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Belgorod Situation "Alarming"; China Defends U.S. Spy Plane Interception; DeSantis Kicks Off Iowa Tour; Preteen Aderrien Murry Shares Ordeal; Failed North Korean Launch Fuels Tensions; Kosovo Excluded from NATO Exercises; NASA Holding Public Meeting on UFOs. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired May 31, 2023 - 10:00   ET

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

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ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm Eleni Giokos, live from Dubai, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.

Well, coming up this hour, the war on Ukraine once again reaches Russia's doorstep. The Belgorod region is hit by shelling and drones.

North Korea fails to launch its spy satellite but the attempt still rattles nerves in the South.

One family will pay off billions of dollars to help fight America's opioid epidemic in exchange for immunity from current and future civil lawsuits.

And Jose Mourinho is eyeing up another victory in the European final.

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GIOKOS: A day after a brazen drone attack on Moscow, there are new signs the war and Ukraine might be creeping across the border into Russian

territory. The Kremlin calls the situation in the Belgorod region "alarming" after a, quote, "massive strike" that wounded four people.

Shelling injured another person in another district and we are hearing of two drone attacks elsewhere just inside Russia. In the meantime, Kyiv is on

edge amid fears Russia will retaliate for that strike on Moscow. We have Fred Pleitgen in the Ukrainian capital right now.

Fred, great to have you on. Look, Ukraine is denying involvement but we have seen strikes across the border increase.

Now the question is, what is Moscow's next move?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's a very good question. Certainly one of the things that people here are bracing for

and have been bracing for, certainly overnight last night, was possible massive Russian retaliation for the alleged drone attack by the -- well,,

the Russians say was conducted by the Ukrainians on Moscow.

But the Ukrainians denying that. Now overnight, that didn't happen. It was actually very quiet here overnight. There were no strikes. There is a lot

of speculation here. On the ground in Kyiv as to why that may be the case.

Could it be the Russians sort of retooling their forces?

One of the things that the Ukrainians for instance have said is that, for a very long time there have not been any sea launched cruise missile attacks

on the part of the Russians so the Ukrainians fear that something like that might be coming.

But again, all of that right now is still speculation. As one adviser to Ukraine's interior ministry, who said maybe the Russians did get a message

by the fact that there was that drone attack on Moscow.

But it is still unclear. But I think the point that you are making and one of the things that you said is absolutely key. Right now, the Russians

certainly under pressure at a lot of the border regions with Ukraine on Russian soil.

And that Belgorod attack is certainly something that is rattling the people on the ground there. The damage apparently seems to be extensive, according

to the governor of the Belgorod region. Some high rise buildings have been damaged. Some private homes damaged as well.

Some of the residents that we have heard from in Russia media say that they are extremely concerned. And certainly the governor of the Belgorod region

has been calling on the Moscow authorities to do more, to fortify that border and to keep people there safe.

And there were those attacks on the refinery in the south in the Krasnodar region. So all of this very far apart. But one thing that was also key and

that the Ukrainians are focusing on is certainly further to the north in the Bryansk region.

The Russians there are saying that they fended off a attack using a lot of drones earlier today. And there seems to have been an artillery strike or

something of the sort on a road near the border on the Ukrainian side, on a road leading toward Russian territory.

And the Ukrainians are essentially saying that they believe that, right now, the Russians are so nervous that they are bombing that road to try and

make sure that there are no further Ukrainian incursions. And so that certainly seems to go to show how on edge the Russian forces appear to be

and possibly the Russian government is as well.

GIOKOS: Yes. Yes, Fred, and really good point there. We know Russia says that they do want to fortify their air defense systems. What we have seen

playing out, since some of these attacks have occurred across the border, is just how vulnerable Russia is.

But the other element and the big concern is whether Ukraine is involved and whether they are using Western weaponry for these attacks. We're still

getting a lot of data; in the last 24 hours Ukraine says it was not involved. That is an import distinction to make. But these are the

questions that are being asked.

PLEITGEN: Yes, they certainly are being asked and you can feel the concern, for instance, on the part of the U.S.

[10:05:00]

PLEITGEN: In fact, just a couple of minutes ago here on CNN, the spokesman for the National Security Council, John Kirby, he was on.

And he said that the United States certainly does not encourage any sort of attacks on Russian territory, certainly not using American military gear.

However at the same time, he also said that, once these weapons from the United States, certainly from other countries as well, are in the hands of

Ukrainians, they're essentially free to do with them as they wish or what they see fit.

So there is a good deal of concern among the Western allies of Ukraine but, at the same time, it certainly seems as if they're not doing anything or

very much to try to rein the Ukrainians in, if in fact the Ukrainians are behind, this which, of course, they have not acknowledged.

GIOKOS: All right, Fred Pleitgen, great to have you on, thank you so much.

Today we are hearing a vow from North Korea. It says it will try again after an attempt to launch a military satellite into orbit did not go

according to plan. South Korea's spy agency says that Pyongyang probably rushed the launch. CNN's Paula Hancocks takes a closer look from Seoul,

South Korea.

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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Early morning sirens in both Seoul and Okinawa warned residents of North Korea's latest launch, a

military satellite launch that failed.

Pyongyang saying there were engine problems on its second stage. South Korea's military picked up what it believes is debris from the rocket, 200

kilometers off its west coast. North Korea admitting failure is rare, especially this quickly. But it says it will try again as soon as possible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HIROKAZU MATSUNO, JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN (through translator): North Korea's continued actions threaten the safety and security of our

country, the region and the international community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Pyongyang says it has put satellites into space before. The most recent in 2016 claimed to be a weather satellite. It's

unclear if the satellite ever worked. Experts say this attempt shows Pyongyang is potentially a long way from having a useful satellite program.

MALCOLM DAVIS, SENIOR ANALYST, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: We're probably talking 10 or 20 satellites they would need to put up in

order to have continuous surveillance over the Korean Peninsula and the surrounding oceans. They are a long way away from that. They can't even get

one satellite up.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): There was political fallout in Seoul as an air raid siren and an emergency text alert urged residents to evacuate, only to be

told 20 minutes later it was a mistake. Seoul's mayor has apologized for any confusion.

SEOUL MAYOR (through translator): I thought it was an urgent situation. As soon as it turned out to be false, so I was very confused. Such important

issue must be delivered cautiously but this time it was not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): At the moment, the Korean government seems to have a backward system on issues as warnings and

disasters. So it needs to be improved. But it seems it's not going. Well

HANCOCKS (voice-over): An erosion in trust for some if the emergency alert system in a country still technically at war with its northern neighbor.

North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, has been clear about his desire for a military satellite, visiting what state run media describes as the finished

product earlier this month.

HANCOCKS: North Korea gave an official maritime warning for this launch as well as unexpected flight path, something it does not do for its regular

missile launches. But Pyongyang insists that it needs a military satellite in order to be able to track and monitor the, quote, "dangerous military

acts of the United States" -- Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

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GIOKOS: Beijing is defending the military pilot who intercepted an American spyplane last week over the South China Sea. Video shows that the

Chinese fighter jet cut right in front of the American plane, which had to fly through the wake turbulence.

U.S. officials say their plane was in international airspace on a routine mission and called the fighter's move "unnecessarily aggressive." Beijing

says that the U.S. is endangering China's national security. CNN's Natasha Bertrand is at the Pentagon for us.

Look, the U.S. is saying the fighter jet was in international airspace, while China says it is an act of provocation.

Where are we now with communication from both sides?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Eleni, so it's been a lot of trading blame on both sides essentially. The Indo-Pacific Command

releasing a statement saying that their RC a rivet joint plane, the surveillance plane that was operating over the South China Sea, was

operating in international airspace.

And that it was not violating any kind of territorial sovereignty. The Chinese pushing back on that, with the foreign ministry releasing a

statement, saying that the U.S. is being deliberately provocative and interfering in their airspace.

Of course, something with the U.S. does not actually recognize. And we also got a statement from the Chinese military that said that the U.S. was

deliberately interfering in training exercises that the Chinese were carrying out at the time.

Look, the U.S. saying that all of this is really just an excuse by the Chinese to ramp up tensions with the U.S. even further at a moment when

U.S. and Chinese military to military communications are essentially nonexistent. The Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin tried to set up a

meeting with his Chinese counterpart for --

[10:10:00]

BERTRAND: -- during the security forum taking place in Singapore this week and the Chinese outright rejected that offer, according to the U.S.

But look, all of this comes essentially at a time when U.S.-China relations are extremely tense. And while the U.S. says that it is exactly for this

reason, these potentially risky and escalatory maneuvers by the Chinese against U.S. aircraft in the region, that they need communication lines to

be open between the U.S. and China.

It's at this moment that China is refusing that. And over the last several months, the U.S. has seen a lot of these kinds of risky and escalatory

maneuvers by the Chinese. Just in December, yet another Chinese fighter jet tried to intercept an American surveillance plane in much the same way,

coming within about 20 feet of that manned aircraft.

So obviously, the risk here of escalation of a potential collision between the aircraft is very high. And that is causing the U.S. to release these

videos publicly to try to pressure the Chinese into coming back to the table and talking to the U.S. so that a potential escalation does not

happen and does not spiral out of control.

GIOKOS: Yes. Natasha Bertrand, thank you.

Well, on Capitol Hill, the U.S. House is set to vote on a critical debt ceiling bill, aimed at averting a disastrous default. Republican House

Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his top allies are confident that the bipartisan deal will pass later today.

The deadline to get the bill passed through both chambers of Congress and signed into law is in a matter of days. CNN White House correspondent

Arlette Saenz joins us now from Washington.

Great to have you on. We just know how volatile these discussions have been and how much anxiety it's caused specifically for market participants.

The question is now, do they have enough votes to pass this through?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tonight will really mark a key moment in trying to get this bipartisan agreement across the finish line, as the

House is expected to vote later this evening. They have to clear one procedural hurdle this afternoon.

But sources on both sides of the aisle do believe that this will ultimately come up for a vote and that they will have the votes necessary to pass it.

This would cap off weeks of intense negotiations between the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's office.

We saw very many moments where there were starts and stops in these talks but, ultimately, the two men came together to come to a bipartisan

agreement. Now as this heading into this vote later this evening, there still has been some consternation from both Republicans and Democrats.

Republicans, some Republicans, particularly the more conservative wing of the party, has really been quite vocal in their opposition to this bill,

saying that it has not cut spending enough.

Well, you are also hearing from Democrats on the progressive side, who are frustrated when it comes to those work requirements for food stamps and

also permitting reform for energy products.

At this very moment, top White House officials are up on Capitol Hill, really trying to shore up the support within their Democratic base for this

bill. But one key Democrat, a progressive Democrat, congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, just told our colleagues a short while ago that she is voting

against the bill.

She anticipates that much of her progressive caucus will as well. Now Republicans and Democratic leadership sources have said that they do

believe they will have the votes to get this passed. But this will be a bipartisan effort.

But once it passes the House, it still needs to move on to the Senate, as these lawmakers are facing a very real time crunch for trying to get

something passed before June 5th. That is the day the Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has outlined that the U.S. could run out of money to pay its

bills.

Any one senator could hold up this process. So time is of the essence for them to really get working once this bill passes the House this afternoon,

as sources up on the Hill have predicted it will. So this will really be a key moment as they are trying to avert default and get this bipartisan

agreement passed.

GIOKOS: One of the key moments, we still have a few hurdles along the way, as time is running out. Arlette, great to have you on, thank you.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis is hitting the campaign trail in Iowa and taking on Donald Trump directly. We will see how the Republican race for

president is shaping up.

And why the billionaire family accused of helping to fuel America's deadly opioid epidemic is getting a break. We will be back right after this.

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GIOKOS: Purdue Pharma, owned by the billionaire Sackler family, is calling a court ruling a victory. Tuesday's decision in New York protects the

Sacklers from future lawsuits over their role in Purdue's opioid business.

In exchange for that immunity, the family has agreed to a $6 billion settlement with U.S. states and individuals. Purdue Pharma has been accused

of helping to fuel the deadly opioid epidemic, prompting and promoting its oxytocin (sic) drug as nonaddictive.

I want to bring in CNN's Jean Casarez.

Jean, thank you so much for joining us. Look, $6 billion on the table and yet giving immunity to the Sackler family.

Who actually wins here?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think that the vast majority people believe that both sides win in all of this. And it all started in 2019,

because Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers, Purdue Pharma being the company, there was, according to legal documents I'm reading, $40 trillion of

lawsuits at that point against both of them, the company and the individuals.

So the Sackler family said we can file for bankruptcy. We will take, at that point it was $4 billion. So they've gone up to $6 billion now through

negotiation. We will take ultimately $6 billion of our personal monies and we will put that into the bankruptcy action.

But we're asking for immunity for the future, for individual claims. But through that, you can give it to individual claimants. You can have

abatement programs to help people at the local, governmental level of the communities to not use opioids and then also go toward medications for

those emergency situations.

And 95 percent of the states who are in favor of it but there were some that appealed, believing that immunity was not something that was right or

fair. But the converse to that is it would stay in litigation for years.

And the amount of money that would be taken up through the legal fees would be depleted for the people that really needed the money. And so ultimately,

the appellate court here in New York decided that, under bankruptcy law, that immunity, you can do immunity and at the same time have equity to

those that so need that money.

So that is what is going forward. And I think it's a win for a lot of people because the states, the communities, the people will get those

monies.

GIOKOS: Yes. All right, Jean Casarez, thank you.

Now to the 2024 presidential race in the U.S. Another one of Donald Trump's former allies is getting ready to challenge him for the Republican Party's

nomination, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

Meanwhile, Florida Republican governor Ron DeSantis, who already launched his campaign, is now hitting the campaign trail. And he's taking on the

former president head on, as CNN's Jessica Dean reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Florida governor Ron DeSantis kicking off his White House bid on Tuesday.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): It is great for me to report that our great American comeback starts by sending Joe Biden back to his basement in

Delaware.

DEAN (voice-over): Making his first campaign stop in Iowa --

[10:20:00]

DEAN (voice-over): -- a state set to give an early glimpse into whether Republican primary voters can move on from former president Donald Trump.

QUESTION: What if you don't win?

DESANTIS: There is no substitute for victory. We must put an end to the culture of losing that has infected the Republican Party of recent years.

DEAN (voice-over): The governor notably did not mention the former president by name in his kickoff address.

DESANTIS: At the end of the day, leadership is not about entertainment. It is not about building a brand. It is not about virtue signaling. It is

about results.

DEAN (voice-over): But as the Trump campaign steps up its attacks on the Florida governor, DeSantis made clear his rebuttals to those criticisms

while taking questions from the press after his speech.

DESANTIS: He used to say how great Florida was. Hell, his whole family moved to Florida under my governorship.

DEAN (voice-over): Appearing confident that voters would reject Trump's attacks on his former ally in Florida.

DESANTIS: Now he is attacking me over some of these disagreements. But I think he is doing it in a way that the voters are going to side with me.

DEAN (voice-over): And taking indirect jabs at the former president himself.

DESANTIS: I don't need someone to give me a list to know what a conservative justice looks like.

DEAN (voice-over): All while summing up where he thinks his real fight lies.

DESANTIS: I am going to focus my fire on Biden. And I think he should do the same. He gives Biden a free pass. I am focusing on Biden.

DEAN (voice-over): The first official stop as a candidate, a smoother campaign launch than the glitch-filled Twitter announcement for DeSantis

last week. The governor offering familiar attacks against the Biden economy.

DESANTIS: The Biden administration is doing all it can to make it harder for the average family to make ends meet and to attain and maintain a

middle class lifestyle.

DEAN (voice-over): And criticizing fellow Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's debt limit deal, which is now headed to the House floor on

Wednesday.

DESANTIS: The bill for the massive borrowing, spending and debt and record printing of money by the Fed, that is falling on the American people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: Well, that is Jessica Dean in Iowa for us.

An 11-year-old boy in Mississippi, who called 9-1-1 only to have the police officer shoot him in the chest, is speaking now about his frightening

ordeal. Aderrien Murry was hospitalized earlier this month with multiple serious gunshot injuries.

The officer who shot him was responding to a domestic disturbance call at the boy's home. Nick Valencia traveled to Mississippi to speak with

Aderrien.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As he laid in his mother's arms bleeding out from a gunshot wound, 11-year-old Aderrien Murry was so

convinced he was going to die, he began to pray to God and sing gospel songs.

ADERRIEN MURRY, POLICE SHOOTING VICTIM: Hurting me like, I'm going to die. Tell my whole family, to my teacher, I say -- I say I'm sorry for what

I did.

VALENCIA (voice-over): On May 20th, Aderrien's mom told him to call 9-1-1 for help, after the father of one of her other children showed up at their

Mississippi home at four in the morning. Nakala Murry said when the Indianola Police responded, she opened the door to an officer who already

had his gun drawn.

A. MURRY: He said, everybody come out with your hands up. I -- then I came on the -- inside the living room. And then I remember, I heard the big

bang. And I just remember holding my chest.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Indianola Police say the officer was Sergeant Greg Capers. Murry says he shot Aderrien once in the chest, seriously injuring

the boy. CNN has made repeated attempts to get comment from Capers but he has not responded. Aderrien's mother says he developed a collapsed lung and

suffered fractured ribs and a lacerated liver due to the gunshot wound. He spent days in the ICU at the University of Mississippi Medical Centre in

Jackson needing a ventilator to breathe.

A. MURRY: It came, right here.

VALENCIA (voice-over): More than a week since the shooting, he is remarkably in good spirits. But says, sometimes when he's alone with his

thoughts for too long, he has nightmares.

A. MURRY: Sometimes, I can see myself laying inside the coffin. Some of my thoughts and I my only was -- as sometimes I think, people are watching me.

But my main thought is me.

NAKALA MURRY, ADERRIEN'S MOTHER: I'm so overfilled with joy to hear my child, they -- I don't have time to be angry. I trust in the law that they

will make the right decision.

[10:25:00]

N. MURRY: You know, my main concern is my son right now.

VALENCIA (voice-over): The Murry family and their attorney Carlos Moore have filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Indianola. Its police

chief and several officers including Capers. They're seeking $5 million in damages.

CARLOS MOORE, MURRY FAMILY ATTORNEY: That anyone who's ever been a victim of excessive force deserves to be compensated is Aderrien Murry. He trusts

the police; he called the police to come to the aid of his mother and he turned around and got shot by the cop he called to rescue them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If that officer was here sitting right here across from you. What would you want to tell him Aderrien?

A. MURRY: Why did you do it?

How could I lose my life, how could you?

I want you terminated for what you did to me.

VALENCIA: Sergeant Greg Capers remains on paid administrative leave. Meanwhile, there was body cam footage of this incident and that's in the

possession of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

They tell me that they're not going to release this footage until their investigation is complete. Incidentally, earlier the Indianola Board of

Aldermen convened a special meeting to talk about the body cam footage, that was in Executive Session.

No action was taken but the mayor does tell me that he does not support the firing of Sergeant Greg Capers because right now, he says, he simply

doesn't have all the facts which include watching the body cam footage for the first time.

Aderrien, the 11-year-old who was shot in the chest by police, he's been very clear; he wants Capers fired. This shooting has forever changed his

life. Prior to the shooting, he wanted to be a police officer but now tells me he's too scared to be a police officer. He's too scared of them.

Instead, now, he wants to be a doctor because he credits them in part for helping save his life -- Nick Valencia, CNN, Indianola, Mississippi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: A brave young man.

Some stern condemnation coming from the United States over Kosovo's handling of a spike in tensions and it is coming with real consequences.

And later, several wildfires continue to burn in Canada. We will tell you how many are under declaration orders and where the smoke can be seen. That

is coming up.

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GIOKOS (voice-over): Welcome back, I'm Eleni Giokos in Dubai and you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Here are your headlines this hour.

On Capitol Hill, the U.S. House is expected to debate and then vote on the debt ceiling bill later today. The deadline to get the bill passed through

both chambers of Congress and signed into law to avert a crippling default is before June 5th.

[10:30:00]

GIOKOS (voice-over): North Korea is planning to try again to get a spy satellite into space. That's according to state media, which reported

Wednesday's launch failed because of unstable fuel and an unreliable new engine system. The rocket crashed into the sea.

The Kremlin says it is alarmed by new shelling in its Belgorod region. Just across the border from Ukraine. The regional governor says four people were

hurt in today's attack. In Ukraine, there are fears that Russia will retaliate for yesterday drone strike on Moscow.

Kosovo is starting to see consequences and its leaders are under fire for what the United States calls an unnecessary crisis. The U.S. has announced

it is canceling Kosovo's participation in American-led NATO exercises, it says, was not consulted and does not condone the use of force in northern

Kosovo in the wake of a contentious boycotted election.

That operation is being blamed for violent unrest that left dozens of NATO peacekeepers injured. Tensions are high still. And our Scott McLean is

following it all from London for us.

Scott, great to have you with us.

Do we have details about sanctions and what they are?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so at the moment, as you mentioned, Kosovo will not be taking part in U.S.-led NATO drills, U.S.-led military

exercise taking place in Romania right now, actually.

The U.S. ambassador has also made clear that they're not going to lobby any other countries on Kosovo's behalf that has not recognized their

independence and they said there could be more consequences to come.

They haven't figured out exactly what they are. What you need to understand at this point is that Kosovo declared its independence in 2008. Many

countries recognize that but obviously not Serbia.

The vast majority of Kosovo is ethnically Albanian, with the exception of a few municipalities, mostly in northern Kosovo, that are majority ethnic

Serbs. Now in 2013, there was an agreement brokered that would've given these regions a certain level of self autonomy.

But most of that agreement was never actually implemented. And so, in part, because of that reason, local Serbs boycotted local elections in April. The

turnout was less than 4 percent.

And what they ended up with was ethnic Albanian mayors in four municipalities in the north. Serbian protesters essentially tried to block

their access to local municipal buildings. And obviously things flared from there, with the Kosovo police, with the Kosovo police brought in to quell

the protests, the NATO peacekeepers brought in as well.

And then things have only gotten worse from there. The U.S., which is one of Kosovo's primary allies, is not blaming Serbia for all of this. They are

blaming Kosovo for sending in those police in the first place.

The U.S. ambassador of Kosovo called it an unnecessary crisis. The U.S. has asked the Kosovo prime minister for two things, to withdraw the police from

that area and to have the mayors work from other buildings other than those town halls.

They think that that could reduce tensions. And so the ambassador said this yesterday.

"No one can be happy when less than 4 percent of your registered voters show up to vote.

"There is a need for those elected officials to proceed very carefully to accept that they do not have a large political mandate to effect change and

to focus on the technical or administrative work of administering while we seek to establish conditions for a different political environment, which

would result in different political representation."

The U.S. though has made very clear that the prime minister has not been very responsive if at all to its requests. And last night on CNN, Albin

Kurti, the Kosovar prime minister, was defiant, despite the fact that he recognizes that those mayors have a problem with legitimacy. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBIN KURTI, KOSOVO PRIME MINISTER: Now we have four mayors, whose legitimacy is low but, nonetheless, there is no one who is more legitimate

than them. We have to have rule of law.

We are a democratic republic and we have to ensure that, in the municipal buildings, which are property of the republic, there will be these Kosovar

mayors, who have been elected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: So in other words, he is not going to take the U.S. advice on this. And that means that NATO, after having at least 30 of its troops

injured in protests on Monday, they are going to be sending in 700 more troops to try to keep the peace in that area.

GIOKOS: Yes. Scott, thank you so very much.

Scott McLean for us.

We also have got Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic, who will be joining my colleague, Isa Soares, later today. That interview will be at 7 pm in

London or 2 pm in New York. You don't want to miss that. That's coming up on "ISA SOARES TONIGHT."

[10:35:00]

GIOKOS (voice-over): Now let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are on our radar right now.

Moscow's city court has rejected an appeal from jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. He was asking for more time to review documents related to

his extremism case. Navalny says he is only allowed to read a book and not legal documents in prison, which prevents him from preparing for court

hearings.

South Africa plans to let Vladimir Putin take part in the BRICs summit this summer, even though he's wanted for alleged war crimes. Officials plan to

use a diplomatic immunity law to allow the Russian president to attend. The International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest in March.

And in Canada, several wildfires continue to burn in Nova Scotia. At least 18,000 people are still under evacuation orders. High temperatures are

expected tomorrow and no rain is in the forecast until at least Saturday. Smoke from the fires can now be seen drifting into the northeast United

States.

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GIOKOS: Still to come, he is one of the best coaches in the football world. He even has a tag, a special one.

But does that mean that his team will win tonight's trophy?

We will answer that question shortly.

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[10:40:00]

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GIOKOS: NASA is holding a historic meeting on UFOs and we can all watch it live online. A group of experts, who spent nine months studying data on

unidentified anomalous phenomena, as they call it, is discussing their findings. The meeting also includes an opportunity for the public to ask

questions.

The experts will publish their report in the coming months.

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