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CNN International: Zelenskyy Wraps Two-Day Peace Summit in Switzerland; Chinese Premier Li on Four-Day Visit to Australia; Floods, Drought, and Scorching Heat Batter Cities Worldwide; Bryson DeChambeau Wins Second U.S. Open Trophy. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired June 17, 2024 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster. Here are some of today's top stories.

An oppressive heat wave is set to hit large parts of the U.S. this week, and nearly 200 heat records could be tied or at least broken. About 82 percent of the population could see temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit right now. More than 60 million people are under heat alerts.

Two trains collided in India's West Bengal state, leaving at least eight people dead and dozens of others injured. Police say three compartments were derailed when a goods train rammed into a passenger train from behind.

Anti-government protests blocked major highways across Israel for a second day. The protesters, many of whom are students, called for elections, the release of hostages in Gaza and the return of Israeli soldiers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrapped up his peace summit in Switzerland, seeing a strong show of support from his allies. More than 80 countries backed a joint statement calling for territorial integrity for Ukraine, but key holdouts included India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled his terms for a so-called peace proposal on Friday, which was criticized by many world leaders. Mr. Zelenskyy closed the summit with this warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We are responding to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, not only with a full-scale defense of human life, but also with full-scale diplomacy. It's important that all, all participants of the summit supported Ukraine's territorial integrity, because there will be no lasting peace without territorial integrity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Our Clare Sebastian was monitoring those events. Lots of words, but I'm not sure about the action.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I mean, on the one hand, the optics, I think, were very welcome for Ukraine.

[04:35:00]

You had this, I mean, I think, possibly the biggest family photo that I've ever seen from an event. There were about 100 countries there. Over 80 of them supported this communique.

But on the other hand, this wasn't peace talks. Russia wasn't invited. China didn't turn up. And there were those holdouts -- I think we can show you them, from the communique itself, a communique that in itself was fairly short. It only contained about three of the points that are on President Zelenskyy's now 18-month-old peace plan that he himself has come up with.

So it was to try to sort of coalesce around that. But the cold, hard reality, if you look at those flags, is that there are still countries that see it as expedient to maintain a relationship with Russia. India, case in point, buys some sort of 40 percent at a peak of its crude oil imports from Russia, up from about 2 percent before the war, that they still want to maintain a relationship with Russia.

Secondly, I think there are countries, especially in the global south, that have been affected economically by this, that really just want to see this war over at any cost. So that is the reality.

Listen to the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on the peace plan that President Putin came out with just days before this summit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: It was not a peace negotiation, because Putin is not serious about ending the war. He's insisting on capitulation. He's insisting on ceding Ukrainian territory, even territory that today does not -- is not occupied by him.

He's insisting on disarming Ukraine, leaving it vulnerable to future aggression. No country would ever accept these outrageous terms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: And I think what comes clear from what we heard from President Putin on Friday, which is unusual, we don't usually hear him, I don't think that we've heard him up until now, lay out conditions for peace, is that it very clearly shows, if you needed more evidence of this, that the strategy is attrition, right, apart from the request for Ukraine to withdraw from its own territory. It contained the same demands that we heard from him before the war, that Ukraine should remain neutral, not join NATO, all of that. And his spokesman actually came out and said that he thinks people in Kyiv are looking at this and saying, look, the conditions are worse now than they were in 2022, and considering it. So they are openly making it clear the strategy is to try to exhaust Ukraine through these ongoing battles, which we still see raging on the northern front.

FOSTER: OK, Clare, thank you.

Australia's Prime Minister is officially welcoming China's Premier, who's on a four-day visit to that country. This is the first visit to Australia by a Chinese Premier in seven years, and the latest sign of thawing relations between Beijing and Canberra.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins us live from Hong Kong. Two countries pretty dependent on each other, but they haven't been getting on in recent years.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but that's changing with a significant diplomatic shift that was made very clear today, Max. You have the leaders of China and Australia hailing a, quote, stabilizing relationship after these talks that took place earlier today in Canberra. It's a very clear sign of improving ties as the Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, continues his four-day visit to Australia.

Again, this is the first visit to Australia by a Chinese Premier since early 2017, and relations are improving despite many years of tension, tension over trade as well as foreign interference.

Now, the two leaders met for talks earlier today, the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and the Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang. They agreed to greater military-to-military communication, and China also added Australia to its list of visa-free countries.

Other agenda items up for discussion also included -- let's bring it up for you -- trade and energy, of course, regional security, climate change, human rights, and the fate of a jailed Australian writer, Yang Hengjun. Now, Yang is a pro-democracy blogger and a spy novelist who is facing a suspended death sentence on espionage charges in China. Now, despite the many points of contention here between these two countries, the Australian Prime Minister hailed the stabilization of ties. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Premier Li's presence represents another important step in stabilizing our relationship with China. Our approach has, of course, been patient, calibrated, and deliberate. And I've said repeatedly we will cooperate where we can, disagree where we must, but engage in our national interests. And that is in the interests of Australia and in the interests of China, as well as in the interests of regional stability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, on Sunday, the Chinese Premier started his trip to Australia with a visit to an Australian winery, as well as Adelaide Zoo, where he announced that Beijing would provide two new giant pandas. And while in Adelaide, Li also said that relations were, quote, back on track.

Now, the relationship has warmed since Albanese's Labour Party took office in 2022.

[04:40:20]

China has slowly dropped a series of trade curbs and tariffs on Australian exports, including high-profile exports like wine and beef. China is Australia's largest trade partner. Australia is the biggest supplier of iron ore to China. China is also an investor in Australian mining projects. So it shouldn't be a surprise that tomorrow the Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, will be visiting the mining state of Western Australia, and that will also be one to watch.

Back to you, Max.

FOSTER: All right, Kristie Lu Stout, thank you so much.

Still to come, weather conditions are making it difficult for firefighters to contain a wildfire in California's Los Angeles County and we'll have the latest on that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: More details on our top story this hour. Crews in California's Los Angeles County are battling a massive fire. Officials say it's burned more than 14,000 acres. And firefighters are working around the clock to contain the blaze. Hundreds of people have been evacuated. And the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Record-breaking flooding, forcing more than 11,000 people to flee their homes in southeast China. Chinese state media says heavy rainfall across the Fujian and Guangdong provinces has caused 17 rivers to flood, triggering power outages and other damage. And now at least four people are dead after a series of related landslides.

Scorching temperatures, torrential rainfall and drought-like conditions have been battering cities across the globe. Extreme weather is displacing residents, destroying property and even costing some people their lives. CNN's Michael Holmes has the detail.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): In Florida, floods. In Mexico, a drought. In Greece, a heat wave shuts down historical sites. When it comes to extreme weather, no hemisphere is left unscathed. Countries around the globe have been battered by scorching temperatures or torrential rain. Or a lack of rain.

[04:45:00]

In Chile, at least one person has died after a downpour triggered catastrophic flooding in six different regions. The high-level weather alarm that authorities issued has since been lifted, but what remains are thousands of damaged homes. And for many, no option but to start over.

MARGARITA REYES, RESIDENT (through translator): It all happened so quickly. It was not expected. Outside my door there were sandbags to prevent it, but everything filled up in the blink of an eye.

HOLMES (voice-over): In South Florida, it was easier to navigate roads by raft after days of unrelenting rainfall. As many as 1.7 million people under flash flood warnings from Miami to Fort Lauderdale. The U.S. state is no stranger to rainfall, but as the world warms from fossil fuel emissions, once-bearable rains become heavier and heavier.

VLAD GALIYEV, RESIDENT: My wife was coming back home from beauty salon, and then she was calling me, saying that, Oh, I'm in the middle of the lake. Can you please help me? And I was with my son, so I didn't have any time and opportunity to come here. Then our friend came and picked her up. I don't know why many people saw that there are so many cars stuck in there, and they still wanted to go there.

HOLMES (voice-over): But extreme flooding impacts are far and wide. Planes grounded Tuesday in the capital of the Spanish island, Mallorca, one of Europe's hottest travel destinations. Meanwhile, roads in Murcia more resembled raging rivers.

In Mexico, the opposite problem. This lagoon used to be filled with water, now largely dried up with a sea of dead fish left behind. High temperatures in the northern part of the country have caused a drought, withering crops and drying up water reservoirs. These cows slowly succumbing to their now barren environment.

ISMAEL CATANO, FARMER (through translator): Many farmers have already gotten rid of their cows because of the lack of water and food. It hasn't rained and the food is very scarce. The animals are very weak because of the lack of food and water.

HOLMES (voice-over): Blistering heat now a common theme, as naturally warmer summer months in many countries combine with human-caused global warming to cause locals and tourists alike to swelter.

Greece has begun shutting down its Ancient Acropolis during the peak heat of the day. Tourists equipped with fans, hats and umbrellas douse themselves with water, doing their best not to let the heat set their summer vacations ablaze.

Meanwhile, the elderly find temporary relief in cooling centers.

FOFO KALYVA, GENERAL SECRETARY, HEALTH MINISTRY OF GREECE (through translator): Every year we see a rise in temperatures, and every time we remark that they are higher than the usual levels for the same period. June was never such a warm month with such temperatures. Every year the departments of the health ministry would issue guidance. Nowadays this is happening sooner and sooner and more frequently.

HOLMES (voice-over): From droughts to floods to brutal heat, regions sitting a world apart are linked by some of the same challenges. As extreme weather takes hold of countries across the globe, the effects of a warming earth are ever clear. Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: A wild day of golf in Pinehurst, North Carolina ahead. How Bryson DeChambeau stepped up to the challenge.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Bryson DeChambeau became U.S. Open champion for the second time after a topsy-turvy day of golf in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Known as the scientist for his precise and sometimes eccentric approach to the game, DeChambeau applied his calculus to win by one shot after an early challenge from a surging Rory McIlroy. McIlroy led at one point but faltered in the home stretch, bogeying three of the final four holes.

DeChambeau held his nerve with a crucial sand save at 18, made par, and at one over for the round secured his second championship in five years.

And after that victory, our Patrick Snell caught up with a thankful and thoughtful Bryson DeChambeau.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Well, Bryson, many congratulations on your second U.S. Open title. It was a crazy, wild finish. Take us out there on the course with you.

You're down the stretch with Rory McIlroy, and I'm wondering, where do you rank that bunker shot at the very last?

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, 2024 U.S. OPEN CHAMPION: That bunker shot at the very last was possibly my best golf shot in my entire life. I didn't know that practicing those 50-yard bunker shots when I was a kid would have brought me to this point at Pinehurst No. 2 to win my second U.S. Open, but sure enough, it did, and I couldn't be more proud.

SNELL: Yes, a place in history, absolutely. One of the wonderful images from this whole week, your engagement with the fans. You told me earlier in the week, though, that, you know, three years ago, the landscape was very different for you and that you could have handled things differently.

Compare that to that euphoria and the warmth you felt all weekend at Pinehurst.

DECHAMBEAU: A lot of personal growth. 2022 was a rock-bottom year for me and pushed me to be the person I am today, and I've got a lot of people that stuck around me from 2022, which has allowed me to be the person I've grown to be now. And I can't thank them enough, because without them, I wouldn't be here. And it's been a long road, but I'm certainly very blessed and thankful to have those individuals sticking with me and continuing to push me forward.

SNELL: The memory of your late father, John, is, of course, forever special, especially so on Father's Day. What would he have said to you about this victory, and how did he inspire you to achieve this title?

DECHAMBEAU: He'd have probably said, why'd you pull it on 18, off the tee shot, knowing him and his witty humor, but he would have been smiling and hugging me and giving me a lot of praise, so he was a good man.

[04:55:00]

SNELL: Did you feel his presence out there?

DECHAMBEAU: All day. There was numerous times on 2, 3, 4, even 5, where I was just thinking -- I was walking down the fairway thinking about him. As much as I was engaging with the fans, they were at the forefront of my mind still.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay says he's lucky to be alive after a recent cycling accident. He took to Instagram on Sunday to underscore the importance of wearing a helmet, whilst he also revealed a massive purple bruise he sustained from the accident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GORDON RAMSAY, CELEBRITY CHEF: Honestly, you've got to wear a helmet. I don't care how short the journey is, I don't care, you know, the fact that these helmets cost money, but they're crucial. Even with the kids, a short journey, they've got to wear a helmet.

Now, I'm lucky to be standing here. I'm in pain, it's been a brutal week, and I'm sort of getting through it, but I cannot tell you the importance of wearing a helmet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Ramsay went on to say he believes the helmet saved his life. CNN has reached out to a representative for Ramsay to comment on that.

And finally, the Royal Family put out some sweet tributes on social media this Father's Day in the U.K.

Prince William posted his throwback photo of King Charles III on X with the message Happy Father's Day Pa from W. The picture shows a very young Prince William with his dad towering over him there. And for the first time, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis posted a message on their family's social media account.

The kids shared this photo with their dad, taken by their mum, writing, We love you, Papa. Happy Father's Day.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. CNN "THIS MORNING," up after this break. [05:00:00]