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Far-Right Parties Projected to Win Most Seats in the E.U. Parliament Polls; Benny Gantz Quits from Israeli War Cabinet. Zimbabwe Struggles with El Nino and Global Warming; A Look Inside one of the Chinese Ghost Towns due to Thriving Communities; Apple Partners with OpenAI for an Upcoming Launch of AI-Powered iPhone Tool. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired June 10, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all our viewers watching from around the world, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Ahead on "CNN Newsroom."

The new rise of Europe's far-right, right-wing parties seeing a surge of support in parliamentary elections, but the E.U. Commission President assures that the center is holding.

A blow to Israel's leadership as Benjamin Netanyahu's main political challenger resigns from the war cabinet.

And U.S. President Joe Biden's new campaign ad says Donald Trump is incompetent on the world stage. We'll discuss Biden's latest effort to undermine his presidential rival, as recent polls show them neck-and- neck.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Lynda Kinkade.

KINKADE: It's one of the world's largest elections, with more than 370 million people eligible to vote for the next European Parliament. Well now the results are coming in, and far-right parties are projected to win a record number of seats following four days of voting.

Well 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 that the mainstream center-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 COMMISSION 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 expressed their outrage at gains for French right-wing parties, which took more than one in three votes cast, according to official results. French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved parliament and called for snap elections in the coming weeks.

Weii joining us now is Clare Sebastian, live from London. Good to see you, Clare. So this is a significant shift for parties that were once considered French, now projected to win a record number of seats.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Lynda, look, it's been a years-long, if not decades-long process where we've seen incremental gains for far-right parties in Europe. But I think it's safe to say now, and especially given how clearly we see that it feeds international politics like in France, that these parties are no longer on the fringes. This is the mainstreaming of these far-right parties and these far-right policies.

Now, look, it's clear also that the center did hold the EPP. The European People's Party, led by E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is still the biggest party in the European Parliament. It did gain seats. And she should be able to comfortably form a coalition with several other parties in the center and the center-left in order to be able to push through the policies that she wants. Of course, there's another question hanging over her. She is up for re-election. Her term expires in July. So she'll be hoping that she can bring forward that support for that as well.

But I think if you look to the right of that chart, you do see gains for the I.D. group, led by Marine Le Pen from France, which, of course, gained huge amounts of seats in this vote, the ECR, where Giorgia Meloni of Italy is the key figure. And, of course, N.I., non- attached members, now includes the AFD, the Alternative for Germany party in Germany, that was deemed so far to the right that Marine Le Pen actually kicked it out of the I.D. group a few weeks ago. So that's another part of this story, is that the far-right itself is not unified. So given that, I think it's unclear at this point how much power they will wield within the parliament.

KINKADE: Yeah. Interesting looking at that graphic. I have to ask you, of course, about France, because the French president's party did not do well. And, of course, we had that surprise announcement by Emmanuel Macron calling for snap elections in a matter of weeks. That, of course, is a political risk.

SEBASTIAN: This is a huge gamble. And I think, you know, while the rise of the National Rally Party and one other far-right party in France didn't surprise everyone, certainly Macron's reaction to it did. [03:05:00]

His argument is that he needs to now seek clarity from the parliament so that he can move forward. But he certainly didn't disguise his concern about what the rise of the far-right will mean for France and for Europe. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): 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: So he is hoping, of course, that he will be able to win over voters. Of course, it's not his job that's up for grabs, but it is the parliament where he will be hoping that his liberal agenda will gain a new mandate. If it doesn't go his way, of course, we could then see a far-right prime minister in France and an even more difficult situation for Emmanuel Macron as he seeks to push through his policies for his last three years as president of France. Lynda?

KINKADE: We'll see if this political risk pays dividends for him later this month. Claire Sebastian for us in London. Thanks so much.

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 POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, "THE INDEPENDENT" AND VISITING PROFESSOR, KING'S COLLEGE LONDON: 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 he's going to call a general election in France as a response. I mean, that is, 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 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 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 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 in turn shifted further to the right.

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 entered office.

[03:10:02]

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?

RENOTUL: Well, 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: John Rentoul in London, we appreciate your time. Thanks so

much for joining us.

RENTOUL: My pleasure.

KINKADE: Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz says he's resigning 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 8.

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 the number of casualties from the operation to be under 100 civilians. CNN cannot independently verify either side's figures.

We are tracking all the developments from London. Well CNN's Nada Bashir and journalist Elliott Gotkine are standing by for us. Good to have you both with us. I want to start with you, Elliott, first on the resignation of Benny Gantz. He had given an ultimatum. He wanted a plan to bring the hostages home. There are still over 100 in Gaza. But he also wanted a post-war plan for Gaza. So his resignation, while not unexpected, he did express his frustration with Netanyahu, right?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: He did. And as you say, it wasn't a surprise that he announced his resignation. But that doesn't make it any less impactful. Benny Gantz was seen as a kind of moderating influence on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He ensured that he was in the war cabinet, along with Netanyahu, along with Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and that specifically the far-right ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition would not be in the war cabinet.

So all of the decisions and the prosecution of Israel's war against Hamas since the Hamas terrorist attacks of October the 7th have been a result of decisions made by the war cabinet. It hasn't just been Netanyahu. And it hasn't been Netanyahu and his far-right ministers.

But what's going to happen now is, first of all, Netanyahu, it's important to note, is not under threat in terms of his position as prime minister. He still has the numbers in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, 64 out of the 120 seats. So as long as his right-wing ministers don't bolt from the coalition, then he is pretty much politically at least safe in government until October 2026. What it does do, though, is leave Netanyahu more isolated and also gives more power and will perhaps leave him more open to persuasion by those far- right ministers in terms of the war and in terms of those hostage negotiations.

KINKADE: And Nada, to you, I want to ask about this Israeli operation to rescue the four hostages, which left dozens, scores of Palestinians, including young children, dead. Gaza puts the number at 274 killed, almost 700 injured. What more can you tell us?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this will certainly mark one of the deadliest days that we have seen in Gaza in months. Of course, this raid took place mid-morning. It was during the day, which is somewhat unusual to see a raid of this scale taking place during the day. But this is an area, as we know, that is currently sheltering thousands of civilians in the Nuiserat refugee camp. We have seen this particular camp come under heavy bombardment over recent days, killing dozens of civilians.

[03:15:03]

But this was, according to residents on the ground speaking to CNN colleagues, something that they have not seen before. The carnage that has been described in the aftermath of this raid is something on a scale that we haven't necessarily heard from civilians on the ground in months. And we have seen graphic and distressing video emerging from the ground, including from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which is nearby, showing the overwhelmed hospital wards with bodies on the ground.

The hospital, of course, simply unable to cope with this level of casualties that we are seeing. And this is something that we have heard, of course, repeatedly now from health officials on the ground in Gaza. And, of course, as we have been hearing from residents, they have described this, some of them, as hell on earth.

That is the message that we have been hearing. We have been hearing from others saying that ambulances weren't able to actually access the area in the aftermath of this raid because it had been deemed a military zone, because it simply wasn't secure enough for paramedics to access those in need of help.

But, of course, this has really raised concerns over what this could mean for any potential peace plan currently on the table. This has drawn fierce criticism from members of the international community, particularly from regional leaders. We have heard from Hamas condemning this attack as a brutal massacre. The Palestinian Authority has also been vocal in condemning this attack.

But, of course, we have been hearing from Egyptian officials who have expressed their concerns that this could place any sort of negotiations currently on the table in jeopardy, particularly as the peace plan currently put forward by, according to U.S. President Joe Biden, by the Israeli government, calls for a peaceful exchange of hostages, many now questioning why this raid needed to take place, particularly as the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has outspokenly rejected this peace plan currently on the table.

KINKADE: All right. Nada Bashir for us and Elliott Gotkine in London, thank you both very much. Well, Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail, but he can't seem to stop talking about his criminal conviction. We'll have more on his latest stop when we come back.

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[03:20:00]

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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Well, as he looks to Washington's NATO summit in July, U.S. President Biden is warning against isolationism. He's 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.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: And the idea that we're able to avoid being engaged in major battles in Europe, it's just not realistic. That's why it's so important that we continue to have the alliances we have, continue to beef up those alliances, continue to keep NATO strong, continue to do what we've been able to do for the last, since the end of World War II.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, in the coming hours, a probation officer is set to interview Donald Trump as part of the sentencing phase of his hush money trial. The meeting will be virtual with his attorney president as Trump is back on the campaign trail. Trump's advisers are eager for him to leave talk of his legal troubles out of 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 is worse than what you would find in a third world country. Take a listen to how he put it. DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'll 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 week's 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 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: Larry Sabato is the director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. He joins us now from Charlottesville. Good to see you, Larry.

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Nice to see you, Lynda.

KINKADE: So for the first time since Trump's criminal conviction, he's been out campaigning over the weekend. He was in Las Vegas, Nevada, a key battleground state, which a recent Fox survey found tips in his favor. His speech there lasted about an hour in the scorching heat. Twelve people had to be taken for treatment. What stood out to you during that campaign rally?

SABATO: It's the fact that he is attracting so many younger and older Hispanics. And that really is the difference in Nevada. Nevada usually votes Democratic, but it's always close. And Trump realizes he has a chance to capture that state, which Biden won four years ago.

[03:24:58]

But of course, Trump was on display. He used a very inappropriate term to describe the special counsel, as he always does. He goes off script and he says things that end up, I think, hurting him more than helping him.

KINKADE: And it's interesting looking at a new CBS poll overall, showing that Biden and Trump are neck and neck. Biden's slightly ahead in the battleground states. Biden at 50 percent versus Trump's 49 percent. But most of Mr. Biden's voters say their main rationale for supporting him is opposing Trump. And that's up from March. Now, his team has released a new ad today. I just want to play some of that sound and get your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN (voice-over): The world sees Trump for what he is, insincere, ill-informed, corrupt, dangerously incompetent and incapable, in my view, of world leadership. And if we give Donald Trump four more years, we'll have a great deal of difficulty, if ever, being able to recover America's standing in the world and our capacity to bring nations together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: So what's your reaction to that new attack ad by the Biden campaign?

SABATO: Lynda, I think it's very effective. It's effective because it's both clever and accurate.

That is what most world leaders, at least the world leaders who traditionally have been America's allies, that's the way they think of President Trump. And of course, the world leaders he's closest to, we would normally consider adversaries, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un in North Korea, Viktor Orban in Hungary and others.

So I think it's an accurate ad and it really gets the point across. It's well put together.

KINKADE: And it speaks to Biden's message in France over the weekend, right? He paid tribute to fallen U.S. soldiers. He went to a World War I cemetery in the outskirts of Paris, which Trump avoided when he was president. This is a burial ground that's home to over 2,000 American soldiers. Biden never mentioned Trump's name, though, during any of those speeches, but he did highlight how important it is to protect the alliance, right? Who was he speaking to?

SABATO: You were absolutely correct to say he didn't name Trump, but everyone knew that the contrast was there and they caught it because at least some people remember what Trump did during those four years. And Biden, I think, conducted himself very well. He appears presidential. He has a number of other international conferences and engagements coming up. And, you know, that's -- that's the way a president running for reelection should look.

And it's a nice contrast with your opponent who is going to have his first meeting with a probation officer after 34 felony counts.

KINKADE: Yeah, I want to ask you about that. So that meeting with the probation officer will happen Monday after the guilty verdict that came through in the hush money case. What sort of sentence do you expect he'll get?

SABATO: Well, a minority of the people who study this area think he'll get some prison time and it's possible. I tend to think the judge will be creative. He will certainly get some punishment. Maybe it's in-home retention. Maybe it is some public service of one sort or another. That would be interesting, wouldn't it, to see a president out doing community service and this president in particular.

The judge will come up with something appropriate, probably isn't prison time. But the point is, he was convicted. He'll be the first convicted felon ever to be a nominee for president or if he's elected to be in the Oval Office. I'm not sure that's something for a country to be proud of.

KINKADE: Yeah, we will see how this plays out. Larry Sabato, good to have you with us as always. Thanks so much.

SABATO: Thank you, Lynda.

KINKADE: Well, the key official says he's quitting Israel's war cabinet. Ahead, more details on Benny Gantz's move and the latest developments from Gaza.

Plus, millions of people are at risk of starvation in Zimbabwe as the country deals with one of its worst droughts on record.

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[03:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging a key member of his war cabinet to change his mind after Benny Gantz announced that he was quitting the emergency government. His departure comes just weeks after he issued an ultimatum to Netanyahu as he called on him to lay out a new plan for the war against Hamas by June 8. Gantz is accusing the Israeli leader of putting his own political considerations ahead of a strategy for a post-war Gaza.

The announcement came one day after Israeli forces rescued four hostages in an operation in Gaza, where officials say scores of Palestinians were killed. The U.S. National Security Advisor says an enduring ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is the only credible path forward, and is calling on Hamas to accept the latest proposal.

Well last hour, I spoke with H.A. Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. I asked him why we aren't hearing more from Western political leaders when it comes to the death toll from the latest operation in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

H.A. HELLYER, SR. 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 I think only Josep Borrell 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' 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.

[03:34:52]

And in any other operation where hostages are being freed, whether domestically or internationally, we wouldn't call this a success. We'd call it a huge failure, because we would also consider against the positive nature of freeing four hostages, you know, almost 100 times more than that of people dying on the Palestinian side. So I think the question that a lot of people around the world will be asking is simply, do these Western political leaders consider that Palestinian lives matter? And I think the answer is not going to be very positive.

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

HELLYER: So there's been a number of ceasefire deals and hostage deals revealed over the past eight months, and they've been rejected 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, 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 the 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 coexistence 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 a campaign that is so brutal is simply going to continue a cycle of violence and hatred for many years to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Thanks to H.A. Hellyer.

U.S. officials are trying to persuade the G7 to approve a massive loan to Ukraine, using profits from frozen Russian assets. $50 billion would become available for Ukraine to use in the war with Russia.

But some details still need to be worked out before the deal can be finalized. Sources say U.S. President Joe Biden is trying to fast- track the process, so an announcement can be made in the G7 communique this week. U.S. officials say the deal would send a message to Moscow that it won't outlast international support for Ukraine.

Well, still to come after a quick break, a heat dome spreads across the southern U.S. and some areas could see temperatures as high as 110 degrees. That's very much more after the break.

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[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. The decades-old balloon feud between North and South Korea is picking up speed. Over the weekend, North Korea sent dozens of trash balloons into South Korean territory. And South Korea responded with loudspeaker broadcasts. One South Korean politician is urging both countries to stop the quote, "childish chicken games".

Well Mike Valerio joins me now from Seoul. Good to see you, Mike. So these really do sound like childish games, because you've got South Korea sending over balloons with K-pop music. And in return, you've got North Korea sending balloons with essentially trash, plastic rubbish. What is going on?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Lynda, you know, it is surreal to see play out here. And that statement is coming from the main opposition leader here in South Korea, Lee Jae-myung, who is saying, paraphrasing him ever so slightly, that if this game of chicken continues, that this could end up resulting in a localized conflict or, worst case scenario, an all-out war. And Lynda, essentially what we're trying to do here, gauging from the bureau in Seoul, is to figure out the tempo of what is happening with this back-and-forth.

And we have new information coming in that's indicating from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff that they seem to believe North Korea is preparing their own loudspeakers to be pumping in propaganda from north, kilometers on end into South Korea, mirroring what South Korea did yesterday.

So again, this seems to be picking up ever so slightly after we were all hoping that perhaps we would have an intermezzo or a pausing or a slowing of this tempo. So talking about what South Korea did, we have images of about nine or 10 military vehicles with loudspeakers coming out of the roofs of those military trucks.

And the loudspeakers, for some duration of time late yesterday afternoon, we have confirmation played K-pop song specifically a tune from BTS, also played news bulletins from South Korean media agencies detailing human rights abuses perpetrated by Kim Jong-un's regime in North Korea.

So speaking of that regime, Kim Yo-jong, Kim's sister, coming out with new statements after those loudspeaker broadcasts from the South, saying that this could amount to a prelude to a very dangerous situation, saying that there could be new responses from North Korea based on the propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts that emanated from the South.

[03:44:55]

Wrapping up here, Lynda, we have an astounding 1,110 trash balloons that have flown from the North making it to South Korea. So we are all watching to see what happens with the tempo for this balloon umbrella, Lynda.

KINKADE: All right. Hopefully things calm down. Mike Valerio in Seoul. Thanks so much.

Well, more than 80 million people are under heat alerts here in southwestern U.S. as the southern half of the country grapples with extreme heat at the start of the workweek. Some areas could see temperatures as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit. That's about 43 degrees Celsius.

Here's CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLINSON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Record temperatures are set to return as that heat dome really starts to set up once again across the southern tier of the U.S. In Florida, temperatures looking at at least one more day of possible records for places like Orlando, Jacksonville and perhaps even Tampa.

High temperature there topping out at 95 degrees before dropping back to 87 as we go a few days later. And that's thanks to some showers and thunderstorms that will be moving back into the area.

Quite a different story, however, for both Macon and Jackson, where the temperatures will actually be going back up as we make our way into the middle of the week. And that's the same story out to the west, where those temperatures are expected to drastically rise over the next few days. Albuquerque going from 77 all the way up to 98 by Wednesday. Denver, Colorado going from 84 up to 93 in places like Phoenix, Las Vegas, even up around Sacramento, all looking at those temperatures well above average for this time of year.

When we look at the heat risk again, you can see a lot of these areas up in that moderate risk area, the orange color you see there, but even a few spots in red from western Texas stretching all the way up into Utah and even California. The concern there is that, yes, even though it's June, it's summertime, we expect hot temperatures.

These are considered dangerously hot for a lot of these areas compared to what they normally would see. And for some of these areas, it's going to last for quite some time. Take Tucson, for example. Every single one of the next seven days, this temperature is expected to be well above average.

Las Vegas, for example, a very hot place, but right now their average high is only about 98. They're not even technically supposed to be at triple digits. But if you look at every single one of the next seven days, all of them looking at those high temperatures into the triple digits, some of them even making it awfully close to around 110.

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KINKADE: Our thanks to Allison Chinchar there.

Families in Zimbabwe are struggling to put food on the table as the terrible drought plagues the country in the south of Africa. And the threat of another failed rainy season has UNICEF raising the alarm.

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KINKADE (voice-over): Children line up for what may very well be their only meal today, waiting patiently for a scoop, maybe two, of macaroni. Their parents, who rely on neighboring farms for work, out of the job due to crop failure. No crops mean no food, let alone any money to buy it.

A drought caused by a combination of naturally occurring El Nino and human-induced global warming plagues Zimbabwe. It's the worst drought here in years, after a failed rainy season from October to March. And the threat of another below average season later this year. Crops have dried up and families are struggling to put food on the table.

In a flash appeal UNICEF said 7.6 million people need life-saving support, of those the most vulnerable are children.

LETWIN MHANDE, MOTHER OF FOUR (through translator): Food is a big challenge and sometimes the kids carry corn snacks to school. This is different from previous years when we had good rainy seasons and I could at least pack something decent for them. We can now only afford to have one meal per day because we have no choice.

KINKADE (voice-over): At this feeding station and four others, donors fund two meals for about 1,500 children a day. But as the drought persists and donations dip, resources are stretched increasingly thin.

SAMANTHA MUZOROKI, KUCHENGENTANA TRUST FOUNDER: I felt that as a mother and as a woman and a member of a community I should chip in when I hear the cries of a child next door saying they haven't eaten since yesterday. I had a moral obligation to satiate that need. KINKADE (voice-over): In nearby Malawian Zambia, the El Nino-driven

drought means crops are failing, prices are soaring and people are struggling to find food. All three countries have declared natural disasters.

This Malawian farmer is used to harvesting 50 bags or 50 kilograms from her field. But with little rainfall along with a worm issue, that number has plummeted to just two.

FANNY KUNKHOMA, SUBSISTENCE FARMER (through translator): I don't know what the future holds for me because honestly I didn't expect two bags. I feel like crying because I can't understand this. What am I going to do with my children out of the two bags? I have literally nothing to give the children.

KINKADE (voice-over): It's a humanitarian crisis, one that aid organizations are working to fight. But even as El Nino wanes, the globe only gets warmer due to climate change. And after the struggle to survive this season, families live in fear of what will come next.

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[03:50:10]

KINKADE: Well still to come. We take a look at one of China's so- called ghost villages as a result of the country's rapid urbanization. Now nature is reclaiming spaces where generations of people once lived.

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KINKADE: Welcome back. Well, as more people in China move to cities to find work and raise their families, a growing number of communities are becoming so-called ghost villages. Once full of life and thriving, these places are home only to wildlife and decaying abandoned buildings. Marc Stewart shows us what China's mass urbanization looks like.

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

STEWART: 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.

[03:55:02]

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 a while. STEWART (voice-over): To give you some context, in the 1980s, only

about 20% of Chinese families lived in cities. Now that number is closer to 70 percent. This village reflects that transition.

STEWART: This shift isn't without side effects. As young people move to cities for better opportunities in jobs, in some cases they're leaving parents, even children behind.

STEWART (voice-over): Urbanization on such a massive scale has drastically changed the economic and social landscape across rural China.

STEWART: What's happening here isn't that much of a surprise. Modernization has been a big part of the Chinese government's 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.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well Apple wants to hang with the big kids in the world of artificial intelligence. The tech giant is expected to announce a partnership today with chat GPT maker OpenAI and unveil its first generative AI tools for iPhones. It comes as NVIDIA just passed Apple as the world's second most valuable company. Thought to be called Apple Intelligence, its AI tools will likely most benefit its Siri personal assistant.

Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Newsroom continues with my colleague and friend Max Foster after a very short break. Stay with us.

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