you're looking at live pictures of bangkok, thailand, refusing people there to back down from riot police. protesters in the country angry over the country's military coup. we'll have a life report. ukrainians charting their future. but can the deeply divided country pull off the election? then kim kardashian and rapper kanye west are partying in europe. will kimye get married today?

to our viewers in the u.s. and around the world, a warm welcome to cnn news room. i'm errol barnett. appreciate you spending a bit of your saturday with us. ousted prime minister inc. lung shinawatra is safe. being detained along with other leaders of her former government. the military has banned more than 150 prominent figures from leaving the country and imposed martial law. that includes a curfew and shut out independent media reporting, including cnn. we have paula hancock who has been watching this over the last few days. bring us to speed. what's the mood? a lot of people concerned and wondering how inshinawatra's

supporters will respond. what's happening now? >> reporter: well, errol, we are seeing pockets of frustration coming out on the streets of bangkok. we are seeing hundreds of protests we understand, quite close to here standing up against the military and riot police. we have pictures from that particular area. those protesters we saw a little bit earlier on today are trying to get through to victory monument, an area in central thailand. it appears as though the military and the police may be trying to stop them from getting to that area. that's the potential flash point here as well. last night on friday we saw hundreds of people here, anti-coup protesters, give us back democracy, bring power back to the people. there were a number of scuffles, once again. but small at that point. but you can see the military presence. it's still here on the streets of bangkok.

most areas you wouldn't know there's a coup going on. come to the areas where the protesters are expected to gather, and you see the military. it is worth noting that under the military order groups of more than five people are not allowed to gather. so by coming on to the streets, the protesters are breaking this martial law. errol. >> and as we watch these live pictures there, people are wondering where this takes thailand. the u.s. has announced it will be cutting its aid to the country by a third. losing $3.5 million there. puts pressure on the military to sort something out in the near-term. >> reporter: absolutely. the general is probably very aware of just exactly what most of the international community think of what has happened. many countries called for a return to democracy. u.s. secretary of state john kerry said there was no

justification for this coup. we went to the a civil servant who was in meeting, saying he was hoping to find an interim prime minister. someone mutual to both sides of the deep and bitter political divide that both can be happy, and he can call elections. but he hasn't said anything officially. we don't know when that could be. but we are seeing pockets of protesters basically saying no to the coup and give us our power back. >> paula hancock's live from bangkok there. we appreciate it. those standoff, not turning violent just yet. but certainly keep our eyes closely watching what's happening in bangkok and bring you the latest. at this moment, though, we turn to ukraine where a crucial vote is going to take place. not just for the country, but this could be for the stability of eastern europe as well. voters in ukraine heading to the polls to pick a new president.

as things boil over against russia again. in the east, they say there's no election there. they smashed ballot boxes and burned polling boxes on friday. and we are joined now live. and we're wondering how smooth these elections will be tomorrow. nick, where you are, the mayor's threatening people with arrest if they vote. bring us up to speed on that. >> reporter: certainly. there are two certainties about tomorrow. the main candidate, ahead of the others in the polls, may win in the first round, may go to the second vote, unclear if he gets 50%. in some towns there will not be voting. the self-declared mayor in this town saying they will be arrested. violence has risen. two days ago, 16 ukrainian

soldiers dead, and yesterday, over 30 dead, many pro-russian militants. the issue being the continued pro-russian militants. does it dissipate or a new, worrying chapter? this is the sound of presidential elections in the separatist city, invol w, slova. they're calm because it's common. the ukrainian fire towards the check points on the outskirts of this town. it's those explosions are the only presence that the people have seen of the kiev government. if there were presidential elections at all here, they would be run out of the building where the self-declared mayor lives, and pledges to me that anyone who tries to stage a vote will be arrested. he shows me something remarkable

in his back room. surface to air missile launchers, heat-seeking, possibly operational. got in the '90s, now to fight ukrainian jets. little birds, he jokes. and then something else, a ukrainian journalist taken prisoner 30 days ago. she agreed to talk to us, unharmed, but terrified. all the time you think the building will be bombed, she says. and all the time people are waiting for the siege, you're on your knees all night praying. that's how you live. in the night, you pray, and during the day, you try to sleep. the separatist fight gets harder, and they are digging in, the separatists seem to be fracturing. the leader isn't spoken well of

here. from the start i knew who he was, he says, a temporary figure. no political significance, no real power. i met him twice and said hello and good bye. falling out amongst themselves. the russia they wanted to join, distancing itself. but the government there unable to assert control. isolated, but still here. errol, the real question is where does russia sit after that vote? it's likely we will see the winner in the first or second run. and vladimir putin is inclined at the point, or covertly on the ground going to continue to assist as kiev suggests with the violence here. the militants are many, and well-equipped, and no real option than to stay in the places they hold. does it escalate? does the ukrainian government

move in to assert control? or a negotiation out of the situation? the last option less as it stands now. >> and in st. petersburg, we will get the news there. nick, thanks very much. we turn now to the search for the missing nigerian schoolgirls. the president of nigeria, good luck jonathan is in talks with the region's leaders. but back home, increasingly violence attacks linked to beau co hah ram are on the rise. chuck hagel says the united states has some information but no solid evidence where they are. the u.s. sent 80 military personal to help search in neighboring chad. some ordinary nigerians are

forming vigilante groups to provide security they say is lacking. and we are arkanswa. >> reporter: it's after curfew. anyone out is suspect. armed with no more than rusty machetes and swords, they stare down the headlights. they are not police or military, they are vigilantes, and even the local government admits they have been more effective than the authorities. boko haram was among us, killing us, he says. we are going to get rid of the plague and chase them out of town. the birthplace of the group is no longer its him. vigilante emerging in full force succeeded where others failed. even the military says they need the vigilante support. they are not armed with much, but these volunteers have

something that the security forces largely lack, and that is motivation. it's their relatives, it's their family members and neighbors who's lives are in jeopardy. and that's why they will risk everything to protect their streets. this man leads one the sector vigilante groups. >> we have suffered a lot. we have lost innocent people. >> reporter: hardened by loss, they show no mercy. not even to family. >> my senior brother son, i cut him and handed over to authorities. >> reporter: he was just 16, but he was boko haram. >> executed. >> reporter: he's been executed? >> yes. my own son. i have no regret with what we are doing. >> reporter: with the town relatively secured, they now want to hunt down boko haram in the forest. in this type of war, the best fighters aren't always the best

equipped. i want to bring you new information from the african continent just into cnn. a group of militants launched an attack on the somali government. smoke and fire is now rising from the building as well. we're being told security forces are moving in. so this information just into cnn. a group of militants launched an attack on the somali parliament. it's a serious development there on the horn of africa. coming up on cnn news room, pope francis is on his way to the middle east for his first tour as leader of the catholic church. we will report from jordan ahead. u.s. fire fighters having trouble with two raging wildfires in two states. bring you up to speed after this.

neutrogena wet skin with helioplex does. on wet skin, ordinary sunscreen mixes with water and drips. neutrogena wet skin sprays on and stays on. forms a broad spectrum uva/uvb barrier. in and out of the water, for non-stop fun. get the best protection made for kids' wet skin. ♪ hey, hey wet skin kids. neutrogena. number-one dermatologist recommended suncare. ♪ hey

. welcome back. pope francis is due to arrive in jordan in about an hour or so. he left italy not too long ago for a three-day tour of the middle east. the head of the catholic church will be visiting key sites in jordan, bethlehem, and jerusalem. we have a preview. >> reporter: pope francis is in jordan first, with a significant minority of christians. he's had a pilgrimage for prayer, and saying it's strictly religious, but not political. but you would be hard-pressed to overlook the importance. this is a mosque here, just before prayer time, and we asked people here how they felt about his excursion. she explains what the pontiff coming here means to her.

>> this is something unique in jordan. all of the jordanian people, different religions, they are happy for that. we have many celebrations, and there are a lot of people that are waiting to see the mass. and hear in jordan tomorrow. >> reporter: the visit is advertised across the city. this orthodox church, the father says this holy land excursion should foster understanding regardless if it has a political edge. >> translator: the pope's visit is necessary for the region, for muslims, and also jews. >> reporter: after meeting at the palace, he comes here to the city stadium for a full on match. you can see preparations are underway. that will be followed by prayers on the banks of the river jordan. it's what follows over the border for stops in bethlehem

and jerusalem that will be the most contentious leg of the whirlwind trip. now stay with us, we will have more coverage of the pope's visit on cnn news room. for example, did you know the pope is allergic to mushrooms? he doesn't care for red meat either. you would know these things if you were cooking for the pope. later in the hour, ivan watson gets examples. >> sea bass carpaccio, and these controversial lam chops. >> ivan's mouth-watering report coming up in just about half an hour. something to make you hungry. voting underway for the next european parliament. 400 million voters from 28 countries are eligible to participate in this election.

it's the eu's only directly-elected body. a new batch of parliament members will sit for the next five years. results are expected on sunday. but what do meps do exactly? well, they do a number of things that we don't have time to explain now. but you can find more information on cnn.com. the key here is there are a lot of euro skeptics in the union. they say they weakened the parties. far right parties are springing up, and they are poised to snag seats in the european parliament. jim bolden has more on the rise of these extreme parties. >> reporter: austrian flags waving, tattooed supporters here to listen to the leader of the freedom party, which is austria's fourth-largest party in the european parliament with two seats.

one of the many far right euro skeptic parties gaining ground in europe. >> translator: whoever thinks about the upcoming elections, this does not effect me. i will stay at home. then it is his fault if this european union is heading into a state. >> reporter: from france, the uk and austria, they may more or less occupy the same side of the political spectrum, but by no means united. france's leader, and the united kingdom independence party are vying to control the right block in parliament, and they're having to defend their anti-immigrant stance. >> i don't care what you call us. you can call us right wing, left wing, small-minded, i don't get what you call us. but from this moment on, please, do not ever call us a racist party. we are not a racist party.

>> reporter: she says she does not need him to form a strong right wing voting block in the parliament to push for anti-immigrant regulation, and keep brussel from passing laws that moves powers from the national capitals to the eu. while the rise of fringe parties worry some, others see it as a catalyst, forcing center left and center right parties to work together. in the eu parliament and in national parliaments. in a number of countries, austerity and reform measures passed with support from each side of the aisle. some call it the big, soft center. >> the reality of how first the european parliament is likely to function, and now national governments are functioning in europe, because they are losing political space, both the center

right and the center left tend to cooperate a lot more. it's actually the usual approach to managing the european parliament. >> reporter: look no further than in the uk. they don't have one seat in the national parliament, but may gain the most seats in the european parliament. it's been credited with forcing the centrist parties to face the feelings. >> no one wants the debates in the election, because they don't to want admit the extent which they have given away the ability to run the country. >> reporter: and trying no gain nor influence in the eu parliament. after this election, the parties are sure to try again. jim bolden, cnn, london. all right, we haven't talked about the search for flight mh-370 for a long time. the raw satellite data is nearing release. why malaysian authorities are

taking their time in disclosing this information.

. all right. we have two stubborn wildfires in the u.s. to tell you about. hundreds of fire fighters in alaska right now are rushing to save a wildlife refuge. we can show you the national wildlife refuge south of anchorage. home to bears, moose, lynx, and even trumpeter swans. the wildfire has burned more than 27,000 heck tears. fire officials say it's 15% contained right now. meanwhile, nearly 35 hundred hectares are scorched at this moment in arizona. they have contained 5% of the wildfire, and started a few miles south of the tourist town of sedona. we spoke with some of the thousands of residents who have been warned and may have to evacuate. >> reporter: the tinder-dry

conditions are textbook for the fires to get out of control. >> into the steep terrain with the heavy fuels and wind-driven. it's a bad administration fthin. >> reporter: planes and choppers swoop in, spraying water. hundreds of fire fighters are battling the fire threatening over 3,000 residents. >> it's my home, property, everything. >> reporter: frank owns 20 rental cabins in the area. a popular tourist destination. >> got the workers and my family and the guests out. >> reporter: they are bracing for the worst. >> i'm getting the hell out of here. >> reporter: rushing to grab whatever belongings they can before evacuating. >> i hear it's close. it's zero-percent contained at this point. trying to be ahead of the game. >> reporter: one woman desperately trying to find all of her cats. >> we're just trying to round them up and get them to a safer place. i have three right now.

we're still looking for about six. >> reporter: authorities say the cause of the fire is under investigation, but that it was probably started by a person. >> it's a big fire. it's a bit of a beast. >> reporter: a beast at the beginning of a fire season that authorities fear could be long and destructive. flagstaff, arizon. all right, from dry conditions to the opposite. a tropical disturbance may bring heavy rain to india this week. ivan has more. >> yeah, watching a disturbance in the bay of bengal. and the warning center has a medium chance of developing. watch this closely. it has the potential to become an organized storm with a name and significant winds. it's getting closer to shore. we're running out of time for that to happen, for it to organize. that's a good thing. if it doesn't organize, we don't get the nasty winds, what we do

get are beneficial rains for the our friends in india. any moisture we can start to bring along and kick start the monsoon will be fantastic here. looking north and east, the east asia rainy season has been well underway. in fact we have been talking about torrential downpours. the clear sky. and you get these thunderstorms. they blossom in the afternoon. we have a boundary aiding in the developmen development. it's been impressive to see the thunderstorms going. this is the time of year we can do it. of course, the cold, dry air to the north trying to win out, and the warm, tropical wind from the south. and the battle, you see that nicely depicted on the graphic. and heavy rain through sunday continuing into monday. sometimes we get disturbances that ripple along the actual boundary and that enhances the rainfall which is what we're

going to get, so even more on the way. another area that's very wide as well, and this is the same area that got hit the day before, and the day before that. the low bringing us the weather hasn't moved that much. it's spinning in place here. we had a few thunderstorms developing out ahead of it here, with more on the way for today. wet weather continues for parts of france with the potential for afternoon storms that could get on the stronger side. this pattern has been locked in over the last few days, and the heat, by the way, in the middle part of the continent continues with highs a good 10 degrees above average. >> all right, thanks. rainy days ahead for europe there. coming up on cnn news room, vladimir putin in the spotlight as he hosts an international economic forum in russia. but his latest comments on ukraine that's taking the headlines. bring you up to speed. and he's been banned from

pro basketball for life for his remarks, but donald sterling has a plan. the nba saying not so fast. [dog] larry? larry? larry? wanna play? [announcer] a healthy dog is a playful dog. [dog] let's do this larry! [announcer] help him keep those muscles while he loses a few pounds with beneful healthy weight. made with wholesome rice,real chicken,soy, even accents of vitamin rich veggies. it's calorie smart and tastes so good. beneful healthy weight from purina.

you're in the cnn news room this saturday. here's an update on the top stories we're following right now. pro-russia activists in eastern ukraine are burning ballots ahead of the election. the mayor in one town says anyone who tries to vote will be arrested. dozens have been killed in clashing between government forces and separatists in the last several days. a standoff in bangkok between thai authorities and protesters against a coup.

they have detained inyingluck shinawatra. and near sedona, arizona, they say this wildfire is only about 5% contained. so far there are no reports of injuries, but almost 3500 hectares around the state park, popular with hikers, have been burned. and 27,000 in alaska have also been scorched. the preserve is home to dozens species of birds and countless other animals. and the somali parliament in moe guy deshoe. the attackers detonated a car bomb at the opening of the impound. they were wearing suicide belts. we will watch that developing story for you. more now on the top story, sunday's vote in ukraine. it's stretching parts of ukraine

to the breaking point. jim shuto looks at the troubles in the don etsing region. >> it's a new explosion of violence in eastern ukraine that has the united states on edge. this is the bloody after math of several clashes between the military and pro-russian militants, the new flash point between the west and moscow. more than 30 people killed. witnesses here expressing fear and confusion. sfw >> translator: what is happening here? for a person who understands politics, i can't believe it. >> reporter: the responses to the presidential vote are growing more severe. here, the self-declared people's republic destroyed ballot boxes. and traveling east, we saw even worse. this is an election headquarters that was meant to be running sunday's vote in the area, but

eyewitnesss say that armed pro-russian separatists came and dpaterred up the materials. this is a manual, these are id cards, and they burned them up and shut the headquarters building down. the election commissioner said were armed with machine guns and grenades appeared to be russian soldiers. >> they came in suddenly, armored into our office and began shouti ining at us to gat and put the cell phones in one pile. and asked us where the election stuff was. two women fainted. >> reporter: all 116 polling stations, serving some 360,000 people are now closed. do you think that donatsk and this area can hold a free and fair election on sunday? >> translator: there will not be an election. there is no one who can provide an election. the central government does not control the situation.

>> reporter: russian president vladimir putin was back on the bully pulpit in st. petersburg, taking aim at president obama saying who is he to judge the situation in ukraine. but he would respect the vote. even as u.s. officials accuse him of interfering in these elections. that said, any new economic penalties will come only after sunday's election. jim shuto, cnn, ukraine. more on that news line now. yes, russian president vladimir putin is vowing to respect the results of sunday's vote in ukraine. he made the comments at an economic summit in st. pete petersburg on friday. john is there and joins us now live. john, of course, the people around you are looking to shake hands and make business deals, but how concerned are the people you're talking to -- how concerned are people about ukraine's election tomorrow?

>> reporter: well, the ukrainian election and the uncertainty is the short answer to that. it's interesting, vladimir putin has been on the ground for 24 hours in his home town, and spent almost every minute trying to change the optics of the story. yes, there's the ukraine and the u.s. and eu sanctions but there's an opportunity to turn the economy around. it was growing at 4% in 2010, but just over 1% last year. fighting to stay out of recession? 2014. why? because of ukraine and the uncertainty going forward. the message coming out of the meeting was they want to turn that around. here's one strategist, charlie robinson of renaissance capital. >> the sense i got from this forum is they're very keen to move on from this now. there should be no escalation of tension in ukraine, russian

business wants to be able to focus on where we're going in the next 6 to 12 months. get the economy moving. not be constrained by geopolitics. >> reporter: and that's always the problem. where geo politics clash with economics. in 2014, capital flight of better than $60 billion in the first quarter. but now on the ground here, we hear the fact that investment's been held back. it's a surprising quote, but russia was the third-ranked recipient of foreign direct investment in 2012 and 2014. now investors are holding back because they don't know what's going to happen in ukraine. but russia is moving to change the whole design here. president putin meeting with global ceos, even though 30 of the big global brands stayed away this year. he's meeting with energy ceos. they didn't want to be seen in public, but don't want to give

up access to the market that has 85 billion barrels of reserves. it's a cat and mouse game, but difficult because of the foray into the ukraine to boost growth in 2014 as a result. >> yeah, and a number of things at play. uncertainty isn't good for investment. but the u.s. and eu using sanctioning to gets it to back off ukraine. do people think that the threat and the use of sanctions is working, especially considering russia is on shaky economic ground as you have just explained? >> well, it could in fact tilt them into recession. that's the big worry you have on the conference ground here. the sanctions themselves target individuals and a limited number of companies. they didn't go after their gas giant, for example, or the energy giant itself. but the ceo. what's going to happen next?

that's the question. and two cabinet ministers i interviewed, the economic development minister and also the energy minister say they have implicit understanding that the european union will not move to put sanctions on gas nor on the economy. financial sanctions going forward. there's another twist to this. they're trying to divide the united states and the european union. u.s. trade with russia, about $26 billion last year. bilateral trade with the european union, about $400 billion. with the europeans you have a lot more to lose than we would out of going after additional sanctions. cool the rhetoric and move forward from here. that all depends on the reaction after the election in ukraine. >> yes, certainly high-stakes weekend for the future of russia's economy. joining us live from the the economic forum. thanks very much for that update. turn now to the search for mh-370, the bluefin sonar probe

is diving back to search for the missing jet. back on land, authorities are set to release the satellite data they are using to guide the hunt. richard quest discusses the importance of disclosing that information. >> reporter: for days now we have been awaiting the publication of the so-called data. this vital piece of raw data that explains why the satellite company and the investigates and the searchers all believe mh-370 flew south, deep into the indian ocean. they have the raw data along with notes, and sent it where it's been combined with other information. what's not clear is why it's taking so long to release the information. it's believed that the discussions have gone backwards and towards to discuss the exact right amount to give out. give away too much of the raw

data, and you confuse everybody with a mass of computer numbers that will be meaningless. give away too little, and you don't make it possible for people to understand how they came to the results that they've come to. getting it right is essential. because they have to build confidence of the families and other people who have criticized the very foundations of the search operation. it's expected the information will be released next week. richard quest, cnn, london. still to come on cnn news room. it's a spanish showdown in portugal. madrid's top two football teams prepare to square off in the champion's league finals. stay with us. everything your mouth does in a day is building up layer, upon layer, of bacteria. and to destroy those layers? you need listerine®. its unique formula penetrates these layers deeper than other mouthwashes, killing bacteria all the way

down to the bottom layer. so for a cleaner, healthier mouth, go with #1 dentist recommended listerine®. power to your mouth™. also try new listerine® naturals. the only mouthwash that combines the power of listerine® with naturally sourced ingredients.

. welcome back. sports news for you now. the nba says it will go ahead with a vote to force embattled

owner donald sterling to sell the l.a. clippers. that comes as sterling and his estranged wife have offered to sell the team voluntarily. we have more. >> reporter: donald and shelly sterling have reached a deal to what that would consider a voluntary sale of the clippers. there have been discussions between shelly sterling and the nba. >> this looks like it's the beginning of the end. >> reporter: attorneys for both would not comment. publicly, the nba is holding to the central points in the case. the league saying in a statement it's going ahead with its own process of terminating the ownership and proceeding to a hearing on june 3rd where the voters vote. but the league may not wait for ten days. privately, analysts say, the nba may want to avoid the vote or possible court proceedings. >> it's going to be very expensive. it's going to be politically disastrous for the nba if they have to go through a prolonged fight with the sterlings.

and this is the best solution for everyone. >> reporter: just a couple of weeks ago, sterling told anderson cooper it would be hard to give up ownership. but he hedged. >> settling is sometimes better than fighting. maybe settle for whatever they want to do. >> reporter: but shelly sterling showed no signs of giving in. >> i think half the team is mine and i'll fight for it. what change ed things? >> perhaps their resolve. and over time, it's the perspective. and the longer it is, the crushing the reality is that they're not going to win. >> reporter: and to maximize the value of the clippers and the potential billion dollars from the sale. but dragging it out -- >> chances are sponsors would continue to leave the team. chances are players would not renew their contract. some players would boycott. what would that mean as well? when the team visited certain

arenas, people might not show up. the value of the team would go down. >> reporter: one thing not clear, if she's selling all of the clippers or keep part of the team. her attorney said she wanted to be a passive owner and not have a role in running the clippers. the nba said both have to go completely. >> all right. show you some excitement here, real madrid supporters gearing up for the final against athletico madrid. look at this. that was the joyful reception for real as they headed to the final training session before saturday's big match. and for the club's fans, all that's on their minds, getting a record tenth champion's league title. but standing in the way, their cross-town rivals, athletico who have noisy fans too. we have the details.

>> reporter: it is a very small cloud hanging over what is otherwise a momentous football occasion at the end of the european season, and concerns the top scorer, star striker, gone to the lengths of taking horse placenta to get over an injury. he seems to have done so, taking part in training in the stadium behind me a little bit earlier. although a decision on his fitness will be reserved until before kickoff saturday evening. he is using horse placenta, but the show pony hasn't gone to those lengths. there was questions about his f fitness, but seems to be fine. real madrid has concerns over their defender. and like with costa, they're going to worry about that come saturday. this is the first champion's league final between two teams from the same city, although the

athletico boss said he was not concerned. >> translator: i'm not in favor of anyone getting motivated on who you play. motivation is internal, and if not, it's hard to bring out. >> reporter: the champion's league final is huge for the clubs. real madrid going for the record-extending tenth title, the other trying to win the competition for the first time. it's a great football occasion for everyone involved in the european game. so many legends coming here to join the 100,000 expected to be in the city. 8,000 police on the streets to make sure everything goes normally. tickets are going for more than $4,000. alex thomas, cnn, lisbon. >> if you're keeping track, that's two references of horse placenta for your saturday. thanks for that. and the fifa world cup kicks off in under three weeks, and people will be gathering in brazil.

but ticketholders should check if they need visas. americans do, and getting that visa could take a while. >> reporter: the countdown is on, and the enthusiasm for soccer fans is brewing. >> my team, brazil. >> this time it's going to be argentina. >> colombia. >> reporter: many of those planning to go to the world cup need a visa. citizens from nearly 100 countries do not need a visa, but others, such as u.s. citizens, do. the u.s. requires a visa from brazilian visitors, and brazil does too. >> because they require the visa, it's just getting even with america. >> we require brazilians a visa, they do the same. >> reporter: visa applications in miami are accepted from 10:00 in the morning to noon.

it takes 15 working days and requires a $160. an electricic application and a picture. >> there's paperwork, and you have to do reading and make sure you have your ducks in a row. >> reporter: the consulate typically has 80 visas on a daily basis. it brought in more staff to help process requests and assures it is prepared to handle the higher demand. but apparently along with all the paperwork required, travelers must also bring a ton of patience. >> very difficult. we have been here for an hour, we haven't gotten through yet. yeah. so we're going to take a break, come back in two hours. >> we're trying to pick up the vi visa, but there's 150 people in front of us. who knows if it's going to happen today. >> reporter: brazil has a special visa for the world cup that only takes three days to process. >> they told us it's a five-day

wait. >> reporter: it requires the same documentation as a tourist one, the fee is waived. but this requires the original fifa tickets or certificate of purchase. which not all have. many make plans to pick up the tickets in brazil. >> translator: don't have the tickets, the consulate requires them. see what happens. >> reporter: according to the latest numbers, more than 2.5 million tickets to the world cup have been sold. after brazilians, americans are the largest group planning to attend. >> some excited world cup fans there. it is looking like a fortified wedding for kim kardashian and kanye west. and we will go to florence next where the couple is expected to wed. [announcer] play close-

good and close. help keep teeth clean and breath fresh. with beneful healthy smile food and snacks. he'll love the crunch of the healthy smile kibbles. you'll love how they help clean. with soft meaty centers and teeth cleaning texture, healthy smile snacks help keep a shine on his smile. it's dental that tastes so good. beneful healthy smile food and snacks. . all right, love them or hate them, kim kardashian and kanye west are expected to get married today. kimye is parading around europe

prior to the anticipated event. all signs are pointing to an opulent ceremony in florence. erin mclaughlin is there, and joins us live. they are media savvy, love the attention. what are they telling us via the social media following what they're planning exactly? >> reporter: hi. offici officially, being secretive about the plans. when asked, the spokes person telling cnn there's nothing to discuss. they're letting their instagram and twitter feeds do all the talking. family and friends posting selfies and other photographs throughout the week's events. so we know that last night they had a private event at versailles palace in france. a champagne-fueled tour of the palace with a private performance from lana dell ray, and a fireworks display that lasted a total of seven minutes

reportedly. now we know that today according to media reports, they're expected to come here to florence for the actual wedding itself. now speculation is life. but it's believed they will get married in the fortress just over that way. we understand from the fortress that it was rented out for a cool $400,000 to a private foreign company. the proceeds of which are expected to go to a local arts program. so some good will come out of this week of excess, errol. >> very good to hear. erin with the tough assignment joining us from florence, italy. thank you. pope francis is visiting the holy land this weekend. preparations underway in jerusalem, beth he ham and jordan, expected to meet with refugees along the river jordan. ivan watson met with the chef who's preparing a five course meal for this pontiff.

>> last minute preparation for a very special visitor. at the latin patriarch gate, the seat of the roman catholic church in jerusalem. everyone is getting ready for the visit of pope francis, even in the kitchen. meet chef joseph. he'll be making dinner for pope francis on sunday. it's not the first time he'll cook for a pontiff. this chef has prepared meals for pope john paul ii, and for pope benedict who's 2009 visit to jerusalem was highly emotional for chef joseph. >> i began crying. >> reporter: you started crying? >> yes. i don't know, it was a different feeling, you know? i don't know. >> reporter: as chef joseph and his team prepare a practice run of the five course meal they plan to serve the current pope, he gets some breaking news. he says pope francis doesn't like red meat. so you're changing the menu at the last minute.

>> yes. >> reporter: are you nervous? >> no. we're working for the pope. not for anyone, you know? what he likes, we can do for him. >> reporter: as the team gets to work figuring out a new menu, i ask a question. anything you can tell pope francis, what can you tell him? >> to help the christian people here in jerusalem. in jerusalem and the west bank also. >> reporter: the population of palestinian christians born and raised in jerusalem has dwindled in had conflict and political tension. there are now less than 10,000 palestinian christians left living in the holy city. but for now the focus is on food. can we try to taste some of this? >> of course, go ahead. >> reporter: sea bass carpaccio.

a collection of arabic mezza, and these controversial lam chops. pope francis, you don't know what you're missing. these lam chops are fantastic. i would urge you to reconsider your decision not to eat red meat. in this correspondent's humble opinion, it is truly a meal fit for a pope. ivan watson, jerusalem. >> all the cool assignments being handed out today. and the chef says the menu will remain the same. if the pope doesn't want the m lamb chops, he will whip up sea bass for the pontiff. he will go hungry, no, of course, they'll make whatever he wants. and sydney has a two week festival transforming the city into an outdoor art canvas. it's vivid sydney, brings together artists, musicians,

creative thinkers. the biggest attractions are the colorful installations that light up. a 3-d image on the surface of the building, and one projected on to the iconic opera house. fantastic stuff happening down under right now. very cool light show there. i appreciate you joining me this saturday here on cnn news room. i'm errol barnett. if you're watching in the united states, stay with us, new day is next. for everyone else, i'll have your top stories in just a moment here on cnn. a woman who loves to share her passions. grandma! mary has atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. that puts her at a greater risk of stroke. rome? sure! before xarelto®, mary took warfarin, which required monthly trips to get her blood tested. but that's history.

back to the museum? not this time! now that her doctor switched her to once-a-day xarelto®, mary can leave those monthly trips behind. domestic flight? not today! like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce afib-related stroke risk. but xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem that doesn't require regular blood monitoring. so mary is free of that monitoring routine. for patients currently well managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. xarelto® is just one pill a day taken with the evening meal. spinach? grazie! plus, with no known dietary restrictions, mary can eat the healthy foods she likes. don't stop taking xarelto®, rivaroxaban, unless your doctor tells you to. while taking xarelto®, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. xarelto® may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. xarelto® can cause serious bleeding,

and in rare cases, may be fatal. get help right away if you develop unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. if you have had spinal anesthesia while on xarelto®, watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle related signs or symptoms. do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. switching to xarelto® was the right move for mary. ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. no regular blood monitoring; no known dietary restrictions. for information and savings options download the xarelto® patient center app, call 1-888-xarelto, or visit goxarelto.com