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U.N. Security Council Backs Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Permanent Plan; New Video Details Rescue and Release of Four Hostages in Gaza; Protests Erupt as Far-Right Groups Gain More Seats, French President Calls for a Snap Election; Plane Carrying Malawi V.P., Nine Others Said to be Missing; FEMA May Run Out of Budget Before Hurricane Season Begins. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired June 11, 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]

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: 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, convicted felon Donald Trump meets with his probation officer, details on the pre-sentencing interview for the former U.S. president.

Another push to end the war in Gaza, the U.N. Security Council votes to approve a plan for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the release of the remaining hostages.

Plus massive protests erupt after a record number of far-right gains in Europe's parliamentary elections.

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

KINKADE: We begin this hour in China where four U.S. college instructors have been stabbed at a park in a rare case of violent crime against foreigners.

The victims were attacked in the city of Jilin in China's northeast. They worked at Cornell College, a small private liberal arts institution in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Footage that appears to show the aftermath of that stabbing appeared on China's social media, but it was quickly censored. Little is known about the instructors' conditions. There's still no word on a motive.

All right. I want to bring in CNN's Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong following this story. Good to have you with us, Kristie. So this has been described as a brutal stabbing by the Iowa representative for the district where this university is. Do you know if these four are still in hospital? What else can you tell us about their injuries and whether they were targeted? KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Lynda, one of the victims

is said to be doing well. This is a very chilling, stabbing incident, especially keeping in mind that violent crime against foreigners are rare in China. And this is the latest what we know. So it involves four educators from Iowa's Cornell College. They were wounded in this stabbing incident when they were visiting a park in Jilin City. That's located in the northeast of China. And we do have video of the aftermath. Let's bring it up once again for you.

In this social media video, I want you to look at the three wounded people lying on the ground. This is in Beishan Park in Jilin City. They are covered in blood. They are waiting for first responders. And one of them is pressing his hand on the back of his waist.

All three in the video are awake, they're conscious, and they're using their smartphones to try to reach out to others. The brother of one of the wounded Americans, David Zabner, says that his brother is, quote, "doing well, but the condition of the other three at this hour is unknown". And there are no reports yet of a motive.

Now, the president of Cornell College said that the four in China, it's part of a partnership with a local university called Beishan University. And in his statement to CNN, this is what he said. Jonathan Brand told CNN, quote, "we have been in contact with all four instructors and are assisting them during this time". Now, Brand says that they were with a Beishan faculty member when the stabbing took place. This took place Monday morning around 11:35 a.m. local time. No students were involved in this program.

The U.S. State Department, meanwhile, says it is aware of reports of a stabbing and it is monitoring the situation. The stabbing in Jilin City has been trending high on Chinese social media today, with posts occasionally censored. And some netizens, you know, they called it a terrible incident.

Let's bring up some example responses for you, with some saying this, the current state of public security is not supposed to let such a thing happen. Another said it will definitely further hinder foreigners from visiting China.

Now, China has low rates of violent crime. Again, violent crimes against foreigners, very rare. But the stabbing comes at a sensitive time for U.S.-China relations. These two countries, they're trying to strengthen relations, they're trying to strengthen people-to-people exchanges at a time of deep tension.

As we reported earlier here on CNN, Chinese leader Xi Jinping plans to invite some 50,000 young Americans to China in the next five years. And although no American students were targeted in this stabbing incident in Beishan Park, this incident has a chilling effect. It could discourage some young Americans from going to China. Lynda.

KINKADE: So, Kristie, has the U.S. State Department responded? What more can you tell us about those -- those partnerships between colleges in China and the U.S.? LU STOUT: Well, the U.S. State Department says it is currently

monitoring the situation. There are a number of programs by U.S. universities in China, for example, NYU in Shanghai.

[03:05:08]

But as you can imagine, a number of these universities and American students are watching closely to see if there is an upgrade or update to the U.S. Travel Advisory. Currently, the U.S. Travel Advisory for China stands at level three. Reconsider travel. The U.S. State Department has cited the risk of, quote, "arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including exit bans, including the risk of wrongful detentions". But again, the U.S. State Department, along with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, they are currently monitoring the situation in Jilin City. We'll bring any additional update to you right here on CNN. Back to you.

KINKADE: All right. Our thanks to you, Kristie Lu Stout, joining us from Hong Kong.

Well, now turning to two major stories from the U.S. justice system, Donald Trump, the first former U.S. president to be interviewed by probation officers in New York ahead of his sentencing for his 34 felony convictions. And Hunter Biden awaiting a verdict in Delaware in his trial on federal gun charges. Jurors are set to resume their deliberations later today.

But let's go first to New York, where Donald Trump spent less than 30 minutes meeting virtually with probation officers. Their report to Judge Juan Merchan will help decide the sentence for his 34 felony convictions.

CNN's Brynn Gingras has the details.

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BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The former president finishing his meeting with the probation officer, we're told from a source that it lasted about 30 minutes and his camp calling it uneventful. Now, it's not clear exactly what sort of questions were asked in this meeting. But what is customary is the fact that this always happens after a defendant has either pleaded guilty or is convicted of the crimes that they're charged with.

We know some of the questions that are asked are about the criminal history of that person, the family background, their financial background. Did they ever abuse alcohol or drugs? Things like this. What's also not customary in this situation, of course, is the fact that there is a former president as the person who is being interviewed by the probation office, but also that it happened virtually.

We know that the former president was at Mar-a-Lago. He was there with his attorney. That was allowed by the judge in this case. Now, what's going to happen next is that Trump's defense team is going to submit their own sentencing recommendation. And both that, along with this report made by the probation officer, will be factored into Judge Juan Merchan's decision about what sentence Trump should face for being convicted on those 34 counts just a few weeks ago.

So we are waiting, of course, for that to happen. The sentencing date is still set for July 11th.

Brynn Gingras, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, the jury in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial will continue deliberations in the coming hours after they heard closing arguments in the case Monday. The courtroom was packed with supporters of the president's son, who decided not to testify in his own defense. CNN's Paula Reid has the highlights from day six of the trial.

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PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a major show of support, Hunter's family members and pastor taking up three rows in court today.

REV. CHRISTOPHER ALAN BULLOCK, BIDEN FAMILY FRIEND: I've known the family for years, and you don't abandon your friends and family in tough times.

REID (voice-over): In closing arguments, prosecutors pointed to the gallery of supporters and said those people are not evidence and reminded the jury that, quote, "no one is above the law". The prosecution directly addressed the most difficult element they have to prove that Hunter Biden knowingly lied on a federal background check form when purchasing the gun at the center of this case.

The defendant knew he used crack and was addicted to crack at the relevant time period, adding that Hunter would have been aware from his time in rehab that he had a problem with drugs.

Maybe if he had never gone to rehab, he could argue he didn't know he was an addict.

At the end of his closing, Prosecutor Leah Wise circled back to testimony from Hunter's daughter Naomi on Friday when she told the jury that when she returned her father's car to him on October 19th, 2018, she did not see any evidence of drugs.

But Wise reminded the jury, Hunter's former girlfriend, Hallie Biden, his brother Beau Biden's widow, had testified that when she found the gun in the same car days later, she found it alongside drug paraphernalia. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell countered, warning jurors not to convict his client improperly, adding it's time to end this case. He compared the trial to a magician's trick trying to dupe the jury, saying, watch this hand, pay no attention to the other one.

He accused prosecutors of cherry picking evidence to present a more damning timeline of Hunter's drug use and said his client was not lying when he marked down that he was not an addict on that federal form.

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Lowell attacked two of Hunter's former girlfriends who both served as prosecution witnesses in this case. He noted Zoe Kesten took pictures of Hunter with drugs, but not in the key month of October 2018.

He also reminded the jury that Hallie Biden could not remember specific details about when she found the gun in Hunter's car and noted Hunter was the one who told Hallie to file a police report for the missing gun after she threw it out. Hunter did not take the stand to testify in his own defense in this case, a move that would have come with potential rewards and definite risks.

REID: The jury will return to court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday to continue deliberations. Now is in court Monday morning as the jury heard instructions from the judge. She went through line-by-line explaining the rules that they have to follow as they undertake this historic decision.

Paula Reid, CNN, Wilmington, Delaware.

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KINKADE: Well, a spokesperson for Rudy Giuliani predicts the former Trump attorney will be fully vindicated. Officials in Arizona released his mugshot on Monday after he posted a $10,000 cash bond. Giuliani and 10 others have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Arizona. Prosecutors spent weeks trying to track him down and eventually found him based on some of his podcasts. Giuliani was served last month in Palm Beach, Florida, at his 80th birthday party.

We're now to a renewed push for a ceasefire deal in Gaza as the United Nations holds a key vote on a plan to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

The U.N. Security Council on Monday adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution which endorses a proposal for a permanent ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas. The resolution calls on both parties to implement the terms, quote, "without delay and without condition". Hamas said it welcomed the resolution and is ready to engage with mediators.

But whether Israel and Hamas will move forward remains unclear. Here's some of the reaction from the U.N.

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LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Colleagues today, this council sent a clear message to Hamas. Accept the ceasefire deal on the table. Israel has already agreed to this deal and the fighting could stop today if Hamas would do the same.

RIYAD MANSOUR, PALESTINIAN OBSERVER TO THE U.N.: The proof is in the pudding. We will see who are the ones who are interested to see this resolution to become a reality and those who are obstructing it and they want to continue the war of genocide against our people.

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KINKADE: All of this coming as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Israel, where he sat down with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Blinken stressed to him that the U.S. and other world leaders will stand behind the proposal on the table, one that he says Israel already agreed to. The Secretary of State also met with Benny Gantz just days after the Israeli war cabinet member resigned from the country's emergency government.

We're learning more about that Israeli military operation that rescued four hostages held in Gaza. A new video gives us a sense of what that raid looked like on the ground. CNN's Oren Liebermann brings us the latest, but first a warning that some of the images you're about to see are graphic.

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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The missiles hit at midday, a daring operation meant to maximize the element of surprise, turning a refugee camp into a battlefield.

After weeks of preparation, Israeli forces moved into Nuiserat in central Gaza on Saturday, aiming for apartment buildings in this area. The goal, to rescue four hostages that Hamas held in this densely populated neighborhood.

One witness says some Israeli special forces were disguised as Hamas militants or displaced Palestinians. The IDF declined to comment.

In this newly-released video, you see the moment Israeli forces approach a building and then burst into the apartment with the hostages.

UNKNOWN: Go in, go in. One is with me. Hebrew, Hebrew, where is everyone?

UNKNOWN: Here they are.

UNKNOWN: Name? Name?

ALMOG MEIR, HOSTAGED IN GAZA: Almog, Almog.

ANDREY, HOSTAGED IN GAZA: Andrey, Andrey.

UNKNOWN: Three hostages. Everything is fine. We came to rescue. Be calm. Good?

A. MEIR: Good.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): For Israel, the operation was a success, punctuated by the reunions eight months in the making. Families never gave up hope.

ORIT MEIR, MOTHER OF RESCUED HOSTAGE ALMOG MEIR: Yesterday was my birthday and my wish came true. I haven't stopped smiling since Meir Almog was returned to me.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Noah Argamani was also rescued, one of the most well-known hostages. Video from October 7th showed her pleading for help as kidnappers drove her into Gaza.

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Israelis rejoiced at news of the hostage rescue, but unity was short- lived. Hours later, anti-government protesters took to the streets, demanding a ceasefire and a hostage deal.

On Sunday, War Cabinet member Benny Gantz resigned. He accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of slow-walking the war for his political gain. The head of the Israeli military's Gaza division also stepped down, saying he failed to protect his country from Hamas' attack on October 7th.

In Gaza, the Israeli operation came at a staggering cost. Witnesses say the Nuseirat refugee camp became hell on earth.

KHALIL AL TIRAWI, NUSEIRAT RESIDENT (through translator): I am 60 years old and I have never experienced anything like this before. It is beyond imagination, a barrage of heavy gunfire, artillery, missiles, rockets. It was something unimaginable to the human mind.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Inside al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, this graphic video shows Palestinians bearing the horrific wounds of heavy bombardment. The hospital filled so fast, patients, including women and children, were treated wherever there was space. Many weren't so lucky.

Scores were killed in the Israeli operation, marking one of the deadliest days in Gaza in months.

Oren Liebermann, CNN in Tel Aviv.

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KINKADE: CNN's Nada Bashir is following the developments and joins us now from London. Good to have you with us, Nada. So the U.S. says it's essentially up to Hamas to ensure that this ceasefire plan can go forward. Has there been any further response from Hamas?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Lynda, we have in fact heard from Hamas yesterday, issuing a statement following the vote at the U.N. Security Council, welcoming the decision by U.N. Security Council members, saying that the group is ready to work with mediators on the terms of a lasting ceasefire agreement with a focus on the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages and the return of civilians to their homes across the Gaza Strip, as well as an emphasis on there being no demographic shifts within the Gaza Strip.

And of course, what we have heard from the United States up until this point is the fact that this is, according to the Biden administration, an Israeli deal, that this has been backed by the Israeli government. They are confident that they will also back a full ceasefire implementation.

But at this stage, we haven't in fact seen the Israeli government publicly embracing this deal, certainly not Prime Minister Netanyahu. We have heard from members of Netanyahu's coalition who do not want to see a ceasefire agreement.

In fact, just yesterday, we did hear from Israel's representative to the United Nations saying that actually Israel is not prepared to engage in what she described as meaningless negotiations with Hamas, that the Israeli government continues to be focused on its objectives of not only dismantling the organization in its entirety to ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel, but also on ensuring that all hostages are returned before they can agree on a full ceasefire agreement. Of course, a couple of points to go over.

Of course, in this ceasefire agreement, it is a three-phase plan, which does set out the parameters for a full exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. And we have heard from the Biden administration saying that the U.S. assessment at this stage is that Hamas no longer carries the ability to carry out an attack such as the attack that we saw on October 7.

These are one of the primary reasons why the U.S. believes it is now the right time to strike a ceasefire agreement. We have, of course, seen the Biden administration at the United Nations Security Council vetoing ceasefire resolutions in the past, so the Biden administration firmly believes that now is the right time.

And neither side has formally agreed to this resolution at this stage, despite Hamas issuing a statement welcoming the resolution. We haven't seen a formal agreement. There are still terms to be ironed out, of course, within this resolution agreement. But there is mounting pressure internationally for both sides to come to a lasting agreement.

But of course, the Israeli prime minister is also facing pressure at home, mounting pressure domestically from Israeli citizens who have been protesting now for weeks, calling for a ceasefire agreement, calling for the Israeli government to focus more on the return of hostages. Netanyahu is also facing pressure from within his own Cabinet, calling for a continuation of the war.

We have seen far-right members of his coalition, including National Security Minister Itmar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom have been vocal proponents of the continuation of the war, both of whom have threatened to withdraw from government, essentially causing Netanyahu's coalition to collapse.

[03:19:57]

If Netanyahu does agree to a ceasefire agreement, they want to see the full destruction of Hamas, as Netanyahu himself has expressed in the past. So certainly a lot of pressure coming from various sides on the Israeli government. But there has been mounting pressure from the international community, including some of Israel's closest allies, such as the United States, for Israel to agree to this deal. The U.S., of course, has also been calling on its regional allies in

the Middle East to put pressure on Hamas to agree to this deal as well.

But of course, we have heard from the State Department in the past acknowledging that the terms of this deal, according to the State Department, are near identical to an agreement that Hamas had agreed to weeks ago. So the hope is that this may be the beginning of a positive step towards a lasting truce agreement.

KINKADE: That is the hope. We shall see. Nada Bashir, good to have you with us from London. Thank you.

Well, still to come, outrage in France over the EU election results. We'll discuss what the next five years will look like with a new parliament shifting to the right.

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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

U.S. President Joe Biden held an early Juneteenth celebration at the White House Monday, telling the crowd that black history is American history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: A day for found weight and power. A day to remember the original sin of slavery and the extraordinary capacity to emerge from those powerful moments, painful moments, with a better vision for ourselves. A day that reminds us we have a hell of a lot more work to do, so let's keep marching.

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KINKADE: Mr. Biden invited Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle and others to perform in a star-studded concert ahead of the actual holiday on June 19th. Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke, saying this year's Juneteenth would be a day of action for voting rights. Biden signed a bipartisan bill into law in 2021, making it an official federal holiday. Juneteenth is a federal holiday marking the end of slavery in America.

Massive protests have broken out across France after the far-right dealt a major blow to Europe's establishment leaders over the weekend. Thousands of protesters turned out in Paris Monday, with some holding signs that read no fascists in power. After four days of voting in all 27 E.U. countries, far-right parties are expected to win a record number of seats in the next European Parliament. CNN's Melissa Bell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MELISSA BELL, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was an aftershock that rivaled the earthquake of Sunday night's European election results.

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): I will dissolve the National Assembly tonight.

BELL (voice-over): France's Emmanuel Macron called snap national elections as the two main far-right parties took nearly 40 percent of votes in France.

MARINE LE PEN, NATIONAL RALLY PARTY LEADER (through translator): We are ready to turn the country around, ready to bring France back to life.

BELL (voice-over): Already hamstrung without an absolute majority in Parliament, Macron is looking to tackle the far right head on, calling for clarity from voters on the country's future. But if the far-right copy their wins on the French stage, Emmanuel Macron could be facing three years with a radical right prime minister, most likely the 28- year-old Jordan Bardella.

A TikTok star, he brings a youth-friendly dynamic, posting here about drinking the tears of Macron's fans.

DOMINIQUE MOISI, POLITICAL SCIENTIST: It looks as if the fear for the future of the planet had been replaced by the fear of what is called the great replacement, the identity quest. The world is too dangerous. We don't want to be inundated by migrants coming from the Middle East or Africa. We want to be at home, surrounded by our peer.

BELL (voice-over): The far-right also saw major wins in a host of European countries. In Germany, the Alternative fur Deutschland or AFD, came in second. Its main candidate said last month that he didn't consider all members of a notorious Nazi group to be criminals.

And in Italy, there were gains by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy, the most right-wing party to govern since fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

But the headlines in Western Europe contrast with relatively minor changes across the continent.

In Nordic countries, for instance, the left and greens made sweeping gains. And overall, the political center appears to have held, ensuring relative stability in the European Parliament.

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISION PRESIDENT: We made it, and now we won the European elections.

BELL (voice-over): Confidence for now, but unease settling in in parts of Europe, most of all in France, as the far right challenges so much of what the European Union itself has come to stand for.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

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KINKADE: Well, earlier I spoke to CNN European Affairs commentator Dominic Thomas, and he explained how this far right surge could be a good thing for Donald Trump if he takes office again.

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DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, I think it's a positive signal for him. And I think it's a warning for voters that this is playing out in other areas of the world and that there essentially is a situation in which there are governments and elected officials who are deeply committed to protecting democratic institutions.

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And on the other hand, you have political groups, parties and leaders who are determined to undermine the judiciary, the freedom of the press and the legislative process. And right now, certainly when it comes to the European Union context, they see in the words of President Biden a deep commitment to democratic institutions.

But the European E.U. landscape, as we have seen, is divided. And there are many leaders and many political groups who see in President Trump's track record, actions and words, a potential ally.

And they also see in him somebody who is not committed to the multilateral order, to the strength of the European Union or to NATO. And so to that extent, this particular election in the E.U. is an indication as to where things are potentially heading in the United States and the impact that this will have on further solidifying and consolidating those parties that performed very well in this recent election in the European Union.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: This week, of course, the U.S. president heads to Italy for the G7 summit. He's going to meet with the French and German leaders for the first time since their parties took this hit in the European elections. The U.S., we know, is hoping that it will have a $50 billion loan for Ukraine using frozen Russian funds. But other nations must sign off on it. What are the expectations for that summit?

THOMAS: Well, I think that at this moment, it's incredibly, there's a lot of uncertainty defining these moves that the two leading, most important European leaders, Scholz in Germany and Macron in France, and also the countries that proportionally get the largest numbers of seats at the European Union, were severely dealt a blow at this recent election.

And I think that their ability to concentrate and focus on this particular conflict now, when they have these important domestic issues on hand, legislative elections, upcoming federal elections in Germany with just about a year's time, is going to make it very difficult for them to continue to articulate those particular questions. Just a few weeks ago Lynda, Emmanuel Macron was talking about French troops on the ground. He's had to walk back that particular question right now and turn his

attention almost exclusively to what's happening in France. And so I think that we are going to have a G7 meeting in which many of the leaders present are distracted by the particular context, let alone the fact that there's an upcoming general election in the UK as well.

And so focusing on these issues, focusing on the question of defending that eastern front with Russia, of EU enlargement and of ongoing military and financial support to the conflict in Ukraine, are serious questions and of which the outcome right now remains highly uncertain, Lynda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Our thanks to Dominic Thomas there. Well, coming up, Ukraine says it is focusing on rebuilding infrastructure destroyed in Russian attacks. But the chief of the country's restoration agency says the government is putting up too many roadblocks.

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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Berlin to attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference. Mr. Zelenskyy says the top priority for that conference will be Ukraine's battered energy sector. Ukrainians have dealt with widespread blackouts for more than two years because Russian forces have relentlessly targeted Ukrainian power stations with airstrikes.

But on the eve of the conference, the head of Ukraine's Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development announced that he's stepping down. Mustafa Nayyem says he could not do the job because of unnecessary bureaucracy and opposition and resistance from the Ukrainian government.

Our Clare Sebastian is following the developments and joins us now live from London. Good to have you with us, Clare. So, the Ukrainian president in Berlin for this recovery conference just a day after the top official overseeing the reconstruction efforts resigned. Why the resignation? Is to give us some more details and what this might mean for Zelenskyy.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Lynda, this is certainly not the headline that President Zelenskyy was looking for going into this conference and it's also a big week. Even beyond this conference, we have the G7 comprising many of Ukraine's most important allies and then into Ukraine's own peace summit in Switzerland over the weekend.

The reasons for this resignation, they will be very closely watched by the West, where of course the allocation and management of aid is a key issue that has impacted decision-making throughout this conflict. Mustafa Nayyem, who is the now former head of the Agency for Reconstruction, for Restoration and Infrastructure Development rather, really alleging sort of mismanagement by the government of infrastructure projects.

He called it bureaucratic nightmares leading to delays, a loss of confidence in the state. He doesn't allege corruption, but mismanagement and inefficiency verging on incompetence basically. He says that salary cuts have led also to a 25 percent drop in staffing at his agency and he says that he was denied a request to attend this reconstruction conference in Berlin.

This, of course, coming just a month or so after the minister for infrastructure, Alexander Kubrakov, was dismissed in a vote by parliament. We don't have an official government comment on the resignation of Mustafa Nayyem today, but all of this adds to that lingering sense of discord in the Zelenskyy government and obviously at a very critical time for Ukraine. Zelenskyy though, he is already in Berlin, he has already met with the German president.

[03:40:02]

He will be focusing on the big picture, that large and growing reconstruction bill and the more immediate issues of course of stabilizing and protecting the Ukrainian energy grid and ramping up the air defenses which of course are critical in stopping that reconstruction bill growing even larger. Lynda?

KINKADE: And so Clare, where do things stand on the battlefield and how have Ukrainian tactics changed in recent weeks after Russian advances in the east of the country and of course those recent pledges of Western military aid?

SEBASTIAN: So the news from the front lines is slightly better. Ukraine is saying that it has managed to slow the Russian advance due to a combination it says of more Western aid reaching the front and also those lifting of restrictions, some restrictions on using Western weapons to hit targets inside Russia. It seems to be doubling down on the strategy not only of sort of hitting across the border but deep into Russian territory. It's claiming quite a significant success over the weekend, claiming to have severely damaged a state-of-the-art Russian fighter jet, an SU-57 fighter jet some 600 kilometers from the front lines. Satellite images also backing up that claim. So that is something they say that is bearing fruit.

Now of course the other side of this is that this conflict is extremely deadly at the moment. The U.N. Human Rights Monitor mission in Ukraine said that there was a 31 percent increase in civilian casualties in May compared to April. It was the deadliest month in almost a year. Russia is managing to wreak havoc using aerial guided bombs, glide bombs, things that can evade Ukrainian air defenses. So again, going into this, I think we're going to hear a lot about how Ukraine will be able to protect civilian infrastructure, cities and also those front lines.

KINKADE: All right, Clare Sebastian for us in London. Good to have you staying across those developments. Thank you. Well, the port of Baltimore's shipping channel is now fully reopened more than two months after that cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The accident killed six construction workers and cut off access to the crucial waterway. Crews had to remove about 50,000 tons of wreckage from the river. The container ship was stuck in the channel until it was hauled away on May 20. Insurance experts estimate that replacing the bridge could cost more than $1.2 billion.

Still to come, the U.S. disaster relief agency is quickly running out of money after an intense tornado season just as hurricane season arrives.

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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Singapore Airlines is offering compensation to passengers injured last month when the flight encountered severe turbulence. One of the passengers died and several others were injured. The airline says it's offering $10,000 to each passenger with minor injuries and advance payments of $25,000 to passengers with more serious injuries. The plane was flying from London to Singapore when it hit turbulence over Myanmar. It landed in Thailand. Officials there say the passenger who died had a suspected heart condition.

Authorities in Malawi are searching for a missing military aircraft, which was carrying the country's vice president and nine other people. The plane left Malawi's capital shortly after 9 a.m. local time on Monday but never arrived at its destination and authorities have failed to make contact.

CNN's Larry Madowo is following the story from Nairobi and joins us live. So, Larry, the rescue operation is underway for this missing plane carrying the Malawi vice president but also nine others. What are the details?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We know now, Lynda, that the search and rescue operation is continuing into day two now. We just heard a briefing from the Malawi Defense Forces a short while ago. They say because of bad weather and poor visibility, the area has been foggy. That's been delaying the process.

The 10-kilometer radius they have identified where the last signal from this plane was received is an uninhabited area so that's also kind of hindering access. But the Malawi Defense Forces say they have 200 soldiers involved in this operation as well as some police officers and they have reached out to neighboring countries for help.

President Lazarus Chakwara addressed Malawians overnight and this is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LAZARUS CHAKWERA, MALAWIAN PRESIDENT: However, upon arrival in Mzuzu, the pilot was unable to land the plane due to poor visibility occasioned by bad weather. And aviation authorities advised the aircraft to return to Lilongwe. But the authorities soon lost contact with the aircraft. But I want to assure you that I am sparing no available resource to find that plane and I am holding on to every fiber of hope that we will find survivors.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MADOWO: That hope is now dimming. It's been 24 hours since this plane disappeared from radar and it's still not been located. So the status of Vice President Saulus Chalema and these nine others really a matter of great concern from so many people in Malawi and across the region. The Malawian government said it's reached out to neighboring countries as well as the U.S., the U.K., Norway and Israel for support in getting specialized technology and equipment to try and locate this plane.

[03:50:09]

So far, the U.S. embassy in Malawi says it has offered all its support, including Department of Defense C-12 aircraft to help in this search and rescue operation. And authorities in Malawi say they will be updating every two hours if they know more about the location of this plane carrying the Vice President, Lynda.

KINKADE: Okay, we'll come back to you if there are any developments. Larry Madowo in Nairobi, thank you.

Well, as the U.S. braces for what's expected to be a very active hurricane season, the country's disaster relief agency could run out of money before it's even over. A new report suggests FEMA could face a budget shortfall of more than $1.3 billion by August after an extraordinary and costly number of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in the first half of this year.

CNN meteorologist Alison Chinchar has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: In the month of May, there were officially $4 billion disasters, according to a new report from NOAA, although that number could end up going up thanks to some severe events that took place towards the end of the month. That additional four brings our total so far this year up to $11 billion disasters.

Comparing that to the previous year, we ended up with 28 total for the entire 12-month timeline. But we are currently on pace to make it very close, if not possibly being higher than that number from last year. One of the biggest drivers of these disasters was a lot of the severe weather that took place, not only in May, but also in April.

In fact, the stretch of April through May, we ended up with 801 tornado reports. That is the second most since 1950. When you look at tornadoes specifically, the reports, just since January 1st, we've had over 1,100.

Yes, this is a busy time of year. But even with that said, the average would only be right around the 800 mark. So it's definitely a busier year than normal. In fact, even compared to a lot of the other years, so far, we are just behind 2011, coming in second place.

Now, one thing to note is that May traditionally is when you end up seeing the most of those tornadoes, followed by June and April, respectively. So this time of year is when we normally would see it. It's just a little bit higher than usual.

The big concern is going forward over the next few months, because there is a concern whether or not FEMA will run out of money for these natural disasters, because hurricane season specifically is now upon us, and it's expected to be an incredibly busy one. Looking at the numbers, the official forecast from NOAA calling for 17 to 25 named storms. The average is only 14. Eight to 13 of those are expected to be hurricanes. In an average year, you would only have seven.

Another concern in the coming months is heat. Thanks to climate change, it's been a big driver in a lot of these increased heat waves. And for some of these areas, we're already starting to see a very early start to that heat. Take, for example, Phoenix and also Las Vegas, both of which have already had 12 consecutive days of triple- digit temperatures.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Our thanks to Allison.

Well Microsoft and Google will begin offering free cybersecurity services to rural hospitals across the U.S. in an effort to make them less vulnerable to hacking attacks that could disrupt patient care and threaten lives. Microsoft says it will provide free security updates for those hospitals, along with security assessments for training for hospital staff. Google will provide free cybersecurity advice. Some 1,800 rural hospitals in the U.S. are at risk from dangerous ransomware attacks because they often lack adequate cybersecurity.

Well Apple is unveiling its first batch of generative A.I. features for the iPhone, known as Apple Intelligence. They include A.I.- generated emojis and a significantly smarter Siri that basically turns the virtual assistant into an iPhone chatbot. The company says it's been impressed with the A.I. tools already on the market, but that it wanted to personalize it for Apple users with privacy at top of mind. Apple also revealed its new iOS 18, which includes a revamped look for icons in dark mode and a redesigned control center that lets you change what you can access from the locked screen.

We go from a look at the high-tech future to a glimpse of the ancient past. Three young boys on a family hike in North Dakota stumbled upon the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex. Their dad told the paleontologist, a friend of his, who confirmed they discovered a prime specimen of a juvenile T-Rex. Two of the boys told CNN what happened when they found the skeleton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIAM FISHER, FOUND THE FOSSIL: My dad said, go and get your brother and cousin and aunt. I said, could you see for them? And he yelled (inaudible) they came running up here, yes (inaudible) and said that's a fossil.

JESSIN FISHER, FOUND THE FOSSIL: I have no (inaudible). I am the paleontologist of the house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Only a handful of juvenile T-Rex skeletons have ever been found. The bones are part of an exhibition at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. And the boys will star in a documentary. Both premiere later this month. And the boys have named the T-Rex Brother.

Amazing find. Well, thank you so much for your company. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I hope you have a wonderful day. Stay with us. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with my friend and colleague, Max Foster.

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