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U.S. Reporter's Trial Gets Underway In Russia; Police Kill At Least Five People Financial Bill Protests; Report: Most Of Gaza At Risk Of Famine In Months Ahead; Biden & Trump Preparing for High Stakes Presidential Debate on Thursday; Iran Gears Up for Friday's Presidential Vote; ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Russian Defense Officials; Ukraine and Russia Each Exchange 90 Prisoners of War; Ukraine and Moldova Begin Formal Negotiations to Join E.U.; 71-year- old Woman Becomes Oldest Miss Texas USA Contestant; High Temperatures Melt Wax Statue of President Lincoln. Aired 2-3 a ET

Aired June 26, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:29]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead. Kenya's days of rage, the streets of Nairobi appearing relatively calm this hour, just one day after violent protests rocked the capital with at least five people shot dead.

Julian Assange's long legal battle with the U.S. is over. The WikiLeaks founder is now on his way back to Australia after exchanging a guilty plea for his freedom. And behind closed doors, the trial against Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich gets underway in Russia.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us. Well, the trial of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich is underway in Russia. The Wall Street Journal reporter is accused of espionage, a charge which he denies, and the U.S. government says he is wrongfully detained. No media, family or U.S. embassy personnel will be allowed in the court for the closed-door proceedings. Our full coverage of the trial is coming up later this hour.

But let's start with Kenya where, in the coming hours, crowds are expected to hit the streets. Yet again, they're carrying out seven days of rage over a controversial finance bill approved by parliament. Tuesday's protest devolved into chaos with Kenyan police shooting and killing at least five people with dozens more injured. A warning some of the footage whereabouts air is graphic, and you may find it disturbing.

CNN teams witnessed two bodies on the ground amid the violence. They also saw police beating and arresting paramedics who tried to help protesters. The events have made some demonstrators even more determined.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNEDY SANKARA, PROTESTER: They are here brutalizing innocent citizens who are unarmed, who are only speaking because the president has successfully captured parliament. He has successfully captured the judiciary. The only surviving sovereign power is the people. Now is trying to brutalize us. We will demonstrate, you can't kill all of us. You can't abduct all of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Crowds storm government officers trashing and setting fire to Parliament, Nairobi, City Hall and the governor's office. Lawmakers had been scheduled to discuss advancing the bill. Many activists say will increase an already high cost of living. Speaking to the nation, Kenya's president called the protest treasonous, claiming organized criminals had hijacked the conversation around the bill. He issued a warning to anyone involved in violence against the government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM RUTO, PRESIDEN OF KENYA: I hereby put on notice the planners, financials, orchestrators and abettors of violence and anarchy that the security infrastructure established to protect our republic and its sovereignty will be deployed to secure the country and restore normalcy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Victoria Rubadiri is following developments for us from Nairobi. She joins us now live. So, Victoria, what is happening right now on the streets of Nairobi and how tense is the situation in Kenya's capital today?

VICTORIA RUBADIRI, CNN REPORTER: Well, as you mentioned, Rosemary, is a couple minutes after 9:00 a.m. here in Nairobi and it's relatively calm for now, although the seven days of rage that was declared by the protesters continues into today. They say they will make their way to an institution called the Independent Policing Oversight Authority. They are essentially mandated to investigate police misconduct.

And this is over the killing of a young man in last Thursday's protests. They want to get justice for him after he was allegedly shot by a plain clothes police officer. They will also make their way to the inspector general of police office in the central business district, also to request for the same. So, we will be keeping an eye on that to see if it escalates further in the course of the day, Rosemary.

[02:05:00]

CHURCH: And Victoria, what's the government saying about these deadly protests and what's been the international response so far? RUBADIRI: Well, we heard from the president last night calling this treasonous, basically saying that this, of course, was an effect, an impact, on Kenya's stability and security. And then we also heard from the U.N. Secretary General who called out the violence that was witnessed yesterday. And of course, saying it was extremely unfortunate that we saw the killings and of course, injuries to some medics and journalists as well.

We also saw the African Union Commission chair calling for dialog on some of the contentious issues. This was also echoed by the former President Uhuru Kenyatta who called on the government to listen to the people. He said, essentially speak to the people, not at the people. There was also a joint statement that was released by foreign envoys that included the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Germany who also condemned the killings and the violence yesterday, as well as the abductions of some protesters.

Amnesty Kenya yesterday reporting that at least 12 protesters were abducted in the last five days. Their whereabouts still unknown.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Victoria Rubadiri joining us live from Nairobi.

Well, for the first time in 12 years, Julian Assange is a free man. Just hours ago, a U.S. judge in the Northern Mariana Islands accepted his guilty plea to a single espionage related charge. He's sentenced 62 months' time already served in London's Belmarsh prison. The WikiLeaks founder is now on his way to his native Australia without ever setting foot in an American jail. The U.S. had charged Assange with 18 felony counts for publishing hundreds of thousands of leaked U.S. military documents and diplomatic cables in 2010 revealing sensitive data on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

So, let's bring in journalist Alex Thomas following developments for us from the Australian capital Canberra. So, Alex, Julian Assange is now a free man. How's Australia reacting to that news and what comes next for Assange?

ALEX THOMAS, JOURNALIST: There certainly is an air of celebration here in Australia, but it's not an overwhelming one. Julian Assange, as he has been throughout his life is a polarizing figure, but I think certainly in terms of the current Australian administration, this is a victory for one of its citizens. Under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, there have been lots of negotiations, sometimes behind the scenes, sometimes quite openly, when he himself raised it on a visit to Washington with President Biden last year saying enough is enough for an Australian man who isn't a U.S. citizen but was being prosecuted by American authorities for arguably not committing a crime at all.

Of course, the U.S. Department of Justice doesn't see it that way, hence why they've been pursuing him. And eventually it's led to this plea bargain with Assange, suffering failing health in jail, Belmarsh prison, a high security jail where he spent 23 -- 24 hours of each day inside a cell with only one hour allowed for exercise. So, no wonder jubilation that this ordeal for this man is over and for all those supporters that have campaigned on his behalf, including his lawyer, who had this to say outside the court a little bit earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER ROBINSON, ATTORNEY FOR JULIAN ASSANGE: I hope that the fact that we've been able to free Julian Assange today against all the odds and against one of the most powerful governments in the world, we'll give hope to all journalists and publishers who are imprisoned around the world. And we encourage everyone who stood to fight for Julian to continue that fight for him and for all of those others.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS: There were politicians from both the right and the left who had joined together to campaign for Assange's release and they said the battle for press freedom is still to be won. Essentially, they say Assange was a journalist who published information that the public had a right to know and has been prosecuted for doing their job. And that sets a very dangerous precedent and, of course, echoes that in other news today as well.

But on a human level, away from the politics and the wider meaning of this, you've got a man who spent seven years of his own volition claiming amnesty in the Ecuadorian embassy, before the five years in Belmarsh prison. And since then, while being, you know, incarcerated effectively met his wife, Stella. They had two young boys who are now seven and five years old, that he's had no time to spend a moment with.

So that's what he will be doing after landing here in Canberra having spoken to the media, WikiLeaks have tweeted out on social media that there will be a press conference at 9:15 tonight, local time.

[02:10:05]

Assange didn't speak outside courts. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say a little bit later, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Will certainly be monitoring that. Alex Thomas joining us live from Canberra. Many thanks.

Israel's Supreme Court is now ordering the government to draft ultra- orthodox men into the military. Until now, that group had been exempt from mandatory service. The ruling is a blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ruling coalition which relies on two ultra- orthodox political parties to govern. Mr. Netanyahu met with reservists in northern Israel amid tensions with Hezbollah on Tuesday.

He has tried to advance legislation through Parliament to enshrine into law the draft exemption. Tuesday's court ruling also orders a government to withdraw funding from any religious schools whose students do not comply with draft notices. Officials in Gaza say Israeli strikes have killed at least 24 people, including family members of a key Hamas leader. The Palestinian civil defense said one airstrike targeted a school where displaced families were sheltering. Officials say at least eight people were killed, including five children. One man described the horrifying scene. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We were asleep and woke up suddenly. We heard the sound of an explosion. It shook things. We went down running and found dismembered bodies scattered everywhere, a leg and arm scattered. We left from here in the Hajjah. May her soul rest in peace. She was 80 years old. She was dismembered. Most of them were dismembered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And in a refugee camp west of Gaza City, officials say an air strike killed at least 11 people, including the sister and other family members of Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh. In response, Haniyeh said Israel is delusional if it thinks targeting his family will change "our positions and resistance."

The Israel Defense Forces say they eliminated a terrorist on Tuesday who was a key operative in the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization. But Doctors Without Borders says 33-year-old Fadi al-Wadiya Was their colleague and condemned the killing. They say, al-Wadiya was a physiotherapist and father of three who was killed while cycling to work near one of their clinics.

The aid agency says this marks the sixth killing of one of their staff members in Gaza. CNN has reached out to both the IDF and Doctors Without Borders for further clarification. A U.N. spokesperson is condemning the risks facing humanitarian aid workers in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESPERSON FOR U.N.: Humanitarian operations have repeatedly been in the crosshairs in Gaza, and I think you know the number of humanitarian workers that have been killed, we've repeatedly talked about humanitarian convoys today. We've talked about areas that were deconflicted, that were hit, hospitals, shelters and so on. And the risks, frankly, are becoming increasingly intolerable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: A report released Tuesday warns almost all of Gaza will face famine within the next three months, and nearly half a million people are expected to face catastrophic levels of hunger during that time. CNN's Paula Hancock reports, parents say they can only helplessly watch as their children fight for survival. A warning her story contains disturbing video.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amal meaning hope was born two months premature. She died after just four days her family says, a baby born into war in northern Gaza. It's a result of her early birth, the head of pediatrics says, which is a result of malnutrition and starvation of her mother. This is the fourth child that's died in this department this week. Amal's father says they were displaced with no shelter, food or water, a real starvation, he says. My girl died because of this.

Hospitals across Gaza are full of malnutrition cases, doctors say, needing special care that simply does not exist. Younis is nine years old. His mother takes off his t shirt to show the painful evidence of malnutrition and extreme dehydration. She says he was healthy until they were displaced multiple times from Northern Gaza to Rafah to a beach area where she says they don't even have a tent.

Food was no longer available, his mother says. There were bad living conditions and polluted water. I'm losing my son in front of my eyes.

More than 50,000 children require treatment for acute malnutrition, according to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

[02:15:03]

Eight months of war have decimated the health system, water sanitation and food distribution. Clean water has become a luxury many struggle to access. The IDF says there is enough aid in Gaza, but distribution is the problem.

JAMES ELDER, SPOKESPERSON, UNICEF: It's not just about getting it in, and there's far too little coming in. That's why we have an unprecedented nutrition crisis for the youngest children in Gaza. It's not a safe place and enabling way to deliver that aid.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Aid groups say lawlessness on the ground is making their job of delivering aid to those who need it increasingly dangerous.

Dr. Sherif Mattar says he's seen around 120 children on this one day at the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. He estimates up to 20 percent of them were suffering from malnutrition. Diarrhea, inflammation, infections are prevalent, he says caused by lack of sanitation or clean water.

This boy's 1-1/2, he says. He weighs less than six kilograms. There's no subcutaneous fat. His body is effectively eating itself.

The United Nations has already warned one million Palestinians will be at risk of starvation and death by mid-July. That is just weeks away.

As with everything in this war, it is the young who bear the brunt.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come. The trial of Wall Street Journal reporter and US citizen Evan Gershkovich is underway in Russia. The Biden administration says it's part of Moscow's hostage diplomacy. We'll take a look at the case and its significance. That's next.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, right now the trial of us journalist Evan Gershkovich is underway in Russia. The Wall Street Journal reporter is accused of espionage, a charge he denies, and the U.S. government says he is wrongfully detained. No reporters, family or U.S. embassy personnel are being allowed in the court for these closed-door proceedings. And CNN's Clare Sebastian has reported extensively on Russia. She joins me now live from London.

Good morning to you, Clare. So what's expected to happen behind closed doors with Evan Gershkovich's espionage trial and how much information will we likely receive on this?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, not, not a great deal, Rosemary of past precedent, and indeed, the lead up to this trial is anything to go on. We haven't actually seen any of the evidence against Evan Gershkovich. Russian prosecutors, of course, say that the FSB, the Russian state security services have proof that he was acting under CIA instructions and trying to obtain secret information about a Russian tank factory.

This is something that the U.S. government and the Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich's employer have strenuously denied. But look, we have seen him. He is there in person in court, standing in that glass box, affectionately known in Russia as the aquarium.

[02:20:01]

He looks sort of in relatively good spirits. We've seen him smile. He even waved, at one point it's possible that he knows one or two of the photographers who have been allowed in for that brief moment into the courtroom. But we do expect that the rest of the trial will happen behind closed doors. It could last several weeks, perhaps even several months. The last U.S. person to go on trial for espionage charges, Paul Whelan, who is still in prison in Russia.

His trial lasted almost three months. So, that is what we're expecting. I think the big question, of course, is what happens after that? We know from both the U.S. and the Russian side that there have been discussions about a potential prison is what President Putin has made it pretty clear that there is one person in particular that he's looking for. A convicted murderer in prison right now in Germany, but obviously Russia has made it clear in the past that even though this is a country where less than one percent of criminal trials end in acquittal, as counter intuitive as this may seem, they want to complete this legal process, end this -- lend there's an era of legitimacy before progressing to any sort of diplomatic discussions around Evan Gershkovich's future.

CHURCH: And, of course, all eyes on Evan Gershkovich but Claire, what about the other Americans still detained in Russia? What is being done to free them?

SEBASTIAN: Well, look, we know, for example, that there is another American, as I said, Paul Whelan who is like Evan Gershkovich classified as wrongly detained by the U.S. State Department. He has faced a lot of ups and downs over the past couple of years. There was a moment when we thought he might be released alongside U.S. women's basketball star, Brittney Griner, that didn't happen.

He told CNN recently that he thinks the U.S. government needs to take very decisive action to try to secure the release of him, and of course, Evan Gershkovich. And on top of that, there's been a number of recent arrests of people who have not yet or won't necessarily be classified by the State Department as wrongfully detained. Another journalist for Radio Free Europe Alsu Kurmasheva was detained last October, accused of failing to register as a foreign agent.

There's a Russian beautician married to an American who lived in Los Angeles who's been arrested on charges of treason. And just recently, a U.S. soldier, Staff Sergeant Gordon Black arrested and has already been convicted and sentenced up to four years for theft and threatening murder. So, the speculation is that Russia is sort of trying to build up a collection of Americans that it can use as currency.

I think, as I said, the worry is that the U.S. doesn't have that in return to swap, and that any potential prisoners of in the future may have to involve a third country.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Clare Sebastian bringing us that live report from London. Appreciate it.

Well, now I'd like to bring in my next guest. Pjotr Sauer is a close friend of Evan Gershkovich and also a reporter on Russian affairs for the guardian. He joins me now live from Kyiv. Thank you so much for being with us.

PJOTR SAUER, FRIEND OF EVAN GERSHKOVICH: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: So, as we mentioned, you are a close friend of imprisonable Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich who was detained by Russia 15 months ago. Now his secret trial is underway. How is he holding up, do you know?

SAUER: Yes. I do know we exchanged letters on a weekly basis through the prison system. He's holding up OK, considering the circumstances. Last week I received a letter from him, which he sort of said that, you know, he's trying to keep physically and mentally strong. He's trying to read a lot, you know, doing do some push-ups in a tiny cell. You know, the conditions are very difficult.

And he knew, he would be transferred to Yekaterinburg. So, I haven't heard from him since he's been transferred.

CHURCH: And of course, Russia's espionage trial against Gershkovich is being called a sham by many, by most. In fact, of course, we saw the limited media footage that was allowed just before the hearing got on the way behind closed doors. We saw him there in what's been called the aquarium, that glass room. A verdict is not expected today, but when might a final decision be made, and what do you think they will decide here? SAUER: Yes, you know, as you said, we saw him today in this aquarium with his head shaven. I think the Russian authorities are trying to make it look like a criminal. But everyone who knows Evan, everyone in the West knows, Evan is just an honest journalist. The trial might take weeks or even months. We've seen that with previous trials which were similar, like the trial with Paul Whelan, the U.S. Marine, who's been sentenced -- and is currently in Russian jail.

So, you know, we are holding our breath. You know it could take -- we're not holding our breath. It could take weeks or months, and we don't have much trust in a Russian justice system. Realistically, we believe that Russia will convict him because they, you know, they arrest him in the end because he's a bargaining chip for Moscow, for Putin to be exchanged.

[02:25:10]

CHURCH: Right. And, of course, the flow of information will be tightly controlled by Russia. How do you think media outlets around the world should be covering this so-called trial based on bogus espionage charges?

SAUER: Yes. This is a very excellent question. I think we as Western media have a responsibility to cover this trial the way, you know, the way it is. It's bogus trial. As you said, there's a sham trial. We're likely not to see any evidence because we know that there is no evidence that Evan is a spy, because it's, you know, it will be held behind closed doors. So, I think you know, it's -- for us, it's very important not to legitimize this trial and potentially his conviction and to really stress to our readers that Evan is a journalist and that no evidence has been presented against him.

CHURCH: Yes. As you say, we should emphasize that the Wall Street Journal saying this is not a real trial, it lacks due process. U.S. President Joe Biden calling the detention of Gershkovich totally illegal. So, what is the U.S. government doing to help bring him home and what more should it be doing?

SAUER: You know, so, U.S. President Joe Biden has said he will do everything to get Evan out. You know, the two countries are talking as far as we understand. The Kremlin has indicated multiple times that they want to exchange Evan. Putin has even hinted at who he wants to be exchanged with, that's a Russian FSB agent in jail in Germany. But, you know, we always want more action to be done, and it's been 15 months now.

So, we do really hope that the U.S. president is sticking to his words and we believe he is. And that he will get Evan out.

CHURCH: All right. Pjotr Sauer in Kyiv. Thank you so much for joining us and talking with us about your good friend. Appreciate it.

SAUER: Thank you. Thank you.

CHURCH: Still to come. A look at President Joe Biden and Donald Trump's debate strategy ahead of Thursday's showdown, and how both are preparing or not after a quick break.

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[02:30:00]

CHURCH: As the clock ticks down to the first U.S. presidential debate on Thursday, former U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be preparing for the rematch against President Joe Biden, sort of. In recent days, Trump has said he thought it was very hard to prepare for the debate because debating is an attitude more than anything else. He also said he thinks he has won almost all the debates he's ever done because of a lifelong preparation. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think I've been preparing for it for my whole life, if you want to know the truth, and I'm not sure you can lock yourself into a room for two weeks or one week or two days and really learn what you have to know. I think we'll do very well. We've done well in the past and I think we'll do very well. I know the subject matter, but I don't think, Corey, you could just lock yourself in a room like some people do and think you're going to come out OK. It doesn't seem to work that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And after painting Joe Biden as mentally unfit in the past, Trump and his team are now saying Mr. Biden will be ready to go because he has a long history of successful debates.

Meantime, President Biden is busy preparing at Camp David. A source tells CNN that Mr. Biden and his team are holding debates of varying lengths and focusing on both the substance and stamina he will need for the rematch against former President Donald Trump. CNN's MJ Lee has more.

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MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Even though domestic issues are really top of mind for the Biden team, I'm told by a source that the debate prep sessions at Camp David have also focused on foreign policy. With Jake Sullivan, the president's national security adviser taking the lead on those discussions as the president is prepared for the possibility of foreign policy issues coming up. One campaign official telling me that when it comes to foreign policy, the contrast that President Biden will try to draw against Donald Trump really could not be more stark. This is what the official said.

They said President Biden stands up to dictators and defends freedom; Trump is a loser who is too dangerous and reckless to ever be anywhere close to the Oval Office again. Now, one famous line from Donald Trump that one source had said could come up on Thursday night is his claim that he would be a dictator on day one.

And we should note that one challenge or potential challenge for the Biden team as they are preparing to go up against Donald Trump on foreign policy issues is that his positions are not entirely clear, are sometimes murky and ambiguous, including on the conflict in Gaza. He hasn't actually said much about that situation. On Ukraine, he has previously said that if he had been president, Vladimir Putin wouldn't have invaded and he would've been able to resolve the conflict in one day without actually elaborating on how.

Now, CNN has also learned that mock debates at Camp David has also started. We know that President Biden is using a podium as a prop and we know that other aids are filling in and standing in for Donald Trump, and Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, the moderators on Thursday night, and all of this, of course, is trying to replicate the experience that President Biden could have on Thursday night and is testing him on substance and stamina as well.

MJ Lee, CNN, at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Tune in to see the presidential debate coming up on June 27 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN. And we will replay the entire debate a few different times. You can watch the first replay starting at 7:00 a.m. London time, that's 2:00 p.m. in Hong Kong.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is calling for high participation in the upcoming presidential election. Iranians will head to the polls on Friday to vote in a snap election to replace President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash last month. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more now from Tehran.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Just over a month after Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were killed in a helicopter crash, Iranians are gearing up to elect a new head of government. Even celebrating the important religious holiday, Eid al-Ghadir, people here are constantly reminded the vote is imminent. Iran's supreme leader urging people to go to the polls.

Every time there's low turnout in elections, the enemies of the Islamic Republic and the envious denounced the Islamic Republic, he said.

With the Middle East in turmoil and Iran recently close to an all-out war against Israel, people here have many issues on their minds.

We will defend Gaza and Palestine through massive turnout in the election. This woman says all people will take part in the election, and we will prove that the Islamic Republic of Iran has a word to say in the world.

[02:35:00]

We should all take part in this election, this man says, to have a good choice, so the country will come out of this difficult situation. I will not vote, this woman says. I want the country to be strong, but I have not seen much action on their part.

PLEITGEN: There are six candidates remaining in this presidential race and their posters are plastered all across cities and towns around Iran. People are also handing out leaflets like this one. Most of the candidates that are still in the race are conservatives, but there is also still one moderate up for the vote.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Masoud Pezeshkian is a former health minister and heart surgeon by training, he calls for improving relations with countries across the region.

Just the way we can talk to each other, we can also learn to talk to our neighbors and the rest of the world, he says.

But Saeed Jalili, aconservative candidate and Iran's former chief nuclear negotiator, ripped into moderates and the nuclear agreement they negotiated with President Obama, but then President Trump walked away from.

SAEED JALILI, IRANIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): Not only did the economic situation of the country not succeed, but the economic growth became zero and negative.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): As Iranians celebrate in the streets of Tehran, their eyes are set on the near future and who will govern the Islamic Republic in very challenging times.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russia's Former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as well as current Military Chief Valery Gerasimov, both are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity for allegedly ordering attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine. The ICC says the charges relate to strikes on power plants and substations across Ukraine. The three-judge panel acknowledged that some of the targets may have been relevant to Russia's military campaign, but they argued it was clear the harm done to civilians would be excessive compared to the military advantage of hitting them.

Ukraine and Russia, each exchange 90 prisoners of war in the latest swap, both sides confirming on Tuesday. Ukraine's president thanked the United Arab Emirates for mediating the exchange. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said some of the troops coming home fought in the defense of Mariupol and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Zelenskyy said he continues to work for the liberation of every Ukrainian held in Russian captivity. The Russian defense ministry said its soldiers will be brought to Moscow for evaluation and medical assistance.

Ukraine and Moldova have begun formal negotiations to join the European Union, signaling the start of what will be a long drawn-out process. There were handshakes and hugs at the talks in Luxembourg on Tuesday. It is a landmark moment for two former Soviet bloc countries hoping to move further away from Russian influence and into the European fold. The EU Commission president congratulated Ukraine and Moldova and said the path ahead will be challenging, but full of opportunities. The two nations first applied to join the EU in 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine's president shared this message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Until today, we were a country that had gained candidate status for membership, but there was not yet complete certainty about realizing this status. As of today, we have full confidence, Ukraine will definitely become a full member of the European Union.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And we'll be right back.

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[02:41:00]

CHURCH: OK. So here's proof, you are never too old to chase your dreams. A 71-year-old woman made history as the oldest contestant ever in the Miss Texas U.S.A. Pageant. Marissa Teijo competed against 100 other women over the weekend. And while she didn't win, she said she was thrilled to represent older women and inspire others to take charge of their fitness and healthy living. Teijo says weightlifting is the key to staying young, strong, and vibrant. She was able to compete because the Miss Universe organization got rid of its upper age limit this year. She looks fantastic.

And before we go, high temperatures have a lot of people losing their cool, but they caused a statue of American President Abraham Lincoln to lose his head. The 6' 4", nearly two-meter wax statue of America's 16th president was installed in February outside an elementary school in Washington, D.C. And according to "The Washington Post," it was placed under trees to provide shade during the summer months. But the extreme heat this weekend caused its wax head to slump back. It looks like he's taking a nap. Pieces of the knees broke off and the chair was damaged as well. The school has removed the disfigured head until repairs are made.

All right. I want to thank you for joining us this hour. I am Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is up next. Then, I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more "CNN Newsroom." Do stick around.

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