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Gaza And Ukraine Wars Cast Shadow Over G7 Summit; BTS Mania Hits A Fever Pitch In Seoul; Russian Navy Ships, Nuclear-Powered Sub Arrive In Cuba; European Union Hikes Tariffs on Electric Cars From China; U.K. Leaders Grilled by Voters Ahead of Next Month's Election; Labour Will Not Raise Taxes on Working People Promised Starmer; Sunak's Conservative Manifesto Pledges More Than $21 Billion in Tax Cuts; BTS' Jin Appears at a Fan Event After Military Discharge; Halle Berry Struggles to Get Out of Tight-fitting Garment. Aired 2-2:45a ET
Aired June 13, 2024 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:00:20]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on scene and Max. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Just ahead. The shadow of war in both Gaza and Ukraine looming large over this year's G7 Summit, as leaders of the world's most powerful democracies gather for their annual summit.
From a prison cell to the front lines. Ukraine begins allowing convicts to join the military. We'll look at how the new prospective soldiers are being screened.
And BTS mania hits a fever pitch in Seoul as the K-pop's super groups annual party gets underway just one day after the group's oldest member was discharged from the army.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: The 50th annual summit of G7 leaders kicks off in southern Italy in the coming hours. A meeting where some of the world's biggest economic powers will focus heavily on the war in Ukraine and how to further isolate Moscow and financially weaken its ability to wage that war. Well, ahead of the summit, in a move demonstrating Moscow's military might, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a flotilla of warships including a nuclear-powered submarine, for a five-day visit to Western ally Cuba.
A show force with clear parallels to the Cold War a decade ago. And at the G7, U.S. President Joe Biden will unveil more than 300 new sanctions targeting Russia. Measures men to degrade Moscow's ability to source materials for the war in Ukraine, particularly from Russian ally China. President Biden is also expected to sign a new 10-year security pact with Ukraine on the sidelines of that summit which will include training for Ukrainian forces, more weapons and other military equipment and greater intelligence sharing. G7 leaders are set to announce a $50 billion loan to Ukraine, paid for with proceeds from Russian investments which have been frozen during the war. While Moscow has routinely deployed warships to Cuba and other allies in the Western Hemisphere, Russian military drills in the region are not common. In 2008, four Russian warships including the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great held exercises on a visit to Venezuela.
Which is why many believe the Russian ships now docked in Havana there as Vladimir Putin tries to project Russian military power a long way from Home.
CNN's Patrick Oppman reports from Havana.
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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With a 21-gun salute, three Russian naval ships and a nuclear-powered submarine enter Havana Harbor. Russia's warships and spy ships have frequently resupplied in Cuba over the years, but these ships are the largest convoy in some time and boast some of the most modern weapons in Vladimir Putin's arsenal, including a warship that's been used to test hypersonic missiles. Their arrival comes as Putin threatens to retaliate to US weapons shipments to Ukraine.
Do we not have the right to do the same? He says, to mere these actions.
In route to Cuba, the Russians skirted the coast of Florida, tracked by U.S. and Canadian warships. All visible from tourists aboard a cruise ship. While they boast some of Russia's most cutting-edge weaponry, Cuban officials insist the ship's presence just 90 miles from the U.S. poses no threat.
OPPMANN (on camera): That's a nuclear-powered submarine Kazan just over my shoulder there. And according to Cuban officials, none of these ships are carrying nuclear warheads. All of them are here for peaceful intentions. We'll just have to take their word on that. But clearly, Vladimir Putin is showing the United States, the West that if they could put sophisticated weapons of war on his doorstep, well, then he can do the same.
OPPMANN (voice-over): As Cuba endures the worst economic woes in decades, the war in Ukraine is reuniting them with their Cold War era patrons in Moscow. Despite Cuban official statements that the communist-run Island is not involved in the war and that Cuban citizens are forbidden from participating. Cuban mercenaries continue to fight on the front lines of Putin's invasion.
And during a meeting with Putin the Kremlin in May, Cuba's president issued his most public endorsement of the war so far.
We wish you success in the military operation, he said. Russia has increasingly sent oil to keep the lights on in Cuba as blackouts worsen and promised greater investment in tourism and agriculture.
[02:05:08]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The United States to what Adlai Stevenson term Soviet blackmail in Cuba.
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OPPMANN (voice-over): This revived partnership may bring back memories of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when Soviet nuclear warheads were briefly placed in Cuba. But times have changed, says a former U.S. official.
ERIC FARNSWORTH, FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: We're not sending missiles to Cuba to recreate the missile crisis or anything like that, but it does show that they can continue to project force and power and it does show that they have allies in the region willing to accommodate them.
OPPMANN (voice-over): So close to us shores, these Russian ships are a sign of Vladimir Putin's military ambitions. And once they leave Cuban waters, the Pentagon says they may head to another U.S. adversary, Venezuela. No doubt the U.S. military will keep a watchful eye as they continue their journey.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN Havana.
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KINKADE: Well, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also in Italy for the G7 Summit after his latest diplomatic push in the Middle East failed to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
America's top diplomat left the region frustrated over numerous Hamas changes to the proposal. And he questioned whether Hamas is proceeding in good faith.
Details now from CNN Kylie Atwood.
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ANTONY BLINKEN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: It's time for the haggling to stop and the ceasefire to start.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Secretary of State Antony Blinken ending his Middle East tour in Doha without a peace deal in hand. An agreement between Israel and Hamas appears to be in limbo again.
BLINKEN: A deal was on the table that was virtually identical to the proposal that Hamas put forward on May the 6th. A deal that the entire world is behind, a deal Israel is accepted, and Hamas could have answered with a single word, yes.
ATWOOD (voice-over): Instead, Hamas put forward multiple changes to the ceasefire proposal, Blinken said. A frustrated Secretary of State and his Qatari counterpart now unable to detail where the talks will go from here MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL-THANI, PRIME MINISTER OF QATAR: It's frustrating. A lot of times, the behavior from both parties, different -- in different occasions, being, you know, counterproductive to the efforts.
BLINIKEN: Hamas waited nearly two weeks and then proposed more changes. A number of which go beyond positions that had previously taken and accepted. Some of those are workable changes. Some, as I said, or not.
ATWOOD (voice-over): The top U.S. diplomat also bluntly suggesting that Hamas may not actually be committed to finding a solution.
BLINKEN: If one side continues to change its demands, you have to question whether they're proceeding in good faith or not.
ATWOOD (voice-over): This just days after he questioned if the terrorist group is prioritizing the protection of Yahya Sinwar, its military leader, hiding in the tunnels under Gaza or the Palestinian people.
BLINKEN: Are they looking after one guy who may be for now safe, buried, I don't know, 10 storeys underground somewhere in Gaza while the people that he purports to represent, continue to suffer in a crossfire of his own making.
ATWOOD (voice-over): Israeli officials have privately deemed Hamas' response to be a rejection. Prime Minister Netanyahu's office said Wednesday evening that the Israeli leader was conducting a security assessment. In part "Due to Hamas' negative answer regarding the release of hostages," the U.S. says Israel is committed to the deal which Netanyahu still has not formally embraced as he faces pressure from far-right Cabinet members who oppose the deal.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: Hamas is committing war crimes every day, including the holding of these hostages. Our soldiers are performing in the most valiant and moral way to end this war with a victory against these killers and against these kidnappers, and we shall prevail.
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ATWOOD: Now Blinken also called for urgent action in the coming days to bridge the gaps, to bridge these differences between Israel and Hamas. We'll watch and see what that looks like. He said he believes that that is possible but he also said that there are no guarantees. Kylie Atwood, CNN, Doha.
KINKADE: Well, the U.N. is warning of increasingly dire conditions for the people of Gaza without a ceasefire and an increasing aid. They say more than a million Palestinians, that's half the population of Gaza could face starvation and death by mid-July. And only technicalities are preventing famine from being declared. Here's the Director General of the World Health Organization.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, WHO DIRECTOR GENERAL: A significant proportion of Gaza's population is now facing catastrophic hunger and famine like conditions. Despite reports of increased delivery of food, there is currently no evidence that those who need it most are receiving sufficient quantity and quality of food.
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KINKADE: Well, the WHO reports that more than 8000 children under the age of five have been diagnosed and treated for acute malnutrition in Gaza. 32 children have died.
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KINKADE: Tensions are flowering along Israel's northern border. About 200 rockets were fired at the country from Lebanon on Wednesday. Some were intercepted. Others fell into northern Israel and sparked fires. There's been no reports of injuries there. Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for the rocket barrage. The Iranian-backed militant group says it's in response to an attack carried out by the IDF in southern Lebanon.
Israel says it killed one of Hezbollah's most senior commanders, along with three other fighters in an air strike on Tuesday.
At least nine people in central Ukraine were killed by a Russian missile strike on Wednesday. Officials in Kyiv say Russian forces target a residential area, destroying buildings, setting cars on fire and burying people in the rubble. At least 29 people, including five children, were wounded. The country's interior minister says four people are missing.
NATO defense ministers are gathering in Brussels for a two-day meeting at the Ukraine defense contact group. It comes just after NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg announced that the military bloc would take over the coordination of arms deliveries from the United States to Ukraine. He says he expects the defense ministers to approve that plan. Stoltenberg also wrapped up a visit with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest.
Mr. Orban says that his country would not block NATO's decisions on giving support to Ukraine. In return he says he -- that Stoltenberg's promise that Hungary would not have to provide funding for assistance to Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has met with Saudi leaders ahead of the G7 Summit in Italy. He says he had productive talks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after arriving in Jeddah. On Telegram, Mr. Zelenskyy wrote that the two leaders discussed the upcoming Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland. The Saudi state-run news agency says the Crown Prince supports all international efforts to end the war and to minimize humanitarian impacts.
Ukraine is giving some of its prisoners a second chance by allowing them to join the military to redeem for their crimes. The move is meant to address some of Ukraine's manpower shortages on the front lines where Russian troops reportedly outnumber Ukrainians at least seven to one in some areas. Clare Sebastian reports.
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CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Think twice before coming to us, says this battalion commander of Ukraine's third Assault Brigade. We are really tough. This is Ukraine's newest effort to solve a crippling manpower shortage on its front lines. CNN gained exclusive access inside a Ukrainian prison as inmates are given the chance to choose another path.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): It so happened that during a fight I killed a person. I foolishly killed a man. I have a wife and children, I want to protect my wife, my kids, my family.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The vetting process is stringent, yet less than a month since President Zelenskyy signed the law allowing some prisoners to apply for early parole to join the armed forces. Ukraine's Justice Ministry says from almost 5000 applicants, nearly 2000 prisoners have been released to fight. Basic training already underway. For 28-year-old Dmytro, the decision was personal.
DMYTRO, UKRAINIAN CONVICT RELEASED TO FIGHT (text): Two missiles hit my house. I had two small children and a wife. Nobody survived. At that moment I was already in prison in Kharkiv. I am here not only for revenge but also for people who are suffering.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Ukraine is keen to differentiate its prison recruitment effort from that of Russia. The late Yevgeny Prigozhin drafting thousands of inmates into his Wagner paramilitary group. The so-called meat grinder assault on Bakhmut that cost thousands of lives.
DENYS MALIUSKA, UKRAINIAN JUSTICE MINISTER: We selected the best prisoners we have and those who volunteered to participate in the mechanism we passed them through all legal and health care checks.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The Justice Ministry says, so far, the experiment is going well.
MALIUSKA: My understanding is that the MRL is far better than. And any other conscripts, they receive good salary, respect, uniform, better living conditions.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): And yet, for some of these men who may be on the front lines by the end of summer, this was not an easy decision.
VITALLY, UKRAINIAN PRISONER WHO WANTS TO ENLIST (text): My family is very worried. To be honest, they don't support me, it's a choice. Because now the situation at the front is difficult.
[02:15:06]
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): A chance to turn around their own fortunes and they hope the fate of their country.
Clare Sebastian, CNN (INAUDIBLE) SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Well, the cost-of-living crisis and rising
energy prices in Europe may have created a backlash against costly climate policies and fueled far-right wins in the E.U. elections. One of the architects of the Paris Climate Accords weighs in after the break.
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KINKADE: Well, Argentina's Senate has approved a sweeping reform bill as protesters rallied outside the legislature against it, they clashed with (INAUDIBLE) and Buenos Aires on Wednesday before a Senate vote that went down to the wire. Police say at least 27 people were arrested. Three officers injured. Stefano Pozzebon explains.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN REPORTER: The clashes outside the Argentinian Congress in Buenos Aires on Wednesday were some of the fiercest in the last few years. The senators were debating and eventually they approved a sweeping reform bill from libertarian President Javier Milei. But outside anti-riot police employed water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd, while protesters threw rocks and other objects at the agents.
At least one car belonging to a local television station was overturned and set on fire, while shops and road infrastructure in the vicinity of Congress were all heavily damaged. The fire was eventually controlled and federal and local police made more than two dozen arrests. Milei was speaking at a right-wing conference also in Buenos Aires when the violence erupted, his office released a statement accusing the protesters of terrorism and of fomenting a coup. However, not everyone agreed with Milei's plan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Unfortunately, the President is doing things wrong. So, I want everyone, including the youth, to realize that things are going badly, and today, what has to happen must happen as it should. The law must not be passed.
POZZBEON: The bill eventually passed the Senate after 11 hours of debate and only very late on Wednesday night. Because the vice president, Victoria Villarruel voted to break the tie. The reform bill, which includes a provision to ground the executive emergency powers to handle the severe economic crisis in the South American country for 12 months will now go back to the chamber for further discussion.
Clashes also continued very late into Wednesday night. A sign that tensions are still very high down in Buenos Aires.
For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.
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KINKADE: Well, the G7 Summit gets underway in Italy in about 2-1/2 hours and climate change will be among the topics during the first working session. The discussion coming at a crucial time as backlash to E.U. climate policies may have been a factor in last weekend's E.U. parliamentary elections, helping far right parties to make gains while dealing heavy losses for Green parties.
Analysts told Reuters that it may be harder to pass new progressive E.U. climate policies in the new Parliament in the next five years, but current laws are likely to remain in place. Laurence Tubiana is the CEO of the European Climate Foundation and one of the architects of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Good to have you with us.
LAURENCE TUBIANA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, EUROPEAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION: Thank you. Hi.
KINKADE: Hi. So the 50th G7 Summit starts very, very soon. Next couple of hours. Climate action was very high on the agenda in years past, but it barely seems to rate a mention this time, compared to Ukraine, Gaza, economic security, cooperation and on artificial intelligence, and yet, none of the countries are on track to meet their 2030, emission reduction targets. Does that concern you? Should that concern all of us?
TUBIANA: I think, of course, it's a concern that the campaign didn't barely mention climate change and that's, of course, understandable, because of war in Ukraine, as you said, Gaza and others. And of course, not so much the economic crisis, because things are going little better. Inflation is now receding but at the same time that was this problem of migration, Gaza and kind of dominating the campaign.
The result could be read differently, of course, as I certainly push for the far right. At the same time, the majority that made the Green Deal is still there. And if you look at what the center right, the center, the Socialists and Democrats, the liberals and the greens, they -- whoever is the President of the Commission, he has to work with that majority. All of them finally committed to continue the Green Deal.
The big issue in reality, is that on one side, all the laws, you know, the regulation at the center in the well, at the Brussels level, have been decided already. So, the problem is now implementation. But so now the big thing will be what happened in the countries. And then, of course, we can -- there are little -- very mixed picture. If France and Germany have seen a big push and Italy turn out for the right -- for the far right, you see that the northern countries, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, but as well in Hungary, in Poland, as much and Spain in particular, have seen a good resistance as a contrary, a push back against a far right.
So, that will be interesting to see. Finally, we will win. When we have to remember that 77 percent of the European citizens are very concerned about climate change. So, I think now, in a way, when the big decision will be made about who will lead the European Commission, the parliament's roles, et cetera, we will see a big discussion between, of course, a push from the far right and in reality, push from many goods in many countries to continue and to implement the Green Deal at home.
And just one note we have to remember. Anyway, if Europe wants to keep its role at global level, you know, when China has invested so much in renewable energy, electric vehicle, batteries, et cetera. There is no much choice for the competitiveness which was a center issue in the European campaign than to continue and implement release a Green Deal for real. And the big question, of course, will be finance.
KINKADE: I have to ask you, though, Laurence, why you think that people in the European Parliamentary elections voted against some of the Green parties? Because we are hearing this term green lash to describe a move away from climate friendly policies. Why are voters turning against climate focused parties?
TUBIANA: I think, mostly and if I take the particularly analysis for Germany, it was a way the policies that the Green and the coalition has deployed was really resented as something very imposing of them. And so, they reacted very negatively. In France, it's a different thing, because finally, a lot of this ecology, environment transition, Green Deal has been captured by other parties as well, in particular the left-wing and the socialist while the Democrats party.
So that probably is a difference. But when you see, for example, of course, it's much smaller countries, but what's happened in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, you see at the contrary, a big raise for the Greens.
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In total, they are losing votes because -- mostly of Germany. And then we see that now the ecological transition is a little bit across the parties, because it's something that every -- everybody, every party, has to take seriously. They even there is no climate denier really, even on the right-wing Italian government, for example.
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KINKADE: And then that is an interesting point. Yes. Laurence, you make an interesting point because it's becoming harder and harder to deny climate change, given we're seeing the first wave of climate change refugees. Even this week, Panama, we're seeing Islanders in the Caribbean and the Pacific having to flee their homes because of rising sea levels. Also, we're hearing about extreme weather events here in the U.S.
The hurricane season is expected to be potentially the most active in history. And of course, we can't forget that the record-breaking droughts in places like Zimbabwe and neighboring countries. But you, of course, were one of the architects of the 2015 Paris Agreement. We asked a way of track on trying to meet those goals, those pledges from some 200 countries. Do we need stronger leadership? What's the issue?
TUBIANA: Certainly, on one side, a lot of change since Paris, of course, it has created a whole move in the business, in the local authority, in the government. Now, most of all countries have a climate plan. Now we have to accelerate and we need that's true global leadership. And probably the problem is the destruction of many, many leaders that are concerned about, of course, the world geopolitics, when in reality, of course, climate ignores its geopolitics anyway.
So, there is a disconnect between whether people feel the anxiety, the problem of impact, and the reaction of the government. And that's why I think the role now to really accelerate the implementation of Paris Agreement is the role of the business sector, the local authorities that are not losing the direction of travel. But really, we can say -- but at the same time, never before, and even before Paris, the climate has been present so much in G7 and G20 discussion.
So, I see that we have seen in a shift. There is a big discussion about how this is connected and supporting the development economic policies, but -- and then so the -- there is a minority at what level, of course, look at Malay, for example, in Argentina, that are saying that this is not a problem but I think that's now a given because of the severity of impact. So, I see -- we will see a different coalition around different measures in Europe but certainly elsewhere.
I don't think, for example, if the election in U.S. change the majority, I don't think that the IRA, for example, will be dismantled, because it just makes sense. It just good economy and good rationale.
KINKADE: All right. Laurence Tubiana, great to get your perspective and great to have you on the program. Thank you so much for your time.
TUBIANA: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, the possible trade war is brewing between the E.U. and China over electric vehicles. Europe is ratcheting up its tariffs on imports from China. We're going to go live to Beijing next.
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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Welcome back. The European Union has imposed provisional new tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China. That's after an investigation found that Chinese state subsidies for EU makers keep their prices unnaturally low and hurt European carmakers. The new tariff spike drew a sharp rebuke from China, which sees Europe as a vital and growing market for its auto industry.
Well, I want to bring in CNN's Beijing Bureau Chief, Steven Jiang. Good to see you, Steven. So, European carmakers say Chinese-made electric cars have an unfair advantage, thanks to that state support, and obviously, they are now slapping these tariffs on or are planning to, that range from 17 percent of 40 percent. And that's on top of the EU duty of 10 percent, a huge increase. How is China responding?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Lynda, this was not a total surprise for the Chinese, so that's why the response has come swiftly and angrily, as you would expect, condemning this as another protectionist move from the EU, saying these new tariffs would hurt bilateral trade, would hurt European consumers and industries, make a mockery of the EU's pledge for green economic transformation. And then of course, vowing to take countermeasures to protect their interests and industries.
But unlike the U.S.' 100 percent tariffs on the Chinese EV announced by President Biden just last month, this one may actually have a real impact because Chinese EVs have almost no presence in the U.S. market, but they have 20 percent market share in the EU, including both Chinese brands, but also European brands and even Tesla making cars here and then selling them in the EU. And lot of European economies and their auto industries are actually much more entwined with the Chinese EV industry compared to their U.S. counterparts.
Germany, for example, their auto suppliers that are big names have a huge presence here, not only selling cars and parts, but also making EVs here cheaply and efficiently before exporting them back to their home markets. So, that's why the Europeans have a lot more concerns and say, a lot more fearful of potential Chinese retaliations. That's why we have heard German Chancellor Scholz and the likes of Volkswagen coming out publicly to oppose these new tariffs that, obviously, plays well into the Chinese playbook of divide and conquer in dealing with the EU.
But the bigger question here is, are these new tariffs even going to be effective given the amazingly low-cost base Chinese EV makers enjoy. Byd, for example, the biggest name, facing a new tariff of 17 percent, but a lot of experts say that's not going to affect their ability to have a comfortable profit margin in the EU. It has to be something like 50 percent to make a difference. So that's why, Lynda, all eyes on Beijing to see what they would do next after months of threats. They may have to do something if this decision becomes final, but they also may want to exercise some restraint given that very complex and nuanced picture in the EU. Lynda?
KINKADE: All right. We will follow it closely. Steven Jiang, in Beijing for us, thank you very much.
Well, Britain's prime minister and his main challenger face a grilling from unhappy voters in their last TV debate, before the next month's election. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Leader Keir Starmer faced off in the town of Grimsby on Wednesday. Starmer, whose party is ahead in the polls, tried to shake off Labour's tax and spend image.
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KEIR STARMER, LABOUR PARTY LEADER, UNITED KINGDOM: All of our plans are fully costed, fully funded. We will not raise tax on working people. That means no tax rises for income tax, for national insurance, for VAT. Our manifesto comes out tomorrow. It's a very forward-looking manifesto, but there's nothing in our manifesto that requires us to raise tax.
[02:35:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible).
STARMER: No, no, nothing requires us to raise tax.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
STARMER: Actually, no, no -- I do want to -- (Inaudible) I want to deal with this. I want to do things differently. I want to grow our economy. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
STARMER: I accept that previous Labour leaders have sort of pulled the tax lever every single time and driven up spending. I want to grow our economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Labour's manifesto, which Starmer might just mentioned, will be released two days after Mr. Sunak unveiled a conservative one. It's promising more than $21 billion in tax cuts. The prime minister was booed when he spoke about the policies during Wednesday's debate. But he urged voters to keep their eyes on the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RISHI SUNAK, PRIME MINISTER, UNITED KINGDOM: We've been through two once-in-a-century shocks, which have had an enormous impact on everyone, on public services, on people's standard of living. Of course, it has. When energy bills double, when inflation goes up to 11 percent, when a pandemic shuts down our economy, with all the impact on everyone's livelihood --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
SUNAK: Of course, that has taken its toll. But this election now is about the future, and I do believe that we've turned a corner and when -- I appreciate that people want to see positive change. And my only point would be that you don't get any change unless you've got a plan and you're prepared to do bold things and that's what our manifesto sets out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, still to come, after more than a year away from fans, Jin of K-pop's BTS marks the end of his military service by giving out 1,000 hugs.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. K-pop superstar Jin of BTS is celebrating the end of his military service by hugging 1,000 fans. The oldest member of BTS was discharged on Wednesday. An event to the mark the 11th anniversary of the group's debut is being held today and lucky fans who go by the name 'Army' have the opportunity to meet Jin and even see him perform.
Before we go, Hollywood actress Halle Berry got herself into a tight spot by getting into an outfit she couldn't take off. CNN's Jeanne Moos has a look at her humorous escape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are used to seeing actress Halle Berry slinking around in her catwoman outfit. But now, we get to see her in a cat fight with her stylist. HALLE BERRY, HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS: My hair.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is zipper. Take off.
(LAUGH)
MOOS: Halle managed to get into the outfit. But when it came time to get out of it, she risked everything from shoulder dislocation to repeated wardrobe malfunctions that left her momentarily exposed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're going to rip it.
MOOS: Women everywhere sympathized, been there, even fellow catwoman actress, Michelle Pfeiffer, chimed in with a comment, "I'm usually alone when this happens." A third catwoman, Anne Hathaway, has had her own wardrobe issues, collapsing in laughter as she tried to sit up in a corseted leather dress next to Donatella Versace, who designed it. The designer of Halle's $495 outfit is Anna Quan.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anna Quan, we might have to cut this.
(LAUGH)
MOOS: The designer's advice, it's easier to pull the dress down rather than over the head, adding that they will be considering longer zippers. Finally, success.
(LAUGH)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hold on, hold on. I got grease up your elbows.
MOOS: Forget elbow grease, the stylist gave her a (inaudible). Maybe what Halle needed was a little stripper music to help take it off.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, that's what we'd leave you with at two in the morning. Thanks for joining us. I'm Lynda Kinkade. "World Sport" is coming up next. And then, I will be back in about 15 minutes with much more "CNN Newsroom."
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