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IDF: "Tactical Pause" Is Designated To Allow More Aid Into Gaza; Fears Of A Wider Conflict Amid Israel-Hezbollah Tensions; Gun Violence Archive: At Least 14 Mass Shootings This Weekend. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired June 17, 2024 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:00:30]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. This is the second hour of the show. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi, where the time is 6 o'clock in the

evening.

Your headlines this hour, Benjamin Netanyahu has disbanded his war cabinet. Why? While analysis of his thinking with a former Israeli Consul General.

A wildfire burns through 60 square kilometers near Los Angeles, showing no signs of being contained.

And a spate of violence across the U.S. over the weekend, there were at least 14 mass shootings between Friday and Sunday.

Well, new questions today over who Israel's Prime Minister will consult with about the war in Gaza after Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the country's

war cabinet. That six member cabinet was formed just days after the Hamas terror attacks. The decision coming after an Israeli official said the

prime minister expressed frustration over what was described as a tactical pause that Israel's military announced over the weekend with the express

intention of getting more aid into Gaza.

Well, the IDF spokesman told our Paula Hancocks earlier that the announced pause didn't mean a stop in fighting. Meantime, U.S. special envoy, Amos

Hochstein met with Netanyahu earlier today and will meet other top officials in Israel to try and defuse tensions between Hezbollah and Israel

after the most recent attacks along the border with Lebanon.

Paula Hancocks, back with us this hour from Jerusalem. Paula, let's start with this decision to dissolve the war cabinet by the Israeli Prime

Minister. Why do we understand?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, I think I mean, the key members of that war cabinet, there were just three of them. There was the

Prime Minister, the defense minister, and then the opposition leader, Benny Gantz, who has since resigned, because he said, Benjamin Netanyahu does not

have a day after plan. And so really, there was only two of the making the key decisions left.

Now we do know that some of the far right elements of his coalition were really pushing to take Gantz's place and to be part of that key war

cabinet, which would have been problematic for Netanyahu, certainly, when it comes to the international community, the U.S. does not want to see the

far right having too much of an influence on this war in Gaza.

So I mean, what we've heard so far from within the prime minister's office is that they will still be making these decisions within the security

cabinet, which is slightly larger, and then also, if they need to, they will be having smaller groups. But certainly, we were expecting some kind

of changes since Benny Gantz decided to pull away from this war cabinet. So then Netanyahu simply doesn't have a day after plan, doesn't have a plan to

get the hostages back. And he says he doesn't have a plan to calm things down on the northern border, either. Becky?

ANDERSON: You spoke to the IDF mean time earlier today about what was described as a tactical pause in Gaza. What do we know?

HANCOCKS: Well, this tactical pause at this point the IDF says it is to make sure that humanitarian aid can be distributed within Gaza. They say at

the Kerem Shalom crossing where we were, there are more than 1,000 trucks on the Gaza side waiting to be picked up. But they have said as well that

the fighting will continue in Rafah.

Now what we have heard from those inside Gaza from the U.N., for example, they have said that it's not just the fighting that they have to avoid, but

it is of course, the lawlessness. And it is very difficult and dangerous for them to get to that crossing, to be able to distribute that aid. Now we

do know that the Rafah crossing is still closed at this point. And that is of course an issue not just for getting humanitarian aid in but also for

trying to get some of the injured out of Gaza.

Now, we have a report here, which has some very distressing images in. But the one individual, the one girl Hanan, who we focus on, her parents wanted

this to be seen so that the world can see what she's going through.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Hanan Aqel had gone out to buy some sweets when the airstrike hit. I miss seeing mama she says. I miss my mama and my sisters.

Nine-year-old Hanan has not been able to open her eyes since the strike 10 days ago. Doctors say she has 20 percent burns on her face, hands, chest

and leg. One of thousands of patients trapped inside Gaza without hope of the treatment they need.

[10:05:28]

Her mother says, she tells me I want to play. What have I done to deserve this? She can't sleep properly because of the pain her whole body hurts.

Surrounded by war for eight months, this was Hanan just hours before she was hit. They had been forced to leave their home in Rafah when the Israeli

military moved in and were sheltering in someone's garden in al-Buresh (ph).

Hanan says, my sister went to our grandfather and asked for one shekel for her and one for me. I went to the shop and was about to pay the man and a

missile fell. I didn't hear the whizzing. I just saw a red light. Hanan's doctor says she was in critical condition when she arrived. They remove

shrapnel from her face and reconstructed her nose. He says they now have no choice but to wait to transfer her out of Gaza, hoping her wounds don't get

infected.

Most children need medical transfers, he says, for a more qualified treatment than here. We don't have the treatment, the tools, we don't have

the supplies.

The Rafah crossing has been closed since May 7th when the Israeli military took control. Egypt says it will not open the crossing until the Israeli

military withdraws for security reasons. One Egyptian soldier was killed last month in fighting along the border. Israel says they will not hand

over control of the crossing to Palestinian authorities, fearing Hamas would use the area to smuggle in weapons.

RIK PEEPERKOM, W.H.O. REPRESENTATIVE FOR WEST BANK AND GAZA: The Rafah crossing should be reopened as quickly as possible, or there should be an

alternative. We have no estimation at a moment how many of the patients which should have left actually have already passed away.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Hulu Dalshaki (ph) says she was displaced three times while pregnant. Her baby Melak (ph), born four days earlier has a

heart defect spending most of her young life in an incubator.

The doctors did what was necessary, she says. But they said that she must be transferred out of Gaza quickly. She adds, one of the doctors told me

not to have high hopes. That sentence is so difficult to hear. Melak (ph) is not the only baby desperately needing medical treatment outside of Gaza.

Her doctor confirms if these children do not get treatment, they are likely to die.

Ali Darwish (ph) has a broken spine, ribs and leg after an airstrike hit his house, killing his siblings his aunt says. Without urgent specialized

treatment outside of Gaza, she has been told by doctors he may be paralyzed. For these children, escaping Gaza may be their only hope of a

future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS (on camera): But at this point, you have both Israel and Egypt blaming each other for the Rafah crossing continuing to be shut and as that

happens, time is literally running out for some of the more critical patients in Gaza. Becky?

ANDERSON: And no ceasefire inside. Paula, thank you. Paula is in Jerusalem.

Meantime, tensions escalating at Israel's northern border with Lebanon. Israel and Hezbollah have been ramping up cross border attacks after months

of low intensity fighting. There are concerns about another war stretching Israel's military while it's still fully engaged in Gaza and also ramping

up incursions into the West Bank. There are some in Israel who say the country should take broader action there. CNN's Ben Wedeman has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every day the message goes out from South Lebanon in slick propaganda videos

accompanied by a stirring soundtrack. Hezbollah is ready to go from daily skirmishes to full scale war with Israel.

Mired in what appears to be an unwinnable war in Gaza, Israel has vowed to turn its military might on Hezbollah. Earlier this month, Israeli Prime

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the border saying, we are prepared for very strong action. But the Iranian-backed group is by far the most

formidable battle hardened foe Israel has faced on its borders since the 1973 October war. After its guerrillas forced Israel to pull out of South

Lebanon 24 years ago, in 2006 Hezbollah fought Israel to a standstill, although the war left parts of Beirut and much of southern Lebanon in

ruins.

[10:10:18]

Retired Lebanese Army Brigadier General Elias Hanna knows the militant group well.

GEN. ELIAS HANNA, LEBANESE ARMY (RET.): Hezbollah is an exclusive club, well-disciplined, monitor, and they have, which is the most important

issue, a charismatic leader.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Since October, Israeli strikes have killed more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, including last week high ranking commander, Taleb

Abdallah, given a hero's farewell in Beirut. At the funeral senior Hezbollah leader Hashim Safi Al Din warned, we will increase our operations

in intensity and force in quantity and quality.

Analysts believe Iran is provided Hezbollah with an arsenal of sophisticated long range missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv and beyond.

Until now, Hezbollah has mostly limited it strikes with military targets along the rugged mountainous frontier, hitting Israel's extensive network

of surveillance posts. It also says it is taken out an Iron Dome battery, the backbone of Israel's missile defenses and is used ground to air

missiles to shoot down three top of the line Hermes 900 drones. In the process, forcing tens of thousands of Israelis to flee their homes in the

north. Hezbollah is learning faster than Israel can adapt, says Hanna.

HANNA: They are learning. It's like a learning process. It's like trial and error. So as far as you go in time, you are seeing more intensity, more

combined use of weapon and then more in depth and more effectiveness against the Israelis. And what is the problem that the Israeli have no pro

-- I have no answer for that.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Since October, Israel is bolstered its forces on the border and held exercises to prepare for war. Hezbollah is also ready for

war. A war that is just one miscalculation away.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, a massive fire burning in Los Angeles County in California. Plan authorities there say the blaze is only 2 percent contained. The post

fire which started on Saturday has already scorched more than 14,000 acres and that is sent nearly 6,000 hectares. The National Weather Service says

warning that high wind gusts and very dry air could potentially fuel the flames even more. Well, CNN's Camila Bernal has been falling on the ground

and she filed this report.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is hard to stand here because the wind gusts are so strong, you know, we needed goggles, you feel the wind just

hitting you. And that is also what is moving all of these embers here behind me and really, all over this fire. We've only seen it grow, you

know, now to nearly 15,000 acres. And we haven't seen containment numbers increasing. We're still at 2 percent.

So you see some of the crews here, they are working right now to try to make those fire lines to try to keep this fire from growing. But it has

been extremely difficult over, you know, the last 24 hours. We've been out here and we've seen the crews on the ground and in the air. You know, we've

seen many, many water drops. Yesterday, they were trying to do those water drops to avoid the fire spreading even further.

There are already about 1,200 people under evacuation orders, and many others under evacuation warning. So authorities really telling people to

have their stuff packed and ready to go in case it happens at a moment's notice. But again, really the biggest problem that they're having is this

wind.

ANDERSON: Wow. But that's the story in California.

Meantime, a major heat wave expected to descend upon large parts of the U.S. this week bringing record breaking temperatures. And there's also a

risk of excessive rainfall in the Upper Midwest which could see heavy rains by Tuesday morning. Split screen on this, meteorologist Allison Chinchar is

at the CNN Weather Center. There's two really big stories here. Let's start with that first one and the significant swathe of the United States and you

can see it just there on your map which is likely to be impacted by what is this extreme heat, Allison.

[10:15:09]

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. I think you're right, Becky. I think we're not just talking about one or two states, I think people need

to really understand the scope of this particular heat wave. We are looking at 80 percent, over 80 percent of the U.S. population that's going to be

looking at temperatures at or above 90 degrees, some of them even going beyond the triple digits.

And yes, you can see it's this huge swath right through here. Now for some folks, it's just a few degrees above average. But for many, we're talking

15, even 20 degrees above average. That's why you have so many potential records, look at this nearly 200 potential record high temperatures

expected over the next five to seven days.

Now the bulk of them are going to be across the Northeast and the Midwestern tier, but you'll see we have some dots down here in the

southeast. We also have some dots out in the western states as well. So this really is going to be a pretty widespread concern for many folks in

the U.S. The other concern is it's not just one day or even two. For some of these areas, they could be breaking several days of records in a row.

And it's prolonged. Those overnight temperatures aren't getting very cool. So we've got this where you can see where a lot of these heat records or a

lot of the alerts are coming out. So you've gotten a lot of heat advisories, excessive heat watches and warnings are in effect. Take a look

at this. This is Caribou, Maine, one of the northern most states in the U.S., the Caribou is forecast to get to 99 degrees on Wednesday, their all-

time record is only 96. So we may end up beating that by several degrees.

But it's not the only place, Boston, New York, Albany, even Philadelphia, all of these areas, looking at temperatures well above average for this

time of year. Another concern too is that that progressiveness. So as we go through the week, you'll notice many of these places don't even peak until

Wednesday or even Thursday, so it's going to be multiple days.

Now, an entirely different topic we've been talking about is flooding potential. Now it's for different places. See this low pressure system

right here? Right now kind of focus over that Yucatan Peninsula there across much of Central America, then it's going to gradually make its way

off towards the north towards the United States.

Now in the short term, it's going to cause a pretty significant amount of flooding across some of the Central American countries, they could end up

picking up a month's worth of rain and just the next week. Then that system has about a 70 percent chance of developing into a tropical system in just

the next 48 hours. Regardless of whether this becomes a named tropical storm or not. It is expected to bring a tremendous amount of moisture and

rain to the United States, specifically here along the Gulf Coast.

You're talking Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and even Texas. Looking at some of these numbers, again, very impressive here, a lot of this red and

pink color you see here, you're talking 6 to 8 inches, some places could even be as much as a foot of rain in just the next several days. For those

folks that may not remember, the city of Houston just last month was dealing with several inches of heavy rain and significant river flooding.

Now just one month later, we have the potential to see very similar results. This is why when you look at the long term forecast, especially

for Tuesday and Wednesday, you're looking at what we refer to as a level three out of four, moderate risk for excessive rainfall and flooding

potential and you'll see Houston is in that moderate risk both of the next two days both Tuesday and Wednesday, Becky, so certainly something we'll

have to keep a very close eye on in the coming days.

ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. And for those of you are in the line of that storm, be careful.

Well, to China now where record breaking flooding is forcing more than 11,000 people there to flee their homes in the southeast. This video shows

a bridge collapsing shortly after a person manages to cross it safely. Moments later, part of the structure is swept away. State media says heavy

rainfall across the Fujian and Guangdong provinces has caused 17 rivers to flood, triggering power outages and other damage. But at least four people

reported dead after a series of related landslides.

Still to come, a weekend of deadly shootings across the United States, including one at a water park where families gather to cool off from that

heat. More on these mass shootings are just ahead.

[10:19:18]

And we'll have more on the Israeli Prime Minister's decision to disband his war cabinet. We speak to a former Israeli diplomat about what the political

turmoil could mean for Mr. Netanyahu.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Gun violence rocked a number of cities over the -- across the United States over the weekend. According to the Gun Violence Archive,

there were at least 14 mass shootings from Friday to Sunday. In Michigan, nine people were shot after a gunman opened fire at a crowded splash pad

filled with families.

Just outside Boston, Massachusetts, seven people were shot during what police are calling a spontaneous party in a parking lot. And in Texas, at

least two people were killed when gunfire broke out at a Juneteenth Celebration just outside of Austin. CNN's Rafael Romo, tracking these for

us and he joins us now live. Let's start with that shooting in Texas. And what do we know?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky. It was supposed to mark a celebration for Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the

United States. And according to police, it happened when a fight between two groups broke out that a Juneteenth festival that happened in Round

Rock, Texas not quite 20 miles north of Austin.

Their shooting, Becky, happened just before 11:00 at night Saturday at Old Settlers Park at the event organized by the city. Round Rock Police Chief

Allen Banks said that during the altercation someone produced the gun and began to fire, adding that police and fire rescue crews who already were on

the scene immediately responded and began to render aid to the victims. Fourteen people were injured including six were transported to nearby

hospital. There were two children among them. According to Chief Banks, the two people who died were not part of the altercation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN BANKS, ROUND ROCK, TEXAS POLICE CHIEF: It breaks your heart. It breaks your heart for a family that was coming out to enjoy their evening.

And now their life is forever changed as a result of somebody who could care less about somebody else's life. And that's so disappointing. Our goal

is to put those folks behind bars and our goal is to get them put away for life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Only hours earlier on Saturday afternoon, there was another mass shooting in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It'll happen Saturday at a splash

pad in the city located less than 30 miles north of Detroit. Those families were enjoying a pleasant afternoon, Becky. The suspect got out of his car,

walked up to the splash pad and opened fire when he was about 20 feet away. The suspect identified as 42-year-old Michael Nash who was later found dead

at the home he shared with his mother where officials also found the rifle on the kitchen table. Sheriff Bouchard said, we may never know if Nash

intended to use that weapon to attack more people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BOUCHARD, OAKLAND COUNTY SHERIFF: I believe that because we had quick containment on him that if he had planned to do anything else, and it

wouldn't surprise me because having that on the kitchen table isn't an everyday activity, that there was probably something else a second chapter

potentially.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And Becky this new tragedy has hit Michigan especially hard. The community is still reeling from two other mass shootings. You may remember

them last year in February, a gunman killed three Michigan State University students and left five others critically injured. And in 2021, a teenager

killed four students out of high school in Oxford just 15 miles north of Rochester Hills according to the Gun Violence Archive. And we were talking

to about this at the beginning there were at least 14 mass shootings this weekend in the United States that left nine people dead and over 70 others

wounded from Ohio to Massachusetts. Becky?

[10:25:15]

ANDERSON: Thank you.

Well, just a reminder before I move on, this is the number that you need to pay attention to when it comes to gun violence in the United States. There

have been 227 mass shootings already so far this year. In all incidents of gun violence, 105 children under 12 have been killed. Just let that sink

in, 105 kids. And on top of that, another 263 young kids injured. And we are only halfway through 2024. And at this rate, it doesn't look like last

year's total of 656 mass shootings will be surpassed.

Well, Israel's Prime Minister's announcing he is disbanding the war cabinet. I'm going to speak to a former Israeli diplomat about what

political turmoil could mean for Mr. Netanyahu.

Plus, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un are preparing to meet this time in North Korea. A live report from Moscow a little later in the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back, you're watching Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. Back to our top story this hour, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu has announced the disbanding of Israel's war cabinets earlier today. This comes just over a week after opposition leader Benny Gantz

withdrew from the group.

The cabinet was formed in the aftermath of the October 7th terror attacks by Hamas. Decision making will now move back to the government's main

security cabinet according to an Israeli official. Well, the move comes as Mr. Netanyahu expresses frustration over IDF policy of a daily tactical

pause to allow more aid into Gaza.

[10:30:00]

That pause reportedly began on Saturday and will take place every day from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. local time until further notice to allow aid

trucks to move from the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Well, this does seem to be an awful lot of internal confusion in Israel. Tonight we asked, is Prime Minister Netanyahu losing control? Well here to

help us unpack this is Alon Pinkas. He's the former Israeli consul general in New York. What do you make of what we have seen in the past 24 to 48

hours, sir?

ALON PINKAS, FMR. ISRAEL CONSUL GENERAL, NEW YORK: Chaos, Becky, just like you described it, a loss of control. Look, the disbanding of the war

cabinet, in and of itself is not a dramatic thing. Because the war cabinet does not have, did not have, will not have any constitutional statutory

authority and powers. It was just a convenient consultative body that was set up by Mr. Netanyahu in the panic and disorientation that ensued October

7th.

It was less proactive in the positive sense and more useful in that it prevented several reckless policies from being implemented. So the fact

that it was disbanded and as you correctly pointed out in the aftermath of war against the background of Mr. Gantz's withdrawal from the government,

means very little. What it does mean is that Mr. Netanyahu has now been deprived of the political shield and protective aura over him.

He now owns not only the debacle of October 7th, but and the prosecution and the management of the war but the weeks ahead, which leads us to your

second question or point that you made, Becky, and that is this that his reservations about this pause or hiatus. This is not something that the

military decided on its own volition. This is his approval. This is based on his consent. He knew about this, that he now is playing this

disingenuous, oh, my God, I didn't know about this is absolutely astonishing.

ANDERSON: And there are those who suggest a similar sort of framing when Benjamin Netanyahu talks about the potential for a ceasefire or at least, a

temporary ceasefire in the first phase, and then a further permanent ceasefire, which is a proposal put on the table by the U.S. president,

calling it an Israeli proposal. There's real confusion as to whether Benjamin Netanyahu and those close to him have actually signed up for that,

again, is this an disingenuous sort of positioning going on on the part of Netanyahu, as far as that ceasefire is proposal is concerned?

PINKAS: Yes, exactly that, Becky. I mean, it's, you know, it's unfortunate for me as an Israeli to admit to this, but this has been duplicitous and

deceitful and mendacious. He basically rejected Israel's on offer, which sounds like George Orwell's 1984 but it's actually Mr. Netanyahu's 2024.

Yes, he agreed on condition with stipulations and prerequisites to the first fake, but the stumbling block is the end of the war with President

Biden two weeks ago, or 16 days ago, indeed presented.

That's phase two means to say the permanent cessation of hostilities. To that Mr. Netanyahu will not agree, which means essentially, that there's no

deal to be made. No ceasefire, no hostage deal, no nothing.

ANDERSON: We get back to this disbanding of this war cabinet. Now that decisions for the war will sit with the security cabinet, what does that

mean with regard whose voice will be loudest when it comes to decision making?

PINKAS: It's going to be Mr. Netanyahu's, whether people like it or not, he's going to be the sole arbiter. The laconic statement said that while

the war cabinet is being dissolved or disbanded and powers or authority goes to the security cabinet which is constitutionally the body that is

authorized to make decisions. Mr. Netanyahu, quote unquote, will consult intimate and smaller form, quote unquote. That means that he will do

whatever he wants, which is fine, except for one thing. There's no balancing act. There's no countervailing views being aired because the

entire cabinet right now --

[10:35:39]

ANDERSON: Right.

PINKAS: -- the right wing extremists, himself included, by the way.

ANDERSON: So, yes, you say that that is a reality where the one likes it or not, there is let's be quite frank, no end in sight to his leadership,

whether you like it or not. You reposted a piece from "The Atlantic" in which you're saying Ibish, wrote, and I quote him here, the grim reality is

that the only people left in the world who seem to want the war to continue into the indefinite future, are also the only ones who could stop it, the

Hamas leaders and Netanyahu. Do you agree with that assessment, do you?

PINKAS: I do. But that does not necessarily imply that Mr. Netanyahu can survive this. I happen to think he cannot and will not. The next 45 days

will be critical. He is facing both immense domestic pressures, having to do with the conscription of ultra-orthodox Jews into the military, from

which they have been exempt for over 65 years. And also international, correct.

Now that his coalition has strung to his right wing, purified form, I don't think we can withstand this pressure. In terms of the war, I totally

subscribe to what Hussein Ibish wrote. He and Sinwar find themselves in the odd, peculiar and bizarre situation in which they are the two, the only two

actors in this game that refuse or reluctant to end this war.

ANDERSON: You've described Benjamin Netanyahu on X as and I quote you here, dark, spurious, vile, reckless, clueless, and inept. You are not happy that

he will be addressing Congress, I assume, in July. What do you believe he hopes to gain from that?

PINKAS: I stand by that. I stand by that post or tweet as it was called. I think this is the -- this epitomizes his behavior and his political

personality. In terms of Congress, I think this is a very, very precarious and dangerous moment, because he's going to go there wanting to gain

legitimacy and traction inside Israel to say, well, everyone talked about a crisis with the U.S. and confrontation. Look at me, here I am speaking to a

joint session of Congress.

But in that speech, he's going to do three things I bet, he's going to attack implicitly or explicitly, President Biden for trying to impose a

Palestinian state on Israel, which is absolutely not true. He's going to raise the issue of Iran as a nuclear civilization issue, which effectively

overrides the Gaza issue, which is not true. And the third thing that he hopes to do is to further weaken Biden ahead of the November election, by

creating sympathy with the Republicans who are cynical enough to stand by him against the American President. And Democrats, many of which I assume

will boycott the address.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you. These are your views, of course, I've got to be quite clear about that. But I think your views perfectly well

expressed by your X or as you rightly point out, formerly known as a post on Twitter. And, you know, your views help us, you know, analyze and

provide better insight into what is going on. Thank you, sir, for joining us.

PINKAS: My pleasure Becky.

[10:39:46]

ANDERSON: Next, we go live to Moscow where Russian President Putin is preparing for an extremely rare trip to North Korea. What is he hoping to

accomplish. That is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin a two-day trip to North Korea on Tuesday. That's according to the Kremlin. This will be Mr.

Putin's first visit to Pyongyang in more than 20 years and could be seen as a sign of deepening ties between the two leaders. Well, CNN's Matthew

Chance joining us now from Moscow. What's expected to be gained from this strip? Is it clear?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It's not exactly clear. No. I mean, to be honest, a lot of negotiations that take place

between these two very secretive leaders takes place behind closed doors. So we don't know exactly what's being agreed or what's being not agreed.

Although the Kremlin says that there maybe an opportunity for some documents and some agreements to be signed on the Wednesday, which is the

main day of this Putin presidential visit to North Korea.

But we know I think what both sides, what both countries want out of this relationship. On the one hand, you have Russia that desperately needs and

has received artillery shells, ammunition, weapons systems from North Korean factories, so it can keep up its assault on the frontlines in

Ukraine. The reports from South Korea, for example, that millions of artillery rounds have already been shipped from North Korean factories, to

the frontline forces of Russia, in Ukraine. And obviously, that's become something that the Russians are incredibly dependent on as they ramp up

their own ammunition production.

On the other side of the equation, well, I mean, the North Koreans are in desperate need of so many things, I mean, not at least food. And there's

been a lot of transfer of food stuffs and energy supplies to North Korea, from the Moscow side of the border, that they've got a land border with

each other.

Remember, also North Korea very much wants assistance with its ballistic missile program and its space program and may well be receiving that

already from Moscow, although that's been denied by the Kremlin, in contravention of international sanctions against, you know, assisting North

Korea with its ballistic missile program. And so, look, these are the areas that are, you know, both countries want cooperation and whether that will

come out publicly or not unclear.

ANDERSON: Good to have you Matt, thank you.

While intense fighting is said to be ongoing in eastern Ukraine, it's centered on the town of Vovchansk, which can seen it at the top of the map

here along the Russian border. Russia launched a series of fresh attacks there on Sunday. Meantime, Ukraine's President urging allies to speed up

military equipment that they have promised him.

At a Peace Summit in Switzerland over the weekend, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also said that Ukraine needs more in the way of air defenses. Let's get

more now from CNN's Clare Sebastian in London. This is not a new refrain from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has frankly been calling for air defenses

since the outset. What came out of this Peace Summit, Clare? Is it clear?

[10:45:23]

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I think that the problem at this point, Becky, is that we don't know what the next stage of this

pursuit of peace will look like. They've said that there will be a follow up, but we don't know where we don't know when. So on the one hand, we do

have these very welcome optics for Ukraine, that huge family photo that you saw off the back of this summit, around 100 countries are participating

more than 80 signed on to the communique, but there were holdouts from that communique, which are telling the likes of India, South Africa, Saudi

Arabia, UAE, it suggests that Ukraine isn't necessarily changing minds in its pursuit of peace, and that Russia still has some leverage here.

There still are countries that see it as expedient to maintain a relationship with Russia. And others, perhaps that really just want to see

this war end at any cost because of the economic consequences. The communique itself was not particularly long. It contained only three of the

points on President Zelenskyy's 10 point peace plan. But look, it is a step. It does offer some hope. But it is clear certainly from the Russian

reaction roundly dismissing this. The Gulf when it comes to actual peace talks involving Russia is still extremely large. Becky?

ANDERSON: Clare Sebastian on the story for you. Clare, thank you. Well, Peace Summit over the weekend.

Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now. And at least eight people have been killed, nearly 30

injured in a train crash in West Bengal state in India on Monday. Local police there say a freight train rammed into a passenger train from behind.

Rescue operations are ongoing. Authorities so believe no one else is trapped.

The Taliban government says it will send representatives to a two-day United Nations Conference on Afghanistan. The agreement comes after nearly

two months of talks with the U.N. according to the Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman. The conference is due to begin in Doha on June the 30th. In

Greece, police is still searching for three missing tourists as extreme heat grips the country. Officials say, U.S. citizen went missing on Amorgos

Island. And two French women were last seen on the island of Sikinos where they were going for a walk. Temperatures this month have been above 40

degrees Celsius.

Well, there are signs that relations between Beijing and Canberra are thawing. China's premieres on or in Australia now on a four-day trip.

Kristie Lu Stout has the details.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The leaders of China and Australia are hailing a, quote, stabilizing relationship after talks in Canberra on

Monday. It's a clear sign of improving ties as Chinese Premier Li Qiang continues his four-day visit to Australia. This is the first visit to

Australia by Chinese Premier since early 2017. And relations are improving despite years of tension over trade and foreign interference.

The two leaders met for talks on Monday, the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and the Chinese Premier Li Qiang, agreed to greater

military to military communication. China also added Australia to its list of visa free countries. Other agenda items included trade and energy,

regional security, climate change, human rights, and the fate of a jailed Australian writer Yang Hengjun. Yang is a pro-democracy blogger and spy

novelist who is facing a suspended death sentence on espionage charges in China. Despite many points of contention, Prime Minister Albanese hailed

the stabilization of ties with China.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Premier Li's presence represents another important step in stabilizing our relationship with

China. Our approach has of course been patient, calibrated and deliberate. I've said repeatedly, we will cooperate where we can disagree where we must

be engaged in our national interest, and that is in the interests of Australia and in the interests of China as well as in the interests of

regional stability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: On Sunday, the Chinese Premier started his trip to Australia with a visit to a winery as well as Adelaide Zoo where he announced Beijing would

provide a new pair of giant pandas. And while in Adelaide, Li also said that China-Australia relations were, quote, back on track. The relationship

has warmed since Albanese's Labour Party took office in 2022. China has gradually dropped a series of trade curbs and tariffs on Australian exports

like beef and wine.

Look, China is Australia's largest trade partner. Australia is the biggest supplier of iron ore to China. And China is also an investor in Australian

mining projects. On Tuesday, the Chinese Premier will visit the mining state of Western Australia.

[10:50:10]

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

ANDERSON: Well, we'll be back after a quick break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Bryson DeChambeau became U.S. Open champion for the second time after what can only be described as a topsy-turvy day of golf in Pinehurst,

North Carolina known as the Scientists for his precise and sometimes eccentric approach to the game. DeChambeau applied his calculus to win by

one shot after an early challenge from a surging Rory McIlroy. McIlroy led at one point but faltered in the homestretch voguing three of the final

four holes. DeChambeau held his nerve for the crucial sand safe at a team made par and won over for the round secured his second championship in five

years. Amazing.

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bryson many congratulations with your second U.S. Open title. It was a crazy wild finish. Take us out

there on the course with you. You're down the stretch with Rory McIlroy. And I'm wondering, where do you rank that bunker shots at the very last?

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, 2024 U.S. OPEN CHAMPION: That bunker shot at the very last was possibly my best golf shot my entire life. I didn't know that

practicing those 50-yard bunker shots when I was a kid would have brought me to this point of Pinehurst number two to win my second U.S. Open but

sure enough, it did and couldn't be more proud.

SNELL: Yes. A place in history. Absolutely. One of the wonderful images from this whole week, your engagement with the fans. You told me earlier in

the week, though that, you know, three years ago, the landscape was very different for you. And that you could have handled things differently.

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

DECHAMBEAU: A lot of personal growth. 2022 was a rock bottom year for me and push me to be the person I am today. And I've got a lot of people that

stuck around me from 2022, which is allowed me to be the person I've grown to be now. And I can't thank them enough, because without them, I wouldn't

be here. And it's been a long road. But I'm certainly very blessed and thankful to have those individuals sticking with me and continuing to push

me forward.

SNELL: The memory of your late father Jon is of course forever special, especially so on Father's Day. What would he have said to you about this

victory? And how did he inspire you to achieve this title?

DECHAMBEAU: He'd probably said, why did you pull it on 18 off the tee shot? Knowing him and his witty humor. But he would have been smiling and hugging

me and give me a lot of praise. So he was a good man.

SNELL: Did you feel His presence out there?

DECHAMBEAU: All day. There was numerous times on two, three, four, even five where I was just thinking I was walking down the fairway thinking

about him. Much of those engaging with the fans. They're at the forefront of my mind and still.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[10:55:05]

ANDERSON: Good man.

Well, in tonight's parting shots, Muslims around the world celebrate the holy holiday of Eid al-Adha. It commemorates the story in the Quran of God

appearing to Abrahim or Abraham in a dream and commanding him to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience. Well, it's usually a time of celebration.

But of course, Muslims in Gaza unable to sacrifice anything is so many of them have virtually nothing but they are still marking the important

holiday.

The start of the holiday also occurs during the harsh pilgrimage in Makkah. This year, more than 1.8 million people are taking part in the pilgrimage

the harsh one of the biggest religious gatherings in the world. And for those of you who are celebrating wishing you all eid mubarak.

That's it for Connect the World. From the team working with me here this evening, it's very good evening. Stay with CNN. Newsroom is up next.

[11:00:00]

END