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Kim Jong Un Welcomes Putin in Pyongyang; North Korea-Russia Growing Partnership; Israel Prepares for Potential Offensive in Lebanon; Israel Warns Hezbollah of Possible "All-Out War"; U.S. Pier in Gaza Out of Service Due to Bad Weather; Biden to Protect Immigrant Spouses of Citizens from Deportation; Biden's Executive Action on Undocumented Spouses and Children; Wildfire Emergency in New Mexico; L.A. Fire 31 Percent Contained; Boeing CEO Face to Face with Victims' Families; Boeing CEO Testifies at Safety Hearing; Russian President Putin on Rare Visit to North Korea; Thai Senate Votes to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired June 19, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

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JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: It airs at 10:00 p.m. tomorrow night, right here on CNN, and you can stream it right on CNN Max. And thanks for watching, "Anderson Cooper 360" is next, have a great one.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, a friendship in arms. North Korea's leader welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin with a hug. One seeks military and economic support, the other weapons and ammunition.

A new front, Israel readies troops in the north, preparing for a potential offensive in Lebanon.

And keeping families together, U.S. President Joe Biden wants to let some undocumented immigrants seek permanent legal status without leaving the country.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with Rosemary Church."

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, it is 1:00 in the afternoon in Pyongyang, where North Korea is officially welcoming Russian leader Vladimir Putin for his first visit to the country in 24 years. He arrived to a red carpet rollout in the early morning hours. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was there on the tarmac to welcome Mr. Putin with a handshake and a hug.

The two are set to sit down for talks in the hours ahead. A welcoming ceremony is being held for Mr. Putin, whose rare visit is expected to build on the growing partnership between the two countries. It comes as Moscow needs more munitions for the war in Ukraine. So, let's go live now to CNN's Ivan Watson, who's following developments for us from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Ivan. So, what is the latest on Vladimir Putin's rare visit to North Korea and of course, his initial meeting with Kim Jong Un and other officials?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest we're hearing from Pyongyang is -- again, from state media is that the two leaders have been attending a ceremony in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang and that the temperatures there are soaring above 30 degrees. And having been to events there before, it's scorching hot. So, they've been photographed underneath this kind of VIP shaded erection there.

They have a full day of events that they'll be attending. It was noteworthy that the North Korean leader was there at the airport in the pre-dawn hours to meet Vladimir Putin, that they then got into Putin's limousine for the ride into the city. And North Korean state media said "passing through charmingly lit streets of Pyongyang at night, the top leaders exchange their pent-up innermost thoughts and open their minds."

So, this is -- in some senses, it is a love's fest. It is a symbolic show of friendship between these two leaders. And ahead of this visit, the Kremlin was making it very clear that the Russian government and Vladimir Putin are aligned with Kim Jong Un when it comes to their shared opposition to the U.S. and its western allies.

And that's a dramatic shift from the last time that Vladimir Putin was in Pyongyang 24 years ago when he had just been appointed to the position of president. At that time Moscow, had much warmer ties with the west. It was actually still part of what, at that point, was called the G8, the group of eight nations. The G7 nations just met recently and Russia, of course, was not invited to that gathering. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Ivan Watson, bringing us the latest on that trip from Hong Kong. So, joining me now from Washington is Soo Kim, a former CIA analyst on North Korea. She is currently a principal adviser on defense acquisition and sustainment at LMI. Appreciate you being with us.

Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So, I do want to start with your first impressions. When you saw Kim Jong Un greet Vladimir Putin on the tarmac there, what did you learn in that moment and what key things are you looking for when you view both leaders together in various interactions there at that moment, of course, later?

SOO KIM, FORMER CIA ANALYST ON NORTH KOREA AND PRINCIPAL ADVISER, DEFENSE ACQUISITION AND SUSTAINMENT, LMI: Sure. So, Kim Jong Un is, of course, an authoritarian leader, and all of his acts, behavior, his body's demeanor it is practiced, and he's also had ample practice meeting foreign leaders during the summitry with president -- Former President Trump. We're looking for the level of comfort. We're also looking for how close and intimate their relationship seems to be, if Kim Jong Un is showing any deference to Putin and vice versa.

[00:05:00]

I think what we're seeing here, of course, is a partnership that is being forged, and both leaders are very conscious of that we, the International Community, are actually watching with intent as to how this meeting is going to unfold, as well as the ramifications that are going to be impacting not just the Eastern European region in Ukraine, but of course East Asia and the United States.

CHURCH: And how significant is this rare Putin visit to North Korea? And what do you think Kim Jong Un wants in exchange for giving Putin weapons for his war in Ukraine?

KIM: So, this meeting is significant because of the Ukraine war factor. If we take that out, we have to ask, would Putin actually want to be so close to Kim Jong Un at this point?

As the war gets longer and extended, we're going to see more attrition in Russia. We're also going to see a need for greater military supplies and weaponry that North Korea is willing to provide. So, this is a relationship, of course, of mutual convenience. The fact that there's a war going on and we're seeing two countries that are relatively isolated, thinking the partnership of each other to get what each country needs, it's not entirely surprising, but at the same time, the ramifications of greater proliferation, looking at North Korea receiving sensitive military technology potentially from Russia spells implications beyond just the war in Ukraine.

So, it's not like what happens in Eastern Europe is actually going to be staying confined within the region, it's going to -- we're going to see the impact unravel in ways that are going to be threatening to the international order, as well as to the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

CHURCH: Let's look closer at that, at just how dangerous this moment is for the world, this deepening relationship between Russia and North Korea at a time when two wars are already raging one in Ukraine, the other in Gaza.

KIM: Right. And then, the third concern, the third tinderbox, of course, is in eastern -- in East Asia, where we are concerned about a potential of conflict between China, Taiwan, and potentially, of course, North Korea getting into the mix. Can the United States, its likeminded partners, actually afford a third conflict in another hotly contested region? Probably not. And that's what we're trying to steer and to prevent and deter Russia and North Korea from doing.

We've got sanctions. We've got partnerships with the International Community. But one thing that we know for sure is that these have not actually been substantially effective in reducing and deterring North Korean Russian cooperation.

CHURCH: And as we have been speaking, of course, we've been taking some of these pictures of the ceremony across -- along the road there. We see this here. We see this parade. We see this incredible welcoming of Vladimir Putin. Of course, the strengthening, the deepening, as we've been discussing, of this bilateral relationship.

So, I also wanted to ask you, what would China be thinking as it views this strengthening relationship between Russia and North Korea?

KIM: Right. So, that's the one country that we haven't brought up in this conversation. And typically, we see North Korea, Russia, China aligned against the United States, South Korea, and Japan. That is not a surprise.

What is surprising to us at this point is that North Korea had typically looked to China as its economic partner and the go-to economic assistance country. We also have to remember that China and North Korea had a very, I would say also, very mutually beneficial tight bond.

I would not say that that is going to be undermined by the growing North Korea, Russia cooperation. I don't think it's going to make Xi Jinping happy that the two countries are cooperating. But at the same time, this is also going to be undermining U.S. international interests that are probably going to be benefiting China's long game as well.

And I would also be mindful of the fact that neither -- so, of the three countries, I do not really see at this point whether or not Russia, North Korea, or China actually carrying on the bilateral relationship either way to a point that it's going to be a detriment to the third country.

CHURCH: Soo Kim in Washington joining us as we bring our viewers these new pictures, again that rare trip of Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, visiting with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea. We'll continue to bring more pictures on this and follow this story. Again, our thanks to Soo Kim joining us live from Washington.

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Israel is warning Hezbollah there could potentially be an all-out war after the Iran-backed militant group published a nine-minute-long video of military and civilian sites in Israel. The video appears to show sites in highly populated Israeli cities close to the Lebanese border, hinting that Hezbollah could easily strike major targets there.

This comes after months of cross border strikes between Hezbollah and Israel since the October 7th Hamas attacks and Israel's military campaign in Gaza. But the attacks have ramped up this past week after an Israeli strike killed a high-ranking Hezbollah commander in Lebanon. Israel says it's preparing for the possibility of an offensive in Lebanon if diplomatic efforts to reduce hostilities with Hezbollah fail.

America's top diplomat is confirming an ongoing pause of a heavy bomb shipment to Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tries to ramp up pressure on the U.S. Antony Blinken says the Biden administration is reviewing the 2,000-pound bomb shipment that was paused last month over concerns they may be used in densely populated areas in Gaza. In a video message, Netanyahu says it's "inconceivable" the U.S. has been withholding weapons and ammunitions" from Israel, and added that Blinken had assured him the restrictions would be lifted. But Blinken declined to say if he made such an assurance.

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ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I'm not going to talk about what we said in diplomatic conversations. I can just say, again, that we have a commitment to make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against a whole variety of threats. Gaza is part of it, but it far surpasses Gaza in terms of the threats they face.

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CHURCH: Meantime, efforts to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza have hit yet another setback. A mobile pier constructed by the U.S. is out of service once again due to bad weather and heavy seas. Now, officials say they're not sure how long it will be until it's back up and running. CNN's Oren Liebermann has details.

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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the waters off Southern Israel, these U.S. Army vessels wait for work. They are part of the operation for the U.S. built temporary pier to Gaza. But the pier is here, some 30 miles from the war-torn strip, in the Israeli port city of Ashdod, tucked behind this power plant.

From these satellite images, you can see it sheltering at the port, unable, once again, to operate in heavy seas. The pier began with a major promise from President Joe Biden.

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I'm directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean. A temporary pier will enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day.

LIEBERMANN: Two months after the State of the Union, the pier, known as JLOTS, did begin delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. USAID said this nautical option would one day be able to feed half a million people a month, as critical supplies on the ground stalled at checkpoints, and airdrops could only do so much.

But a week after it began operations in May, the pier broke in heavy seas. Repairs took more than a week. And the small army vessels that are part of the system also needed work, after four of them ran aground in high waves and winds. The Pentagon said a rare weather pattern knocked the $230 million pier out of commission.

SABRINA SINGH, DEPUTY PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: What happened was something that was quite unprecedented. It was the high sea states and then that storm that that changed direction and created an untenable environment for JLOTS to operate in.

LIEBERMANN: The last time the pier was used operationally was the Haiti earthquake in 2010. Since then, it has repeatedly struggled at exercises with rough weather. The pier was back up and running again on June 8th, but soon hit another snag when there was no one to handle aid coming off the pier.

CINDY MCCAIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, U.N. WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: Well, right now we're paused.

LIEBERMANN: An Israeli rescue mission, which freed four hostages and killed scores of Palestinians, forced the World Food Programme to pause its distribution effort and re-evaluate the safety of the area.

MCCAIN: So, we've stepped back just for the moment to make sure that we're in, in, on safe terms and on safe ground.

LIEBERMANN: Aid still came off the pier, but it didn't get to the people who needed it. Without the U.N.'s World Food Programme to lead distribution, it's unclear how viable the pier is in the future.

SINGH: The good news is, is that it's on the beach, so it's a step closer to getting to the people who need it most. But I just don't have an update on when that will be further distributed.

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LIEBERMANN: But even the latest effort didn't last long. The pier, which can only handle three-foot seas was knocked out of commission once again, moved back to Ashdod out of an abundance of caution to wait for calmer seas.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Ashdod, Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: U.S. President Joe Biden has announced a new executive action that will allow some undocumented immigrants to seek permanent legal status without having to go back to their country of origin.

Immigrant children and spouses of U.S. citizens who have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years would be eligible for the program and the new policy would affect about 500,000 families and about 50,000 children. The application process will begin around the end of the summer. The president made the announcement at the White House on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: These couples have been raising families, sending their kids to church and school, paying taxes, contributing to our country, been living in the United States all this time with fear and uncertainty.

This action will allow them to file a paperwork for legal status in the United States, allow them to work while they remain with their families in the United States. Let's be clear. This action still requires undocumented spouses to file all required legal paperwork to remain in the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: This new action comes as Mr. Biden tries to appeal to Latino voters in battleground states, including Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia. who were crucial to Biden's chances of winning a second term.

Still to come, a state of emergency in New Mexico, with two large wildfires burning near communities. We will hear from some of the residents forced to evacuate.

Plus, the head of Boeing came face to face with the families of passengers killed in recent plane crashes as he answered to lawmakers about the company's safety failures. We'll have that and more after the break. Stay with us.

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CHURCH: Two devastating, fast moving wildfires are burning near communities in New Mexico, leading to a state of emergency. Officials say at least one person has been killed and two others injured. The fires broke out on Monday and quickly exploded in size. They've now burned more than 7,500 hectares combined, but crews are hopeful for more favorable conditions with rain in the forecast for the next few days. The fires have forced thousands of residents to evacuate.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's devastating, you know. People are -- they're losing their homes right now. Not just them residents on the tribe, but everybody doesn't have the means to pick up and start all over again tomorrow, you know. It's kind of scary and really sad.

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CHURCH: Meantime, a wildfire burning near Los Angeles has only grown slightly over the past day. The post fire is more than 30 percent contained, but crews say high winds and low humidity still pose a challenge and they're having trouble reaching some areas. CNN's Natasha Chen has more.

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NATASHA CHEN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the post fire has burned more than 15,000 acres, just one of about 10 wildfires burning throughout California right now. The Post Fire on the north side is pretty well secure at this point. But on the south side, there is a lot of work to be done, especially along the southeastern perimeter where there is very rough and rugged steep terrain.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department says they are, for the first time, employing the sheriff's department boats to take fire crews across the lake to get to that southern perimeter. We watched as several hotshot crews were brought to that perimeter, taking everything they can with them. They have all of that medical equipment, basic life support so that if something should happen, they can take care of themselves and basically do the best they can in the middle of nowhere.

Now, this fire caused evacuations for more than a thousand people from a state park over the weekend. It grew very quickly. The difficult conditions include high wind gusts and high heat. There should be a little bit better when wind and weather conditions as the day progresses. However, there is expected to be more heat coming by the next weekend. And so, the work that needs to be done now is really containing what they can.

As fires continue to grow larger, more quickly, the fire -- public information officer here tells me that their strategy is really to bring in more crews to work on attacking the fire more quickly so that they can wrap this and hopefully be ready for the next fire.

Natasha Chen, CNN, Castella, California.

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CHURCH: The head of Boeing faced a bipartisan grilling over his company's safety record at a Senate hearing on Tuesday, and he came face to face with the families of passengers killed in two fatal Boeing crashes It's the first time CEO Dave Calhoun has answered to lawmakers over the plane makers recent safety failures, including a door plug that blew off, an Alaska Airlines plane, midflight back in January. Calhoun took responsibility for that incident.

He also acknowledged Boeing's development of a software system linked to deadly crashes of its 737 MAX planes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which killed a combined 346 people in 2018 and 2019. As the hearing began, Calhoun apologized directly to the families of some of those victims, some of whom held up pictures of their loved ones. Calhoun later addressed questions about Boeing's culture and admitted things must change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE CALHOUN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BOEING: Much has been said about Boeing's culture. We've heard those concerns loud and clear. Our culture is far from perfect, but we are taking action and we are making progress. We understand the gravity and we're committed to moving forward with transparency and accountability while elevating employee engagement every step of the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Joining me now from Denver, Colorado, is CNN Safety Analyst David Soucie. He is also a former inspector for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Good to have you with us.

DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: Hello.

CHURCH: So, outgoing CEO, Dave Calhoun, faced a grilling on Capitol Hill Tuesday with bipartisan criticism targeting Boeing's safety, transparency, and quality standards as he testified for the first before that Senate hearing. What stood out to you? SOUCIE: One of the things that stood out to me is Dave Calhoun, I think, did a great job of trying to express what Boeing is and what it wants to be. I think that it fell -- he fell short a little bit in one area, which was that they brought a report out and they said, this is the report that we received, and he agreed with the senators that it looked like what they called gobbledygook to them.

And that concerns me that that report came from Boeing. The CEO should have most definitely known what was going to them before it went. So, I was concerned about that. Other than that, I think he addressed most of the things that needed to be addressed.

The Senators -- there was one senator in particular that was truly unfair towards him and would make accusations that were -- he called them truths, but they were not truths. They were his opinions. And I think that that was a little unfair, but Calhoun still stood up to that, I think, and answered the questions that needed to be answered pretty well.

CHURCH: And of course, Boeing is under intense scrutiny from several regulators after a series of safety missteps earlier this year, including that door plug that blew out of an Alaska Airlines flight after takeoff in January. What changes need to be made at Boeing to ensure this and of course, other mishaps don't happen again?

[00:25:00]

SOUCIE: Well, I think the most critical thing that needs to be done at Boeing is to start creating a line of sight between what those people do on the floor, what everyone does to manufacture the aircraft and how that relates to their line of sight towards safety and towards what they're trying to do.

I don't think that Boeing has done a good job of making sure that they understand that the management is communicating with each other. They're listening, they're growing, they're getting better, but they're not doing a good job of getting that message down to the people who really care. The people who are doing that work, I don't think it's getting to them. And I think that they feel so insecure about coming forward.

That's what leads to these whistleblowers, is when they can't -- they're not being heard. They don't just -- somebody doesn't throw up their career and become a whistleblower without having already tried to get that message across. So, that's where it needs to happen. That's where they're talking about it, but I'm not sure they know how to do what I'm talking about right now. What are you going to do tomorrow different than you did yesterday?

CHURCH: Let's talk about the whistleblowers whose Calhoun acknowledged that Boeing retaliated against employees who have previously raised safety concerns. What did you make of that admission? And a new whistleblower claiming Boeing 737 MAX assembly line lost hundreds of substandard parts apparently that may have ended up in planes? SOUCIE: Well, what surprises me is the fact that he said that he had not spoken to any of these whistleblowers himself. Now, the safety management system itself within Boeing says that if you don't get satisfaction with your supervisor, you go to the next, you go to the next, and you have that right to continue to go.

Before it became a whistleblower, before it was written to Congress, or the Senate to say this is a problem, it certainly should have gotten up through the chain, all the way to Calhoun if he was not satisfied with the answers that he got, and that's what the safety management system is about. So, the fact that that did not happen concerns me a bit. If it gets that far and the CEO hasn't spoken with anybody, that's where the breakdown is.

CHURCH: And before making his opening remarks, Calhoun apologized to the family members of Boeing 737 MAX 8 victims who were present in the room with photos of their loved ones killed in those plane crashes. Given that moment, and of course what came out of this Senate hearing, how likely is it that significant changes will be made at Boeing to improve safety? And did Calhoun say anything that might get people to trust Boeing again? Because that's going to be quite a task, isn't it?

SOUCIE: Yes, that was a very touching moment for me. You know, I've been an aircraft accident investigator for many, many years and that connection back to the individuals and the people who have died and been injured by aircraft, it really takes a strong man to be able to confront that and be able to say that. It expresses to me that he truly does understand the gravity of the situation, that he's truly doing everything he can to make this happen, and he knows how to do good things. He's done many good things there are Boeing and it's going in the right direction.

Can he get enough done soon enough to convince the public that Boeing is producing good aircraft again? I'm not sure that he can, but I think the management structure and the potential CEOs that are upcoming will be able to do that.

CHURCH: David Soucie joining us from Denver, Colorado, many thanks for your insights on this issue. Appreciate it.

SOUCIE: Thank you.

CHURCH: A commercial submarine operator wants to travel to the wreckage of the Titanic despite last year's trip ending in tragedy. The sunken ship lies deep in the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland in Canada after hitting an iceberg in 1912.

A year ago, OceanGate tried to send its Titan sub and five passengers to the site but the vessel imploded on its way down. Now, Triton Submarines is planning its own journey to the wreckage. Triton says it is in the early planning stages and does not have a timeline for the trip.

Vladimir Putin is receiving a hero's welcome in Pyongyang. Coming up, how Russia and North Korea are taking their relationship to the next level. Back with that in just a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. More now on our top story.

[00:32:03]

Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting North Korea for the first time in decades, attending a welcoming ceremony in Pyongyang's Kim Il- sung Square.

The trip is drawing concern from the West, but the more condemnation Putin receives, the closer it draws him to North Korea's Kim Jong-un.

CNN's Will Ripley explains what each leader hopes their partnership will bring.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Russian President Vladimir Putin stepping foot on North Korean soil for the first time in 24 years. A late-night landing in Pyongyang for Putin's presidential plane.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rolling out the red carpet for Putin. Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung Square decked out for a massive celebration in Putin's honor, the global outcast getting a grandiose welcome in signature North Korean style, says, Chad O'Carroll of NK News.

CHAD O'CARROLL, FOUNDER, NK NEWS: Flags everywhere, red carpets everywhere. Military bands everywhere. Portraits of Putin adorning all the streets.

I think for a leader with dictatorial tendencies, it's probably a dream come true.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Kim invited Putin to Pyongyang after their landmark meeting in Russia last year.

Satellite images of the North Korean capital show preparations for a military parade. The U.S. and South Korea warn Kim may be seeking sophisticated Russian military technology and economic support in exchange for weapons and ammunition helping Putin wage war in Ukraine.

O'Carroll says Kim's wish list for Putin could include advanced Russian fighter jets, ballistic missile and spy satellite expertise, sending North Korean workers to Russia, generating critical revenue.

The two are expected to sign a new strategic partnership, replacing previous agreements from 1961 and nearly a quarter century ago, when Putin last traveled to Pyongyang, a few months into his presidency.

Analysts say North Korea may have been an afterthought to the Russian leadership back then. O'Carroll says times have changed.

RIPLEY: What do you think Kim Jong-un is getting right now?

O'CARROLL: He's getting legitimacy. He's on the world stage. You know, this couldn't be better for Kim Jong-un.

RIPLEY (voice-over): All without having to give up a single nuclear weapon.

RIPLEY: And that is why the White House is saying it is deeply troubled by this deepening relationship between Russia and North Korea. The Kremlin saying that Kim and Putin are expected to sign a new strategic partnership agreement replacing previous documents signed in 1961, 2000, and 2001.

And the power dynamic between the two leaders has changed so much over the last 24 years since Putin visited Pyongyang.

Kim is no longer an accessory or an afterthought like his father or his grandfather were to the Russian leaders. He is vital to Putin's strategic mission in Ukraine. And he knows it.

[00:35:10]

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Hall of Fame baseball player Willie Mays has died. He played in the old Negro Leagues and was among the first generation of African-American players in Major League Baseball.

Mays play 23 seasons in the majors, mostly for the New York Giants before the team moved to San Francisco. He finished with 660 career home runs, at the time the second most behind Babe Ruth.

The centerfielder also was dominant in the field, winning 12 Gold Glove awards. Known as "The Say Hey Kid" for the way he enthusiastically greeted others, Mays was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.

Willie Mays was 93.

And when we come back, lawmakers in Thailand vote overwhelmingly in favor of a landmark bill for marriage equality. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM.

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CHURCH: That is singer Justin Timberlake, who is in some legal trouble in New York.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated early Tuesday after being pulled over by police in the Hamptons, an upscale community on long Island. The officer said Timberlake's eyes were bloodshot and glassy and that

there was a strong odor of alcohol on his breadth.

Timberlake told police he had one drink with friends and was following them home. He has since been released and has a court date set for next month.

Reggaeton singer Don Omar says he's been diagnosed with cancer. The 46-year-old Puerto Rican star posted a photo of himself being treated at a hospital in Florida.

Omar has been one of the biggest names in reggaeton since rising to fame in the early 2000s. He's released eight studio albums and won two Latin Grammy Awards.

The singer did not reveal any further details about his diagnosis.

It is a very special pride month in Thailand. The nation is set to become the first in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.

The senate overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill on Tuesday. Thailand's king is expected to sign off on the measure, the last step before it becomes law.

Taiwan and Nepal also allows same-sex marriage, and activists hope the step will encourage other countries to approve marriage equality.

[00:40:00]

CNN's Anna Coren has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Watit and Pokpong are professional wedding singers. When they're not writing songs for one another, they help to celebrate other people's love.

Soon, they too will be able to marry.

WATIT BENJAMONGKOICHAI, PROFESSIONAL WEDDING SINGER (through translator): I am surprised, but at the same time, I'm very happy. Ten years ago, we had to bottle our feelings, and now I can freely say that I am gay.

COREN (voice-over): On Tuesday, the Thai senate voted to legalize same-sex marriage, a first for Southeast Asia. That success has been hard-won.

POKPONG JITJAIYAL, PROFESSIONAL WEDDING SINGER (through translator): This should have happened in Thailand a long time ago. After our success, I hope that will be like a domino and start that effect to nearby countries.

COREN (voice-over): Pokpong was once forced to abandon a career as a martial arts coach after he says a student outed him as gay.

JAIDAYAL: My life was shattered. My male students were afraid of me. My female students mocked me, saying I was not a real man.

COREN (voice-over): Last year, several mainstream political parties, including leading Pheu Thai, took same-sex marriage to the general election.

And now people across the country are celebrating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you marry me?

WOODY MILINTACHINDA, THAI TV HOST: You know I want to.

COREN (voice-over): Including TV host Woody (ph) and his partner Ut (ph).

MILINTACHINDA: We've been waiting for this moment almost all of our lives, and it's finally happening. This is it.

I was out of words. I called him. We messaged each other: Baby, did you see the news.

COREN (voice-over): For so many Thais, relief and joy. Politics and the law has finally caught up. And there's no looking back.

Anna Coren, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And thanks so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. WORLD SPORT is coming up next. Then I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more CNN NEWSROOM. Just stick around.

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[00:45:18]

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