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CARL AZUZ: It's been 70 years since NATO,

the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed.

The world's changed a lot since then.

The NATO alliance has grown a lot since then.

And yesterday's visit by its leader to the US capital

is our first subject on today's show.

Even though the United States was a founding member of NATO

in 1949, Wednesday was the first time

that a NATO Secretary General ever addressed

the US House and Senate.

During a speech that promoted the organization itself

and the unity of its members, Jens Stoltenberg

acknowledged that NATO countries have their disagreements.

But he said they've overcome them in the past,

and they'll have to do it again, because the challenges

that NATO faces can't be addressed by one country alone.

JENS STOLTENBERG: Questions are being asked

on both sides of the Atlantic about the strength

of our partnership.

And yes, there are differences.

This is democracy.

Open discussions and different views

is not a sign of weakness.

It is a sign of strength.

NIC ROBERTSON: What is NATO?

Why is it important, and what's its future?

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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization

is a political and military alliance established in 1949

that seeks to promote stability in the North Atlantic area.

- It is the will of the people of the world for our freedom

and for our peace.

NIC ROBERTSON: Led by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg,

there are 29 member countries, and its HQ is in Brussels.

NATO doesn't have its own troops,

but relies on contributions of forces

from its member countries.

At NATO's core is Article V, which

states an attack on one member is

an attack on all NATO allies.

The collective defense principle was

to protect Western European nations

against the Soviet Union.

But when the Soviet Union collapsed,

NATO's new tasks ranged from being a bulwark

against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan to fighting human trafficking

and intercepting refugees in the Mediterranean.

NATO is still extremely active, with some 4,000 US troops

in Poland and the Baltic states, and tens of thousands

on 48-hour standby, bolstering NATO's allies

and sending a clear message to Russia.

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CARL AZUZ: Secretary General Stoltenberg's speech

on Wednesday came a day after he met with US President Donald

Trump at the White House.

And Stoltenberg referred to the American leader in his speech.

President Trump's been skeptical of NATO and the past.

The defense alliance recommends its members spend at least 2%

of their gross domestic product on defense.

Only seven out of 29 actually do that.

The US does, and Stoltenberg credits

President Trump with getting other members to spend more.

Despite that and other international disagreements

over its policies, NATO has lasted longer

than any other defense alliance in recorded history,

and several international analysts say it's the most

successful alliance, too.

Next story, India has kicked off what's been called the world's

largest democratic exercise.

That exercise is voting.

And with a government that's a federal parliamentary republic

and a population of 1.3 billion people,

India is considered the world's largest democracy.

In this election, about 900 million people

are eligible to vote.

To give you a sense of that number,

it's almost three times the entire population

of the United States.

In order to give that many people the chance

to cast ballots, India plans to open about 1 million polling

stations across the country, and more than 10 million officials

will be working to manage them.

The election will take more than a month.

So what exactly will voters be choosing?

545 seats have to be filled in India's lower

house of parliament, and all but two of them

are elected by a simple majority vote.

The others are appointed by the president.

The party that wins the majority in this election

forms the government that will rule for the next five years.

But India has hundreds of political parties.

So if a single one doesn't win enough seats,

then a coalition or alliance can form to choose

the nation's prime minister.

During the last general election in 2014,

464 political parties took part.

And if that sounds like a lot, consider

the number of candidates.

There were more than 8,250 of them.

Lawmakers help determine what happens in India and in space.

AMARA WALKER: India is riding high

after a successful anti-satellite missile

test last week.

But new concerns may bring them back down to Earth.

Last Wednesday, India destroyed one of its own satellites

operating in a low orbit using a ground-to-space missile, an

accomplishment hailed by India.

INTERPRETER: India has registered

its name as a space power.

AMARA WALKER: Only the US, Russia,

and China have successfully carried out

anti-satellite missile tests.

But India's move has been strongly criticized

by NASA's top official, who says debris from the test

is a threat to the International Space Station.

JIM BRIDENSTINE: That is a terrible, terrible thing

to create an event that sends debris

in an apogee that goes above the International Space Station.

And that kind of activity is not compatible with the future

of human spaceflight.

AMARA WALKER: NASA says they have identified 400 pieces

of space debris from the test, and the chances

of small particles hitting the ISS

have increased by 44% over the next few days.

But they also point out that they

have everything under control.

JIM BRIDENSTINE: While the risk went up 44%,

our astronauts are still safe.

The International Space Station is still safe.

If we need to maneuver it, we will.

AMARA WALKER: India says it expects the objects to burn up

soon, and conducted the test at a lower altitude

so the debris would dissipate quickly into the atmosphere.

ARUN JAITLEY: In this case, our scientists

have taken all precautions.

And in a matter of three weeks, the whole environment

will be debris-free.

AMARA WALKER: NASA says the process takes time.

In 2007, China conducted a similar test

at a higher altitude, creating one of the largest

debris clouds in history, much of which

is still circling overhead.

Amara Walker, CNN

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[THEME MUSIC]

CARL AZUZ: If you're hoping to see a Komodo dragon

in its native habitat anytime soon,

you'd better do it before next January.

The government of Indonesia, where Komodo Island is located,

reportedly plans to close it to tourists for the year 2020.

It's a popular destination, but Komodo dragons are considered

to be a vulnerable species, and several people

were arrested last month and accused of smuggling them.

Authorities say 41 Komodo lizards were illegally

taken from the island and sold in other countries

for $35,000 each.

They don't make good pets.

Komodos can grow up to 10 feet long

and weigh more than 150 pounds.

They're the largest lizards in the world,

and their bite is so venomous that it can kill someone.

During the island's closure, Indonesian officials

hope to preserve the lizards' habitat

and help their population grow.

[ROCK MUSIC]

At first, it may look like a flock

of birds, a really bright, colorful, artificially

lighted flock.

But surprise, it's drones.

The technology company Intel put on a show to kick off a summit.

You're looking at 500 shooting star drones.

They're lightweight and have LEDs that you can see.

Intel says all they can really do is light up the sky,

but that they do that really well.

The display took place recently over Phoenix, Arizona.

As long as they all work, it's a bright idea, a reflection

of illuminating technology that plays

like a semiconducted light orchestra.

But no one would give them props if they were to get their wires

crossed and go boom.

Raining drones make for a bad forecast,

a worse spin class, and a generally cathodius experience.

We're glad no one crashed the party.

I'm Carl Azuz, and that's CNN.

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