the conviction was a virtual certainty. Obviously, the former president has some, you know, potential tools at his toolbox that the typical defendant doesn't have but it looks to be an extraordinarily overwhelming case.

[02:20:06]

CHURCH: And all of this relates of course to more than 100 secret government documents stored in Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort home, including his bathroom and the ballroom there. Trump denies the charges and is getting a lot of support from Republicans, even his presidential opponents with just a few exceptions, including Chris Christie, Asa Hutchinson, and Nikki Haley. What do you think the political ramifications of all this might be?

MARIOTTI: Wow. Well, that is a challenge. I'm not a political expert, so to speak. But what I would say is that, I do think it says something -- it says more about our country and the Republican Party than it does about Donald Trump if the reaction to being indicted on very serious charges is one of support. I will say that I think that regardless of one might think about allegations over time, this is going to -- assuming more evidence that's going to come out in this case.

However, I expect the charges not to come out till after the election. And so, you know, a lot of what we've seen in my -- in my view is misinformation and comparing this to other cases that are not really analogous of other politicians. It'll be interesting to see whether or not any of that gets cleared up as more evidence comes out.

CHURCH: And of course, it is worth noting that the former president calls this historic indictment and "hearing ridiculous and baseless." And he says it's one of the most horrific abuses of power in the country's history. What do you say to that?

MARIOTTI: Well, there's no evidence to support those very extreme allegations. What I see when I read the indictment is overwhelming evidence of his guilt. The former president, as you pointed out had in his possession many important government documents. Documents that were not his personal documents. These were in his diaries. These were attack plans, nuclear secrets, our vulnerabilities, some of the most vital documents that we have for our national security.

He not only had all those documents, as you pointed out earlier and in places like his bathroom or a ballroom. But he kept those documents even though the government was trying desperately to get them back and to get them into safekeeping. They sent him requests and letters. A grand jury subpoena a personal visit, after all of that he not only intended to keep the documents and did whatever he could to keep them, but he actually directed his attorneys to lie to the government.

There's, you know, the allegations and evidence that he tried to -- wanted to hide and destroy the documents. So, not what we would expect from anyone much less a former president and that is why he has been charged. He had every opportunity to avoid -- to avoid charges and he chose to try to obstruct the investigation. Instead of trying to resolve the matter without criminal charges.

CHURCH: Renato Mariotti, we appreciate your legal analysis. Thanks for joining us again.

MARIOTTI: Thank you.

CHURCH: And be sure to stay with CNN for much more on the arrest and arraignment of Donald Trump. Our special coverage begins Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, that is 7:00 p.m. in London and 10:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi.

Well, time for short break. When we come back. A leading Wall Street Bank has some good news for consumers on oil prices despite recent production cuts by Saudi Arabia. We'll have more on that when we return.

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[02:25:50]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, one of the biggest banks on Wall Street is predicting cheaper oil in the months to come. Goldman Sachs says the global benchmark Brent crude will be $86.00 a barrel by December down from its previous estimate of $95.00.

CNN's Anna Stewart reports.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Well, oil prices have been trending lower over the last year. And while the current economic backdrop might not look good for oil demand, you've got the Eurozone entering recession you have China's economy slowing. For Goldman Sachs, this cut to its oil price forecast is largely a supply side story. There's simply more oil sloshing around the market than had been expected. And in large part, Goldman Sachs thinks this is due to oversupply from sanction countries like Russia or Iran and Venezuela. This report says Russian oil output has nearly recovered to levels not seen since the invasion of Ukraine, despite numerous bans and sanctions. And actually, the IEA, the International Energy Agency reported Russian oil exports had fully bounced back in March.

While European countries have weaned themselves off Russian energy, other countries have cut deals. There have been record Russian oil exports to China and India. Currently Russian oil trades at a discount of around $20.00 a barrel compared to Brent. So, while Russia may be pumping plenty of oil, it's not able to reap the revenues it once did. But that price gap has narrowed. A year ago, Russian oil cost $34.00 less a barrel versus crude.

Saudi Arabia recently announced a further cut to its oil output. This was an attempt to raise oil prices. But the oversupply from Russia undermines that. And if it continues, it risks the fallout between the two nations and raises questions about the future of the OPEC+ alliance.

Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

CHURCH: America's largest bank has reached a substantial settlement with victims of the late serial sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein. JPMorgan has agreed to pay them $290 million. It would settle a class action lawsuit accusing the Bank of enabling Epstein to sex traffic the victims while he was a client there for 15 years. Epstein died in prison in 2019. Some of his victims have previously reached a $75 million settlement with Deutsche Bank.

Well, the U.S. Senate is investigating the newly announced partnership between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Letters to both groups raise concerns about sports washing by the Saudi government which bank rolls LIV Golf. Senators are asking for documents on LIV's corporate structure and details on how the partnership will affect the PGA Tour's tax exempt status. Senator Richard Blumenthal is suggesting PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan should resign, saying he's lost credibility and failed fans, consumers and players.

Well, still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM. A look at the legendary life of Silvio Berlusconi as Italy prepares a state funeral for its longtime Prime Minister. We're back with that in just a moment.

[02:30:00]

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JONAH HAUER-KING, PRINCE ERIC IN THE LITTLE MERMAID: What's beautiful about the film is that it's about two worlds coming together. And he's not afraid of difference and neither is Ariel. And I think that really connects them. I think they have a similar value system and similar worldview. And yes, I think he's just an interested, and curious person and I try to be like I'm awesome. HALLE BAILEY, ARIEL IN THE LITTLE MERMAID: A man was drowning I had to save him.

JAVIER BARDEM, KING TRITON IN THE LITTLE MERMAID: This obsession with humans has to stop.

BAILEY: I just want to know more about them.

BARDEM: He played a father but scared of letting their little daughter go and make a living on her own. By the story different from the region I would say is that we got a little bit -- little bit deeper in that (INAUDIBLE).

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Italy will observe a National Day of Mourning on Wednesday as former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is laid to rest. Flowers, flags are -- and other tributes are piling up outside his villa north of Milan. The billionaire businessman passed away Monday at the age of 86. Current Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has ordered flags at half-staff outside all public buildings.

Condolences are pouring in from world leaders including Pope Francis, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Even the woman at the center of a 2010 sex scandal involving Berlusconi is paying tribute. Ruby the heart stealer posted goodbye president on Instagram. Berlusconi was a popular but controversial figure once the richest man in Italy. He was first elected Prime Minister in 1994 and won reelection twice. But his career was marred by financial and personal scandals. CNN Contributor, Barbie Nadeau reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voiceover): The Jesus Christ of politics, the best political leader in Europe and the world. That is how Silvio Berlusconi once described himself, and without a doubt he was a powerful political operator and businessman who sparked more than one scandal. And despite a string of legal trouble and dubious friends, Berlusconi always managed to bounce back. He made his name as a business tycoon. He owned the famous A.C. Milan football club for 31 years. At one point he was the richest man in Italy.

SILVIO BERLUSCONI, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF ITALY (through translator): I have always been adored by those who have worked with me.

NADEAU (voiceover): First elected as Prime Minister in 1994. He was quickly removed when his coalition partners pulled out. But he was elected to the top job twice more in 2001 and 2008, becoming Italy's longest serving Prime Minister since World War II. And voters brought him back to power in 2022 as a coalition partner with Georgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini. Charming and with a flippant sense of humor, Berlusconi's off the cuff remarks and missteps with protocol were often criticized. He welcomed the newly elected U.S. President in 2008 by complimenting Barack Obama on his quote, suntan. And left German Chancellor Angela Merkel waiting during a NATO summit. And his close friendship with Vladimir Putin got him in hot water after he disclosed, he had reestablished his friendship with the Russian President in late 2022. After Putin sent him 20 bottles of Russian vodka for his birthday.

He later blamed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for starting a war, putting him at odds with Meloni. The Prime Minister often surrounded himself with beautiful women. Allegations of a relationship with an 18-year-old aspiring model, which he strenuously denied triggered a painfully public divorce. And revelations about his so- called bunga bunga parties landed him in court on charges of abuse of power and having sex with an underage prostitute. Allegations he also denied.

BERLUSCONI (through translator): It is absurd to think that I have paid to have rapport with a woman.

[02:35:07]

NADEAU (voiceover): Meanwhile, the Eurozone was going through a financial crisis. Italy was hit hard, and the Government's debt ballooned to 120 percent of the GDP in August 2011. The Italian Prime Minister promised to crack down on tax evasion, and introduced other austerity measures, but it was not enough. Berlusconi lost his majority in parliament and was forced to resign as prime minister in November 2011.

In 2012, he was convicted of corporate tax fraud and banned from public office. Months later, an Italian court found Berlusconi guilty on the charges stemming from the bunga bunga parties and appeals court later overturned the conviction. He was voted out of parliament in 2013. Two years later, convicted of bribing a senator a decade before but never served time since a statute of limitations timed out in the same year.

At the age of 82, Berlusconi managed another comeback. He led his forts Italia party in the European elections and won his seat in Parliament. A month before he turned 86. He led his party back to power as the junior partner of the current ruling coalition. In the summer of 2020, a few weeks away from turning 84 years old, Berlusconi was struck by COVID-19 and was hospitalized for 12 days. He called that experience the most dangerous test of my life and boasted to journalists that his viral load entity of the virus.

BERLUSCONI (through translator): Was the highest one amongst tens of thousands.

NADEAU (voiceover): Few could match the one and only Silvio Berlusconi. And even though the quote, Teflon Don, as he was known, was in and out of the hospital in his later years. He always managed to look remarkably younger than his years.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: CNN Contributor, Barbie Nadeau reporting from Rome. And still to come K-pop sensation BTS turns 10. We will look at how fans from across the world are marking the band's landmark anniversary.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Here they are, you just heard the iconic South Korean K-pop band BTS. Which is marking its 10th anniversary this week. Although the group is on a temporary break right now, weeklong celebrations have kicked off in the capital Seoul. On Monday, the city was lit up in purple, the band's signature color. The celebrations are so big, they're attracting fans from all over the world. CNN's Paula Hancocks has more.

[02:40:06]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): This is the first the world saw of BTS. Now, more dream released 10 years ago this week. Alongside the backstage footage of seven young men who could sing and dance, but few could have imagined the global stardom that would followed. For being the first K-pop group to debut at number one on the Billboard album chart. They're securing the most weeks at the top spot of any artist, beating out Taylor Swift with 46 weeks at number one. International fans have been arriving in Seoul over recent weeks for 10th anniversary BTS tours, visiting anywhere the band has made famous.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were waiting for this moment for years and now it's finally happening.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): A group of fans from the United States are flying in from different states for their pilgrimage. A trip seven months in the planning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to just, you know, eat the food that they've eaten. They must have really good tastes and just be in places where they've been, you know, music videos shooting, just to breathe the same air that they breathe.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): Top of the toll list, a bus stop on the East Coast where the band shot its album cover, You Never Walk Alone. A regular stop for fans who refer to themselves as the army. As well as the band's old home that's turned into a cafe and this building where the band's agency used to be. We caught up with two fans in Seoul who travelled all the way from Scotland undergraduate students who consider this to be the first of many BTS related trips to South Korea.

ROWAN JOSS, BTS FAN FROM SCOTLAND: It's emotional. It's really, you're happy but it's very much like, oh my God, like, this is real?

HANCOCKS (voiceover): They attribute the band's longevity to the serious messages they portray in their lyrics, topics they can relate to. JOSS: Their mental health talk is like, is unique to them. Honestly, I know new bands are trying to do that, but BTS have done it in the way they hadn't before.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): With two of the seven members currently serving mandatory military service here in South Korea and the remainder to follow soon. The group's record label big hit reportedly says they could reconvene by 2025. Every member has also had success with a solo career so far.

BANG SI-HYUL, CHAIRMAN HYBE (TEXT): We've been prepared to turn this into a turning point in their career. It's obviously true that they needed this time of rest after such an intense period of hard work.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): BTS is marking its 10 years with a new single, a new book and a festival by the river. Some fans are celebrating with a pilgrimage of anything that idols visited or touched or even ate. Pula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

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CHURCH: Great stuff and thanks for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church, "WORLD SPORT" is up next. Then I'll be back with another hour of news in about 15 minutes. You're watching CNN.

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(WORLD SPORT)

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