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Far-Right Parties Advance in European Elections; French President Calls for Snap Elections; Benny Gantz Resigns from Israel War Government; IDF Rescues Four Hostages, Kills 270 Palestinians in the Process; Ukraine Destroyed Russian Stealth Fighter In Drone Attack; Venezuelan Gang "Tren De Aragua" Infiltrating The U.S.; Former President Talks Legal Woes On Campaign Stop; Defense Weighing If Hunter Biden Will Take The Stand. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 10, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and around the world and streaming on CNN Max. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Just ahead, Europe's far-right rises, notching gains in the bloc's parliamentary elections. But for now, the pro- European centre is holding.

A political shake-up in Israel as Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz quits the Prime Minister's war cabinet.

And a Venezuelan gang has sowed terror in several Central and South American countries. Now, US officials warn they're entering the United States.

Well, it is one of the world's largest elections with more than 370 million people eligible to vote for the next European Parliament. Now the results are coming in and far-right parties are projected to win a record number of seats after four days of voting. People across 27 countries went to the polls in the election, which will set the European Union's priorities for the next five years.

Projections show the mainstream centre-right European People's Party will remain the largest group. European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen celebrating her party's success while acknowledging that extremes on both ends of the spectrum are gaining traction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN CIMMISSION PRESIDENT: The center is holding. But it is also true that the extremes on the left and on the right have gained support. And this is why the result comes with great responsibility for the parties in the center. We may differ on individual points, but we all have an interest in stability and we all want a strong and effective Europe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, protesters in Paris express their outrage at gains for right-wing parties in France. French President Emmanuel Macron, perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, has dissolved Parliament, calling snap elections.

And Belgium's Prime Minister says he's resigning after his party suffered a defeat in both the national and the European parliamentary elections. He held back tears during the announcement, stressing that the country needs a new government. Well, joining us now is Clare Sebastian, live from London. Good to see you, Clare. So this is a significant shift. Parties once considered fringe now predicted to win a record number of seats.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, no longer on the fringes, Lynda. Now, look, this is obviously not necessarily unexpected. The polls had showed big gains that were expected for the far-right parties in Europe. And obviously, this is a sort of trajectory that we've seen over years and in some country's decades. But it does shift the balance in the Parliament.

In the right, we see gains for the ECR, the ID, and of course, the non-attached members, which includes the AFD, the alternative for Germany, which is now the second biggest party in this European vote. In Germany, a far-right party deemed so far to the right that Marine Le Pen, the head of the National Rally Party that did so well in France, recently kicked them out of her ID grouping in Parliament.

Having said that, though, in some countries, the far-right parties didn't do as well as expected, like the Netherlands, for example, and the center-right coalition, the center-right party led by Ursula von der Leyen, the current EU commission president, did gain seats and is still the biggest party.

Her job now, as she just laid out in that clip, is to form a coalition, which she calls a bastion against the extremes on each side. She should be able to comfortably do that. But now that we see the sort of the Parliament shifting to the right, I think we'll have to watch out to see whether she waters down key policies like immigration, like climate, to try to avoid losing more ground to that far-right.

And of course, the big question coming up is that she is up for re- election in July. Will she be able to garner enough support given this shift and given that rise from the far-right, Lynda?

KINKADE: We'll certainly see how that plays out in July. Of course, looking at these results, the French president's party didn't do well. Emmanuel Macron calling snap elections for later this month.

[02:04:57]

SEBASTIAN^ Yeah, look, I think, again, it wasn't a shock that the National Rally and other far-right parties did so well. But what was a shock was how Emmanuel Macron reacted to this. He didn't have to do this. He could have come out and said, look, this is a protest vote and just carried on. But on the one hand, I think he didn't have a whole lot to lose. He already lost his overall majority in Parliament. He's already

struggled to get some key policies through. And this may be a calculation that this is a chance to win back a mandate. And at least our source telling CNN that the approach will be convince, convince, convince in the lead up to these elections, the first round just three weeks away.

But in his speech to the nation, he certainly didn't disguise his concern about the rise of the far-right. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translation): In France, the far-right party's representatives have garnered nearly 40 percent of all votes. For me, who has always considered Europe to be united, strong, independent and good for France, this is a situation that I cannot come to terms with. The rise of nationalists, of demagogues is a danger for our nation, but also for our Europe, for France's place in Europe and in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: Now, of course, if things go his way in the upcoming parliamentary elections, he could renew his mandate. But of course, on the flip side, France could face a political crisis. There could end up being a far-right prime minister if the far-right manages to gain the most votes in Parliament. And that could make it even more difficult for Macron, who is, of course, really the key voice in Europe when it comes to certain issues like, for example, support for Ukraine, Lynda.

KINKADE: It's certainly a political risk that he is willing to take. Good to have you with us, Clare Sebastian in London. Thank you.

Well, we're staying on this story. John Rentoul is the chief political commentator for "The Independent" and a visiting professor at King's College in London. He joins us via Skype from London. Good to have you with us.

JOHN RENTOUL, CHIEF POLITICL COMMENTATOR, THE INDEPENDENT: Good morning.

KINKADE: Good morning. Well, this was a four-day voting marathon. It happens every five years that, of course, saw Europe shift to the right. We saw these far-right parties making gains and really delivering stunning defeats to two of the bloc's most important leaders, France and Germany. What did you make of the results? Well, the ones we know so far, the projected results, I should say.

RENTOUL: Well, I'm more surprised. I mean, the results were they were predicted, which makes President Macron's response more surprising. As we heard just there, he said he cannot accept the rise of right-wing extreme parties and that he's going to call a general election in France as a response.

I mean, that did take me by surprise, as well as the fall of the Belgian government, of course. But President Macron is a very, very interesting politician. And I think what he's trying to do, put himself at the leadership, you know, at the leadership of the center across Europe is a very interesting thing. And we will see if his gamble comes off.

Of course, he's not putting his own position at risk. And he already has no majority in the French parliament. But it's a very interesting gamble, especially in the light of what Rishi Sunak has done in Britain.

KINKADE: Yeah, exactly. A huge gamble, one that Marine Le Pen, who, of course, leads France's National Rally party and has such strong results, was quite pleased to hear, no doubt. But I want to ask you about overall this European parliament shifting more to the right. What that will mean on issues like immigration, on issues like security going forward?

RENTOUL: Well, I mean, it's interesting from a British perspective that there seems to be something similar happening across Europe. I mean, the British politics has seen a sudden a sudden change in the past year or two on issues such as climate change. Rishi Sunak, our prime minister, has adjusted policy because we were very much set in a two-party consensus about the urgency of climate change and about the progress towards net zero.

And Rishi Sunak has said we've got to adjust the speed at which we approach that target because we cannot load costs on voters. And now that that sentiment seems to be very widespread in Europe. And so you've got leaders like Giorgia Meloni in Italy who did extremely well in the European Parliament election.

KINKADE: And it's fair to say the E.U. president, Ursula von der Leyen, saw that this shift was coming and --

RENTOUL: Yes.

KINKADE: -- in turn shifted further to the right.

[02:10:01]

RENTOUL: Yes, I mean, that is happening across Europe especially on these two issues, climate change policies and immigration. Giorgia Meloni was elected in Italy on a very strong anti-immigration platform. I mean, Italy obviously bears a large brunt of the arrivals across the Mediterranean from Africa. She's adjusted her position, actually, since she since she entered office.

But the attitude of other parties across Europe on immigration has taken a much tougher line. And the idea of third country processing, which Britain has taken to the extreme of the Rwanda scheme, is now an emerging consensus across Europe.

KINKADE: And of course, Germany's leader, Olaf Scholz's party had the worst ever result in a European election, coming in third after two other parties. Why was that? RENTOUL: It's interesting because his most controversial issue over

the past year has been Germany's reluctant support for the Ukraine war and its hesitancy about a more full-throated policy, which Olaf Scholz, I thought, had navigated well. But I think domestic issues of the cost-of-living problem, which has been dominant across Europe, he hasn't handled so well.

And I think we've seen the AFD, the German right-wing anti-immigration party, taking full advantage of that shift in sentiment that we were talking about across Europe.

KINKADE: Yeah. And I just want to ask you, Russia's war in Ukraine, of course, is the biggest land conflict since World War II. What could this shift to the right mean for Ukraine when it comes to aid?

RENTOUL: Well, it's not good news. I mean, it's not directly related, I suspect, but these populist anti-immigration parties do tend to take a more skeptical view about supporting Ukraine and its war against Russia. I'm not sure how that will play out. I mean, we've seen in America Donald Trump, for example, being more skeptical about America's support for Ukraine. But if I were President Zelensky, I would be a little bit nervous today.

KINKADE: Yeah, I'm sure he is. John Rentoul in London, we appreciate your time. Thanks so much for joining us.

RENTOUL: My pleasure.

KINKADE: Well, still to come, a shake up inside Israel's emergency government after a key official says he's quitting the war cabinet. We'll have the details in a live report next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:15:00]

KINKADE: Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz says he's stepping down from the country's emergency government set up after the October 7 Hamas attacks. In a televised statement, he described the decision as, quote, "complex and painful."

Gantz's departure comes just weeks after he issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he called on him to lay out a new plan for the war against Hamas by June 8th. Netanyahu asked Gantz to change his mind, saying now is the time to, quote, "join forces." But Gantz made his thoughts clear, accusing the Israeli leader of putting his own political considerations ahead of a strategy for a post-war Gaza.

And he's calling on Netanyahu to hold an election in the coming months. Well, Gantz was expected to resign Saturday, but postponed his announcement following news that Israeli forces had rescued four hostages held in Gaza. Officials there say the raid killed at least 274 Palestinians.

Israel says it estimates that the number of casualties from the operation to be under 100. CNN cannot independently verify either side's figures. Well, journalist Elliott Gotkine joins me now from London with more. Good to have you with us, Elliott. So, Benny Gantz had given the ultimatum. He wanted to bring -- he wanted a plan to bring hostages home. There's still over 100 in Gaza. And of course, he wanted a post-war plan for Gaza. So his resignation was not unexpected, but he is pretty frustrated with Netanyahu, right?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: He is, Lynda. Look, it's not a surprise that he made this announcement. It was delayed, as you say, by 24 hours because of the rescue of four Israeli hostages. But just because it wasn't surprising doesn't make it any less impactful. And so instead of Saturday evening announcing his resignation, he got up before the cameras on Sunday evening, which is when he made his announcement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENNY GANTZ, FORMER WAR VABINET MINISTER (through translation): Regrettably, Netanyahu is preventing us from advancing toward true victory, which is the justification for the ongoing and painful cost of war. That is why we are leaving the emergency government today with a heavy heart, but with full confidence. I call on Netanyahu, set an agreed election date. Don't allow our people to get torn apart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOTKINE: And I think that last point made by Benny Gantz, calling on Netanyahu to call on, to call for elections, to enact elections, is key because Gantz's departure, what it doesn't mean, the main thing it doesn't mean, is that it doesn't mean that Netanyahu's government will collapse.

He still has, along with his right-wing coalition partners, 64 of the 120 seats in Israel's parliament, the Knesset. So, unless his right- wing partners bolt from the government, Netanyahu is at least politically safe in office until October 2026, which is when elections are next due.

So in terms of the other main impacts that Gantz's departure is likely to have, I suppose the most important ones, as far as we're concerned, would be on the way that the war plays out between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and also those hostage talks, the hostage plan that President Biden announced, which America says Israel has accepted and for which they are still waiting for a response from Hamas.

02:20:03]

Now, in terms of the actual war, we know already that far-right national security minister, who let's not forget, was not permitted to serve in the Israeli army because of his extremist views. He's already demanding to be in the war cabinet, effectively replacing someone who served as a former chief of staff and a former defense minister with someone who never even served in the army. So that is one possibility that could play out.

And of course, without Benny Gantz, who was no dove, but without him, then Netanyahu could be even more beholden to those far-right ministers in his government. So that could lead to perhaps an intensification of the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. I think more likely what we are going to see is less receptiveness, if we can use that phrase, towards the possibility of a hostage deal.

Indeed, both Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister and the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, have already said that if that hostage deal that was announced by President Biden and which the Americans say Israel has already accepted, if that goes ahead and ultimately leads to a full cessation of hostilities with Hamas, that they would view that as a capitulation to Hamas, as a defeat, and they would therefore bolt the government, meaning that Netanyahu's government would indeed collapse.

Elections would be held and opinion polls suggest if they were held right now, Benny Gantz would win and Netanyahu would lose. So that's one possibility. I suppose also for Netanyahu himself, Gantz's departure leaves him more isolated than ever, more beholden on his right-wing ministers.

And I suppose also more isolated internationally as well, because I think that the United States and other allies of Israel also liked the fact that Gantz was in this government to provide, for want of a better phrase, one used by Aaron David Miller, former Middle East negotiator, a moderating influence on this government.

And now that he's gone, I think that that could lead to Netanyahu becoming more isolated internationally and also domestically as well. We've seen those protests day after day, week after week, especially against the Netanyahu government, calling on it to make a deal and also to do everything that it can to bring those hostage's home.

And I think that those protests with Gantz gone will perhaps intensify and that could lead to increased domestic pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu. Lynda?

KINKADE: Yeah, the frustration that Benny Gantz has with Netanyahu is shared by many families who have hostages still in Gaza. Elliott Gotkine for us in London. Thanks very much.

Well, still to come, a Venezuelan gang has sowed terror in several Central and South American countries. Now, U.S. officials warn they're entering the United States.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. The U.S. National Security Advisor says an enduring ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is the only credible path forward and is calling on Hamas to accept the latest proposal. Those comments from Jake Sullivan coming just one day after an Israeli military operation rescued four hostages from Gaza, while officials there say scores of people were killed. Sullivan was asked about that during an interview with CNN. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The exact number we don't know, but innocent people were killed, and that is heartbreaking. That is tragic. The president himself has said in recent days that the Palestinian people are going through sheer hell in this conflict because Hamas is operating in a way that puts them in the crossfire.

But there is only one answer to stop that from happening going forward, and that is a ceasefire and hostage deal that ends the military operations, brings the hostages home, and puts us in a position to give the Palestinians an opportunity for a better future for their people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, joining me now from London is H.A. Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies. He's also a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Good to have you with us. If you could hear me, can you describe the political fallout from this? This Israeli hostage mission, a raid to rescue four hostages that led to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians.

Gaza's health ministry puts the number at 274 killed, almost 700 injured, which would make it the deadliest day in six months. Israel says the number's closer to 100 Palestinians killed. Either way, both large numbers. Why are we hearing more about this from Western political leaders?

H.A. HELLYER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE FELLOW, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: I'm afraid there's no good answer to that question in the sense that it simply confirms that the value of Palestinian life in this whole conflict, as seen from Western capitals, is incredibly low.

And I think that what you've seen over the past couple of days, with I think only Joseph Burrell from the European Union actually even noting the incredible civilian cost where, you know, we're talking almost 300 Palestinians having to die at the hands of the Israeli Defense Forces and other Israeli forces in order to free four hostages.

It's extraordinary. And what you just heard from the United States was basically Hamas's fault, which I think is extraordinary. Of course, Hamas is a bad actor, a terrorist organization and so on. But Hamas did not kill these people. And in any other operation where hostages are being freed, whether domestically or internationally, we wouldn't call this a success.

[02:30:10]

We'd call it a huge failure because we would also consider against the positive nature of freeing for hostages, you know, almost 100 times more than that of people dying on the Palestinian side.

So, the -- I think the question that a lot of people around the world would be asking is simply, do these Western political leaders consider the Palestinian lives matter? And I think the answer is not going to be very positive.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: And, of course, there's also frustration from families of hostages when it comes to the way this is proceeding. We know that 105 hostages were released during that ceasefire back at the end of November. It was a week-long ceasefire.

By contrast, only seven hostages have been rescued by the IDF or released by Hamas. Surely, a ceasefire is going to be the most effective way to bring the most hostages home with less risks, risk to civilians in Gaza.

HELLYER: So, there's been number of ceasefire deals and hostage deals revealed over the past eight months. And they've been rejected the time and again by Israel despite the pleading of the families of the hostages in Israel. And I think you're absolutely right that actually quite a number of hostages have been killed as a result of this war on Gaza in the midst of IDF strikes on Gaza.

In fact, that it was recently claimed, although I don't think this has been verified yet, but it was claimed that even in the midst of this particular rescue operation, other hostages were killed.

So I think that it's absolutely true that if we're going to see hostages being released, the most hostages being released, it will come as a result of a hostage negotiation deal, and a ceasefire. Otherwise, I suspect we will see more hostages dying but we'll also see scores -- multiple times more Palestinian civilians dying.

And I would remind your viewers that over the past nine months, we've seen at least 40,000 Palestinians being killed as a result of this war on Gaza after an attack in October, on October 7 that killed 1,200 Israelis. The numbers are really quite extraordinary.

And I think that people ought to keep in mind that, you know, going forward, if we're going to have any chance of any sort of co-existence in the Holy Land, in Israel, Palestine, then the dignity of all human lives has to be paramount, as opposed to this particular cycle where frankly an occupation that is so brutal and the campaign that is so brutal is simply going to continue the cycle of violence and hatred for many years to come.

KINKADE: Yeah, you make a good point.

H.A. Hellyer, thanks so much for your time. We appreciate it.

(MUSIC)

KINKADE: Ukrainian forces say they destroyed a state of the art Russian stealth fighter jet in a drone attack over the weekend. This was their target, the SU-57. It's a supersonic fifth generation jet, with only a few reportedly in combat. Ukraine's defense intelligence agency posted about the strike online saying they attack the jet to an air-filled newly -- they track the jet to an airfield nearly 600 kilometers from the front lines in the war. The agency says satellite photos showed craters from the explosion and distinctive fire spots where the jet once stood. Well, a senior Ukrainian security officer tells CNN the northern front in Kherson has been stabilized, thanks to more Western weapons and permission to use them for strikes inside of Russia. The officer says it's now possible to conduct local counter attacks. And recapture territories taken by the Russians.

That includes the areas in Kharkiv where Ukrainian commander says they were able to push back a second campaign by Russian forces.

We're going to take a quick break. Much more news in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:37:53]

KINKADE: Well, officials believed Venezuela's most notorious gang is now established here in the United States and is allegedly running a multistate human trafficking ring attacking police officers and dealing drugs.

Rafael Romo tells us how the Tren De Aragua Gang entered the country and how law enforcement is trying to counter that threat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the last several years, they have terrorized multiple South American countries.

Police in the region say a Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua has victimized thousands through extortion, drug and human trafficking, kidnapping, and murder. And now, U.S. law enforcement including customs and border protection and the FBI say the gang has made their way into the country.

BRITTON BOYD, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: The FBI El Paso can confirm that members of Tren de Aragua have crossed into the United States.

ROMO: Alvaro Boza, a former Venezuelan police officer now living in Florida, says he fled his country in large part because the gang had become so powerful, they could kill law enforcement like him with impunity.

Boza says a fellow police officer who refused to cooperate with the gang was shot 50 times.

ALVARO BOZA, FORMER VENEZUELAN POLICE OFFICER (through translator): He refused and was murdered. They tied his body to a motorcycle and dragged it throughout the San Vicente neighborhood to demonstrate the power of the Tren de Aragua.

BOYD: They have followed the migration paths across South America to other countries and have set up criminal groups throughout South America, as they follow those paths, and that they appear to have followed the migration north to the United States. ROMO: U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens, who has confirmed multiple arrests of a our members over the last year, issued a warning in early April after reporting yet another arrest: watch out for this gang, he said. It is the most powerful in Venezuela known for murder, drug trafficking, sex crime, extortion, and other violent acts.

The challenge for law enforcement officials is that it's very difficult to know how many members of Tren de Aragua are already here in the United States.

[02:40:07]

What some Venezuelan immigrants are telling us here in Florida and other states is that they are already beginning to see in their communities the same type of criminal activity they fled from in Venezuela.

ROLANDO VAZQUEZ, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: Will they do have their hands on prostitution, contract killing, selling of drugs, selling of arms, you name it. They're just all types of criminal activity that they can engage in. Anything that's an illicit activity, they're going to engage in for a profit.

JUDGE MINDY S. GLAZER, 11TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF FLORIDA: Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan street gang that is operating in the United States.

ROMO: A judge in Miami-Dade County sit in a hearing that one of two suspects in the murder of a former Venezuelan police officer in south Florida, allegedly is a member of the gang.

And more recently, a New York police source told CNN the 19-year-old who allegedly opened fire on two officers after they tried to stop him for riding a scooter in the wrong direction has tattoos associated with the gang.

Boza, the former Venezuelan police officer says the U.S. government has no way of knowing if swelling immigrant asking for asylum at the southern border is in reality a criminal because Venezuela, as a matter of policy, does not share intelligence with the United States.

BOYD: Our biggest concern would be making sure our partners are aware to be on the lookout.

ROMO: And that's the key federal officials say when it comes to making sure this new thread than the United States that's not growing to the national security challenge. Its become in several Latin American countries.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, thanks so much for joining us. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

"WORLD SPORT" is next for our international viewers. And for those here in North America, more news in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:43]

KINKADE: Welcome back to our viewers in North America. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

In the coming hours, the probation officers set to interview Donald Trump as part of the sentencing phase of his hush money trial. The meeting will be virtual with his attorney present as Trump is back on the campaign trail. Trump's advisers are eager for him to leave talk of his legal troubles out his speeches. But so far, that hasn't been the case.

CNN's Alayna Treene reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Former President Donald Trump in his first campaign rally since being convicted in a Manhattan courtroom last week surprisingly, did not talk about that trial specifically during his speech. Instead, he spoke about his legal troubles more broadly.

He also criticized special counsel Jack Smith, who was not part of this case, referring to him as a, quote, dumb son of a bitch, and also claimed that the weaponization of the Justice Department in this country tree is worse than what you would find in a third world country.

Take a listen to how he put it.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Tell you what? No third world country has weaponization, where they go after political candidates, like we have either. This guy can't get elected anything without cheating. The only way he can get elected is to cheat.

TREENE: Now, despite that rhetoric, I will tell you that from my conversations with Donald Trump's campaign, they really do want him to leave this weeks-long trial in the past and really begin turning back to a general election campaign message. That includes talking about immigration, something he spoke about at length on Sunday, as well as the economy and crime.

And he did make one new announcement on Sunday. He said that in a second administration of his would eliminate taxes on tips and that's something particularly important to voters here in Nevada, especially given the state's reliance on tourism and transportation.

Now, just looking ahead to Monday, Donald Trump is set to have a pre- sentencing hearing with a probation officer. Now, this is pretty routine following a conviction like his. However, what's not normal is that it is going to be virtual. We're told he'll be at his Mar-a-Lago home with his defense attorney, Todd Blanche, for that. Alayna Treene, CNN, Las Vegas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, as he looks to Washington's NATO Summit in July, U.S. President Biden is warning against isolationism. He' back in the U.S. after wrapping up his five-day visit to France, a trip that kicks off a diplomatic blitz that also includes the upcoming G7 gathering in Italy.

On the last day of his visit, President Biden stressed the importance of alliances while paying tribute at a World War I cemetery. He says the stop was a symbolic show of support for partnerships that can prevent future conflicts. Well, Biden earlier spoke the cherished ties between the U.S. and France.

President Biden son's federal gun trial resumes today. It's not yet clear if Hunter Biden will testify in his own defense. Hunter is accused of having a gun while being addicted to crack cocaine and lying on a form about his drug abuse.

CNN's Marshall Cohen has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden has a huge decision to make: will he testify in his own defense at his criminal trial that's currently underway in Wilmington, Delaware? He's facing three felony charges for allegedly lying about his past and continuing drug use in 2018 when he bought a gun. It's against federal law for a drug user or a drug addict to buy a gun or possess a gun, in this country.

So why might he want to take the stand? Because it's a very risky move. There are so many things in his past that the prosecutors could throw at him if he's on the stand.

Well, for his part, the defense attorneys that have been representing Hunter throughout this case have said that one of the things they want to make sure that the jury hears, if he does testify, is that he can tell them that he has been cleaned and sober and law abiding since 2019.

The jury in this case has heard so much about his rampant and almost unstoppable drug abuse in the years, including when he bought that gun in 2018. That's a big part of the prosecutions case. So the defense might try to rebut some of that by telling the jury about his subsequent sobriety and how he was trying to get sober not too long after he bought that gun.

[02:50:09]

Now, the prosecutors have said in pretrial court filings that if Hunter does testify, they might want to ask him about his discharge from the Navy in 2014 because he tested positive for cocaine back then. And also they said they might try to undermine his credibility. You might try to impeach his credibility.

They said, when they charged him, that that he lied on federal background check forums about his drug use they said in these filings that if he testifies, they might also try to convince the jury that he lied also about his taxes. They have charged him in a separate federal indictment in California, all about his taxes and alleged tax evasion, the prosecutor said that they may try to bring in some of those allegations into this case, to demonstrate to the jury that in their view, he cannot be trusted on the stand on his tax forms or on a gun form either.

So, we'll find out Monday when the proceedings resume in Delaware at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. We should learn pretty soon if he's going to testify. If he doesn't, then we will probably be heading straight to closing arguments in this historic case.

Marshall Cohen, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, as more people in China move to cities to find work and raise families, a growing number of communities becoming so-called ghost villages. Once full of life and thriving. These pluses are home only to wildlife and decaying abandoned buildings.

Marc Stewart shows us what Chinas mass urbanization looks like.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In parts of rural China, time stands still.

We're on a road trip to show you what's known as a ghost village.

We are technically still in Beijing, about 40 miles from the city center. And we came here to show how people have moved over time. This was once a thriving village. Now, it's almost abandoned.

Houses in the village are overgrown with weeds. In this home, reminders children were once here. Artwork and school certificates hang on the wall, shoes lay on the ground.

We don't know exactly what this once was, but it's clearly locked up. The windows are broken. No one has been here for awhile.

To give you some context, in the 1980s, only about 20 percent of Chinese families lived in cities. Now that number is closer to 70 percent. This village reflects that transition.

This shift isn't without side effects, as young people move to cities for better opportunities and jobs. In some cases, they're leaving parents even children from behind urbanization on such a massive scale has drastically changed the economic and social landscape across rural China.

What's happening here isn't that much of a surprise. Modernization has been a big part of the Chinese governance blueprint for the future, an effort to keep up with the strength of the West.

So, we're seeing this movement from farm to factory, and now beyond.

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KINKADE: Well, India and Pakistan and have one of the most passionate and intense rivalries in world cricket. So when they met at the T20 World Cup in New York on Sunday, expectations were high and the match didn't disappoint.

"WORLD SPORT's " Patrick Snell reports on what some are calling the Super Bowl of cricket.

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PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: An absolute need carnival atmosphere inside the stadium here in New York, over 34,000 fans and I tell you, one point to go into the TV broadcast, the decibel level inside the ground reaching 123. But let me tell you, those fans inside treated to an absolutely epic contest despite the earlier rain delays.

Among the packed house, India great, the legendary, Sachin Tendulkar. Pakistan winning the top, which is so important at this New York venue, which has seen concerns raised over the specialty adopted drop- in pitches, but there were certain let me know troubling India skipper Rohit Sharma after his team were asked about first, a glorious six of just a third ball met with absolutely raucous applause from India fans.

So much of the focus is always on India superstar batter Virat Kohli, but Pakistan coming off back, shock and embarrassing loss to America get removed him for just four. India at one point, 19-2. Rishabh Pant top-scored for India, though, but when he fell for 42 at the volley of Mohammad Amir, India's hopes looked bleak.

Amir event dismissing Ravindra Jadeja. The very next fall, but he would be denied a famous T20 World Cup hat-trick when Arshdeep Singh played it safe and block the delivery out.

[02:55:07]

Amir, in fact, one of two Pakistan bowlers on hat-trick balls during India's innings. Pakistan then needing 120 for the win, but it would be the lightning quick Jasprit Bumrah who played a key role in India's fight back first accounting for Pakistan skipper Babar Azzam.

Then, an absolutely unplayable delivery to claim the prize, wicket of Mohammad Rizwan. The tables have turned and in the end, Pakistan needing 12 runs from the last two bowls. But despite a boundary of the penultimate delivery of the match, Pakistan would fall six run short. India sealing a famous win that for so long had looked very unlikely indeed.

Pakistan left absolutely distraught.

JASPRIT BUMRAH, TOOK 3 WICKETS FOR INDIA: It did feel like we're in India and the cheer is always appreciated and people were really loud. So, yeah, we were really happy with the support that we got, and that gives us energy on the field as well.

SNELL: As a result, Pakistan have now suffered defeats from two and I have to say their hopes of reaching the super ace of this tournament a look rather bleak, indeed.

They take on Canada in their next game. That one is on Tuesday, while in stark contrast, India will be looking for a third straight win, when they take on surprise package team USA on Wednesday. The Americans themselves looking for a third consecutive victory.

Patrick Snell, CNN, Long Island, New York.

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KINKADE: Well, thanks so much for your company this hour. I'm Lynda Kinkaid. I'll be back with much more CNN NEWSROOM after a short break.

Stay with us.

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