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Russia Launches Missile and Drone Attack on Kyiv; At Meeting with Germany's Merz, Trump Compares War to Kids' Fight; Trump, Musk Attack Each Other Online after Falling Out; Israel Says It's Striking Hezbollah Targets in Lebanon; Bodies of Two Hostages Recovered from Gaza; Australian Woman Denies Intentionally Killing In-Laws with Poisonous Mushroom; New Artificial Intelligence Model Refuses Human Commands to Shut Down. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired June 06, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
[00:00:17]
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, a sleepless night in Kyiv as Russia launches drones and ballistic missiles across Ukraine.
Elon Musk faces off with Donald Trump as the tech billionaire slams the U.S. president's budget bill.
Plus, hostage bodies returned. A kibbutz in Southern Israel is making funeral plans for a couple killed during the October 7th terror attacks.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: It's 7 a.m. in Kyiv right now. The -- Ukraine is assessing the impact from Russia's overnight assault on the capital and a number of targets across the country.
Russia launched ballistic missiles and drones in the early hours of Friday morning. Ukrainian officials accused Russia of targeting residential areas of Kyiv.
The city's mayor says at least four people were killed, 20 others wounded in the strikes. Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing at several locations.
Fires were caused by drone strikes and falling debris as Ukraine's air defenses tried to repel the assault.
A CNN producer in Kyiv reported hearing at least two explosions.
It's unclear whether Russia's attack was the retaliation promised by President Vladimir Putin for Ukraine's strikes on Russian airfields and warplanes over the weekend.
More details now from CNN's Nick Paton Walsh. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Ultimately, until dawn, until Ukraine is able to get a full assessment of exactly what has happened over the skies of Kyiv and other key cities during the past hours, we won't know if this was the full retaliation that Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to have warned Donald Trump of during that phone call, literally a matter of hours ago, really.
But we do know, of the long-range Tupolev-95 propeller-driven bombers that were so frequently targeted during the weekend's attacks on Russian air bases, they're in the air, says Ukraine's air force, attacking Ukraine at the same time, too, are multiple waves, it seems, of ballistic missiles, including Kalibr missiles fired from the South of Russia, as well.
So, a lot, including drones --
WALSH (voice-over): -- being thrown at both the capital, Kyiv, and indeed, missiles fired towards the Kharkiv region in the Northeast and Sumy to the North, as well, where there have been significant Russian land advances in the past week or so.
WALSH: But minimal damage reports always from Ukraine. During assaults like this, they try and limit the information they make public to make the job of Russian targeters easier. Indications, though, of power cuts in the capital and, indeed, injured in the capital, as well.
Many Ukrainians, deeply on edge because of that Trump-Putin call, will be lying awake tonight, wondering, indeed, if this is the big one, if there is, in fact, worse to come, or if there might be multiple nights like this.
But I should stress Ukraine experiences nightly barrages of missiles and attack drones. And indeed, in just the hours before the weekend's attacks on Russian air bases was launched, there was a record 400 or so drones launched by Russia against Ukraine. The vast majority of them, indeed, intercepted and stopped.
But Moscow increasingly capable to add to the kind of horrors it's able to inflict on ordinary Ukrainians every single night.
But there are fears, potentially, that what we're seeing in the recent hours may mark something perhaps more significant. But perhaps at this stage, it's too early to tell.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, joining me now from Washington, retired U.S. Air Force colonel and CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton. Good to see you.
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good to be with you, Lynda. KINKADE: So, Russia is firing back at the heart of Ukraine in the
capital with ballistic missiles. From a military standpoint, how significant is this retaliation? And does it suggest a shift in Russian strategy or just more of the same?
LEIGHTON: Well, it is interesting that we don't know exactly, Lynda, how many missiles and, you know, exactly which regions they're hitting.
Now, we do know, of course, as Nick mentioned in his reporting, that Kyiv, Sumy and some of the other areas around the North and Northeast were hit.
But the other part of this is, is that it does seem that the Russian response is, at least if first reports are correct, is a bit muted. And that might mean that the Ukrainian Operation Spider Web did have an impact on what the Russians are able to do in terms of mounting a, in essence, a response, you know, type of counterattack to what Operation Spider Web did.
That particular operation that the Ukrainians mounted, which really covered a large expanse of Russian territory in terms of the diversity of the targets, had a significant impact on some aspects of -- of Russia's response mechanism.
[00:05:12]
And that could have made it very difficult for them to mount offensive operations of the type that they've been used to conducting.
So, if that's the case, then a muted response would indicate that Operation Spider Web has had some degree of success in thwarting Russian efforts when it comes to -- to this particular phase of the conflict.
KINKADE: And speaking of that operation, you know, Ukraine certainly hit many targets deep inside Russia, many air bases, many planes, as you pointed out. Do these long-range drone strikes have meaningful operational impact? Is that what you're suggesting here? Or is part of it symbolic?
LEIGHTON: I think it's both. I think they do have some operational impact. Certainly, it is -- you know, these -- the type of long-range drone strike that we saw in, in the way they were conducted for Operation Spider Web. They are, you know, significant in the sense that they achieve some degree of, you know, an operational impact.
But the effort is clearly a symbolic one, showing the breadth and length of what the Ukrainians are able to do.
Now, if the Ukrainians can mount a sustained operation that, you know, day after day, night after night, or at least week after week, goes after similar targets, that would be a very different type of scenario and could result in, basically, a change in the dynamic of the war.
At present, though, we don't see that happening, but it is still significant what the Ukrainians were able to do. And certainly, the type of damage that appears to have been inflicted under Operation Spider Web may have made a significant difference in terms of this war effort. And it certainly damaged a lot of -- of Russian aircraft anywhere, depending on the exact estimates, somewhere between 20 either damaged or completely destroyed aircraft, maybe all the way up to 40 that were at least damaged.
So, that is certainly significant in terms of operational impact.
KINKADE: Yes. And Ukraine's intelligence suggested it was valued at about $7 billion, which is -- is incredible, if that's right.
I want to ask you about President Trump's comments that -- when he suggested that it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia fight for a while before pushing for peace, from a military perspective, what are the risks and benefits of prolonging the conflict versus pushing for negotiations now?
LEIGHTON: Well, I think the idea of prolonging a conflict is a very dangerous one, especially if you're looking at Ukraine and its ability to sustain this kind of -- these kinds of operations.
Of course, a lot depends on the degree of aid that is being given to Ukraine. And if the current, you know, limitations of U.S. aid to Ukraine continue, that could be a significant -- mean a significant shortfall for the Ukrainians over the long term.
So, I think, you know, to let them, quote, "fight it out," unquote is a very bad idea from a military standpoint and from an operational standpoint, because it's much easier for the Russians to replenish their forces than it is for the Ukrainians.
That doesn't mean that the Russians won't have difficulties. They have significant difficulties, and they are not able to sustain operations like you would have initially expected them to.
But they are still a very dangerous force that the Ukrainians have to deal with. And they have clearly mounted some degree of offensive operations in the Sumy region, in Ukraine, and of course, also along the Eastern front.
So, that is -- these are both areas that are -- are difficult for Ukraine to defend against. And the longer this keeps going, the more difficult it is for the Ukrainians.
So, the quicker this war can end, the better for the Ukrainians. And it better, really, for everybody else involved in the long run, as well.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. We appreciate your analysis, as always. Retired Colonel Cedric Leighton, thanks so much.
LEIGHTON: Thank you, Lynda.
KINKADE: Well, two leaders who can affect the outcome of the war in Ukraine met in Washington on Thursday. U.S. President Donald Trump hosted German Chancellor Frederick Merz in the White House.
As our Fred Pleitgen reports, Mr. Trump made a comment that could raise new questions about his commitment to end the war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there was a good degree of nervousness here in political Berlin ahead of that meeting in the Oval Office --
PLEITGEN (voice-over): -- between Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and President Donald Trump.
Friedrich Merz kicked things off by giving a gift to President Trump: the birth certificate of President Trump's grandfather, who, of course, was German and then emigrated to the United States.
[00:10:09]
The president thanking Friedrich Merz for that. And it sort of seemed to set the tone for that meeting in the Oval Office, which was not as confrontational as some of President Trump's meetings that he had with other leaders who went and visited him. The tone at times was very friendly between the two leaders.
The main topic, or one of the main topics, was certainly the war in Ukraine, where President Trump made a remark that raised eyebrows among some, comparing Ukraine and Russia to two children having a fight. Here's what he said.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: You have two kids. They fight, fight, fight. Sometimes, you let them fight for a little while. You see it in hockey; you see it in sports. The referees let them go for a couple of seconds, let them go for a little while before you pull them apart.
And maybe, maybe. And I said it. Maybe that's a negative because we're saying go. But a lot of bad blood. There's some bad blood between the two.
PLEITGEN: Now, while not directly confronting President Trump about those remarks, Friedrich Merz did stay very clear to the line that his new government has been trotting here as far as the war in Ukraine is concerned, namely, that Germany is squarely on the side of the Ukrainians.
But he also called on President Trump to do more to end the war in Ukraine. Here's what he said.
FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR: Well, I think we -- we both agree on -- on this war and how terrible this war is going on. And we are both looking for ways to stop it very soon.
And I told the president before we came in that he is the key person in the world who can really do that now by putting pressure on Russia.
And we will have this debate later on, again, how we can proceed jointly between the Europeans and the Americans. And I think we are all in -- we are having the duty to do something on that now to stop it after three and a half years, which is really terrible.
PLEITGEN: Ukraine, of course, one of the big topics. But there are other issues, of course, that are very difficult between Germany and the United States.
One of them is the tariffs that President Trump has threatened to put in place. Germany, of course, is a country that produces a lot of things made of steel and exports a lot of things made of steel, including automobiles, to the United States, so could get hit very hard by tariffs.
The other thing also is defense spending and America's role in European defense. On that topic, President Trump did say that he planned to keep American troops on the ground here in Germany.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, Chancellor Merz spoke with CNN's Jake Tapper after his Oval Office meeting with President Trump. And Jake asked Mr. Merz if he feels he's convinced Mr. Trump to put more pressure on Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MERZ: I think that he is really thinking about what he could do more on ending this war. And this is something which we are having in common, that we are all looking for instruments or for measures, how we can stop this terrible war. And this was, in that respect, a very good discussion we had.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Right after you were elected as the head of your party, you said, quote, "The utmost priority is strengthening Europe as quickly as possible so that we achieve independence from the United States."
You added that the Trump administration, quote, "doesn't care much about the fate of Europe," unquote.
But today, you said you wanted to work jointly with President Trump. So, I'm wondering, would you call this visit to Washington, D.C., a last-ditch effort? And is Europe ready to stare down Putin on its own, if need be?
MERZ: Well, this is not a contradiction. We are looking for more independence in Europe from, for example, China; in military respects within NATO to strengthen the European pillar of NATO.
And we are, of course, looking for close cooperation with the United States of America. We have been partners for decades now. And the world is changing. But on the other hand, America and Europe are still changing the same -- sharing the same values.
And that's the reason why I'm here: to find out what we can do jointly and where we have to be more independent in Europe. And that's my task as the German chancellor, to find ways what we can do jointly and on the European side.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, NATO is moving to shift its military spending into high gear amid political pressure from Washington and concern about possible military threats from Moscow.
On Thursday, the alliance chief proposed an increase in defense spending to 5 percent of members countries' GDP. That would be in line with the request from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The NATO chief offered a breakdown of how the money would be spent.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: I will propose an overall investment plan that will total 5 percent of GDP and defense investment; 3.5 percent of GDP for core defense spending. This is based on what it will cost to meet the new capability targets that ministers have just agreed.
And 1.5 percent of GDP per year in defense and security-related investments like infrastructure and industry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, currently, only four European NATO members spend more than 3 percent of their GDP on defense. The NATO leader said the change to 5 percent of GDP would apply to every country, including the U.S., which currently spends 3.4 percent.
Well, bitter attacks and an end to the bromance. The relationship between Elon Musk and U.S. President Trump is imploding online for all the world to see, as the two billionaires exchange blows.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Two of the world's largest -- loudest, and most powerful billionaires have ended their alliance amid an ugly public feud, stemming from bitter disagreements about the budget bill.
Elon Musk went nuclear on Donald Trump on Thursday, making all sorts of venomous claims, saying the president couldn't have won the election without him, and then calling for his impeachment.
Musk even claimed the president was named in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Donald Trump, for his part, said Musk was wearing thin and just went crazy. Well, he later threatened to end Musk's government contracts.
And Musk said SpaceX would start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately, but later walked back that threat.
CNN's Kristen Holmes picks up the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is breaking up, and then there is publicly taking a flamethrower to the other person's reputation, to their livelihood. And that is really what we saw and continue to see playing out between two of the world's most powerful men, Elon Musk and President Donald Trump.
HOLMES (voice-over): Of course, what we saw has changed so much since last Friday, when Elon Musk had his government send-off, leaving the government. Donald Trump and Musk talking highly about each other has now devolved into personal attacks on each person's respective online platform.
HOLMES: All of this stemming from this bill, this congressional spending bill, Elon Musk earlier this week starting to attack the bill pretty aggressively.
We first saw Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary, respond to this in real time. She was giving a press briefing, and she laughed it off, saying Donald Trump knows where Elon Musk stands. He's going to continue with this bill.
But since then, this continued to devolve.
HOLMES (voice-over): Elon Musk ramping up the pressure, saying how awful this bill was. White House officials telling us behind the scenes that they believe this is all about the electric vehicle mandate, the rolling back of electric vehicle credits. And that's why Elon Mask [SIC] -- Musk was mad.
We were also told that Trump himself, behind closed doors before he reacted, was speculating this was all about business for Musk, that this was all about him going back to Tesla, and these were things he needed to do.
But today, Donald Trump broke his silence, was asked a question about Musk, and really went into him, saying he was disappointed in Musk that this was all about those electric vehicle credits, that they had a very good relationship. He didn't know if they were going to have one again.
Musk then began responding himself in real time on Twitter, on X, his own platform, hitting back at several things that Donald Trump said.
Now, this continued to go on and on until the attacks got personal, at one point, Musk saying that Donald Trump's name was in the Epstein files. That itself, trying to have a low blow here to Donald Trump.
Now, it was quiet after that. We saw Donald Trump's only engagement in this was a post about the bill, saying he was fine with Elon turning on him, but he wished he wouldn't turn on the bill.
Now we have a statement, the most recent one, from Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary, addressing these accusations from Elon Musk. He [SIC] says, "This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who was unhappy with the One Big, Beautiful Bill, because it does not include the policies he wanted. The president is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again."
HOLMES: Well, there is a reason that this is so focused. It is because the directive from the top -- the top, of course, being President Trump -- is to keep focused on the bill. Try not to get in the weeds here, because of course, this bill is Donald Trump's legacy.
Donald Trump, his administration, they believe so much of what he needs to get done on his agenda, the things he's promised to do, is wrapped up in this bill. So, for that reason, he is currently telling his team to stay focused on the bill.
But that could change at any time. We obviously are not seeing any letting up on either side, particularly Musk, who at one point earlier today agreed with a post that called for Donald Trump's impeachment.
So, as this plays out, this is one of the most public breaking-ups of two high-powered individuals that we've seen in quite some time.
Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still ahead, Russia launches an overnight assault across Ukraine after Vladimir Putin warned of retaliation for Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian warplanes over the weekend. We'll have more on our top story after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:29:34]
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Let's take a look at some of today's top stories.
Israel says it's striking Hezbollah terror targets in Southern Lebanon. The attack marks the biggest escalation in fighting since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November.
The IDF warned in advance that it would hit underground drone facilities and factories controlled by Hezbollah.
President Donald Trump is describing his long-awaited phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as very good. Trump said the 90-minute conversation focused almost entirely on trade.
The talks come after weeks of growing tensions between the two leaders after they agreed to a 90-day tariff truce last month.
The mayor of Kyiv says at least four people were killed, 20 others wounded in Russian strikes overnight. Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing in the Ukrainian capital. It's unclear if this is the retaliation Moscow warned about after Ukrainian drones struck Russian airfields and warplanes over the weekend.
I'm joined now by Ambassador William Taylor. He's the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic council. Good to have you with us, Ambassador.
WILLIAM TAYLOR, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Lynda, it's good to be here.
KINKADE: So, just a day after President Trump warned that he had this call with Vladimir Putin and that Vladimir Putin said he would retaliate for Ukraine's drone attack, we're now seeing this ballistic missile attack by Moscow on Kyiv.
From your contacts on the ground, what are you hearing about the scope and the impact of these strikes?
TAYLOR: Well, these strikes are part of a series, a long series of attacks that the Russians have mounted against Ukraine, against civilians, let's point out. They've attacked apartment buildings, just in this particular attack.
But these -- these attacks are what the Ukrainians are now sadly used to. I got back from Odessa a couple of days ago. I got back from Kyiv about three weeks ago. We spent a lot of time in bomb shelters, and Ukrainians spent all since the last three years. Lynda. As you know, more than three years, the Russians have been bombing.
So -- so, these are -- these -- these are to be expected. This is what they've grown to have to live with.
KINKADE: Yes. And that's why many Ukrainians in the capital are tonight in bomb shelters.
But I want to ask you about Ukraine's drone attack deep inside Russian territory on those military air bases. And that strike on the Kerch Bridge, which, of course, is a vital supply route to Crimea.
How does that demonstrate a shift in strategy? And is Ukraine gaining leverage or taking major risks?
TAYLOR: Absolutely. Gaining leverage. Ukraine's demonstrating that, in President Trump's words, they've got cards. They've got the capabilities to go deep against military targets that, again, we should be very clear that the Ukrainians are going after military airfields and military aircraft. And they're not going after civilian targets like the Russians do.
The Russians bomb civilian targets, and the Ukrainians go after military targets. And the Kerch Bridge, as you just pointed out, is a military supply route.
So, they -- the Ukrainians are demonstrating that they've got capabilities, they've got determination, they've got the technology, they've got the will to continue this fight. And - and, indeed, to win this fight.
KINKADE: Yes. I want to ask you about Trump's comments in the White House, where he said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia fight it out for a while. He described these -- these two leaders, these two nations, as if they were kids fighting before stepping in to broker any sort of peace.
From your perspective, what's the logic, if any, behind that approach?
TAYLOR: So, Lynda, President Trump does have leverage. He has the ability. He has shown the ability to get them together, to get the Ukrainians and Russians actually talking.
The Ukrainians have been very cooperative about these conversations, these negotiations. The Russians less so. The Russians have turned down President Trump's suggestion, proposal, for a 30-day ceasefire: air, land and sea. The Ukrainians agreed, and Trump (ph) said no.
This falls into a pattern. What President Trump said today falls into a pattern of letting the Russians get off the hook, letting the Russians continue the fight, letting the Russians continue to bombard the Ukrainians. This is what's been happening.
And President Trump is giving him some more time now throughout the summer. Time is not on the side of peace. If we want to get to a ceasefire, it has to be now. And the pressure from President Trump, who has leverage, has to be on President Putin.
KINKADE: And how should NATO interpret those sort of comments from Donald Trump, who seems to see a prolonged fighting as a as a strategy that's potentially useful?
TAYLOR: So, the NATO nations, other European NATO nations are actually stepping up. They are listening to what President Trump says. They are -- They are observing what -- what President Trump's defense secretary has been doing. That is, not showing up at some of these conversations about how to support Ukraine.
[00:35:02]
And -- and the Europeans, the European members of NATO are stepping up to provide more weapons, more support. The Europeans are even talking seriously, still, about having -- about deploying a force, a military force in Ukraine, to -- to enforce a ceasefire.
So, the Europeans are stepping up. The European members of NATO are making some real pledges and actually taking some actions to support Ukraine, even as the Americans hesitate to do so.
KINKADE: I mean, it seems now, for quite a while, these peace talks, these peace negotiations have been effectively stalled.
What are you hearing from those in diplomatic circles? Are there any sort of credible peace initiatives or back-channel discussions that have made any sort of progress? TAYLOR: We've observed -- we've all observed that, when the Russians
are willing and -- and willing to go into these conversations, they can do that. They do do that.
They've been willing to have conversations with the Ukrainians about prisoners of war and about war dead. And they've had a couple of agreements on this.
So -- and the Ukrainians, of course, have been willing to have those conversations. And when the two sides are willing to talk about those, those items, those issues -- prisoners of war -- they can get things done. So, that can happen. And it demonstrates that there are these conversations that are ongoing, to actually have some results.
But that's for humanitarian issues, prisoners of war. When it comes to a ceasefire, which is what the Ukrainians want, which is what the Europeans want, which is what the Americans want, it's the Russians that don't want it.
And so, these -- the discussions can happen. They -- we've seen that they are able to come to some conclusion when they do talk. But the Russians will not have those conversations about a peace, or a ceasefire.
KINKADE: Former Ambassador William Taylor, good to get your analysis. Thanks for your time.
TAYLOR: Thank you. Lynda.
KINKADE: Well, Friday marks the 81st anniversary of D-Day, a key operation that helped defeat Nazi Germany in world war two. On June 6th, 1944, tens of thousands of allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France.
This was the largest amphibious assault in history, which gave the allies a key foothold in occupied Europe. Troops from 13 countries took part in the operation, which was codenamed Overlord.
More than 4,400 of them were lost on D-Day, with 5,800 others wounded or missing. They'll be honored at a commemoration ceremony in Normandy that begins in the coming hours.
Well, Israel is paying tribute to a couple who were kidnapped and killed in the October 7th attacks. How the military managed to recover their bodies from deep inside Gaza. We'll have that story next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:42:40]
KINKADE: Welcome back. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is heating up again in Southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military says its striking terror targets in the capital, Beirut and surrounding suburbs. The IDF says it gave multiple warnings before hitting what it called -- were drone factories. The strikes mark the largest escalation fighting since Israel and
Hezbollah agreed to a U.S.-backed ceasefire in November.
Lebanon's president and prime minister condemned the attacks. Israel's defense minister says he holds the Lebanese government responsible for all the terrorist activity in the country.
A kibbutz in Southern Israel is making funeral plans for a couple killed during the October 7th terror attacks. Their bodies have been returned to Israel after a military operation by the IDF and the shin bet security agency.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: The Israeli military announced on Thursday that it had recovered the bodies of two American hostages inside the Gaza Strip.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Seventy-year-old Judy Weinstein-Haggai and her husband, Gadi Haggai, will now be laid to rest in Israel.
They had both gone out for their morning walk on that fateful morning of October 7th, 2023, in their kibbutz of Nir Oz. When Hamas launched their attack. They were actually both killed on that day, and their bodies were taken into Gaza by a group known as the Mujahideen Brigades.
DIAMOND: That's the same militant group that had also taken Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel Bibas into captivity.
for more than 600 days, Judy and Gadi's bodies were held as bargaining chips until they were recovered on Thursday in an Israeli military operation.
Now, the couple is survived by their four children and seven grandchildren, who said in a statement that they were grateful for the closure that this Israeli military operation was able to bring them.
DIAMOND (voice-over): This now means that there are 56 hostages still held in Gaza, 20 of whom are still believed to be alive.
Among those 56 are the bodies of two last remaining American citizens, American Israelis Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. Both of them were serving as Israeli soldiers along the Gaza border on October 7th. They were killed in the attack that day, and their bodies have been held since then inside of Gaza.
[00:45:05]
DIAMOND: Meanwhile, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation resumed operations on Thursday following several days of deadly Israeli gunfire that killed more than 60 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and eyewitnesses on the ground. DIAMOND (voice-over): The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said, following
those shootings, that it was going to make logistical improvements to the site and was working with the Israeli military to make improvements to the routes leading to that site in Southern Gaza.
And so, after closing that site for roughly 36 hours --
DIAMOND: -- it reopened on Thursday. Within an hour, both sites that were opened on Thursday were closed, with all of the aid having been distributed. And that, of course, speaks to the enormous need for humanitarian aid that still exists in Gaza.
The Gaza humanitarian foundation says that they are still working to make improvements, to make the process more efficient and more safe.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, the Trump administration is imposing new sanctions on the International Criminal Court for its attempts to investigate alleged U.S. and Israeli war crimes.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move, calling the ICC's actions illegitimate and disgraceful.
The court has issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and former defense minister, Yoav gallant.
It's also looking into alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan by U.S. and Afghan forces.
An Australian woman accused of killing her ex-in-laws says she may have mixed poisonous mushrooms into their food, but only by accident. When we return, a look at the trial that's been gripping Australia and beyond.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back.
In an Australian courtroom, the woman on trial for triple murder has doubled down on her innocence during cross-examination. In testimony on Thursday, Erin Patterson repeated her claim that she did not intend to serve a lethal dose of poisonous mushrooms to her ex-in-laws.
CNN's Will Ripley has more on the murder case that has gripped Australia and the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Erin Patterson invited her estranged in-laws over for lunch, no one could have imagined it would be one of their last meals.
Beef Wellington on the menu in the quiet Australian town of Leongatha. Four people sat down to eat with her. Three of them died days later. Don and Gail Patterson, Erin's former in-laws, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, a local pastor, barely survived, spending weeks in intensive care.
Prosecutors say they were all poisoned by death cap mushrooms. She's pleaded not guilty. Just a few bites can destroy your liver. Deadly, fast-acting, extremely difficult to survive.
Erin Patterson says she used store-bought mushrooms, adding dried ones from her cupboard, some she admits she picked herself. She told the court there were death caps in the mix, but she didn't mean to pick them.
She claims she only ate a small amount, said she was eating slowly, then later binged on leftover cake, forcing herself to throw up, citing past struggles with bulimia.
After the lunch, Patterson admitted she threw out a food dehydrator. Police later found it in a Dumpster with her fingerprints on it.
The lone survivor told the court his wife noticed Erin eating from a different-colored plate than others.
This case has gripped the world. Crowds outside court. Wall-to-wall media coverage.
Erin's estranged husband, Simon Patterson, also testified. Jurors saw these text messages from the night before the lunch: "Simon: Sorry. I feel too uncomfortable about coming to the lunch with you, Mum, Dad, Ian, and Heather tomorrow."
"Erin: I've spent many hours this week preparing lunch, spent a small fortune on beef fillet. It's important to me that you're all there tomorrow."
The mother of two cried on the stand. A prosecutor asked, 'You intended to serve one of those beef Wellingtons to Simon Patterson if he came?"
Erin responded, "Yes, but not one with death caps. Not intentionally."
Outside the Wilkinsons' church, small tributes for a family ripped apart.
RIPLEY: Photos on Patterson's phone showed mushrooms being weighed days before the fatal lunch. She admitted deleting the images, fearing they'd be used against her.
A fungi expert said the mushrooms looked a lot like death caps. Prosecutors allege she foraged them intentionally after seeing a post online. Patterson denied that, saying she wasn't trying to poison anyone.
She also denied claims that she'd been testing dried mushrooms in other meals.
Will Ripley, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, to Japan now. And there are record low numbers of the country's birth rate. It's falling faster than previously predicted.
The Health Ministry says that in 2024, there was a drop of 5.7 percent from the previous year. It's the first time the number of newborns fell below 700,000 since records began more than a century ago.
Japan's prime minister describes the situation as a silent emergency, as the country also grapples with an aging population.
This marks the 16th straight year of decline in birth rates.
Well, Tokyo-based ispace says its uncrewed moon lander has crashed into the surface of the moon. It's the company's second failed attempt to make a commercial space landing as part of a global race to the moon.
Ispace says it's been unable to communicate with the Resilience spacecraft and believes it made a hard landing.
The craft was carrying a four-wheeled rover and payloads worth some $16 million.
Well, it looks like some types of artificial intelligence are becoming too intelligent and maybe too powerful, as well. A new study found some A.I. models fight back if they are programmed to shut down.
CNN's Tom Foreman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Artificial intelligence staging a real-life revolt. In a series of tests, a new, powerful A.I. model directly refused human commands, according to Palisade Research, which studies the technology.
Specifically, Palisade says the new program from the company OpenAI sabotaged a shutdown mechanism even when explicitly instructed, allow yourself to be shut down. Not every time, but enough to raise alarms.
JUDD ROSENBLATT, CEO, AGENCY ENTERPRISE STUDIO: We have no idea how A.I. actually works. We need to be fairly concerned that behaviors like this may get way worse as it gets more powerful.
FOREMAN (voice-over): The idea of intelligent machines resisting human control has been a sci-fi trope for ages in movies like "I, Robot."
But A.I. developments are sharpening concerns. When another company's A.I. chatbot was threatened with being shut down, it threatened to expose the engineer in charge for an alleged extramarital affair. It was all just a test.
DARIO AMODEL, CEO, ANTHROPIC: This is an example of how we have to be very careful in how we take control of A.I. systems.
TAPPER: You've spoken out saying that A.I. could manipulate or possibly figure out a way to kill humans.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Almost two years ago, right here on CNN, the so- called godfather of A.I. warned it will get smarter, could get out of control.
GEOFFREY HINTON, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PIONEER: And it knows how to program. So, it will figure out ways of getting around restrictions we put on it. It'll figure out ways of manipulating people to do what it wants.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Now, industry experts suggest that may be happening much sooner than expected, triggering warnings of catastrophic national security risks. A potentially extinction-level threat to the human species, and at very least, massive job disruptions.
[00:55:16]
ANDREW YANG, CO-CHAIR/CO-FOUNDER, FORWARD PARTY: It's going to affect just about every segment of the economy, and a lot of Americans are going to be looking up, wondering what happened to the jobs.
FOREMAN: It is important to note that this incident of the program refusing to do what it was told, happened in a test. But the real- world questions about it go on.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, in the U.K., an additional 500,000 children across England will have access to free school meals starting in 2026.
At the moment, households earning less than the equivalent of $10,000 per year qualify for the program. But from next year, primary school children in England whose parents claim state benefit will also be able to have free school meals, regardless of their family income.
The U.K. government says the program will help lift 100,000 children out of poverty.
Well, the original Hermes Birkin bag is set to be sold at auction next month. And if you have to ask how much it might go for, you probably can't afford it.
The original bag was a blueprint for what has become a fashion status symbol. The black leather bag was inspired by the late actor and singer Jane Birkin, who happened to meet the CEO of Hermes on a plane back in 1984.
She told the story of how the bag came to be during an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour in 2020.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANE BIRKIN, ACTOR AND SINGER: I said, why don't you make a bag that's sort of four times the Kelly that you can leave open, sort of, and sort of half the size of my suitcase, because girls like to have things on the end of their arm to put all their stuff in.
And he said, well, draw it for me. And so, I drew it on one of those sick bags, the vomit bag in the -- in the -- in the airplane.
And he was true to his word. And when it came to coming over and -- and paying for the bag he said, no, it's a gift. And so, I was knocked out.
And -- and he said, but we think it's so great that we'd like to give it your name and to and to put it out, you know, as a handbag. And he said, we've only had my grandfather's traveling bag and the Kelly after Grace Kelly.
So, I'm grateful. But it was funny to come to New York, and they said, Oh, Birkin like the bag.
I said, "Yes, now the bag is going to sing."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Quite incredible. The bag goes on sale at Sotheby's "Fashion Icons" auction in Paris on July 10.
Well, that does it for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. But don't go anywhere. I'll be back at the top of the hour with much more news.
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