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At Least Five Killed in New Israeli Strikes on Lebanon; Former CIA Operative Concerned over Trump Intel Pick; World Cup Team USA Advance to Knockout after Second Straight Win; Burnham Secures Commanding Win in U.K. By-Election; Polish President Strips Zelenskyy of Country's Top Honor; Teen Killed in NYC Horse Carriage Accident; Kennedy Center Asks Judge to Pause Lawsuit Deadlines. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired June 20, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers all around the world and in the U.S. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. Let's get into the headlines.

We have live images for you of the Israeli border after a new round of deadly airstrikes threatens to derail peace talks between the U.S. and Iran. We're going to go live to the Gulf with the latest.

President Trump's controversial acting intelligence chief is now on the job. What his appointment could mean for America's intelligence community.

Plus Team USA advances at the World Cup. We have the highlights and the reaction from the win over Australia.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from London. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Salma Abdelaziz

ABDELAZIZ: A fresh wave of Israeli airstrikes is right now testing the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Now both sides had agreed to renew the truce just less than 24 hours ago. But Lebanese state media is reporting that Israeli warplanes and drones have carried out new attacks in southern Lebanon, killing at least five people.

U.S. president Donald Trump has urged Israel to stop the fighting as it threatens to derail peace talks with Iran. And this comes as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and president Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, head to Switzerland for potential negotiations.

Now that's according to a U.S. official, though it is still unclear when those talks could actually take place.

Before the new round of Israeli strikes, president Trump had praised Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said he pushed Israel to support a ceasefire with Hezbollah. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We've had a great relationship with Israel. We're very formidable. And Bibi Netanyahu is a warrior prime minister. Now we have an agreement that was signed last night and it's 60 days. They have to make a deal. Otherwise, we will do things that won't make them happy.

But I don't think it's going to get to that. I think it's going to be very good. Remember, if we do that, then all of a sudden you're not going to have the oil flowing out of the strait too quickly because people that own billion dollar ships don't love missiles flying over them, don't love mines all over the water.

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ABDELAZIZ: For more on all of this, we're joined by CNN's Leila Gharagozlou. She is in Abu Dhabi.

Good morning to you. First of all, it's been less than 24 hours since this truce was agreed. It was supposed to go into effect at 4 pm yesterday in Lebanon, a deal to end the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.

But this morning, already Israeli airstrikes raining down on southern Lebanon in five people killed.

What's happening on the ground in Lebanon?

And is it going to derail this U.S.-Iran talks yet again, Leila?

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yes. So as you mentioned, Israeli strikes have killed at least five people across several southern Lebanese towns, according to Lebanon's state media outlet.

And this is coming off the back of what was the second deadliest day of this conflict in Lebanon. Israeli strikes killing 47 people just yesterday. And this absolutely could have an impact on Iran-U.S. talks. And we've already seen that kind of play out.

Yesterday, Iran and the U.S. were supposed to meet in Switzerland to begin the first round of these negotiations within that 60-day period. Those got delayed because of Israel's actions in Lebanon.

Now there are concerns that the ongoing exchange of hostilities is going to further delay this. And as you mentioned, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are said to be going to Switzerland but the Iranians have not said that they are going to be joining to start these negotiations.

Now if you remember, Lebanon has been a key sticking point for the Iranians throughout this entire war and this ceasefire and MOU process. It is, in fact, the first point of the MOU that addresses Lebanon.

They write very specifically that the U.S., Iran and their allies in the current war are signing the MOU to declare the immediate permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon. So these things are absolutely tied together.

And Israel's actions in Lebanon are going to be watched very closely by the Iranians. Now the experts that I've spoken to over the course of the last week since the signing of the MOU, have expressed concern over Israel's actions.

[04:05:05]

And this 60-day time period, because this is quite a tight turnaround to talk about these really complex topics, like Iran's nuclear program and the ballistic missiles program.

So we're looking at a really critical moment that Israel could definitely change for the Iranians. Now we have to see what the Iranians say over the next couple of days, next couple of hours. They have been very quiet. But as we heard, president Trump still is somewhat optimistic about getting something through over the next 60 days, Salma.

ABDELAZIZ: And Leila, just as you were speaking to us, we can see on that live feed yet another plume of smoke emerging there from southern Lebanon, an indication, again, that those airstrikes, those Israeli actions continue, despite, again, that deal that was supposed to go into effect 4 pm yesterday.

And a good point there, again from Leila, that, while American diplomats are on the way to Switzerland no indication that Iranian diplomats are on their way. Thank you so much.

The U.S. acting Director of National Intelligence is already considering some very big changes.

Sources tell CNN that Bill Pulte requested a list of all employees in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as he weighs potential job cuts. Now Pulte was not supposed to report to the office until Friday but he showed up a day early.

Pulte is considered a Trump loyalist and has no prior intelligence experience. He has also supported president Trump's false claim that the 2020 election was stolen. CNN's Zachary Cohen has more on this

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ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Even before President Donald Trump's controversial pick to lead the U.S. intelligence community, Bill Pulte showed up for work on his first day on the job.

He'd already asked for a list of all of the employees in his new office so that he could assess whether or not he wanted to fire them.

Now this is consistent with what we understand to be Pulte's chief mandate as acting DNI, however long he remains in the role and that is to carry out sweeping cuts within the Office of Director of National Intelligence and potentially across the intelligence community writ large.

Now Pulte's other mandate has been to investigate President Donald Trump's grievances around the 2020 election and potentially the upcoming election as well.

We're told Pulte showed up for work one day before even President Trump said that he was supposed to start a sign that he plans to aggressively pursue this mandate and one that is has intelligence officials on edge even during the first few days of his tenure.

Now we're told that Pulte's first interactions with intelligence officials have also demonstrated his lack of national security experience, which is really at the core of the criticism of Pulte's appointment by both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.

We're told that Pulte has repeatedly asked about what level of security clearance he has and whether it was top secret or something lower.

Obviously, CNN reported previously that Pulte did not have a security clearance prior to being tapped for the job, which is usually considered a prerequisite for anyone chosen to lead the U.S. intelligence community, even just temporarily.

Now Pulte also, we're told, has really fixated on the logistics and scheduling around his new job, even inquiring whether or not he had access to a government plane.

Really underscoring that in addition to Donald Trump's priorities, Pulte is also focused on his own personal priorities as well, rather than the challenges faced at the U.S. intelligence community.

Now this core concern, again, behind Pulte's intention to carry out mass firings in the intelligence community is the fact that many of these intelligence professionals are already involved in ongoing projects working to assess threats for things like the World Cup and the ongoing conflict in Iran.

We've heard from U.S. officials who have warned Pulte that he needs to be deliberate in any firings that he makes, which is again something Pulte has not demonstrated that he has a full understanding of as it relates to the intelligence community.

But still, President Donald Trump has consistently backed Pulte, saying that he is a smart individual and someone that he wants in that role until a permanent DNI is confirmed by the Senate.

But again, Donald Trump even complicating those matters just this week, withdrawing his own appointee for the permanent job, Jay Clayton, over a conflict with Congress on a controversial surveillance bill. So it remains to be seen how long Pulte will stay in this job in an acting capacity.

But intelligence officials within ODNI across the other 17 agencies that he will oversee are voicing concerns privately about what is to come down the pike -- Zachary Cohen, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: A former CIA senior executive also shared with CNN his concerns over president Trump's decision to tap Bill Pulte as the acting DNI.

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JOHN SIPHER, FORMER CIA NATIONAL CLANDESTINE SERVICE SENIOR EXECUTIVE: It shows that the president doesn't take the intelligence community seriously.

If he continues to put these kind of people in there, who clearly are there just to do his bidding and to try to use the intelligence community as his own detective agency to declassify information, to create conspiracy theories, it shows that the president doesn't take the intelligence community seriously.

And if he doesn't want unfiltered intelligence, then there really is no reason to have an intelligence community, frankly.

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ABDELAZIZ: President Trump has unveiled a new presidential plane. He showed off the Boeing 700-478 on Friday. You can see it there at Joint Base Andrews. Now it was donated by the nation of Qatar. It is a $400 million plane given to the Pentagon last year.

However, the White House has been questioned over ethical and national security concerns connected to accepting the plane as a gift. But the White House has brushed all of this aside, said those concerns are no issue.

President Trump had complained of delays in producing a new plane to replace the two Boeing planes, which have been used as Air Force Ones since the 1990s. Unlike past presidential planes, which were a lighter blue on the outside, this plane's color scheme is similar to the American flag.

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ABDELAZIZ: The World Cup's group stage forges ahead on Saturday as teams look to strengthen their position in the tournament and secure every point that they can.

The Netherlands will take on Sweden in Houston, Texas and Germany face the Ivory Coast in Toronto. Ecuador will play in Kansas City, Missouri. Both those teams are looking to secure their first points of the tournament.

American fans are dreaming big after Team USA continued their impressive World Cup run, beating Australia 2-0 on Saturday. That secured America's spot in the upcoming knockout round and coupled with Paraguay's win over Turkiye, it means the U.S. have now won their group. Our Andy Scholes has a look at Team USA's growing momentum.

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ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Team USA is now on to the knockout rounds of this World Cup.

After another incredible performance here in Seattle, this was a very physical game against Australia but Team USA dominated possession and for the first time since the World Cup moved to having three group stage matches, the U.S. has won their first two.

And the big question coming into this match was going to be, how would the team fare without star Christian Pulisic?

He was ruled out with that injured calf but no Pulisic, no problem for Team USA. Folarin Balogun was just awesome once again. He didn't score but he did create the chance in the 11th minute that resulted in an own goal, the U.S. the first team ever to get own goals to start their first two matches at a World Cup.

Then Alex Freeman, the son of Former Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman, he had an awesome header for a goal. It was originally called offsides but then VAR said it was in fact a goal, which had the whole stadium just erupt and going nuts.

Australia did have some chances in the second half of this one but U.S. was able to put up a clean sheet and win two-nil and the team is now riding high as they have advanced to those knockout stages.

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FOLARIN BALOGUN, PLAYER OF TEAM USA: I'm confident, you know, you know, two games in the World Cup, you know, the fans are helping us to be confident as well, not just me but the whole team and yes, you know, I'm delighted that I'm looking forward to each game, you know, just playing in front of the fans.

ALEX FREEMAN, PLAYER OF TEAM USA: We should be very proud of how we played and to be able to get our first clean sheet, you know, in a while, especially our first one in the World Cup. I think it just means so much to us and I think we're passionate about, you know, keeping the team sheets in that situation.

So I think for us, we'll be happy.

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SCHOLES: The atmosphere here in Seattle was just electric. The U.S. men are now a perfect 7 and 0 playing in this stadium and it was just a party in the streets as everyone was leaving. And I spoke to a lot of those fans who are daring to dream after another impressive performance.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was unbelievable. They look -- they're looking so good, man. They came out great today. They hit it and Australia didn't know what had it coming. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm starting to believe. I think we're pretty dominant. I think we're dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they have a really good chance of winning this whole thing.

SCHOLES: The whole thing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole thing. Quarter finals for sure.

SCHOLES: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- double stick.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got to say all the way.

SCHOLES: All the way?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: USA, all the way, red, white and blue. You know what I'm saying, no matter what, let's go.

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SCHOLES: Yes, all those fans just so excited and Coach Mauricio Pochettino, he actually credited those fans with helping the U.S. secure a victory here in Seattle. And now the next chance for those fans to root on Team USA is going to be when they close out group play against Turkey Thursday in Los Angeles.

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ABDELAZIZ: Up next, the British prime minister faces a potential challenge to his leadership. I'm going to look at the man who could try to oust him as leader of the ruling Labour Party.

And later, states along the Gulf Coast are soaked after days of heavy rainfall. There is more rain in the forecast.

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ABDELAZIZ: Bolivia's president has declared a national state of emergency to end 50 days of sometimes violent anti-government protests. President Rodrigo Paz said in an address to the nation that the new state of emergency clears the way for the military and police to restore order and ensure the country's roads are reopened. Just hours earlier, a key Labour union had signed an agreement with

the government to end the roadblocks. Protesters have been demanding that the government roll back austerity measures. You can see those demonstrations there.

People in Bolivia have faced long lines for fuel and difficulties in getting food and medical care. At least 14 deaths so far have been linked to those demonstrations.

The man who could potentially replace Keir Starmer as British prime minister is expected to travel to Westminster on Monday.

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The outgoing mayor of greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, won a local by-election, making him a member of Parliament. And this victory gives Burnham a path to formally challenge Starmer as leader of the ruling Labour Party. But the prime minister says he's not going to back down without a fight.

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KEIR STARMER, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: If there is a contest, just to be clear with you, then, yes, I will run, I will stand. And I've said repeatedly, I'm not going to walk away from that.

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ABDELAZIZ: John Rentoul is a chief political commentator at "The Independent" and a visiting professor at King's College London. He joins us now live from here in London.

Good morning. First of all to you, thank you for joining us.

JOHN RENTOUL, CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, "THE INDEPENDENT": Good morning.

ABDELAZIZ: I just want to start by asking about that win, of course, because Andy Burnham didn't just win. He won big and he won against Reform, which had very recently done well in local elections.

What does this big victory tell us about his electability, his likeness, his chance of success?

RENTOUL: Well, it suggests that he's going to be prime minister quite soon. We don't know exactly what the timetable is but he's proved that he can beat Reform, who are the real threat to Labour at the next general election.

And Andy Burnham won a by-election in a seat which voted to leave the European Union 10 years ago. it's very much a Reform-minded seat, the sort of seat that would vote for Nigel Farage's party.

And Andy Burnham really humiliated Reform in that -- in that seat. And Labour MPs absolutely love that and think that he is the answer to all of their problems. ABDELAZIZ: And as you mentioned, they're just a major win against

that far right Reform Party. First step done. He's -- now has a seat in Parliament. Write me the rule book here.

What are the next steps logistically that he needs to take one, two, three, four to get to that top job?

RENTOUL: Well, logistically he has to be nominated by 80 of his fellow MPs to open up a leadership election, for the leadership of the Labour Party and therefore for prime minister.

And as you heard there, Keir Starmer said that he would fight that. He would be a candidate in that in that leadership election. He has to say that, Keir Starmer. I mean, if he said, if he said, oh, well, if someone, if someone challenges me, I'll pack up and go home. Then it would all be over even sooner than it's going to be.

But I don't believe Keir Starmer is going to be a candidate. I don't believe there are going to be any candidates against Andy Burnham. He's surprisingly popular among the general public, although a poll today suggested that nearly 80 percent of them said they knew little or nothing about him.

But what they do know, they like. And Labour MPs like him. And I think the momentum behind him taking over from Keir Starmer in the next few weeks is unstoppable.

ABDELAZIZ: That is a very bold and optimistic prediction on behalf -- on behalf of Burnham, of course, that he would basically be unchallenged.

Is there nothing that Starmer can do at this point to fend off this race?

RENTOUL: Well, I mean, Keir Starmer is so unpopular with the voters and with his own party, partly as a result of his unpopularity with the voters, that I think the Labour Party has lost patience and just wants to get on with change to a new leader.

Even though Andy Burnham is remarkably untested and unknown. But people like what little they see of him. He comes across as a regular guy, much more relaxed and affable than Keir Starmer.

I mean, I think there are a lot of worries about what his economic policy would be. I think the markets are very nervous. So it would be very important to see who he appoints as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

But I think the momentum is so strong, that Keir Starmer doesn't really stand a chance.

And the thing about, Andy Burnham is so far ahead in the, you know, among the people who would vote for him if there were a leadership election that all the candidates who might stand against him can be bought off with offers of jobs in Andy Burnham's cabinet.

ABDELAZIZ: I remember interviewing Andy Burnham a few years ago when he had a standoff with Westminster during COVID. And he was just such a charismatic character, such a warm personality.

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But do we really need a sixth prime minister in seven years?

Is that actually good for the country?

What policies could he possibly bring about that would be such a major change?

RENTOUL: Yes, absolutely the right questions. We shouldn't be changing prime minister every five minutes but the problem is that this one, I think, has run out of political capital. He proved to be very good at winning a general election and very bad at governing.

So given that the Labour Party still has a very large majority in Parliament from that general election, it needs to try somebody else who might be able to deliver better. I mean, I have my doubts about Andy Burnham, I think he's -- I don't think he's the messiah.

But a lot of people in the Labour Party have invested a lot of hope in him. I fear they're going to be disappointed again. And we'll just go through the same old cycle of just trying to find a prime minister. I think it's partly because the economic situation in this country is just so difficult that almost nobody can manage it.

ABDELAZIZ: John Rentoul there, with the prediction that we may have a new prime minister very soon in this country, thank you so much.

A massive fire at a hotel in the Dominican Republic has left an Italian woman dead. Nearly 1,700 tourists had to be evacuated when the fire broke out on Friday. Three people were hospitalized and six others were treated onsite.

Officials say the flames spread rapidly because of the hotel's straw roof. That cause is under investigation.

We'll take a quick break now. For our viewers in North America, I'll have more news for you in a moment. For our international viewers. "CNN CREATORS" is next.

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ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and Canada. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London.

A new round of Israeli attacks in Lebanon could jeopardize peace talks between the U.S. and Iran. Strikes and artillery fire were reported in several towns in southern Lebanon. This was early Saturday. That is despite Israel and Hezbollah agreeing to renew a ceasefire on Friday. At least five people were killed in those strikes. That's according to

Lebanese state media. And just moments ago, we received a statement from the Israeli Defense Forces. In that statement, it accused Hezbollah of launching more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

A U.S. official tells CNN that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is going to Switzerland, hoping to kick off the next round of peace talks with Iran. President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is also expected to attend.

Now all of this comes after the talks were pushed back because of the ongoing tensions in Lebanon. For more on all of this, we're joined now by H.A. Hellyer. He's a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies. He is live in Cairo.

Good morning, first of all, to you.

How are you today?

HA HELLYER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE FELLOW, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE FOR DEFENCE AND SECURITY STUDIES: Good morning. Pleasure to be here. Thank you. Salma.

ABDELAZIZ: Let's start, of course, with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They're heading to Switzerland. We've heard that there seems to be no indication that Iranian diplomats are heading to Switzerland.

All of this seems very optimistic when we have right now, still, the exchange of fire going on in Lebanon.

Are we actually looking at this 60-day negotiation period starting or is this all going to fall apart in the last minute with bombs raining down on Lebanon?

HELLYER: We frankly don't know, to be quite honest. There's a few things here just to put into context.

So within the U.S. itself, it's been made very clear in D.C. that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to undermine the MOU. He's facing Knesset elections in the fall. He needs to show voters in Israel that he's not going to pull out of Lebanon.

Frankly, the invasion and occupation of Lebanon is very popular within Israel. So the electoral calendar, as morbid as that might sound, is now a variable in this regional deal. That's simply where Israeli politics is at. it's completely illegal but that's where it's at.

And already, as you said, this escalation has really forced one postponement of these talks and you can't really have this level of escalation in Lebanon at the same time as there's an MOU being discussed with Iran, which clearly indicates -- it clearly includes Lebanon as part of the MOU.

On top of that, you have a lot in D.C. going on with regards to the Israelis themselves. First, that not just that they-- there's U.S. intelligence that the Israelis will undermine the MOU but also public rhetoric from both Vance and Trump, from both vice president and the president, criticizing different members of the Israeli cabinet.

President Trump being a bit more friendly about it that, you know, talking in terms around Netanyahu that might seem affectionate but also saying we have to keep him sane.

Vance saying that the Ben-Gvir and Smotrich approach of, you know, you can't just kill your way out of every security problem. So all of this is happening at the same time.

But then finally, which I think is very important, this is all rhetoric. These are all words. There hasn't been a change in policy. There's no sign of aid being disrupted or arms or diplomatic cover. None of that. So this is the toughest talk, I think, that we've seen in a while. But it's still just talk. And as such, Tel Aviv feels that it still has maneuver to move.

ABDELAZIZ: It's a very good point you're making there about there's been no change in policy because one of the things that Iran's foreign minister said yesterday, after that deal had been reached between Hezbollah and Israel, is that any breach and commitment, quote, "will be attributed" to the United States.

Can the U.S. actually rein in prime minister Netanyahu?

Because so far he's refused to back down from occupying parts of southern Lebanon. So that is a tinderbox that remains there.

[04:35:00]

HELLYER: So I'm glad that you put it in these terms, because that's correctly how it ought to be framed. It's not that Trump could not rein in Netanyahu. It's not that the United States does not have the leverage to push the Israelis into a box.

It's simply that they refuse to use it. And this has been the case multiple times, not simply with this president but previous presidents, including Biden. If Donald Trump wants to make sure that Netanyahu stops what he's doing or changes his behavior, he has many, many tools in the toolbox to make sure that that happens.

But he hasn't been willing to use those tools. There's been a lot of rhetoric and he's trying to present this image to the world that, you know, they do as I say. OK. There was an Axios interview that he did yesterday where he says, they do as I say, they respect me very much and they do what I tell them to do.

Basically, what they don't do, what -- and they don't do what you tell them unless they feel that you're actually going to exact a price if they don't do what you tell them. And so far, there isn't that feeling in Tel Aviv.

If there was, then I think they would see a very different set of actions when it comes to Lebanon, where, of course, as your own reporters have pointed out, something of 20 percent of Lebanese territory is now under occupation; 1 million displaced.

A million out of a population that's really quite small. It's really quite extraordinary. And you have Israeli ministers talking about how all of Lebanon must burn and Lebanese mothers must -- 100 Lebanese mothers or something must cry for every Israeli.

So you know, it's really quite extraordinary rhetoric. It's not extreme in the sense that it's not marginal. This is at the heart of the Israeli government. So it should be a signal to the United States that leverage does have to be used or the MOU with Iran is really in jeopardy.

ABDELAZIZ: H.A. Hellyer there on Lebanon continuing to be a roadblock in that memorandum of understanding. Thank you so much.

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ABDELAZIZ: From diplomacy to deadlock, E.U. leaders are divided over whether to open communication lines with Moscow to protect European interests as efforts to end the Ukraine war move forward. The issue dominated a two-day summit in Brussels. French president Emmanuel Macron says Europeans must be at the table for any peace talks.

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EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): We are not mediators. We stand with Ukraine. We are providing it with aid and support and we have imposed sanctions on Russia.

A second point, very simple and very clear that we have always stood up for when negotiations take place, Europeans must be at the table because Europe's interests are at stake, interests that are partly linked to what is happening in Ukraine.

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ABDELAZIZ: Following developments for us is CNN's Larry Madowo.

We've seen so much diplomatic activity, as you heard there, French president Emmanuel Macron speaking; so much European diplomatic activity around Ukraine, especially with Ukraine ramping up attacks on the heart of Russia.

Some European allies believe that Ukraine now has the upper hand. Others are showing perhaps what is war fatigue.

Are cracks beginning to show in the Western alliance here, Larry?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It would appear so, Salma. The Europeans appear to be divided over when and how to begin negotiations with President Putin.

And if they do, who should be responsible for it?

So one of the arguments here, especially from President Macron's camp, it should be the E3, France, Germany and the U.K. that should be involved in that. There are many more within the European Union bloc who believe Antonio Costa, the European Council president, should lead those negotiations, as he speaks for all 27 members of the bloc.

But I think president Macron's comments there about the fact that, one, the Europeans are on the side of Ukraine, so they will be not there -- will not be mediators but they have to be involved in what happens there. They have supported Ukraine militarily, financially and also they have sanctioned Russia.

And so the future of Ukraine has to involve them about enlargement, about the security guarantees that Ukraine will need. So that is one of the rifts affecting Ukraine's allies.

The other one is about its neighbor. And this one is 80 years in the making. Poland now announcing that it will strip president Zelenskyy of the nation's highest honor after president Zelenskyy renamed a unit of Ukraine's Special Forces after a paramilitary organization accused of massacring Poles during World War II.

Late May, president Zelenskyy announced that that unit, the heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, would be renamed. And that's something that has angered many Poles.

And that is why now president, the president of Poland saying that this honor was given to president Zelenskyy in 2023 is no longer valid and is being criticized even by Poland's very liberal prime minister.

[04:40:03]

Here's how the Polish president explained how this will change the very close relationship between Ukraine and Poland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROL NAWROCKI, POLISH PRESIDENT (through translator): At this point, I would like to emphasize that this decision is not directed against the Ukrainian people. It does not signify a change in the strategic direction of Polish security policy.

We have supported and continue to support Ukraine because we know that Russian aggression poses a threat to the security of Poland and all of Europe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: And Poland will next week host the Ukraine rebuilding conference. President Zelenskyy has attended previous ones. It's not clear if he will be attending this one. He has so far not commented on it. But his foreign his foreign minister is also returning an award that was given to him by Poland as this rift continues, Salma.

ABDELAZIZ: Larry Madowo there. Thank you so much for those updates.

A terrifying scene there as a tree fell during a heavy rainstorm. Parts of the Gulf Coast are still underwater. This is after potentially record-breaking rainfall forced evacuations and rescues from dozens of homes, businesses and vehicles.

And as more rain is on the way, at least five people have died in flooding in Texas, Georgia and Mississippi this week. There have been evacuations, water rescues and several flash flood emergencies in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Parts of the Gulf Coast have recorded more than a foot of rain in 12 hours or less and floodwater trapped multiple vehicles, shut down roadways and damaged homes during a flash flood emergency early Friday morning in Mississippi.

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ABDELAZIZ: A runaway horse carriage in New York City ended in tragedy. Now calls are growing to ban what has been a mainstay in Central Park for more than 150 years. We'll explain what happened just ahead.

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ABDELAZIZ: There is growing outrage in New York City after a teenage tourist was thrown to his death from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park. This is the eighth serious horse-related incident in just over a year. Gloria Pazmino has more from inside Central Park.

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GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was supposed to be a leisurely, horse-drawn carriage ride in New York's Central Park.

But video shows it quickly turned deadly after the horse became spooked and took off with the Mahajan family inside; 18-year old Romanch Mahajan was killed after trying to help his mother, who was thrown from the carriage.

The Mahajan family traveled from India to celebrate Romanch's high school graduation and were enjoying a day in the city. When the carriage driver stopped to photograph the family, he stepped out of the carriage and the horse took off.

The teen's father told "The New York Times," quote, "They clung desperately to each other inside the carriage" as the horse sprinted. But when Romanch's mother fell out of the carriage, he jumped after her to help and his head hit the pavement.

The driver chased after it but wasn't able to catch the out-of-control carriage, which didn't stop until it hit another coach and fell to its side. Eighteen-year old Romanch Mahajan later died at the hospital.

Now days after this shocking incident, Central Park horse carriages are temporarily off the job. On a regular day, you would have seen them lining up here, stopping at the water trough to drink before picking up their passengers.

But now the union representing the drivers says they're conducting an investigation. The carriage accident is the first human fatality in more than 100 years of the industry operating inside the park.

A string of horse-related accidents, eight just in the past 13 months, has reignited calls from animal welfare advocates, elected officials and the Central Park Conservancy to finally ban them.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had a death two days ago. A week ago, we had a horse that collapsed for 10 minutes and died. And a month before that, we saw a driver be taken in a stretcher. This is long overdue.

Are we going to wait for another death?

Or are we going to take action today?

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PAZMINO: The carriage drivers argue their livelihood will be destroyed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just are devastated that this happened. People in our business have been doing this for decades. This is their small business. These are their small businesses.

PAZMINO: The iconic carriages are a major tourist attraction for those who want to see some of the city's most famous landmarks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's historically been available for a long time and I just think it's part of the ambiance.

PAZMINO: Efforts to ban and reform the industry have spanned three mayoral administrations, including legislation requiring mandatory vacation time for horses, temperature limits and keeping the carriage rides inside the park.

It was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for the Mahajan family.

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The memory of their son, now memorialized on a Central Park bench.

The rest of the Mahajan family sustained minor injuries. On Friday, the union announced that the horse work stop would continue through the weekend while they provide worker trainings for their drivers.

And mayor Zohran Mamdani opening the door to a ban for horses inside the park, saying he would work with the city council and the union to protect workers but ultimately end the practice of horse-drawn carriages inside the park -- Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York. (END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: The Kennedy Center is asking for more time to comply with a lawsuit. Still ahead, the legal battle over its future. Plus, why some want a tarp removed from the building.

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ABDELAZIZ: The Kennedy Center is asking a federal judge for more time to comply with an ongoing lawsuit. Its board wants to close the facility for renovations. Last month, a judge blocked that plan, ruling the board had voted unlawfully to approve a shutdown.

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In Friday's ruling, attorneys for the Kennedy Center said they still need more time to consider a path forward. This request follows a court order to remove president Trump's name from the center. Crews had completed that work but a tarp still covers much of the building's entrance.

The legal team that brought the suit says that tarp needs to come down immediately and that no further changes be made to the exterior.

The Obama Presidential Center has now opened to the public, nearly 10 years after the former president left office. Some visitors posed for photos with a sculpture of the 44th president and his wife, Michelle Obama.

Others described the day as historic, joyful and deeply personal as it opened on Juneteenth, which is also called African American Freedom Day.

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DEBORAH LOVE, CHICAGO RESIDENT: In the museum. On the wall is a "Yes, we can," because he was not always about I. He wanted all of us. So I kind of like that resonated with me. Yes, we can. You can, you can and you can. Yes, we can.

LEVIDA HARDY, CHICAGO RESIDENT: I love the Obamas. And I'm also from Chicago and I'm also from the South Side of Chicago. So there's that. There's that real, real deep, deep connection. And I'm just so proud. I'm just so proud.

So we went inside. When I heard his voice, it just, it was just resonating to me almost like tears, you know, like, oh, my God, the voice, you know, the -- because when he speaks, he speaks with so much love and care and concern. And his words are real, not somebody just reading a script. And so that's what it meant to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ABDELAZIZ: The center was designed to permanently secure the legacy of former president Barack Obama's two terms in the White House. The sprawling museum in Civic Center Complex includes a performing arts hall, library and athletic center.

Thank you so much for watching. I'm Salma Abdelaziz. I'll be back with more news right after a quick break.