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Biden Looks To Recover From Debate; French Voters Head To The Polls; Official: U.S. Proposed New Wording In Gaza Ceasefire Plan; Under Taliban Rule, The Startling Rise In Teen Girl Suicides; Presidential Runoff Vote Set For Friday; Georgia Makes Final 16 In First Major International Contest; NASA: No Target Date For Astronauts Return To Earth; Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 30, 2024 - 3:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:00:31]
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNTIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Anna Coren, live from Hong Kong.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
The U.S. president wraps up a rough week after working hard to convince Democrats he's fit to run for the presidency again.
Voters are heading to the polls in France for the first round of parliamentary elections. We are looking at live pictures.
And the first named hurricane of the Atlantic season roars towards the Caribbean. Why Beryl is expected to keep getting stronger?
U.S. President Joe Biden is spending the rest of his weekend at Camp David with his family. The gathering comes after his terrible debate performance this week. And a number of Democrats saying he should drop out of the presidential race.
The White House insists that this was a long planned family event, but those family members, more so than his closest political advisers hold significant influence over decisions regarding the president's political future. And the topic of the debate is expected to come up.
Well, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spent part of Saturday trying to reassure the donors and voters that he is still the best presidential candidate for the Democratic Party.
At a fundraiser Saturday, Mr. Biden said he will fight harder despite new calls for him to exit the presidential race.
CNN senior political analyst, Ron Brownstein, says whether Biden stays in the race or quits, the Democrats have a problem.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I think Democrats are in a conundrum. I mean, no one can deny what they saw which is that Joe Biden did not look capable of being president for four more years.
And it was probably the weakest debate performance of any major party nominee in the history of the modern debates dating back to 1960.
And so there is, I think, enormous anxiety in the Democratic Party about simply sailing forward as if nothing had happened. Biden went into this election -- into this debate with two-thirds, the three quarters of Americans pulsing. And I think he's too old for the job now much less for four more years.
And, you know, it is very hard -- you know, you never get a second chance to make a first impression as your mother told you.
And I think it is going to be difficult to erase the image of him struggling to complete a sentence, the kind of vacant look, the disoriented look, you know, the inability to really make a sustained argument in any way against Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: CNN's Arlette Saenz has more on the president's latest efforts to put the debate behind him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden's ought to reassure anxious donors after his debate performance, telling a group in a New Jersey fundraiser that he's ready to fight harder in this campaign.
The president spent Saturday with the First Lady attending three fundraisers in the Hamptons and New Jersey.
At each of those events, he acknowledged his poor debate performance but try to assure donors that his candidacy remains on track. It comes as Biden's advisors have fielded phone calls from anxious Democrats and donors concerned about the state of the race and what it could mean to keep Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket after that debate performance.
Sources tell CNN that Democrats are conducting polling and research over the weekend and early into next week to try to gauge the exact impact that debate will have on this reelection bid.
They said they're not just looking at Biden's reelection bid but also how House and Senate Democrats, who are in competitive races, could be affected as well.
Now, the Biden campaign, so far, has doubled down on the fact that President Biden is remaining in the 2024 race. They say that he intends to debate Donald Trump in September.
And a memo from the Biden campaign's chair, Jen O'Malley Dillon, said that they believe that this will be a very close race, but do believe that their team will put in the work to help Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in November.
Now, President Biden is going to spend Saturday at Camp David with the First Lady and other members of their family, all at a time when many questions are swirling about what could come next for Biden in this campaign.
Arlette Saenz, CNN, traveling with the president in New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Seema Mehta is a political reporter with the "Los Angeles Times." She joins us now from Groton in New York. Seema, great to have you with us.
We are getting word that President Biden and his family will meet at Camp David this weekend. His team is saying this was always planned, but it's for a photo-shoot but surely some honest conversations will be had.
[03:05:11]
And we know how much his family means to him and how important their opinion is, especially that of his wife, Jill.
What will they be advising the president as the people who love him the most?
SEEMA MEHTA, POLITICAL REPORTER, LOS ANGELES TIMES: Well, yes. To be fair, we do know that the trip was planned well in advance of the debate. So it was on -- it was on the calendar. It was on the books. So any indication that that's not the case is untrue.
However, how could this not come up after this week? Clearly, they're going to be talking about it.
I mean, NBC News had a really well done story about, you know, just the fact that this is going to come up.
But also, I mean, as much as Democrats are fretting about his performance and Democrats are, you know, panicked about his performance. There's a -- there are so many obstacles in terms of what they can do.
If -- I mean, if he decides he doesn't want to run for reelection, there's some things that can happen. But, you know -- with the ballot rules in many states across the United States, it would be hard to get another candidate on the ballot.
It would take a lot of work at the Democratic National Convention in terms of picking a new nominee. There are so many obstacles.
And the question is, you know, I think, you know, Jill Biden -- I'm sorry, Joe Biden, at of fundraiser, after the debate or, you know, the day after the debate, that basically, she said, we're not going to let 90-minute -- a 90 minutes of -- you know, to grow, you know, the 40 years of your presidency. I'm paraphrasing. But I do question whether his family members would like him to advise him to run again.
COREN: But, Seema, it was clear for everybody to see that Joe Biden needed to prove that he had the vigor, the stamina to serve for the next --
MEHTA: That's right.
COREN: -- four years. He showed that he was every one of his 81 years of age for his family that were watching, for us watching. It was excruciating. So you would have to think those hard conversations will be had this weekend.
Why would they want to subject Joe Biden to a grueling campaign for the next four, five months? And then if he does win, to four years in which he may not be able to serve the full turn.
MEHTA: Honestly, in terms of the Democrats, I've spoken with strategists and elected officials who did not love his performance Thursday night. They still say that that is a better alternative than another four years of Donald Trump.
And that's I think --
COREN: Of course. I think a lot of people would agree with that around the world that America is now facing this existential crisis, this threat.
But, you know, you have editorial boards. "The Atlanta-Journal Constitution" has just released an editorial following on for "The New York Times" editorial, asking for the president to step down.
And they said to defeat Donald Trump and for the good of the nation, the president must bow out of the presidential race.
MEHTA: I mean, I think that there are many people who think that, but in terms of the logistics of naming a new nominee, of having this new nominee confirmed, you know, at the DNC, you know, what less than two months from now.
And then also introducing this new nominee, who while political reporters, political observers, you know, we know Gavin Newsom, governor of California. We know Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan. We know Pritzker, governor of Illinois.
But the average American voter or the average person got blossomed, because they actually have better things to do with their lives and what I do in my job, they don't.
And so you have to introduce these people who have not been on the national stage and in a very short timeline.
And also, they all have their own liabilities. So it's not like there's some perfect unicorn out there that could just replace Joe Biden if he was like, click, you know, so. COREN: Absolutely.
MEHTA: Yes. And that's why, you know, Democrats are frustrated. And I've talked to many Democrats, you know, in the past 24, 48 hours, were very frustrated. But there's also no easy answer or easy alternative at this game.
COREN: There is no easy alternative, but it is not out of the question.
MEHTA: It's not a hundred percent of the question, but it is a very difficult path.
I mean, if he decided not to seek reelection, he threw his weight behind somebody, you know, to be the nominee, that would go part of the way.
But there are still ballot rolls where he will be on the ballot, even if he's not running because of the way our system works.
So there are so many complications here. But I mean, clearly, Democrats are very -- there are a number of Democrats who are very frustrated.
But I mean, I think as David Axelrod said, you know, earlier today or yesterday, that this was a conversation to be had a year ago and it's kind of too late.
COREN: Sure. Uh, Seema, let's say, you know, let's just say that Joe Biden decides, after this weekend, at Camp David with his family, that it is in the nation's interest to step aside, what is the Democrats' best hope of beating Donald Trump?
[03:10:04]
Because what we're hearing from Nikki Haley. She's already saying to Republicans, you know, they need to prepare for a new younger democratic nominee. And some are concerned, genuinely concerned, about who could actually be facing Donald Trump come November.
MEHTA: Right. I mean, so Kamala Harris, you know, the VP, is would be the obvious first. But if you look at her polling, and, you know, and she was the attorney general of California, which is obviously where I work, and when she was a senator from California, as well as district attorney, you know, in the Bay Area, her polling is not much better than Joe Biden's.
And there is normally the vice president would be the heir apparent, but there is -- there is some concern in the Democratic Party about her ability to win.
The realisticness of him being replaced as the nominee, particularly, absolutely, if he does not decide to take a step back, is very slim.
And in terms of the odds against -- or a former President Trump, it's unclear who would necessarily do better. But it's a -- it's a chant. They're -- the Democratic Party is in a very, very challenging position right now.
COREN: Well, it will certainly be interesting to see what comes out of that Camp David meeting, weekend.
Seema Mehta, great to get your analysis and insights. Thank you so much.
MEHTA: Thank you so much for having me on.
COREN: Well, meantime, voters in Biden's hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, are reacting to the president's debate night performance.
CNN's Danny Freeman has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At Zummo's Cafe in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the coffee flowed Friday morning.
And so did the post-debate emotions.
MIKE MANZANO, PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATIC VOTER: It was painful to watch.
LEXIE DEWOLFE, PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATIC VOTER: I feel like the candidates were two kids sticking it out in preschool.
ROBIN BURNDT, PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATIC VOTER: I feel disoriented. That's the word that I've been trying to come up with.
FREEMAN: Robin Burndt is the owner of the cafe, just blocks away from where President Biden grew up.
BURNDT: We love Biden. We're Scrantonians.
FREEMAN: Yes.
BURNDT: And we want him to be successful. And we want to feel that connection like we have felt over the last four years.
FREEMAN: An independent, she voted for Biden in 2020, but has now left hoping Biden gets a second chance to prove he can do the job.
BURNDT: I just don't think that that was really well-represented last night, so I'd like him to have an opportunity to give another go.
DONNA DEVITA, PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATIC VOTER: Well, you stumbled. I don't think it was his best night, really. And you have to be truthful about that.
FREEMAN: Lifelong Democrat, Donna DeVito, was disappointed by Biden's performance, but still said she wouldn't vote for former President Trump. DEVITA: That debate did not spark any concerns in Joe Biden or President Biden and his ability to spend the next four years leading our country.
FREEMAN: But Lexie Dewolfe disagrees.
DEWOLFE: I don't know what four more years would look like for somebody who's already at that point.
FREEMAN: Dewolfe voted for Biden in 2020, but now fears he doesn't have what it takes for the job.
Did you have concerns about Biden's capacity in your words before last night?
DEWOLFE: Yes, yes. But I think last night was worse.
FREEMAN: Here in typically blue, Lackawanna County, Biden won by fewer than 10,000 votes in 2020.
The margins here crucial, as Biden won Pennsylvania by about 80,000 votes.
ROBIN MEDEIROS, PENNSYLVANIA REPUBLICAN VOTER: I was thrilled. I couldn't have been happier.
FREEMAN: Republican activist and avid Trump supporter, Robin Medeiros, loved the debate and thinks Trump's performance will galvanize the former president's base.
MEDEIROS: It certainly will help. Biden was in such deplorable condition that it certainly will help.
FREEMAN: Mike Manzano turned off the debate early.
MANZANO: I think President Trump performed like a President Trump. There's a lot of, let's say, inaccuracies on details and a lot of broad statements.
FREEMAN: But the registered Democrat who voted third-party in 2020 said Biden did not win him over either.
Did the debate alleviate any concerns that you might have had about his age?
MANZANO: No. No. They've been more confirmed my concerns that alleviate any concerns.
FREEMAN: Danny Freeman, CNN, Scranton, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Well, voting is now underway in France in the first round of high-stakes, now parliamentary elections. You are looking at live pictures.
Well, President Emmanuel Macron's party is facing challenges from both the country's far-right and a left-wing coalition.
Mr. Macron called the vote after his centrist alliance was defeated by the far-right in European Parliament elections earlier this month.
A second round of voting will be held on July 7th, much more on this ahead.
[03:15:06]
The U.S. is trying to give a shot in the arm to the stalled ceasefire proposal for Gaza.
A senior U.S. official says Washington has proposed new language to try to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas.
According to the news website "Axios," the new language focuses on the first phase of the agreement where the two sides would negotiate further implementation down the line.
Well, that's happening as Israel presses ahead with its offensive in a Gaza city neighborhood where a number of wounded are reportedly trapped by the fighting.
And as tensions grow on the border with Lebanon, where Israel warned, it's ready to unleash a full-scale attack.
Well, for more, Elliott Gotkine, joins us now live from London.
And, Elliott, how are they trying to resurrect the ceasefire proposal? What more are you learning?
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Anna, look, it's been almost a month to the day since President Biden announced a great fanfare.
This new proposal, which he said that Israel had signed off on and which Israel itself subsequently said that it also signed off on, but which Hamas gave a lukewarm response to.
And I should say that even on Saturday alone, when we got these reports about the U.S. trying to change the wording to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas, we heard from a Hamas spokesman in Beirut saying that the proposal that was outlined by the Biden administration, by the president himself, still falls short of its main demands, which are for a complete cessation of hostilities and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces at the outset of any ceasefire.
Israel, for its part, although it says, and even Prime Minister Netanyahu, has said that it agrees and that it's in accordance with the wording of the U.S. proposal, its perspective is that any ceasefire deal doesn't prevent it from continuing to fight Hamas after the initial six-week ceasefire in order to complete two of its main war objectives, namely to destroy Hamas' military and governance capabilities.
And so when you have Israel effectively saying that it must be able to finish a job with Hamas to destroy it militarily and politically, and Hamas effectively saying that it doesn't want to do any deal that results in that situation where it is no longer in control, then you do have these gaps which would seem to be unbridgeable and have thus far been unbridgeable.
But certainly, the United States is still trying. It is also putting pressure on the mediators, the Egyptians and the countries to put pressure on Hamas to come to the table and to do a deal.
But thus far, the two sides still seem poles apart. And we've still seen those protests taking place in Tel Aviv and across cities in Israel putting pressure on their own government to do a deal with Hamas.
But, of course, it takes two to do a deal, and that deal a month after President Biden's announcement still seems some way off, Anna.
COREN: Elliott, in regards to the northern border and Israel's fight with Hezbollah, Israel has warned that it's ready to unleash a full- scale attack.
What is the latest intentions to the North?
GOTKINE: Look, Anna, we know that there's been fighting since Hezbollah started firing on Israel a day after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks. And since then there have been daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. And, of course, tens of thousands of Israelis in the north of the country, and tens of thousands of Lebanese in the south of Lebanon have been displaced from their homes. That war, that isn't officially a war, is still simmering, but the war of words is definitely heating up.
On Friday Iran's mission to the United Nations, no less, saying that should Israel embark on a full-scale military aggression, an obliterating war will ensue. All options, including the full involvement of all resistance fronts, a reference to groups like the Houthis and Yemen, are on the table.
Then on Saturday, Israel's competitive foreign minister, Israel Katz, posting a response saying that if Hezbollah does not cease its fire and withdraw from southern Lebanon, in accordance with the U.N. Security Council resolutions, we will act against it with full force until security is restored and residents can return to their homes. A regime that threatens destruction deserves to be destroyed.
Now, it's worth noting, of course, that Hezbollah is the most powerful of Iran's proxies in the region. And, you know, Israel and Hezbollah have both said, they don't want all-out war.
But, you know, trying to find a diplomatic solution, which is what the United States certainly, for one, has been trying to do, hasn't borne fruit just yet. There are still hopes that all-out war can be avoided.
But what is clear is that the current situation where you do effectively have a swathe of Northern Israel, which is effectively a ghost town, is not something that's sustainable and that something will have to give at some point, Anna. COREN: Elliott Gotkine, good to see you. We appreciate the reporting. Thank you very much.
[03:20:05]
A hurricane warning is in effect for several Caribbean islands, including Barbados and Grenada. As Beryl, the first hurricane of this year's Atlantic season is expected to barrel across the Windward Islands late Sunday night. It's now located north of French Guinea.
Our meteorologist, Allison Chinchar, explains why this storm is so serious.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right. Beryl is now the first tropical system to reach hurricane strength for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. And it's actually expected to intensify even more up to major hurricane status over the next day or so.
Now, one of the things to note, though, is the average first second- named storm usually doesn't occur until July 17th. And the average date of the first hurricane isn't usually until August 11th.
So Beryl is really kind of in very rare territory here. And one of the main reasons for that is how warm these sea surface temperatures are.
On average, the location of Beryl is running about three to five degrees above average. And that may not seem like that much, but it's just enough to really allow storms like this to flourish in these very warm conditions.
Also, too, to note, it's very rare of where it developed. This far east of the Winward Islands, early into the season, say, for example, June, is not very common.
So it's not just that it's strengthened very quickly, but also the location in which it formed make this a very uncommon storm.
Now, it's expected to make its way towards the Windward Islands over the next 12 to 24 hours.
And by late Sunday or even early Monday, this storm is forecast to get to major hurricane strength as it makes its way into the Caribbean Sea.
We already have watches and warnings in place for the Windward Islands, but several other locations may end up seeing some additional watches and warnings take place as the storm continues to track westward in the coming days.
COREN: Almost three years after the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, education and career prospects for young women are dimmer than ever.
When we come back, we look at the alarming trend of teenage girls trying to end their lives, rather than live under Taliban rule.
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[03:25:10]
COREN: Since seizing control of Afghanistan almost three years ago, the Taliban has rolled back women's rights almost entirely.
Eight months ago, I reported on one of the heartbreaking impacts of this misogyny. The surging rate of suicide among young women.
Well, now, we have an update on what led to one Afghan girl to such despair and her chance at a second life.
A warning, this report concerning suicide may be upsetting to some viewers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Huddled on the floor over schoolbooks, 16-year-old Arzo (ph), meticulously copies the English sentences.
Her neat cursive writing, a display of devotion to furthering her education.
Learning new words makes me happy, she explains.
But this scene was unthinkable just eight months ago when we first met Arzo in the same room on the outskirts of Karachi in Pakistan.
Don't worry, you'll be fine, says her brother, kissing her hand. We are with you always.
Arzo was bedridden. Her skeletal frame wasting away.
Every breath she took and movement she made, causing unbearable pain.
Arzo is from neighboring Afghanistan. And it's there in her home in July of last year she tried to kill herself.
Can you talk to us about --
This is the first time the teenager, whose identity is hidden due to security concerns, is able to speak to us about what led her to that point.
On that day, I felt like everything was over. I glanced at pictures of my classmates and felt a deep sense of longing. I was overwhelmed by hopelessness and that's why I drank battery acid. Convinced it would end my life.
Arzo, seen here in pink in happier times, is one of countless Afghan girls who have attempted suicide. An alarming trend spreading across the country since the Taliban returned to power almost three years ago.
A ban on secondary education for girls, one of the most damaging of dozens of edicts enforced by the Taliban. Contributing to what human rights activists describe as the most serious women's rights crisis in the world.
A call backed up by U.N. officials.
RICHARD BENNETT, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFGHANISTAN: The Taliban's institutionalized system of gender oppression established and enforced through its violations of women and girls' fundamental rights is widespread and systematic, amounting to crimes against humanity.
COREN: But despite this powerful language, the U.N. has appeased the Taliban for the U.N. conference on Afghanistan in Doha. Agreeing to its demands that women's rights are off the official agenda, guaranteeing its attendance for the very first time.
No will Afghan women be represented in Taliban meetings.
HEATHER BARR, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: This is shocking and shameful behavior. And this really represents a huge win for the Taliban honestly, in terms of how much power they're able to exercise, how much the international community is allowing their conduct, their abuses to be normalized. And this is really devastating for Afghan women.
COREN: Especially for girls like Arzo.
After her suicide attempt, she was vomiting blood and couldn't swallow.
Her siblings smuggled her into Pakistan for treatment at a local hospital, but Arzo's condition only worsened.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The rising number of girls turning to suicide out of their despair.
COREN: When our story aired in December, a highly respected institution in Pakistan, that wishes to remain anonymous, contacted CNN, offering Arzo proper medical care that would ultimately save her life.
[03:30:10]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her weight was that of probably a four-year-old. She was 20 to 22 kilograms at the time that we saw her. There is no doubt in my mind that she had only a few months or -- left to live, really.
COREN: By consuming battery acid, Arzo suffered what's called an esophageal stricture, a narrowing of the esophagus stopping food from passing to her stomach.
Over several procedures, doctors inflated a tiny balloon inside her esophagus to gradually widen the passage, allowing her to eat.
In January this year, she ate her first meal of rice and milk.
It was delicious. I felt strong at that moment and so happy. I told myself I could get through these hard days.
And since then, she has doubled her weight.
Yet Arzo's battles are far from over.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can see the area where she was pretty badly scarred.
COREN: Her doctor says she requires ongoing medical care and is now at risk of developing esophageal cancer.
But the immediate threat facing Arzo and her siblings is deportation, as Pakistan prepares to expel the next wave of undocumented Afghan migrants.
Approximately one-fifth of the nearly three million Afghans living in Pakistan were deported by the end of last year.
Homes in refugee camps have been marked by authorities for the next round, and Arzo is visibly upset at the prospect.
COREN: Would you try to kill yourself again if you were forced to return to Afghanistan?
If I go back to Afghanistan, I would end up doing the same thing again because I can't attend school or see my friends. I cannot live there.
For the pediatric surgeon who operated on Arzo, he says they were lucky to get to her in time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want to be at the resuscitating end. The goal is to be at the prevention part and to kind of not allow it to happen.
COREN: But sadly, there is no way to stop what is happening in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
As an entire generation of girls, just like Arzo, are unable to see any light on the horizon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: And still with CNN. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:35:59]
COREN: Returning to one of our top stories at this hour, voters in France are casting their votes in snap parliamentary elections called by President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month. You are looking at live pictures coming out of Paris.
Well, today, of course, is the first round of the voting. The second round will be held on July 7th.
CNN's Saskya Vandoorne has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR FIELD PRODUCER: He's known for bold moves, but nobody saw this bombshell coming.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, surprise call for snap elections after his party's defeat at the hands of the French far-right in the E.U. elections caught everyone off-guard, even his prime minister.
KEVIN ARCENEAUX, PROFESSOR SCIENCES PO: If his bet pays off, he'll go down as a brilliant, you know, statistician who, you know, when everybody else thought that he was doing something ridiculous, he had really done something that was amazing for his party.
If not, I think he will go down in history as somebody who essentially exploded the traditional party system in France.
VANDOORNE: So, why did Macron do it? With his centrist coalition lacking a majority and already struggling to get laws from Parliament, observers say a no-confidence vote moved.
Voting happens over two rounds, with the French electorate heading to the ballot boxes to send 577 MPs to the National Assembly.
(CHANTING)
Macron's announcement sent parties and politicians scrambling to form coalitions.
His biggest threat, France's far-right national rally. Seen as Russia- friendly and skeptical of the E.U., the party is led by Marine Le Pen's acolyte, 28-year-old Jordin Bardella.
(CHANTING)
He's a strong contender for France's next prime minister, a role that the president appoints from the party that wins the majority.
Other challenges include the new popular front, a new coalition of socialist, communist, greens and the far left who want to officially recognize the state of Palestine.
And this man, current Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, who's only been in the job five months, now back on the campaign trail for some peddling a message of economic stability.
Whoever France's new prime minister is, they will stand shoulder to shoulder with Macron on the world stage in less than a month's time as Paris hosts the Olympic Games.
This political uncertainty has spilled onto the streets, a quarter of a million people marched throughout France in recent weeks to oppose the national rally.
Emmanuel Macron's political gamble in dissolving the Parliament puts his legacy in serious jeopardy.
His last years in office could be plagued by political uncertainty or worse. He could be remembered as the French president who paved the way to the far-right.
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Iranians will head to the polls again in the coming days after Friday's presidential election failed to produce a winner.
Moderate lawmaker, Masoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative, former nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, will face each other in a runoff.
Fred Pleitgen tells us what's next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Iran's presidential election is headed for a runoff after no candidate managed to get more than 50 percent of the vote.
However, it was a pretty good showing by the moderate camp and their main candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Beforehand, the moderate camp had actually said that they believed they needed very high voter turnout in order for him to even have a chance to make it to the runoff stage.
While the voter turnout was actually very low, it was only about 40 percent. And yet, Pezeshkian managed to get by far the most votes.
He got around 10.4 million votes, almost a million more than the second place candidate, Saeed Jalili.
Now Pezeshkian is someone who wants better relations, he says, with countries here in the region, but also better relations with the West as well.
[03:40:06]
And the Supreme Leader of this country, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he had warned voters not to trust candidates that want better relations with the U.S. too much. He never maimed Pezeshkian.
However, there were some who believed that he meant Pezeshkian with that.
Saeed Jalili, for his part, came in second in the first round of voting. He's someone who says that he wants policies in line with what Ebrahim Raisi, the president who, of course, crashed a little over a month ago and was killed, would have done.
That means tough line towards the United States and also a tough line towards Israel as well. The next round of voting set to take place this coming Friday.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Ukraine says a Russian missile attack on a town near Zaporizhzhia on Saturday killed at least seven people, including three children. More than 30 other people were wounded.
Officials say the town was targeted in the middle of the day when people were out enjoying the weekend.
After the attack, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeated calls to allies for more weapons and air defenses. He says any delay means the loss of more human lives.
Euro 2024 is Georgia's first ever major international tournament. And now they're in the Final 16. A look at their remarkable progress and what's next for them ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
Plus, NASA says it has no target date for the Boeing Starliner's return to Earth, but insists the crew is not stranded in space. The details, when we return.
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COREN: Georgia is through to the Final 16 in Euro 2024. And this year's tournament is the first they've ever played.
[03:45:02]
Sebastian Shukla's charts their remarkable progress.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What a cheer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop.
SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN INTERNATIONAL FIELD PRODUCER: The commentary tells it all.
Georgia in their first major international tournament write history and send their fans into delirium, as they progress to the last 16. But despite the enormity of their achievements, still a moment of sportsmanship and respect for a great of the game.
Otar Kiteishvili, who played all 90 minutes against Portugal, spoke to CNN ahead of the country's next game, and about that unforgettable evening.
OTAR KITEISHVILI, GEORGIA FOOTBALL PLAYER: Yes. It was a huge thing. And we still have these emotions. Of course, it's difficult to forget and directly, prepare for the -- for the next game. But we try to take these emotions and this confidence in the game and use it as a weapon. SHUKLA: The players didn't hold back on their celebrations either, Kiteishvili included. And emotions weren't much different in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, atop cars brandishing the national flag and mimicking the celebrations of goal scorer, Georges Mikautadze.
KITEISHVILI: Yes. We are also in front to show the whole world that Georgia -- our Georgian people are and how they are passionate about football and it is a great honor for us.
SHUKLA: The next task, though, former World Cup and European champions Spain, a team they know well.
In the qualifying, you guys lost twice to Spain. And so this time around, how are you going to beat them?
KITEISHVILI: We think we have to be ready and we have to prepare very well and yeah. Miracles have been so vocal.
Players who are capable of doing amazing things, especially when we have space, when we can use that space.
SHUKLA: Beat Spain and it will mean a chance to write another giant killing chapter in Georgian football history, perhaps against Germany.
KITEISHVILI: Because this was the dream for all countries, for all the players who were so long. And sometimes we still cannot believe where we are. And we will try to make these days longer and longer.
SHUKLA: In football, you can only play what's in front of you, but these memories will not be quickly forgotten.
Sebastian Shukla, CNN, Berlin.
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COREN: Well, India survived a spirited fight by South Africa to come out champions of the men's T20 cricket World Cup in Bridgetown, Barbados.
India batted first and set a record total of 176. The highest ever in a men's T20 final.
In response, South Africa piled on the runs and needed just 16 from the final six bulls. But a spectacular catch meant the end for batter, David Miller, and sealed the win for India. It's their second World Cup win and they remain unbeaten throughout the tournament. Congratulations to them.
Well, they may not be marooned in space, but Boeing's Starliner capsule, and its two-person crew, are in a kind of orbital limbo. They're stuck on the International Space Station with no firm date to return to Earth. Engineers are working on technical issues on the spacecraft.
And a one-week mission is now a multi-week affair.
CNN's Kristin Fisher explains.
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KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, during a press conference Friday afternoon, NASA officials say they want to make it very clear that NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are not stranded in space. Those are the two NASA astronauts that are part of the crew of Boeing's maiden test flight of its Starliner spacecraft. And they've been docked to the International Space Station since the beginning of June.
But even though NASA says they're not stranded in space, those two astronauts are still going to be up there at the space station far longer than expected. There have been several delays of this return to Earth.
And now, just Friday afternoon, NASA says there is now no target date for when those astronauts and that spacecraft will return home.
The holdup has been some issues with the spacecraft's thrusters and also a few helium leaks. And so now, NASA and Boeing are going to shift the testing and the troubleshooting of those thrusters from the actual spacecraft in space to some ground testing on some replica thrusters in White Sands, New Mexico. That is expected to start next week. So -- and those tests are expected to take a couple of weeks to complete.
[03:50:04]
So, we're looking likely at mid to late July at the absolute earliest before Butch and Suni can return to Earth.
NASA really stressing though that those astronauts are safe. The spacecraft is safe. They've seen no new issues to report, but they really want to figure out what's going on with those thrusters.
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COREN: After more than 20 years, China has loaned the United States a new pair of pandas. And many are very excited. We'll find out more when we come back.
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COREN: Controversy at Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards. While accepting the award for best Taiwanese language album, singer and activist, Panai, told the audience not to forget China's bloody 1989 crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square.
Well, Chinese artists in recent years have largely stayed away from the awards show. There's renewed tension between Taiwan and China, which views the island as its own territory. No Chinese singers attended this year's awards, despite several high-profile nominations and wins.
[03:55:03] Two young pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, have just arrived in the U.S. at their new home, the San Diego Zoo.
They're the first pandas loaned to the United States in more than 20 years, marking a return to panda diplomacy between China and the U.S.
A previous pair left San Diego in 2019 and the new pair are causing plenty of excitement for the zoo going public. It's a continuation of conservation efforts between the scientists in the U.S. and China.
Well, thousands gathered in Greece's second biggest city on Saturday to march for LGBTQ rights. People danced through the streets of Thessaloniki, some holding rainbow flags and signs saying, love wins.
The celebration marked the end of EuroPride Week, which is hosted in a different European city every year.
This was a landmark year for Greece after legalizing same-sex marriage back in February. It's the first majority Orthodox Christian country to do so.
Well, thank you so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren. There's more of CNN NEWSROOM with my colleague, Kim Brunhuber, after this short break. Stay with CNN.
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