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Wagner Leader Alive and at Liberty; Turkiye Balances between Russia and the West; Three Days of Anti-Government Protests Begin in Kenya; U.S. Soldier in South Korean Custody after Crossing Border; Trump Says He's Target of Special Counsel Probe; Biden Talks to "The New York Times" about Israel's Judicial Reform Plans; Bayern Munich Crushes in Pre-Season. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired July 19, 2023 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

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

Coming up this hour, video emerges of Yevgeny Prigozhin reportedly in Belarus.

The U.S. Army identifies a soldier who was detained after crossing into North Korea.

Kenya braces for protests over unpopular tax hikes.

And legal problems mount for Republican front-runner Donald Trump. He could soon face a third indictment.

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GIOKOS: Welcome to the show.

The head of the Wagner mercenary group has popped up in a video just out greeting his fighters arriving in Belarus. CNN's working to get a hold of

and verify that footage. This comes shortly after Britain's intelligence chief told CNN that if Yevgeny Prigozhin is alive and at liberty.

You may remember Prigozhin staged a brief mutiny against a criminal last month. Today MI-6 boss Richard Moore has been talking to our Nick Paton

Walsh about Prigozhin, the Russian president and Ukraine. It is rare access and Nick joins us now live from Prague.

Great to see you, Nick. But also a rare speech, frankly, by the MI-6 chief, saying that Prigozhin is floating about. We have just heard of this footage

that has come through. But the MI-6 boss giving some clarity about Putin's reaction to the armed rebellion. Give us more.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Certainly it is interesting to see this video and I should stress that we

have not verified when it was filmed, where it was filmed and, in the modern age, it is important to treat these things with great caution.

But it has emerged a matter of hours since the comments here in Prague by Sir Richard Moore, the head of Britain's foreign intelligence service at

MI-6. Now he said when asked by me whether Prigozhin was alive and healthy, remember until this apparent video, we've not seen Prigozhin since he was

in Rostov during this failed mutiny.

It ended on that Saturday in a June weekend at the end of June. And this video does appear to show him in Belarus going along with the deal. He

appeared to agree with to move himself and his fighters to Belarus.

Now for more here, I think expressing some of the shock and the bewilderment that intelligence services in the West felt as they watch the

events, like all of us frankly in the Kremlin during that failed rebellion but also offering a separate kind of confirmation.

What we have seen in public from the Kremlin is indeed what is happening behind closed doors. That is an important thing to point out, because so

much of what we see emerging from the Kremlin's is smoke, mirrors and signals that are hard to verify.

But essentially, confirming here their belief that indeed there was a deal brokered by the president of Belarus and a deal which Putin cut to save his

own skin, showing extraordinary weakness. Here is one of the more colorful statement that we heard today about the loyalties and statements that we

heard during that weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIR RICHARD MOORE, CHIEF, MI-6: If you look at Putin's behaviors on that day, Prigozhin started off I think as a traitor. He had been pardoned by

supper and then a few days later he was invited for tea. There are some things now that even the chief of MI-6 finds a little bit difficult to try

and interpret in terms of who is in and who is out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: Startling, really, to see it. His expression, just how shocking and how that weekend played out had been. It's unprecedented in Putin's Russia,

I should remind you, to see any kind of dissent permitted, let alone an armed rebellion moving on the capital.

Prigozhin disappearing after that. We heard, quote, that he is "floating about" according to the best assessment of Western intelligence can give.

An assessment too of quite how Ukraine's progress on the front line is progressing.

We have not seen a lot of change despite the turmoil in their upper staff in the military on this front lines but a suggestion in the speech that we

heard today that they are unlikely, they believe, to see Russia getting the momentum on the front lines.

They're optimistic about Ukraine's progress but also interestingly too, Eleni, one of Russia's key allies, Iran, has been supplying the drones that

we've seen in action over Odessa over the last two nights, often hitting civilian targets.

Sir Richard Moore here saying clearly he believes that Iran's top officials --

[10:05:00]

WALSH: -- had in fact found visions amongst themselves because of the kind of weaponry they were supplying Russia. And weren't as united as they had

perhaps been in the past.

A speech which is rare given in Prague, he pointed out, the last European capital for Ukraine to see Russian tanks roll into it. And a speech too in

which he used to appeal to disaffected Russians to say that, if you are unhappy with the progress or the existence of this aggressive invasion,

come and give us your secrets.

Spy for the United Kingdom. Essentially a rare, open appeal here but I think one that matches the unprecedented times that we have been in since

Putin's failed invasion so far of Ukraine. Eleni.

GIOKOS: Fascinating developments, Nick, as we wait to verify that footage. That was released by Yevgeny Prigozhin. Nick Paton Walsh for us, thank you

so much.

Meantime in the skies above Ukraine, there was this.

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GIOKOS (voice-over): This is Ukraine shooting down Russian drones and missiles over Odessa for the second night in a row. Several people were

injured and these grain terminals were damaged. You remember just two days ago Russia pulled out of the deal letting Ukraine export grain from Odessa

ports.

Turkish President Erdogan has said that he would speak to president Vladimir Putin about potentially reviving that grain deal. The last

agreement was brokered by Turkiye and the U.N. in 2022.

Now Russia has said that it would be prepared to return to the deal if Moscow's demands are met. Right now, Mr. Erdogan is on a tour of the Gulf

region to boost foreign investment for Turkiye's struggling economy.

He's currently here in the United Arab Emirates. A short time ago, I spoke with his foreign policy chief and security adviser about Turkiye's

intentions to potentially broker another deal between Russia and Ukraine once Mr. Erdogan returns home. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AKIF CAGATAY KILICDAROGLU, TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: So the president's schedule is quite busy right now. So we are on the way and, of

course, as you mentioned, the Black Sea initiative for the grain deal, as everybody refers to, it has reached its time limit.

But our teams are working on it and President Erdogan is also very engaged on the issue to try to bring about a deal. But of course, there is a lot

of, as you know, different parties here involved. We as Turkiye will do our part and President Erdogan, once we have returned from our visit, we will

check what we can do.

GIOKOS: President Erdogan recently announced that President Putin is set to visit Turkiye in August. The Kremlin has not confirmed this as yet.

Is it still happening and, if so, do we have a timeline?

KILICDAROGLU: We are planning the visit of President Putin in August but of course I cannot comment here on the Russian sides or on their

announcements but we are planning and working to have President Putin in Turkiye in August.

GIOKOS: Putin has always been very transactional in negotiations.

Should we see a last-minute deal?

Because that is the hope right now.

What do you expect his demands to be?

KILICDAROGLU: What we know from our contacts with all of our partners and also on the Russian side that there are some issues that they are not happy

with and that they are preferring to make promises that have been given for the grain deal and an agreement that have not been kept.

So we have to work on those. Obviously, this is something which is focused on the more less fortunate areas in the world, I'd like to put it that way.

So in countries that are dependent on the grain that is coming from this deal. So we will work on that.

GIOKOS: Turkiye was a big focus during the NATO summit. It opened the door for Sweden's membership after blocking it for a year. The expansion of

NATO's borders have been something that Russia has been focusing on, that it doesn't want to see an expansion of NATO borders.

Do you think that this has made, created some friction with Turkiye and what we see with Russia?

Do you believe that it is abandoning the grain deal in some form of retaliation toward Turkiye and what happened at the NATO summit?

[10:10:00]

KILICDAROGLU: I don't think so, because as you know, we have been, as a ally, very open in our relationship with the Russian Federation and our

president, President Erdogan is the only president in the NATO alliance.

And for that matter, in the U.S. and has a very open and transparent and positive relationship to President Putin. And he's also stated himself that

he is very open and transparent in his relationship with President Erdogan. So I don't think it is there.

We are always (INAUDIBLE) but they're also making very seriously the allotments in our region and on neighboring regions and as you know, the

war in Ukraine is something that is very close to our doorstep. It is in our region. So we're very closely working together with all of the parties

there.

GIOKOS: The importance of the Russian-Turkish relationship also in the spotlight after Turkiye repatriated Ukrainian soldiers from the Azov

Battalion. This was quite a big move. Turkiye had promised Russia that it would not do so into the war ends.

Why this turnaround from Turkiye's side?

And you think that that could also be a potential point of tension between the relationship?

KILICDAROGLU: Look, we of course, foreign relations or foreign ministries and our intelligence services are always in contact with each other. Our

foreign minister was also recently appointed as foreign minister, has been in contact with the Russian foreign minister, Mr. Lavrov.

I know that the intelligence services are speaking with each other. So I don't think that there should be, like you referred to it, a friction. But

(INAUDIBLE) issues can arise during the time (INAUDIBLE) so there could be changes in or no changes in it. So I have not received any, to be honest,

information or new information.

(CROSSTALK)

GIOKOS: -- I'm curious about this, in light of Turkiye's action, whether it is the Azov Battalion soldiers, what we see at NATO's summit, do you

believe in any way that it's diminished your negotiating power with Putin in any way?

KILICDAROGLU: Well, look. I would not say a negotiation on their part because President Putin is, at the end of the day, going to make the

decision to go or not to go ahead with the grain deal.

But of course, there are other partners involved with the United Nations as well. And, of course, if you are looking at it, there is an agreement

there. And like I said before, President Erdogan is engaged in this.

But also it's not only the issue of what Turkiye is doing; it's also the issue of what the international community and part of the agreement that

falls upon other organizations in the world has to do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: South Africa's leader says Russian president Vladimir Putin will not be attending the BRICs summit in Johannesburg next month. Both sides

apparently agreed to the decision that Mr. Putin's potential visit has been a tricky diplomatic issue for South Africa.

The Russian president is the target of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Pretoria has faced

criticism from Western diplomats for its perceived solidarity with Moscow.

South African leaders would have faced heavy pressure to erase Mr. Putin had he set foot in Johannesburg at the BRICs summit.

Police fired tear gas and dozens of protesters tossed rocks and set fires in the streets as three days of demonstrations got underway in Kenya. The

country's opposition leaders have called for the protests as anger rose over a slew of unpopular tax hikes.

The government claims will generate jobs and domestic revenue. Schools in Nairobi into other major cities are closed beginning today amid fears the

protests could turn violent. CNN's Larry Madowo is in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

Larry, look, this discontent frankly has been slowly brewing since tax hikes were announced. Highly unpopular in a country where you have got

inflation biting and it is hurting the most vulnerable. Tell me what you are seeing right now and how people are feeling.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Eleni, what you described as the background for these protests were everybody I've spoken to, even those who

don't support the demonstrations agreed to the cost of living has increased in the country.

That is led to an attendant increase in the cost of every other basic commodity. Kenyans disagree about the need to hit the streets. The Kenyan

opposition leaders called for three days of protests and today was the first.

And so we have seen for instance this struggle back here has been using water cannons and spraying chemical water on this informal settlement to

try to get people to stay back and not block the road. What has been the impact is what you see.

This is supposed to be a major road. It has not been passable all day because the police keeping security here but life is not going on. The

Kenyan private sector alliance has estimated that every day that these protests take place across the economy about $3 billion shillings. That's

over $21 million.

[10:15:00]

MADOWO: So even if there were no major demonstrations, it still did bring the economy almost to a standstill. Schools have closed here in the capital

of Nairobi, Mombasa. And you see this constant scene here of lots of cops on the streets, trying to separate essentially the two warring types here.

One, people who are demonstrating against the cost of living and the antigovernment protest. On the other, people feel like they have to protect

their property, they have to protect lives. And police are in the middle of, that Eleni.

GIOKOS: Such a good point. Frankly, I was in Kenya not too long ago and let me tell you, these tax hikes were being discussed, no matter where I

went, to restaurants, to any event that I went to.

This is a move by president Ruto and that he stood by it and it's dividing Kenyans. It's dividing politicians.

What is the next move here and what is being discussed as a possible outcome?

MADOWO: The government of president Ruto has maintained that these are necessary and to that, they will not agree to a power sharing deal, with

the opposition leader who has run for president and lost five times and who is the factor behind these protests.

But people I will be speaking to in Nairobi tell me that they don't care what happens. They just want Raila Odinga and William Ruto to talk so that

they don't have to have their lives disrupted in this manner because, if there are going to be three days of protests, for so many day laborers who

rely on going to work at construction sites and other casual jobs, if they don't work for three days, they can't feed their families.

So in the end, they don't care about the political map as long as they can feed their families and they can have an income. This makes sure that they

cannot. Eventually, if the government wants to protect the hasslers that president Ruto has talked about repeatedly, you have to find a way to make

sure that these hasslers, many who support him, find a way to put food on the table.

GIOKOS: Yes, that is the ultimate point here, being able to survive, right?

It is about survival for so many people. Larry Madowo, thank you so much for bringing us the details on the story.

Still to come, we are learning new details about the American soldier now being held in North Korea. The disciplinary action he has faced and we will

explain in a live report.

Plus, a first of its kind criminal case in the U.S. What we know about the charges and the so-called fake electors plot in Michigan. We will be right

back.

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GIOKOS: We're learning new details about the American soldier who crossed the DMZ line into North Korea. An Army official says that Pvt. Travis King

had faced disciplinary action prior to the crossing. That includes assault charges and spending 50 days in the detention facility faced in South

Korea.

Joining us now from the Pentagon, we have CNN's Natasha Bertrand.

Natasha, good to see you. We have a little bit more clarity --

[10:20:00]

GIOKOS: -- about the soldier who crossed over. But look, still so many questions here.

What are we learning from government officials?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes Eleni, so the U.S. Army, they've identified this individual as Pvt. Travis King. He was a

junior enlisted soldier, assigned to U.S. Forces Korea.

And essentially what happened is that he was taking a tour of the DMZ when he crossed that demarcation line into North Korea, willfully and

voluntarily, according to the U.S. military. And so we are learning a little bit about his back story.

What we are told is that he had been facing assault charges in South Korea for assaulting members of the public in September and October of 2022. And

as a result of that, he actually ended up spending about 50 days in a South Korean detention facility, doing hard labor.

Now he was released from that facility on July 10th and he was scheduled to board a flight back to the United States on July 17th, where he was going

to be separated from the Army. He's going to face further disciplinary action as a result of the assault charges and actually be removed from the

military altogether.

Well, now we are learning that he actually never got on that flight. He was escorted to the airport by U.S. military officials but they could not

accompany him all the way to the gate. So he did not end up boarding the plane.

In the next day on July 18th is when we saw him taking the tour of the DMZ and he crossed over the border, again, voluntarily. And so now the U.S.

military says that it has been in touch with North Korean military officials to try and resolve the situation.

It is unclear at this point how productive those conversations have been. But we are also hearing from Travis King's mother, who spoke to ABC. And

she said that she finds it very hard to believe that Travis would do something like this.

And she said that she spoke to him just a few days ago and he was preparing to come back to the United States to go back to Fort Bliss in Texas and

that she just really wants him home at this point, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yes, Natasha Bertrand, thank you so much.

Well, for the first time, so-called fake electors are facing criminal charges for their alleged role tried to overturn the 2020 U.S. election in

favor of former president Donald Trump.

Michigan's attorney general has charged 16 people with a range of felonies, including forgery and conspiracy. The charges come as Trump faces new legal

troubles of his own.

He says he is the target of the special counsel's criminal probe into the election aftermath. CNN senior political reporter Stephen Collinson had

this analysis of the investigation into Trump.

He writes that indictment over the twice impeached Trump's unprecedented bid to break the chain of peaceful transfers and power would be the most

profound.

The legal accusations against him an indictment over such matters would effectively amount the United States for the first time, charging an ex

president over an attempt to destroy constitutional institutions and the foundational principle that voters get to choose their leaders.

CNN's Stephen Collinson joins me now live.

Fascinating piece, Stephen. Great to have you with us. Look, there are so much to get through here. But this is interesting from a political

perspective. It does also open the door for other GOP candidates.

I mean, how are you reading into what we are seeing today and how this could affect politics in America?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the first thing is that, historically, ever since Trump took over the Republican Party, there

has not been a great constituency for opponents inside of the party for criticizing him.

So if you are running for president in 2024 against this very strong Republican front-runner, you have a bit of a balancing act because you want

to distinguish yourself from the past and the former president but criticizing him could hurt your own position.

So that is why we have seen the major candidates at least be very careful about criticizing Trump. All of them have pretty much adopted his line,

that the justice system has been weaponized against him to politically persecute him, which is not really true if you look at the evidence of all

of these cases.

But it is something that is very well believed in the Republican Party. However, yesterday, there were the first signs I think of a little bit of

separation seeking to be made by some of the major candidates.

Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, said in an interview with CNN that, although he did not agree with going after Trump, the election should

really be about the future and not about what happened four years ago. An implied criticism of Trump making this election all about his legal issues.

Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, went further. She said that this is the reason why we need a new generation of candidates. So

we're not constantly talking about the 2020 election. But it's a delicate act that these candidates are trying to pull off.

[10:25:00]

COLLINSON: Still, Trump is an exceedingly strong front-runner in the Republican Party and millions of Republican voters dismiss all of these

illegal accusations against him.

GIOKOS: I mean, this could be the third indictment, right?

So let's talk about the potential charges here and what kind of timeline we could potentially be looking at.

COLLINSON: Well, we have had some reports about some of the things that the special counsel, Jack Smith, might consider charging Trump with.

Obstruction, for example, of the certification of the elections seems to be one direction that he is going on.

Possible intimidation of witnesses. It's a little unclear exactly what he would do. But more broadly, what it is clear that he is investigating in

multiple states, he has talked to all sorts of people in Trump's inner circle, is whether there was an orchestrated scheme to use the power of the

presidency to overturn an election and subvert the democratic will of the voters, which is at the core of the U.S. political and constitutional

system.

Tying those together is going to be a complicated affair, not just in the legal sense but he is also effectively going to have to make a public case

for the American people just because of this extraordinary situation that we are in, where in the Justice Department of a sitting president is

investigating his predecessor and that predecessor is running against him to win another term in the White House.

It is an unprecedented sort of legal and constitutional collision. And it's causing a great deal of tension. I think what it means effectively is that

yet another U.S. election is going to face questions of legitimacy from millions of Republican voters, who, by Trump's claims not only that he won

the last election but that he's being victimized in this one to stop him regaining power.

GIOKOS: Yes. It is extraordinary. Stephen Collinson, always good to see you.

A fantastic piece. You can find it on cnn.com. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD and, still ahead, Israel's president is set to address a joint

meeting of the U.S. Congress on his trip to Washington. And it highlights the rift between prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe

Biden. We will be right back.

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GIOKOS: Welcome back, I'm Eleni Giokos, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD.

Artificial intelligence will not replace spies. That is the word from Britain's top spy Richard Moore who runs the U.K. secret intelligence

service, MI-6. He says there will always be scope for officers working in the field.

Also commenting on the Wagner mercenary boss, the once mutinous Yevgeny Prigozhin apparently seen greeting his forces as they arrive in Belarus.

Some 2,000 villagers in Crimea are being told to leave their homes due to large explosions and a fire. The exact cause has not been confirmed.

Several social media sites reported Ukraine struck a mutinous dump on the Russian index peninsula.

Protesters taking to the streets of Kenya in the first of three days of anti government demonstrations. Opposition leaders calling for Kenyans to

make their voices heard as anger grows over unpopular tax hikes. And schools in several areas are closed amid concerns that protests will turn

violent.

In just 30 minutes, Israel's president will address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. Isaac Herzog will become just the second person in that

largely ceremonial position to do that. Ahead of that, he was greeted by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Herzog met President Biden in the White House yesterday. It is happening while the man who leads Israel's government, Benjamin Netanyahu, still

waits to visit Washington and sit down with Mr. Biden.

And one reason that that has not happened yet is because of the judicial reform package moving through Israel's parliament has sparked widespread

protests in Israel and criticism from Mr. Biden. Hadas Gold is connecting us this hour from Jerusalem.

Great to see you, so much happening.

Look, the main question here is why is the Israeli president addressing Congress so significant at this juncture?

HADAS GOLD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Any address to a joint session of Congress, of course, is significant. This specific speech has

actually been long in the works. It is to technically mark 75 years of Israeli statehood. It is a bipartisan invitation to a joint session of

Congress.

But of course, the timing is a little bit interesting. It is coming really at a critical juncture in the tensions between the U.S. and Israeli

relations. Of course not only about Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank, in this new government that president Biden himself has called the

most extreme in Israeli history.

But of course, recently we have seen a lot of focus on this massive judicial overhaul that Benjamin Netanyahu's government has been trying to

push through and that was recently sort of reinvigorated.

Now as you noted, the Israeli president largely ceremonial role. He's actually been trying to act as a mediator in the debate over the judicial

reform.

But it was a bit of an awkward split screen yesterday as president Herzog sat with President Biden in the Oval Office literally at the same time as

tens of thousands of Israelis were on the streets across Israel protesting this judicial overhaul.

There's now been 29 straight weeks of these massive protests against the overhaul and at the same time, president Herzog sitting in the Oval Office

while prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still technically waiting for his formal invitation there.

There may have been an invitation in a phone call between President Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday before Herzog flew to the United States

but there is a bit of a discrepancy whether this was a real invitation to the White House or just say, hey, let's meet when you are in the United

States potentially in September during the U.N. General Assembly.

GIOKOS: Yes, it does not sound like a formal invitation. That is the question. Look, this is a rift that is sort of playing out between

Netanyahu and Biden on a public platform. Mr. Biden yesterday gave a interview to "The New York Times" columnist over Netanyahu's plans to

change the judiciary.

What did you make of this op-ed?

It was pretty extraordinary to see some of the comments there.

GOLD: This op-ed is making a lot of waves here. What is really fascinating is the timing. I'm quite sure that Thomas Friedman was invited to speak

with President Biden after Herzog's visit to the Oval Office.

And in Tom Friedman's column, he said they spoke for more than an hour, an hour and 15 minutes. And only parts of it were on the record. But I think

the message is quite clear and want to read you both a direct quote from President Biden and parts of Tom Friedman's column.

So essentially the message he is sending is don't pass this judicial reform without a broad consensus or U.S. relationship. Here is the Biden quote.

He is saying, "So my recommendation to Israeli leaders is not to rush. I believe that the best outcome is to continue to seek the broadest possible

consensus here."

And then Tom Friedman essentially digests, that digests the hour and 15- minute long conversation he had --

[10:35:00]

GOLD: -- with Joe Biden and issued a even starker warning. This is what he says. He says that he is basically pleading with Netanyahu and his

supporters to understand if we are not seen to share the democratic value, it will be difficult to sustain the special relationship that Israel and

America have enjoyed for the last 75 years for another 75 years.

Now as I noted, this column is making a lot of waves. This is really the top story in Israel right now ahead of Herzog's speech. We are getting some

pushback. Some Israeli officials have been briefing Israeli media, saying Biden never presented any sort of ultimatum to Netanyahu in the telephone

conversation and did not demand that he halt the legislation.

But that seems to be parsing words here, because as we have seen, President Biden, his statements on this judicial overhaul, they seem to be getting

stronger and harsher. Essentially waving the red flag for Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that you need to stop this legislation.

You need to come back to the negotiating table, come to a broad consensus, a broad compromise or you risk the Israeli-American relationship.

GIOKOS: Fascinating. Hadas Gold, thank you so much.

We are waiting for Israeli president Isaac Herzog to address Congress in about half an hour. We will bring that to you live.

In the meantime, let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are on our radar right now.

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GIOKOS (voice-over): At least 34 people were killed in a fiery crash in southern Algeria. The country's civil defense says that a bus transporting

travelers collided with another vehicle causing both to catch fire; 12 others were also injured in the accident.

In Sudan, nearly 200,000 people were displaced by ongoing fighting over just the past week. This is according to the U.N. And it says more than 2.6

million people have been internally displaced since the conflict began in April and more than 700,000 have fled abroad.

The European Union is sending more planes and firefighters to help Greece, as the country struggles to control wildfires. The E.U. says a dangerous

heat wave across southern Europe has already caused devastating consequences in Greece and ferociously hot temperatures are expected to

climb.

And there's a shocking sight in India at one of its most famous landmarks. Floodwaters are lapping at the outer walls of the Taj Mahal. It's the

country's most popular tourist attraction. Local media said the monument itself is not at risk.

In the meantime, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry is in China, calling for fast action to confront the climate crisis. Kerry met China's vice

president during a third day of talks in Beijing, urging China to take traditional steps to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

His trip comes as China's president sheds more light on his climate plan. Xi Jinping saying that the dual carbon goal that we have committed to is

firm and unshakable. But the method and path, the pace and intensity of achieving those goals should and must be determined by ourselves and never

subject to the influence of others.

Now the dual carbon goal refers to China's plan to reach peak carbon emissions by the end of the decade and carbon neutrality in 40 years.

A lopsided score in a preseason friendly. Just ahead, a look at the blowout win for Germany's defending champs. We will be right back.

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GIOKOS: It was supposed to be a friendly preseason match but there was nothing friendly about the Bayern Munich score. The defending German champs

won 27-0 against a 9th tier side. Joining us now with all of that is Amanda Davies.

I have to say, what a loss, painful to say the least.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I feel a little bit guilty actually, Eleni, with sitting here with a big smile on my face. This really

is one of those do not adjust your TV sets, you not need to reset your computer. I'm afraid that it was 27-0.

And Bayern Munich did not go easy on their German -- I'm not sure I would call them rivals -- counterparts. Thomas Tuchel very much giving some of

his first team stars their first proper run out: 13 different scorers, three players getting five goals each in this one. It really was an

absolute drubbing.

It will certainly be a confidence boost for Bayern moving into the new season. You worry what effect it will have. But I keep saying that they

keep coming back, to their credit. They played Bayern a couple of years ago. They were beaten 22, then in 2019 they lost 23-0.

So this is getting steadily worse. You wonder whether they will be coming back for more but speaking of big wins --

(CROSSTALK)

GIOKOS: I was in such disbelief I had to double check and I watched a little bit of the game and I was like, what?

DAVIES: And I was going to say, talking of big wins. The defending champions for the Women's World Cup, the USA, they kicked off their

campaign four years ago in France for their 13-0 win. They're getting set for the defense of their title. The World Cup kickoff is hours away. And

that's what we're building up to in a couple of minutes.

GIOKOS: Amazing double digit numbers in sports today. Amanda Davies, great to see you, we'll see you after the break.

I'll be back at the top of the hour.

(WORLD SPORT)

[11:00:00]

END