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Zelenskyy's Surprise Appearance; Israel-Hamas Peace Proposal; Mexico's Historic Election. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 02, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[03:00:00]
ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all our viewers watching around the world. I'm Anna Coren live from Hong Kong.
Ahead on CNN Newsroom, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes a surprise appearance at a major security conference in Singapore, asking for support at an upcoming peace summit.
Israel's prime minister appears to contradict a ceasefire proposal that U.S. President Joe Biden wants leaders to get behind. Why Benjamin Netanyahu says the war with Hamas can't end yet.
And voting is set to begin in Mexico's presidential election, where a woman is expected to lead that nation for the very first time.
With his country facing a major new Russian offensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is courting international support from new areas. He's attending the Shangri-La Dialogue, a meeting of Asia- Pacific defense ministers in Singapore and we are currently looking at live pictures of President Zelenskyy addressing the media.
Zelenskyy is trying to keep the world's attention on the war and Ukraine's need for outside help. Just moments ago, as I say, he held a press conference -- he is holding a press conference right now, and took questions from reporters. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Ukrainians are dying. Russians are raping our people, our women, stole tens of thousands of our children. Nobody had rights to tell us how to finish this war, how to end this war. It should end according to the law and justice, and this is compulsory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: And we also heard from President Zelenskyy a short time ago, where he said, with China's support to Russia, the war will last longer, and that is bad for the whole world, taking aim at China at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
Our Ivan Watson is there with more on the conference and Zelenskyy's mission. Take a listen.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Anna, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was a surprise guest at this annual security conference, and he's used this platform to try to attract support for an upcoming peace summit that is scheduled to take place in Switzerland in a couple of weeks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENSKYY: The global majority can ensure with their involvement that what is agreed upon is truly implemented, and so that Russia, who started this cruel war, can it push us off the path to ending the war? More than 100 countries and international organizations have confirmed their participation in the summit for today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: I don't believe that Zelenskyy's target audience here was really Ukraine's traditional western allies, such as the U.S., that after all the U.S. secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, and U.S. lawmakers did meet with Zelensky here at this hotel. It was to more traditionally non-aligned countries here in Asia, such as Indonesia. So, Zelenskyy, met earlier with the Indonesian president elect, who, on Saturday, would not be drawn out on whether or not Jakarta would attend the peace summit.
The elephant in the room, of course, is China and China's leader, Xi Jinping, who declares himself as one of Vladimir Putin's closest friends. In fact, Beijing has said it will not be attending this peace gathering, and Zelenskyy hinted that there are some large countries in the world that are trying to sabotage this upcoming peace initiative. Anna?
COREN: Ivan Watson there in Singapore. Well, Zelenskyy spoke after Washington came on board with the idea of Ukraine using U.S. made weapons for limited strikes inside Russia. The U.S. confirmed the decision on Friday, but said the permission applies only to areas near Ukraine's Kharkiv region. Well, that means Russian troops, ammunition depots and logistical hubs are fair game for Ukraine to hit. The same applies to some warplanes in Russia's airspace, but not those on the ground.
[03:05:03]
While using the most powerful weapons provided by the U.S., the long range ATACMS missiles is still off limits for strikes inside Russia. The decision is a major shift from previous U.S. policy, but the question is, how much difference will it make?
Well, joining me now from Washington is Kateryna Stepanenko. She's a Russia analyst and deputy team lead at the Institute for the Study of War. Kateryna, great to have you with us.
After desperate appeals from Kyiv, the White House finally allowed Ukraine to strike limited targets inside Russia using limited U.S. weapons. Is it enough to transform the battlefield? KATERYNA STEPANENKO, DEPUTY TEAM LEAD, INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR: This is definitely a good step and a step in the right direction. Ukrainians will be able to help themselves to defend against the Russian renewed offensive operations on Kharkiv Oblast. However, this policy does not go far enough and it only removes around 16 percent of the Russian sanctuary, which means that the Russian forces are effectively able to use the rest of the territory to protect its manpower and also to protect its equipment.
So, fundamentally, you know, it does allow Ukraine to defend itself, but it doesn't go far enough for Ukraine to use that to achieve operational effects on the battlefield.
COREN: And they're focusing on the, the area around Kharkiv, which is the second largest city, which has been enduring this punishing Russian assault now for weeks. Has it made any difference since this was allowed?
STEPANENKO: So, as of now, we have not seen significant changes on the battlefield. The battlefield remained relatively positional in several areas. However, Ukrainian officials are warning that Russians might be accumulating some of personnel, some of the forces in Kursk Oblast as well as Bryansk Oblast to open up new frontlines. As we continuously assessed, this is likely aimed at fixing Ukrainian forces in drawing as many of Ukrainian reinforcements away from the actual important frontline, which Donetsk Oblast and spreading them essentially to Ukraine.
COREN: Kateryna, the fear, obviously, is that the Kremlin will see the use of U.S. weapons being used deeper inside Russia as a provocation, equivalent to a direct U.S. attack on Russian soil. Do you think the Russians are bluffing?
STEPANENKO: The Russians have consistently used the information operations about escalating tensions, nuclear blackmail and so on and so on to scare western decision-makers from making timely and necessary decisions aimed at improving Ukraine's ability to defend itself and also to resume maneuver warfare. So, the risk remains the same. The Russian forces can do little on the Ukrainian battlefield to escalate further.
However, there are some potential risks of the Russian government escalating some of the hybrid operations, specifically targeting European defense industrial bases and European manufacturers.
COREN: We're hearing from, from soldiers, from Ukrainian commanders, I mean, even from the president's office that, you know, they need to strike deeper into Russia, whether it be airfields, headquarters, you know, munition depots, troop gatherings. I guess Ukrainians still feel like they're fighting with one arm tied behind their back.
STEPANENKO: And that's absolutely true. Unfortunately, we live in a reality where Russia can attack Ukraine at scale using drones and missiles, weapons provided by North Korea and Iran to strike all of Ukraine. However, Ukraine can only strike as of now 16 percent of the Russian sanctuary. To level out this disproportion between this capability, Ukraine should be granted the right to use long range strike capabilities against Russian targets in the deep rear.
COREN: Kateryna, do you think this is the United States perhaps opening the door to that happening in the future?
STEPANENKO: I certainly hope so. As I've mentioned, this is definitely a step in the right direction. However, it is important how timely these decisions are made in the White House given that Russia can introduce additional offensives on different frontlines, and that policy debate that we have seen did lead to some effects on the battlefield.
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You know, Ukraine, obviously lost some grounds around Northern Kharkiv Oblast and Ukraine obviously is struggling with a lot of live bombs that are, you know, affecting Ukrainian civilians at a daily basis. So, if that policy was accepted at an earlier phase, Ukraine might have been able to repel the current offensive and future offensives at a faster rate.
COREN: And no doubt save more Ukrainian lives. Kateryna Stepanenko, we appreciate your perspective. Thanks for joining us.
STEPANENKO: Thank you so much.
COREN: Well, before Ukraine's president spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, China's defense minister struck a combative tone when addressing Beijing's tensions with Taiwan. He said, defending China's sovereignty over Taiwan is the, quote, sacred mission of the Chinese military. This speech comes just days after Taiwan inaugurated its new president and China held major military exercises around the island.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM. DONG JUN, CHINESE DEFENSE MINISTER: The Chinese People's Liberation Army will remain a strong force for upholding national reunification. We will take resolute actions to curb Taiwan independence and make sure such a plot never succeeds. Anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will only end up in self- destruction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: In a statement, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council called the defense minister's comments provocative and irrational, saying, quote, the Republic of China is a sovereign country and Taiwan has never been part of the People's Republic of China. We call on the Chinese Communist Party not to misjudge the situation repeatedly. Any resort to war will eventually be counterproductive.
The Israeli prime minister appears to be contradicting a new ceasefire proposal. U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled the three-phase plan on Friday and said it was proposed by Israel. But Netanyahu says Israel's conditions for ending the war have not changed. Mediators Qatar and Egypt joined the U.S. in calling on Hamas and Israel to finalize an agreement.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets across Israel on Saturday, pushing the government to accept the new proposal. They also called for Netanyahu to resign and demanded elections be held early.
Well, joining us now to discuss this is Journalist Elliott Gotkine in Tel Aviv. Elliott, Israel's ceasefire proposal, that was signed off by the war cabinet and then these mixed messages from the prime minister indicating that he's not entirely on board. Explain that to us.
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: So, I think from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's perspective, Anna, he is simply clarifying that the ceasefire proposal, which the war cabinet, of which he is one of three members, the defense minister and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz being the other two, just trying to clarify that this deal that he has signed up to doesn't preclude Israel from carrying out its war objectives and the Israel's war objectives, its conditions for ending the war permanently have not changed.
Now, these conditions Netanyahu reiterated in a rare statement that was put out on the Jewish Sabbath of Saturday, saying -- reiterating that the conditions are the military -- destroying the military and governance capabilities of Hamas, getting all of the 125 or so hostages living and dead who were abducted during the Hamas terrorist attacks of October the 7th back into Israel and to ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel as well. So those are his three conditions.
And certainly when he and the war cabinet signed off on this ceasefire proposal that was outlined in more details by President Biden was followed up by a helpful graphic and tweet from the U.S. president that, you know, these are what Israel has agreed to, something Netanyahu is trying to clarify, one, to make sure that his base knows that he hasn't gone soft on Hamas, and I think also to preempt what he expected and which transpired being the pushback from far right ministers in his own governing coalition who, at the end of the Sabbath, put out statements saying that this deal, as they see it, is tantamount to a capitulation to Hamas that it is a reckless deal and that they wouldn't be able to support it if the deal went ahead, they said they would pull out from the government.
And that is no doubt something else that will play on Prime Minister Netanyahu's mind because, certainly, if they were to pull out of the government, the deal could still get across the line in the parliament, the Knesset, with the help of the opposition, which said it would support such a deal. But, ultimately, it would probably lead to the collapse of the government. Fresh elections would need to be called. And opinion polls suggest that in those fresh elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would lose.
[03:15:00]
But, ultimately, the ceasefire proposal outlined by President Biden is the one that Netanyahu and his war cabinet have signed off on. I think Netanyahu really just trying to clarify that it doesn't contradict with his war objectives. Anna? COREN: Elliott, let's talk a little bit more about that threat by those two far right coalition partners. If they quit the government, that would basically mean the end of the Netanyahu administration. Are they bluffing, because they too would be out of a job?
GOTKINE: Look, it's hard to know. There's a lot of things that people say, which they don't necessarily mean. But, certainly, Netanyahu needs these far right ministers, their parties, to stay within the government. He was instrumental in ensuring that they banded together to ensure that they met the threshold for getting into parliament in the first place, whereas in previous years, he had actually described them as beyond the pale.
So, he brought them. He was the architect of ensuring that they got into government that they were a part of this coalition. He relies on them. And, yes, to a degree, they rely on him. But I think if push comes to shove, most people would say that Netanyahu perhaps is more in need of their support than vice versa. They would live to fight another day, whereas Netanyahu, if elections were called, would perhaps lose the opportunity to try to change his legacy if you like, from being one of the prime minister that was at the wheel when the terrorist attacks of October the 7th took place, rather than being the one that can, in his eyes, hopefully, at some point, claim victory, being the prime minister remembered for winning this war against Hamas. Anna?
COREN: Elliott Gotkine, we really appreciate your analysis, joining us there from Tel Aviv, thank you.
Well, Mr. Netanyahu has agreed to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. Top congressional leaders formally invited him saying, quote, we join the state of Israel in your struggle against terror, unquote. Netanyahu called it a privilege to represent Israel and says he's thrilled to present the truth about the war. A date for the meeting has not yet been announced.
After the break, voting to begin in just hours as Mexico prepares for what is likely to be a historic election. But the path to election day has been a dangerous one. We'll have the details on a political cycle plagued by violence.
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COREN: In the coming hours, voting will begin in the largest elections in Mexico's history. More than 20,000 positions are on the ballot nationwide, while public safety is a top issue. And history could be made, as Mexicans are likely to elect their first female president.
CNN's Gustavo Valdes is in Mexico City.
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GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: About 100 million Mexicans will get a chance to select their next president on Sunday and chances are it will be a woman, because the top two contenders are female so the voters are looking past gender and they're focusing on the issues. Public safety is their main concern and that's because more than 30 candidates were killed in this political cycle and two municipalities in Southern Mexico announced they're going to have to cancel election all together because of the fear of violence.
Claudia Scheinbaum, who represents the party currently in power, Morena, has pledged to continue the policies of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who had a hands-off approach to fighting crime. He basically declined to send the army or the police to actively pursue the cartel, something critics says is a failed policy.
Xochitl Galvez, who represents a coalition of opposition parties, he wants to change the approach, even suggesting the creation of a binational police force with the United States to fight crime and money laundering.
Also in play is the legacy of President Lopez Obrador, who himself has said this is a referendum on his policies. The political party that he created, that he founded only ten years ago, Morena, now controls most of the state government and has the largest number of members in Congress. So, voters Sunday will also decide the path Mexico will have in the next six years.
Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Mexico City.
COREN: Mexico's next president may indeed be a woman, but that historic milestone has been overshadowed by a campaign of violence, a political cycle marred by multiple assassinations and unspeakable brutality.
Details now from CNN's Rafael Romo.
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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It happened in broad daylight. A mayoral candidate in Mexico shot in the head on the last day of campaigning.
ANA MARIA SALAZAR, FORMER U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: He was killed in front of all his followers and he had ten people who were supposed to be providing him security because he had been threatened.
ROMO: The murder is the latest example of a wave of political violence in Mexico as voters get ready to go to the polls on Sunday.
In early April, another mayoral candidate in the city of Celaya was gunned down, 1 of more than 20 political killings in September, according to the Mexican government. By some estimates, that number is even higher. At least 34 candidates murdered according to Mexican consultancy firm, Integralia.
SALAZAR: One of the most violent and deadly elections in Mexican history.
ROMO: Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Ana Maria Salazar says organized crime is at the root of most political violence in Mexico.
SALAZAR: Well, they're controlling the economy, the former economy of these of these municipalities. So, they're hostages. And this is clearly being reflected during this electoral process, where they're trying to also control who's going to be elected.
ROMO: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador acknowledged in early May that there have been more murders than in previous administrations, but he also said that other crimes, like robberies and kidnappings, are down.
CARLOS RAMIREZ, POLITICAL RISK CONSULTANT, INTEGRALIA: It's a multidimensional problem, which Lopez Obrador hasn't tackled.
ROMO: But Political Risk Consultant Carlos Ramirez says the president's policy of spending on social programs in the hopes of improving the security situation has failed.
RAMIREZ: Yes, Lopez Obrador cherishes that some of the criminal numbers have been going down, but, really, they have been going down marginally, and others have been going up very quickly as extortion, for example.
ROMO: There are nearly 99 million Mexican voters who are eligible to participate in this election. Mexican officials say there will be around 170,000 polling places around the nation, but security analysts say many voters may choose to stay away, because in some areas, exercising one's right to vote is not safe.
The threat of political violence is personal for Jesus Corona. The mayoral candidate in the Central Mexican city of Cuautla survived an assassination attempt earlier this year when two men on a motorcycle sped past an open fire. They want me to drop out of the campaign, he said. They don't want me to participate. They want to continue with this corrupt government.
The risk of violence is also faced by those tied to the candidates, including relatives and aides. According to Integralia, more than 700 people have been threatened, kidnapped, extorted or murdered, among other crimes, since campaigns started in September.
Raphael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
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COREN: Voting has ended in India's months-long general election. The last polling stations closed on Saturday in the final phase of the world's largest democratic exercise. The votes will be counted on Tuesday and results are expected the same day. The National Democratic Alliance, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, is expected to secure another five years in power. Nearly 1 billion people were eligible to vote in the seven-phase election, which began on April 19th. Clashes in Rome Saturday as demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags protested against Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the government's policies on the war in Gaza. Police blocked roads and fired tear gas to break up the crowds.
The clashes took place as Italy's far right Prime Minister held a campaign rally for her party ahead of next week's European Parliament elections.
Some Ukrainian soldiers have paid a horrific price for fighting the Russian invasion. Now, a group in Germany is helping Ukrainian military amputees have a normal life again. That story ahead.
Plus, floodwaters have mostly receded in Southern Brazil, but they're leaving behind a mess and deadly waterborne illnesses. We'll look at the aftermath of the disaster, next.
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COREN: Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is blaming China for potentially helping prolong the war in his country. He spoke a short time ago after addressing an annual security conference in Singapore this morning. And he said this about China's current relationship with Russia.
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ZELENSKYY: With the support of China, China supporting Russia, war will be much longer. It's bad for the whole world, and for the policy of China, which says respects the main principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. I think it's not very good for them either.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Well, Mr. Zelenskyy spoke a day after Russia unleashed its latest wave of missiles and drones at Ukraine's energy system. At least 12 people were injured in this strike on the Kharkiv region Saturday morning. Russia also hit energy facilities across Ukraine, causing critical damage to at least two power plants.
Well, tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have lost limbs during the brutal fighting in their country. According to estimates, there are prosthetic technologies to help them live a better life, but there are not enough trained technicians in Ukraine to use them.
[03:30:07]
As Fred Pleitgen reports, an organization in Germany is trying to help.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As the Russians unleash ever stronger firepower on Ukraine, the Ukrainian soldiers holding up Moscow's advances bear the brunt and suffer most of the casualties. Many lucky to be alive, but losing limbs. Vitaly Sayko-Kazakov's legs were blown off on the eastern front last summer. The left leg was torn off at once, he says. On the battlefield, I saved myself thanks to the fact that we were constantly undergoing medical training. I immediately put a tourniquet on myself and remained conscious.
His right leg later also had to be amputated. The problem for Ukraine, scores of amputees but not enough technicians to make the prosthetics they need. Now, a German project called Life Bridge Ukraine is bringing both Ukrainians who lost limbs and Ukrainian technicians in training to Berlin to help the wounded while giving the trainees valuable experience.
Volodymyr Khavrylov (ph) just constructed his first artificial leg, and he knows he'll remain busy.
Unfortunately, there will be even more guys with injuries, he says. We need good workshops to provide these guys with a good life. We need to bring them back into society. We must be aware of this, not forget, and most importantly, help each other.
Ukraine keeps the number of war related amputees secret, but estimates go into the tens of thousands. Life Bridge Ukraine aims to establish several prosthetics workshops and care centers inside Ukraine. A tall task, not just because so many Ukrainians need artificial limbs, but arms and legs blown off by explosions often leave the remaining stumps mutilated. Making it hard to fit prosthetics, NGO head Janine von Wolfersdorff tells me.
JANINE VON WOLFERSDORFF, LIFE BRIDGE UKRAINE: We experienced that the stance (ph) from war zones are different than stance we experience in Germany. So, for the trainees to be trained on their patients they will treat in Ukraine, we invited the patients that need to be treated.
PLEITGEN: Despite his severe injuries. Vitaly Sayko-Kazakov remains determined. Only a few days after first getting two artificial legs fitted, he's already up and walking. But Vitaly says he wants more to go back to Ukraine and fight the Russians again.
I won't be able to serve at the front. I'll assemble drones, but the work is not finished. The war is not over yet, he says. And then he adds, it's a long process, but no matter how long it takes, you have to come back. Who else but us? Nobody but us.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: The relentless heat wave plaguing large portions of South Asia continues to take its toll. In Pakistan, many residents of the port city of Karachi made their way to the beach looking for relief from the oppressive heat and humidity. The country has seen a spike in forest fires in the past week, fueled by dry conditions and temperatures soaring as high as 52.2 degrees Celsius or nearly 126 degrees Fahrenheit. A gigantic cleanup effort is underway in Southern Brazil after weeks of massive floods devastated entire communities. What's left behind is heartbreaking. People's entire lives have been washed away or subsumed by mud. And waterborne diseases are posing a threat to survivors.
Michael Holmes has more.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Where water reached rooftops less than a month ago, a layer of mud remains. Residents of Brazil's southernmost state slowly return to their homes and businesses. Now time capsules capturing the sheer devastation of the floods that killed at least 169 people and displaced 600,000, according to the UN.
Questions of how to rebuild and where to begin, this woman unable to fight back tears as she comes face to face with her new reality.
JOYCE FAUTH CORREA, FLOOD VICTIM: I'm destroyed, worse than a war scenario, horrible, horrible. I have no words. It's ridiculous. You see all you achieved and all you fought for, all your history squandered.
HOLMES: With the flood water yet to completely recede, another threat emerges. Waterborne diseases are now health officials greatest concern, namely leptospirosis, usually caused when one comes into contact with water contaminated with infected animal urine. At least seven people have died so far, more deaths are suspected, and reported unconfirmed cases have risen into the thousands.
[03:35:03]
Four field hospitals plus mobile teams have been activated in an effort to meet the region's unprecedented new medical demands.
SOFIA CONSUL DE NEGLIA, PATIENT: I couldn't stop vomiting and having diarrhea since six in the morning. I vomited here in the field hospital. Only did I start to improve when I had the I.V.
HOLMES: Beyond the physical, the flood's aftermath can take a deep mental toll. Residents mourn the lives they knew, the businesses they built, the possessions they lost, entire lives reduced to debris, the emotional distress as exhausting as the efforts to rebuild.
LT. COL. MAURICIO SPECTEROW, HEAD OF FIELD HOSPITAL: We have to remember of psychiatric and psychologic diseases. At this moment, people are vulnerable and we understand it.
HOLMES: Vulnerable not just to the turmoil of their new reality but to the diseases present in the lingering floodwaters, a danger that makes the already daunting task of rebuilding all the more desperate.
Michael Holmes, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE) COREN: Living in places most people only visit as tourists sounds like a dream, but the crush of visitors descending on some of the world's most beautiful sights is revealing an ugly side of life in paradise. That's ahead.
And how Venice is hoping to use a financial disincentive to protect the historic city from being swamped by eager tourists. Stay with us.
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COREN: It's nearly summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and that means prime tourist season in many places. The U.N. says tourism levels should meet or even exceed pre-pandemic levels this year. And while that's good news for the economy, it's not always great for people living in some of the world's most popular places.
Saskya Vandoorne has more.
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SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER (voice over): The beach is calling, and every year, millions of international tourists head to Spain for vacation. Its seaside cities become boom towns full of summer visitors. But many locals say they are the ones who need a break.
TERESA RIGO, PROTESTER: Mallorca is so swamped that it's very difficult to lead a normal life. Everything is being touristed. Everything is being sold at the price of gold. And we feel that we're being kicked out. We feel like strangers in our home.
VANDOORNE: Thousands of people recently protested against mass tourism in Spain's Balearic Islands, one of Spain's most popular holiday destinations, saying on top of the crowded conditions, many people can't afford to live in their own towns anymore because of high prices and skyrocketing rents.
JAVIER CARBONELL, PROTESTER: It's got out of hand. Practically, more than half of the rentals are holiday rentals, which leads to a price increase that's unaffordable for local people. Prices are rising in a way that cannot be tolerated.
VANDOORNE: It's a complaint echoed in many tourist towns around the world.
[03:40:01]
The United Nations World Tourism Organization says that international tourism is expected to fully recover from pre-pandemic levels this year, if not surpass them. That's a lot of tourist dollars flowing back into economies, but some local communities are asking at what price?
Venice is one tourist hotspot trying to strike a better balance between residents and guests after UNESCO warned that climate change and mass tourism threaten to damage the historic city. New rules are now in effect limiting tourists walking groups to 25 people and banning the use of loudspeakers. Day trippers has also have to pay a visitor fee of 5 euros.
Amsterdam is planning to cut the number of river cruisers entering the city in half by 2028, and is limiting the amount of new hotels to prevent overtourism. It's also one of the city's launching campaigns to encourage more respectful behavior from visitors. Last year, its Stay Away campaign tried to deter certain young party tourists from coming to town.
Iceland has a pledge for people to act responsibly, to not go off road and take dangerous photos or use the bathroom in inappropriate areas.
A town in Japan recently put up barriers to block a popular photo spot of Mount Fuji after tourists routinely blocked traffic and left litter in the area. One local, who didn't want to be identified, says it's a shame but the tourists only have themselves to blame.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We welcome foreigners for the revitalization of the community but there are so many violations of basic manners, like crossing the road, dumping garbage and trespassing onto people's property. So, I wish they would pay more attention to that.
VANDOORNE: Good advice for any tourist visiting what is someone else's home.
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Well, as Saskya just reported, Venice has imposed a tourist tax aimed at reducing the crush of people coming into the city every day. But how's it working out?
Well, joining me to talk about this is Jan van der Borg, Professor of Tourism Economics at K.U. Leuven in Belgium and at Ca Foscari University in Venice. And he joins me now. Great to see you.
Why has this tourist tax in Venice failed miserably, as some locals are claiming?
JAN VAN DER BORG, PROFESSOR OF TOURISM ECONOMICS, K.U. LEUVEN: Well, I think there's one very important motive for that. And it's that there's so many exemptions on paying the tax, that most of the people that actually should have been paying the tax are not paying it and therefore do not feel any incentive not to come to Venice. And that means that the taxes failure both from the tourism management perspective. So, we still see the influx of especially day trippers as if it was 2019.
Plus, because of the complexity of this scheme of exemptions, there're so many people that have to enforce the tax and the costs are so high for that, that the city is losing money on its own fiscal instrument, and that is a paradox. Because what we would have liked to see is that these day trippers would have been contributing to the maintenance of the city, and that is not the case at the moment. COREN: This $5 or 5 euros entry fee, just over $5, it hasn't, as you say, reduced the number of tourists, and I believe that this weekend they have now restricted the size of tour groups to 25. Is the aim of the tax to reduce and to deter tourism?
VAN DER BORG: Yes, that's exactly the aim. It's like a sort of an extra price of tax, let's say, on cigarettes or whatever to displace people that are staying close to Venice not to come to Venice, just improvising the trip to Venice, but incentivate on the other hand, sort of people sleeping in Venice, spending more money therefore, and also behaving in a sort of good manner with respect to the interests of the local population, the local firms that still are working and doing stuff in Venice.
Now, this incentive is not working at all. And that is a very big problem because it's one of the main objectives of the tax in the first place.
COREN: Jan, you live in Venice, you are a resident there. And as a local, are you protesting against the tax? Because we have seen demonstrations out in the streets by local residents.
VAN DER BORG: Yes. Well, I think the text per se is a very good thing. I think it's a very logical step to make all city users, including the people that stay in Venice just for a few hours to take a selfie or visit the small exhibition or something is a good in principle, a good thing.
[03:45:10]
So, I'm not going to protest against the ticket or against this system, but what has been done is that there has been so much sort of political haggling and discussion around the tax, who should be included, who should not be included in paying the tax. Then in the end, the proposal has watered down so much. That is actually not effective anymore. So, I think if they want to do something good, they should simplify it very much and keep the text as it is.
So, I would never protest against this contribution. I think it makes sense as an economist to ask people to pay for the costs that that social and economic costs that actually causing, but on the other hand, sort of, as it is done now, that doesn't make sense, paradoxically not interfering with the people coming to Venice because it's a very small amount of money. It's the price of a lukewarm beer or a sandwich or something that wouldn't stop people coming to Venice because Venice is a very attractive and it's a beautiful place.
And on the other hand, so the whole experiment is going to cost 3 million eurosand they're expecting to raise about 1.5 million euros for the city financial situation. So, there's a loss of 1.5 million. That makes no sense that I'm as a taxpayer paying for this experiment. So, I'm not going to protest, but I strongly suggest -- sorry.
COREN: I was just going to say, you're saying that it's cost more money to set up the scheme. But if they put it in practice, if they leave it and make it a blanket tax, I understand the locals are concerned about the housing situation, that there's more beds for visitors than there are for residents. So, couldn't that money be used to address local concerns?
VAN DER BORG: Yes, I would say so. I would if you raise enough money, so if you make the balance between the cost, the collective cost of tourism, the collective benefits of tourism, much more balanced than, of course, the money that you're raising with such a sort of a contribution asked by different kind of visitors can be used, for example, to strengthen social housing policies or to subsidize some kind of local activities that are still very important for the place to remain sort of a place with an aninize (ph), we say it in Italian, with a soul. And that soul is about to disappear, which is not only for the Venetians, a sorry thing, but also in the end, I think, for tourism industry at large.
COREN: Yes. It is about creating sustainable tourism. Jan von der Borg in Venice, we appreciate you joining us. Thank you so much.
VAN DER BORG: Thank you.
COREN: Well, China is making history after its Chang'e 6 probe landed on the far side of the moon on Sunday. The craft will spend about two days collecting samples from the moon's dark side for the first time in history, according to China's National Space Administration. Two methods will be used for sampling, a drill for collecting specimens from beneath the surface and a robotic arm for grabbing samples from the soil.
The landing site is at an impact crater known as the Apollo Basin, which was chosen for its relatively flat terrain.
Well, NASA and its mission partners are pressing pause on the Boeing Starliner launch. The decision came late Saturday, hours after the launch attempt was scrubbed less than four minutes from liftoff due to technical issues. The highly anticipated inaugural test flight was supposed to carry two NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. NASA says it will provide an update on Sunday on next steps for the flight. The next launch window is Wednesday morning.
Well, more than 600 new so-called trash balloons have landed in South Korea since Saturday night. They floated across the border from North Korea, which says they consist of bags filled with waste attached to balloons. South Korea's military says it's collecting and analyzing them, but so far, officials say they haven't found any harmful substances.
North Korea started the practice earlier this week. He called the move a response to South Korea sending leaflets into North Korea using balloons.
Well, still ahead, celebrations in Spain's capital as hometown heroes Real Madrid claim a record 15th European Cup. We'll bring you the details of the Champions League final after the break.
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COREN: 66 American World War Two veterans received a hero's welcome in France on Saturday. They're in Paris to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings on June 6. French President Emmanuel Macron will host leaders from the U.S., Britain, Canada and Germany for the D-Day celebrations.
Many of the U.S. veterans here are more than 100 years old. They served in Europe and in the Pacific theater. One veteran who took the trip from Texas to France said it's a chance to pay tribute to his fellow servicemen who died in battle.
Pandemonium inside Santiago Bernabeu, one of Europe's most revered and feared football stadiums. Tens of thousands of Real Madrid fans gathered at their home pitch to watch their beloved club defeat Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League final. Saturday's 2-0 victory in London marked Los Blancos return as the kings of Europe and secured their record extending 15th European Cup.
Amanda Davis and Darren Lewis are outside Wembley Stadium with all the details of the nail-biting match.
AMANDA DAVIS, CNN WORLD SPORT: Another Champions League final, another chapter in Real Madrid's European history. What is it about them and this competition, they might have been the favorites heading into the game, but it was Borussia Dortmund who had the better of the chances for so long, only for the Spaniards to do what we have seen them do so often, take the victory, claim their sixth Champions League crown in 11 years, their record 15th overall.
CNN Senior Sport Analyst Darren Lewis was inside Wembley watching with me. Go on, Darren. You've got the unenviable task of answering. What is it? How do they do it?
DARREN LEWIS, CNN SPORT SENIOR ANALYST: Well, they felt before even before tonight that they are married to the Champions League trophy that won it 14 times before this occasion. And it's getting to the stage where they feel as though the Champions League final for them is date night because so often they enjoy themselves on the big occasion.
Their stocking trade is that they populate their team with some of the biggest stars in European football and it was two of those players that really did come up. I should actually say four because the assists were provided by the German superstar, Toni Cross, and by the English superstar, man, we hope will be starring for them at Euro 2024 Jude Bellingham. A wonderful night for a very special club.
DAVIS: Yes, very fitting end for Toni Cross in his Real Madrid career, a sick Champions League crown for him. Storylines really every which way you look at this, you mentioned Bellingham, and what a moment for Vinicius Jr. as well, to score what proved to be the winning goal after a season where he has dealt with so much off the pitch as well as on it.
LEWIS: Absolutely. Everybody remembers those scenes, those heartbreaking scenes of the Brazilian superstar crying at a press conference, as he pleaded with the Spanish authorities to do something about the racism he had been enduring at clubs around the Spanish top division.
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And when people suggested that it wasn't that bad, he produced on social media footage from each of those grounds where he had suffered those scenes in stark contrast to what we saw at the end of the game at Wembley, where he dove into the crowd and the Spanish fans took him to their hearts and carried him on their shoulders, wonderful scenes at the end for a wonderful player.
DAVIS: Real Madrid have already cemented their place in history with this, a record 15th European crown. Jude Bellingham described it as the best night of his life. But you suspect there will be a whole lot more to come. This is a team that is on a roll. They are getting better and better. And, yes, it's even before the arrival of Kylian Mbappe.
With Darren Lewis, this is Amanda Davis for CNN at Wembley Stadium in London.
COREN: It seems the Favourite City of Troy is also the favorite at Epsom Downs. Last year's champion Juvenile won the 245th Epsom Derby on Saturday, giving trainer Aidan O'Brien a record extending tenth success in British Flat Racing's Blue Riband event. The win also marks a second consecutive win for Jockey Ryan Moore, and fourth overall. Ambient Friendly came in second, and Los Angeles took third place.
Well, sky gazers in the Southern Hemisphere are getting a glimpse of an unusual horned comet. It's known as the Devil Comet. The 12P/Pons- Brooks is making its approach to Earth right now. Well, this is the comet's last appearance for seven decades. Scientists aren't sure why it takes on a shape some compare to the Star Wars' Millennium Falcon. Astronomers hope to figure out why the comet has a longer than average rotation period and whether the jets of material releasing from it are speeding it up or slowing it down.
Well, thank you so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong.
My colleague Kim Brunhuber will pick up our coverage after this very short break. Please stay with CNN.
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