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U.S. And Canada Believe Iran Shot Down Ukraine Plane; Wildlife Devastated By Harsh Conditions; Report: Meghan Markle Returns To Canada; U.S. and Canada Believe Iran Shot Down Ukrainian Plane; Friends and Families Mourn Iran Crash Victims; U.S.-Iran Tensions; Australia Bushfires; Burning With Anger in Australia; President Trump Overhauls Landmark Environmental and Climate Rules. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired January 10, 2020 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead here at this hour, intelligence agencies say Iran shot down a passenger plane by accident in those 10 hours as they braced for retaliation from the U.S.
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, bushfire emergency. More evacuation orders in Australia as forecasters there expect conditions to get even worse.
ALLEN: Also, defy the queen. Prince Harry apparently ignored a key request when announcing he and Meghan were stepping back from their royal roles.
HOWELL: In studio seven and live from CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm George Howell.
ALLEN: And I'm Natalie Allen. "CNN Newsroom" starts right now.
HOWELL: Around the world, good day to you. The U.S. officials say there is growing evidence to suggest the Ukrainian airliner was shot down by mistake by Iran this week. However, Iran has a different assessment.
ALLEN: They have invited officials from Canada, the U.S., and plane manufacturer Boeing to participate in the investigation into that deadly crash. Iran insists the plane was on fire and tried to return to the Tehran airport.
HOWELL: But according to a U.S. source, Iran shot down the jet using two Russian-made missiles. CNN's Jim Sciutto reports America's allies have reached similar conclusions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: We have intelligence from multiple sources, including our allies and our own intelligence. The evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface- to-air missile.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The prime minister of Canada echoing what U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence tells CNN, that the Boeing 737 was shot down by Russian-made surface-to-air missiles. Multiple U.S. officials tell CNN the theory is that Iran shot the plane down by mistake. This is based on U.S. intelligence collected from satellite and radar data.
New video obtained by CNN seems to show a missile strike as a fast- moving projectile flies across the sky before striking another object. CNN has not verified the authenticity of the video. The Ukraine International Airlines flight bound for Kiev fell mere minutes after taking off from the Iranian capital, Tehran. It was 6:15 a.m. local time.
Just four hours earlier, Iran had launched missile strikes on U.S. troops in Iraq. And with tensions between the two nations heightened to such a degree, Iran may have made a deadly mistake.
CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Iranian air defense forces are obviously on very high alert right now. That heightened alert may have made people misread what they were seeing on the radar scopes.
SCIUTTO (voice-over): But why this plane? There were 27 other flights either taking off from or landing at the Tehran Airport in the time between the two incidents, according to flight radar 24, though before this Kiev-bound flight took off, no planes had taken off from the airport for more than 20 minutes.
The head of the Iran Civil Aviation Authority told CNN he does not believe a missile strike is to blame based on the flight data, which he says shows the plane attempted to return to the airport, adding it would have simply falling from the sky immediately if a missile had caused the crash.
The debris on the ground charred and still smoldering will offer investigators other clues as to what happened.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: And again, that was a Ukrainian-bound plane. CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance is following the story live for us from Moscow at this hour. Matthew, yet the question is why that plane and what more are you learning about what happened to it?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think we have to remember that the investigation into what caused the crash of this Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 is still very much in its early stages. There is Ukrainian specialist team on the ground. There was some confusion or some uncertainty about whether the United States NTSB, National Transportation Safety Board, would be invited, and Boeing, the aircraft manufacturing, would be invited.
Initially, Iran said that they would not be, but that position seems to have softened over the course of the past 24 hours, and they may now be included in that investigation which is crucial. [02:05:00]
CHANCE: But also, the Ukrainians are saying, look, we are not just focusing on whether this was a missile strike. There are at least three other possibilities that we are looking at namely a collision with a drone or another object that could have brought the airliner down, technical failures, specifically engine failure, which was the original theory that was sort of generally, you know, sort of agreed to be the most likely possibility in the hours right after that crash on Wednesday morning. But also, you know, the possibility of an explosion caused by terrorism.
So there are four main strands of this investigation that the Ukrainian-led team on the ground in Iran is currently looking at, Natalie.
ALLEN: Right. We know -- we've heard from Prime Minister Trudeau in Canada because there were many Canadians on this flight. What about Ukraine? What else do we know about who was on that plane, Matthew?
CHANCE: Yeah, there were 63 Canadians, I think, out of the 196 people who were killed. They were the largest non-Iranian group of people on board that plane. That is obviously a massive tragedy for Canada. In terms of Ukrainian citizens, there are not many. All nine crew were obviously Ukrainian on board, that is Ukrainian airliner. I think there were a couple of other passengers as well, so 11 people in total from Ukraine.
But this is a multinational, international tragedy. There were people from Afghanistan, people from Sweden, and there were three British citizens on board. And so all of those countries are now sort of trying to get involved in this investigation, looking at the available intelligence to try to get to the bottom of what it was that really caused this crash.
Not least because, I mean, this airliner, an American-made Boeing 737 800, the new generation plane, the NG as it is called, is one of the most popular airliners in the world. I mean, we would've flown on it kind of multiple times if you regularly fly. Some of the world's -- the main airlines in the world use this plane as a workout -- workhorse.
And so if there is a problem and there is no suggestion at the moment -- you know, we do not know what was really to blame for this -- if there is a problem, lot of countries around the world want to get to the bottom of it.
ALLEN: All right, Matthew Chance, reporting for us from Moscow. Matthew, thank you.
HOWELL: Ukrainians are mourning the many lives that were lost in the plane crash.
ALLEN: Friends and family have set up a makeshift memorial at an airport in Kiev, the airliner's intended destination. They have laid flowers and candles, and cried for those who were lost. In Canada, friends and family are mourning those who also died in that plane crash.
HOWELL: Their grief was only amplified after the report that the plane may have been shot down by mistake. CNN's Paula Newton has this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Canada, the loss is profound, the grief intense. So many stories, so many lives have ended in stunning ways.
HASSAN SHADKHOO, HUSBAND OF CRASH VICTIM: I live because of her.
NEWTON (voice-over): Hassan Shadkhoo tearfully holds the last image of his wife, Sheyda, sent to him from flight 752. He says she had a premonition something tragic would happen to her.
SHADKHOO: She was going down. She wrote, I am leaving, but behind me, there are worries. Behind me, there are worries. I am scared for the people behind.
NEWTON (voice-over): The grief turned to shock when Canada declared it was likely Iran mistakenly shot down the airline. Canada's prime minister left little doubt as to the credibility of the intelligence.
TRUDEAU: We have intelligence from multiple sources, including our allies and our own intelligence. The evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile. The news will undoubtedly come as a further shock to the families who are already grieving in the face of this unspeakable tragedy.
NEWTON (voice-over): This is one of the worst aviation disasters in Canadian history. Not only were 63 Canadians killed, but 138 of the passengers were headed to Canada from Tehran. Vigils mourn the lives of so many, children, parents, students who lived right across the country. Most were dual Iranian and Canadian citizens.
HOSEIN AMOOSHAHI, FRIEND OF CRASH VICTIMS: I cannot think of any other event at this scale that has touched so many people, like, I go on my Facebook and Instagram, and almost every friend I know here has lost a friend or a family member.
NEWTON (voice-over): The victims lived right across the country from both coasts. Many Canadians were trying to come to terms with the loss.
PAYMAN PARSEYAN, FRIEND OF CRASH VICTIMS: One of my friends -- him, his wife, and his two young girls were killed.
[02:10:03]
PARSEYAN: His girls were nine and 14. How can someone put words into that? It is just terrible. I can't imagine what their families are going through.
NEWTON (voice-over): The news that Iran might have mistakenly taken the lives of so many of its own was just beginning to register. Families in Canada now worry about how to repatriate the remains of their loved ones as Canada works to gain access to the accident site.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: CNN's Paula Newton reporting. Find out more about the victims at CNN.com. We are also updating the page with new information about the investigation as we get it.
HOWELL: Here in the United States, Congress is looking to regain some control over military actions from President Trump. The democratic- controlled House of Representatives voted on Thursday to limit the president's war powers.
ALLEN: The resolution would require Mr. Trump to get congressional approval before using military force against Iran. But there are questions about whether this measure is legally binding. CNN's Phil Mattingly breaks down what the vote means for us.
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PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN U.S. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is essentially a political message designed to try and reach a policy on its face. It won't necessarily change what the president can or can't do despite the language in the resolution. But it is an attempt to put political pressure on the White House as it pertains to Iran.
A good way of looking at this is it is not unlike what lawmakers did with Yemen last year, where they voted to restrict the powers of the president. The president vetoed it, but the administration did start to change course on some of its activities related to Yemen.
What you saw was in some ways a demonstration of the cross charts (ph) as it relates to national security, as it relates to Iran specifically. You saw eight Democrats vote against the resolution. You saw three Republicans vote for the resolution.
One of those Republicans who voted for it is Congressman Matt Gaetz. He is one of the closest allies of the president on Capitol Hill. He made clear that this was something he felt was right, in his words, to try and avoid forever wars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: The vote comes after many lawmakers voiced concerns over the administration's justification for the strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani last week.
HOWELL: President Trump claims Soleimani was plotting to blow up a U.S. embassy. However, some lawmakers say there is a lack of evidence pointing at an imminent threat. At a campaign rally on Thursday, the president stood by his accusations, this time saying multiple embassies were at risk, leaving him no choice, he said, but to act. Listen.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These are split-second decisions. You have to make a decision. So they do not want me to make that decision. They want me to call up, maybe go over there. Let me go over to Congress. Come over to the White House, let's talk about it. We got a call. We heard where he was. We knew the way he was getting there. And we had to make a decision. We did not have time to call up Nancy, who is not operating with a full deck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: Let's go live to Baghdad. CNN correspondent Jomana Karadsheh is following this story. Jomana, it seems that we are relying on President Trump's word here. The president is saying that this is eminent, the word that that we have heard from this White House with no tangible evidence to back that up. The question as the investigation is underway there, what is being uncovered?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, George, here is what we are learning and this is coming from two sources with knowledge of this investigation. They say that Iraqi authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the killing of Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi-Muhandis, the top leader in the paramilitary forces here.
What we understand is that they are pursuing what they suspect to be a spy network that provided, they say, information and detailed Soleimani's movements to the Americans, and they believe that that information, possibly leaked information was a key to the operation that led to the killing.
We understand from these sources that this committee that is investigating the incident is headed by Iraq's national security advisor, Falih Al-Fayyadh. He is also the head of the popular mobilization units. That's the umbrella group of the various paramilitary forces that are backed by Iran.
We also know that there are several intelligence officers who are part of this committee and now the focus of their investigation has been Baghdad International Airport. That is where the U.S. strike took place. They are focusing on security personnel. They are questioning people with access to the CCTV security cameras there.
[02:15:00]
KARADSHEH: They are also questioning those in the past couple of days who are absent from work on the day of the strike. We understand that so far, there have been no arrests made, but that this investigation is ongoing, George.
HOWELL: You're looking for what is uncovered there. Jomana Karadsheh, live for us in Baghdad. Thank you.
ALLEN: Meanwhile, Iranian military leaders warn that they are planning harsher revenge on the U.S. for Soleimani's death. The commander of Iran's aerospace force says its missile strikes in Iraq were not meant to kill U.S. troops but rather to hit America's military machine. CNN's Clarissa Ward travelled to the area near Erbil where some of those missiles landed to see just what, if anything, the Iranians were targeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So this is one of the sites where Iranian missiles hit the other night. As you can see, it is a rural area. There is nothing much to see here. The nearest thing locals tell us is a refugee camp just under a mile in that direction. Local security officials also saying that there are no Americans here. There are no American bases here.
But nonetheless, this is where one of the missiles hit, and you can see this area of impact, and if you go through some of these small craters, you can also find some shrapnel from where the missile hit.
But the question really is what exactly were the Iranians trying to target here? Were they even trying to target something specific at all or were they just trying to show that their missiles have a far reach?
More broadly speaking, of course, this is a strategically important area for the Americans. Northern Iraq has essentially been the base of operations, particularly Special Forces operations in the fight against ISIS.
For locals in this area and there are not many of them, but they did say it was frightening to hear the blast. Windows were blown out. Of course, there is real concern. Nobody wants to see tensions escalate any further between the U.S. and Iran. People in areas like this thought that this conflict had nothing to do with them. But the Iranians showing with this missile hit that their attacks can go anywhere.
Clarissa Ward, CNN, Bardarash, Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: Clarissa, thank you. Still ahead here on "Newsroom," in Australia, as bushfires intensify, so does the public outrage.
ALLEN: We are live in Australia as people demand more action from their government.
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[02:20:00]
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ALLEN: Authorities have told nearly a quarter of a million people in the state of Victoria in Australia to clear out of their homes.
HOWELL: Hot and dry conditions there are feeding these monstrous bushfires, which have destroyed more than 2,100 residents and killed 27 people at this point.
ALLEN: Authorities in New South Wales have issued extreme fire danger warnings and have imposed a total ban on open fires and campfires. There are at least 134 fires burning in the state, dozens of which remain uncontained.
HOWELL: So serious. Let us go to our meteorologist Derek Van Dam following all of it. Derek, the pictures coming out of Australia are just terrible.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: George and Natalie, just think about you getting a text in the middle of the night telling you and your family to evacuate. Where do you go during an event like that? I mean, there is just simply no place for real safety unless you have access to the water or a boat to rescue you from the shoreline.
It is just incredible to see what is happening across Southeast Australia. This has been a main story for us for several weeks now, 160 active fires between New South Wales and Victoria, 53 of which are out of control as we speak. In fact, there are again evacuations taking place across Victoria.
But there is some relief. We have a cold front moving through right now. So it will help bring in cooler temperatures, bring in a chance of rain as well, increase the relative humidity values, and maybe, just maybe we can have these firefighters get ahead of the most dangerous bushfires that are out of control at the moment.
Here is the wind progressing. The issue with cold fronts passing through this time of year is that they make the winds change direction. Of course, it makes fire behavior on the ground that much more difficult to contain. That is going to be something we monitor closely. But the good news is that there is a chance of sporadic showers which will amount to nothing more than 50 to 25 millimeters of rain. But we will take what we can get.
Temperatures are again cooling down for now but a brief spike as we head into the rest of the weekend. Check this out. Australia has seen temperatures over one and a half degrees above normal for the entire year, 2019, which by the way was the second hottest year on record, according to Copernicus, which is a European kind of monitoring system. They have ranked the top five hottest years on record within the top five years. So you can see climate change at play here.
ALLEN: Absolutely. Derek Van Dam for us. Derek, thank you. Let's go now live to Australia. Our Will Ripley is live in Sydney, where thousands of activists are gathering in a protest against the Australian prime minister's response to the crisis or I guess we should say, Will, lack thereof.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Natalie. This is just Sydney. Keep in mind there are nine cities across Australia. Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, all with thousands of people expected to be gathering and talking about this issue.
You're seeing this real, you know, coming together now between climate and politics. It is becoming a political issue, which is why much of the anger out here is directed at Australia's prime minister, Scott Morrison, the guy who famously held up a lot of coal at parliament and said people should not be afraid of fossil fuels. They are vital to Australia's economy.
The point people out here are making, they can't have an economy with a dead planet. They say the planet is dying in Australia. It is right on the frontlines of this climate crisis. You have the unprecedented bushfires, you have the Great Barrier Reef drying up because of the ozone levels in the atmosphere, you have an unprecedented drought, and you have people who are now demanding change from their government, change that they say is not happening quickly enough, specifically a transition from fossil fuels to fully renewable energy resources.
One of the signs, an activist that got our attention out here is Jessica Cain, who we were just speaking a few minutes ago. The point you are making is that Australia, you think, should be much farther ahead.
JESSICA CAIN, PROTESTER: We should be at the front of the top lines. We got all the scientists. We got the research for 30 years now. We should be the (INAUDIBLE) renewable energy now.
RIPLEY: So when you watch what is happening here in New South Wales, across Australia and around the world, tell me what has motivated you to be out here with your makeup, with your outfit trying to get attention.
CAIN: It has just been so devastating. The prime minister has his head in the sand. He has no idea what is going on. He went out of town and people -- he did not know people have died.
RIPLEY: Half of your face is burned. Is that to basically honor more than two dozen people who have died and millions of animals who have been killed?
CAIN: Especially. For the firefighters who are out there as well with no pay and no help as well. It is heartbreaking.
RIPLEY: Jessica Cain, thank you very much. People talk about -- in addition to transition to fully renewable energy resources, they also say that the fire services and emergency services here in Australia need much more funding than what they are getting right now.
[02:25:03]
RIPLEY: That is a point, one of the demands that these protesters are out here making, Natalie, George.
ALLEN: Yeah. And also, Will, we have heard people say that the prime minister just has to go. He doesn't know what he is doing. He has got to get out. Any word on how the prime minister is responding to all of this?
RIPLEY: Well, he has tried to show that he is out on the frontlines, you know, engaged, involved in this crisis. But remember, Prime Minister Morrison was on vacation in Hawaii when the wildfires, the bushfire crisis really escalated. The optics of that was just infuriating to a lot of the people out here.
And not just the Hawaii vacation but even when he was on the ground just in the last few days talking to people. Some people would not even shake his hand. He was heckled. People called him an idiot. So, on the ground, there is certainly a lot of anger. He is the prime minister of the country and the anger is directed at him.
But he does enjoy a lot of support within the government from other Australian lawmakers who believe that he is doing a good job balancing Australia's economy with the environmental issues that have been increasingly more and more (INAUDIBLE) in this country.
ALLEN: Yeah. Thank you, Will. Certainly, the environmental issues are going to cost the economy a lot of money if this continues on and on and on. Thank you so much for being there for us, Will Ripley.
HOWELL: The U.S. president has made another change to U.S. environmental policy and activists are already accusing him of making the problem even worse.
ALLEN: Yeah. Mr. Trump announced on Thursday that his administration is rolling back decades-old regulations to speed up the approval for infrastructure projects. That would make it easier to build highways, new mines, highways and gas pipelines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: These endless delays waste money, keep projects from breaking ground, and deny jobs to our nation's incredible workers. From day one, my administration has made fixing this regulatory nightmare a top priority.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: The new regulations are certainly to be contested in court. Sierra Club's director tweeted this, quote, "Today's action is nothing more than an attempt to write Donald Trump's climate denial into official government policy."
ALLEN: He certainly has rolled back so many environmental laws to help protect all of us next year. Iran says it is investigating how a Ukrainian plane fell from its skies and it is inviting other countries to join in. Ahead, we will discuss what such an investigation could look like.
HOWELL: Plus, vets in Australia are struggling to save hundreds of kangaroos and koalas injured in the bushfires. Stand by.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have been a vet for over 40 years. I still do not get used to it. It is awful. It still brings tears to my eyes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:30:00]
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome back to viewers around the world. You're watching CNN newsroom. I'm George Howell.
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: I'm Natalie Allen. Our top story, U.S. officials say there's growing evidence to suggest a Ukrainian airliner was shot down by Iran this week. A new video appears to show a missile striking the plane near Tehran. CNN cannot verify its authenticity but it was recorded in the area where the plane went down. U.S. officials say Iran may have shot it by mistake.
HOWELL: Let's talk more about this now with Mary Schiavo. Mary is a CNN Transportation Analyst and the former Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Transportation. It's good to have you with us this hour.
MARY SCHIAVO, CNN TRANSPORTATION ANALYST: Thank you. Thank you.
HOWELL: A lot of questions for sure. All indications, it appears this plane was shot down by a Russian made missile. Iran denies that is the case. Iran is saying that it will take the lead in this investigation. The question I pose to you is, where does this go from here?
SCHIAVO: Well, if they're following the guidelines that put forth by ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization, an offshoot of the U.N., then they have a roadmap set forth for them in the ICAO guidelines, which is they need to not have any preconceived notions that it is or is not a missile shoot down, and they need to explore all avenues.
They obviously need to download the black boxes in a reputable lab. Now they say they can do that. All party participants need to be able to view the actions that they take in the investigation. Within 30 days, they need to print and publish publicly a docket of the evidence they have so far in the preliminary report, and they need to do this and an open transit apparent manner taking a special care with the wreckage because that needs to be tested for explosive residue, both the aircraft wreckage and the human remains can contain traces of any explosive residue.
So there's an awful lot to be done. Not to mention reviewing the military radar tapes, the air traffic control tapes and finding out who gave the clearance to allow civilian aircraft to take off. So they have so many friends to investigate. And the important thing is to investigate all fully and openly.
HOWELL: Keeping in mind Iran denies that the plane was shut down. But again as the fact-finding mission pushes ahead, and you know, facts are born out here, can Iran continue to deny or how does that play out?
SCHIAVO: No. And you know, technically it depends who's denying. Now, what they have to do is put in place the investigation team. The investigation team is not the same as the government. For example in -- within the Iranian government, for example, let's say Iran's air traffic control is at fault. And that's entirely possible too.
Perhaps the military gave the order. They said, yes, you know, we've got to get civilian planes out of here. You've got a two-hour window air traffic control to get them out, and this one was a straggler. I mean, we don't know all of that yet. So what's important is the actual team in the investigation does not have preconceived notions and do not have restrictions put on them as to where they can go with the facts.
You know, governments will continue to deny things and lots of investigation, pieces of the government are at fault, but the investigators can still maintain a non-biased approach to the investigation, particularly here who now what they released today, their preliminary statement, they did invite in not as actual investigation partners, but to be advised of the investigation all of the nations involved, all the nations of the passengers, and even the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. That's what they had to do and they did it.
HOWELL: The question that I have for you, given the fact that this flight happened, knowing that there's military action happening in that area, is there you know, fault or liability on the airline simply knowing what was happening at the time?
SCHIAVO: Well, it can be. And that issue came up in the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines 17 in 2014 over Ukraine, as to what the airline was doing transversing in this area when it was a source of military actions. In that case, in that situation, some airlines had already diverted and we're not flying over the area, but it remained legal to do so.
And obviously, here this was scheduled service in and out of Iran, international flights. The airport wasn't closed except for the hours at which they were not allowed to operate. But when the airports are open, it's legal to go in. Now, is it -- is it advisable? No.
And the airline's actions will certainly be subject to scrutiny as well the air civilian air traffic control actions. What did they know? Did they have certain time frames that they were restricted? Where they simply trying to get the aircraft out of the area of fearing perhaps incoming missile file? We don't know yet. But that certainly -- those are issues that have to be addressed.
HOWELL: This is still very early in the investigation. Again, the indications are that a missile brought the plane down. We're waiting to see what happens as this case unfolds. But, you know, for the flying public, to hear something like that, do you feel like an incident like this creates a new threat or a renewed threat in that region?
SCHIAVO: Well, certainly it does. And I think what the flying public forgets maybe it's just so we can go on with our lives and not be concerned all the time, is over the course of aviation history there have been dozens of shoot downs of civilian airliners. It's just that we tend to forget about them. They're there haven't been a lot recently, but in years gone by many have happened. I think the first one was in 1938, if I'm remembering correctly, and
usually, it has been guerrilla warfare. Most of the time, it has been mistakes. But, you know, people go on with flying and they will certainly be concerned. But most important is the airlines. What do the airlines do in response to this? And do they more carefully pick their routes? And do they make a decision? They might lose money, but say, you know, we're not going to serve this area as long as there are hostilities going on. That's an important consideration that airlines should make.
HOWELL: Mary Schiavo, we appreciate your time. Again, thank you so much.
SCHIAVO: Thank you.
HOWELL: And now to Australia where the bushfires there have been devastating to wildlife, to animals. Thousands have died and those that have managed to escape are in dire need of medical help.
ALLEN: That is leaving vets with a grim choice of which ones to save. CNN Anna Coren is in Victoria.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A mob of Eastern Grey Kangaroos on the golf course in Mallacoota, Victoria has always been part of the scenery. But these animals aren't just here for a peak. Their habitat was completely obliterated during the bush fires and the fairways provide the only grass remaining.
A young joey move slowly. It's caught the attention of vets Chris Barton and Elaine Ong. This husband and wife team had flown from Melbourne to these coastal towns surrounded by national park that remains cut off by the fires. As volunteers, they've brought desperately needed medical supplies and bags of pellets.
CHRIS BARTON, VETERINARIAN, VETS FOR COMPASSION: These little ones are not walking well or hopping well, and we're going to dart him and assess what he's got to be like.
COREN: They find a tranquilizer dart and within minutes it takes effect. Inspecting her paws in hind feet, their worst fears are realized.
BARTON: See this?
ELAINE ONG, VETERINARIAN, VETS FOR COMPASSION: It's terribly burned. This is a third-degree burn.
BARTON: And this is all cooked up in here.
COREN: The decision has been made to euthanize. There is no other alternative. She's among hundreds of kangaroos and more than a dozen koalas that had to be put out of their misery.
BARTON: I've been a vet for over 40 years and I still don't get used to it. It is wholesale slaughters. It's awful. It still brings tears to my eyes.
COREN: As you can see, so much pristine bushland here in Mallacoota has been wiped out by the bushfires. And the concern is for the wildlife that has survived and injured, the loss of habitat could mean starvation in the coming weeks.
ONG: In a way, maybe the ones that died quickly were lucky. The survivors may not be so lucky.
COREN: Due to the overwhelming number of injured animals that have been found and brought to the makeshift clinic in town, some have been transferred to Melbourne for treatment, while others are recovering in local shelters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we have to change these every two days. But she's one of the lucky ones.
COREN: As is Wilbur, the koala.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Healesville Sanctuary have said he's good to go. This happy little fella too so --
COREN: He was rescued during the fires. But now it was time to send him back to the bush.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey mate, it's time to go home. He's been in the cage for I think five days now so we'll let him have a bit of a walk and find his leg before we send him off the tree.
COREN: Nearby, a healthy mother and baby is spotted in a gumtree. A hopeful sign some of Mallacoota's foreigner was spared and can help rebuild this natural and incredibly fragile ecosystem. Anna Coren, CNN Mallacoota Victoria, Australia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:40:02]
HOWELL: This is happening, you know, and it's just interesting to see anyone that can deny what's happening right in front of their eyes.
ALLEN: And they are somehow, yes. And to see animal suffering is heartbreaking, so many of them. We'll be right back with more news.
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ALLEN: Taiwan will elect its next president on Saturday under the watchful eye of China. Beijing considers Taiwan, of course, a renegade province and want to continue its one country, two systems relationship with Taipei.
HOWELL: But President Tsai Ing-wen who is seeking reelection there is warning people to be wary of China's attempts to sway the vote. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It may look like a rock festival but it's an election rally in Taiwan. Hosted by metal rocker turned politician Freddy Lim. He's running for reelection in Parliament as an independent and is campaigning for incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen. He supports Tsai for gaining the respect of Western nations like the U.S., as well as your progressive values, championing gay rights in Taiwan and human rights in Hong Kong.
FREDDY LIM, POLITICIAN, TAIWAN: More and more young people care now because we all see what happened in Hong Kong.
STOUT: This self-governing island of 24 million has been close to watching the dramatic scenes to nearby Hong Kong where millions have turned out to march against the government and young protesters have clashed violently with police. Tsai Ing-wen has capitalized on the crisis.
The whole world is watching, she says. After Hong Kong, what kind of choice will Taiwanese make? Chinese President Xi Jinping has declared that Taiwan should reunify under the governing principle used in Hong Kong of one country, two systems.
But citing the ongoing crisis here in Hong Kong, Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen believes that one country two systems is a failure. She says that Taiwan will never accept it.
Relations between Taiwan and China have deteriorated since Tsai took office in 2016. Taiwan has lost diplomatic ties with a number of foreign governments and China has suspended issuing visas for mainland tourists visiting the island.
Tsai's rival its highest rival Han Kuo-yu prefers closer engagement with Beijing and accuses Tsai of using the Hong Kong protests for political gain.
[02:45:06]
HAN KUO-YU, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, TAIWAN (through translator): Hong Kong people are bleeding from fighting against China. President Tsai, what have you done to help Hong Kong? Hong Kong people are bleeding while you're enjoying electoral gains.
STOUT: But the gains are real as more people in Taiwan say they want a more formal independence.
TSAI CHIA-HUNG, ELECTION STUDY CENTER, NATIONAL CHENGCHI UNIVERSITY: We find the percentage of pro-independence increased from 20 percent to 30 percent in the middle of 2019. So it had (INAUDIBLE) of the Hong Kong protest.
STOUT: Although Tsai is seen as the favorite, her party faces a challenge in Parliament. If her party loses control, rival parties could block bills disliked by China, like the law passed last month that makes it illegal to accept Chinese funds for political activities. Days before the election, Tsai released this simple but the appeal to voters contrasting the crisis in Hong Kong to the peaceful life in a "free and democratic country."
LIM: Will you hold that today's Taiwan will be Hong Kong tomorrow? We all hope not.
STOUT: Hong Kong is a rallying cry for an election on an island 700 kilometers away, a referendum on Taiwan's relationship with China. Kristie Lu Stout, CNN Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: More high drama in the House of Windsor. Prince Harry crosses the Queen and his wife crosses an ocean. The latest on the royal rift ahead.
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HOWELL: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. A turbulent time for the House of Windsor. Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle has reportedly left the U.K. for Canada. The BBC is saying that the Duchess of Sussex is back in the Commonwealth country where she had the Duke along with baby Archie spent a long Christmas vacation. That move came after she and the prince announced that they were stepping back as senior royals.
ALLEN: That was a stunning announcement, and it sparked a seismic shift at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London. Figures of Prince Harry and Meghan had been moved from their regular place next to the queen. CNN's Max Foster takes a look at what might happen next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Theirs is a life governed by Royal protocol. But with this week's bombshell announcement, Prince Harry and wife Meghan make it clear they want to set their own rules. The couple defied the Queen, when they issued a statement on Wednesday saying they would pulled back from their duties as senior Royals.
CNN understands she had asked him not to speak out. The palace at first blindsided, today swung into action. Officials acting for the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Cambridge, are holding crisis talks about what to do. A source telling CNN they wanted, "workable solutions" within days.
But the decision by Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex raises more questions than answers. The couple make no mention of giving up their royal titles. They say they'll continue to do work for the monarchy and support their patronages, but they want to become financially independent.
They say they'll give up funding from the sovereign grant, money from the British governments and try to earn their own income as many minor members of the family do. One potential and significant source of income, the Royal brand. They've applied for a trademark for the name Sussex royal which have approved they could stamp on scores of items and services from books and clothing to educational materials and social care.
But there's a risk being accused of monetizing the very monarchy from which they're trying to distance themselves. And critics of the couple points out their security will still be funded by the taxpayer. They also hope to keep their official residence Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
VICTORIA MURPHY, ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Will people accept the premise that they are appearing on the world stage as working Royals, and then also going off and acting autonomously taking a private income with a private venture?
FOSTER: If the family can't agree on a new role for the couple going forward, the Sussex's may be forced to consider resigning the Royal roles altogether. Max Foster, CNN, Buckingham Palace, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: CNN Royal Commentator Victoria Arbiter joins me now to talk more about this. Thanks for coming on, Victoria.
VICTORIA ARBITER, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you.
ALLEN: When I first read this, I assume this plan had been vetted by the royal family and the Queen for months, but that's not the case. Is that -- do I understand correctly they did this, the Sussex's entirely on their own?
ARBITER: I think everyone felt much like you did that this must have been approved by the palace because of course nothing happens within the British monarchy without going through a number of talking heads first, the most important talking head being the Queen.
But no as we understand this, Harry and Meghan did mention there was some rumblings of the fact that they wanted to shake things out. They wanted to change some things. They want you to find a happier course in their Royal life. That the senior Royals knew, but they certainly weren't aware of this attention to detail, particularly with the web sites that the couple launched as well. None of that was run by the Royal Family before being made public.
ALLEN: Yes, a lot of detail to dig into. First of all, this is a big deal. Help us understand how big for the history of the Royal family that they're taking this path.
ARBITER: This really is monumental. I know a lot of people who perhaps don't understand constitutional monarchy is saying, go Meghan and Harry, you're making a better life for yourself. Now, of course, the Queen doesn't want anyone to sell their soul to the devil in order to try and make the British monarchy work. But at the same time, this is an institution that's over 1,000 years old, that is founded on duty, and commitment, and dedication to the nation. The Queen has served faultlessly for almost 68 years. The education crisis of 1936 sticks firm in her memory.
So the fact that Harry and Meghan have felt that things are bad enough that they want to step away will have had a dramatic impact on the Queen, particularly given their rank within the royal family. Now, much has been made that Harry is only sixth in line to the throne, but he is sixth in line to the throne. He's the son of the future king. His child is the grandson of the future king.
Charles has told repeatedly of a slimmed-down monarchy. That slim down monarchy was William and Kate inclusive, and Harry and Meghan. So what the future now looks like with this youth-oriented culture that we live in, is going to be quite interesting to see.
ALLEN: Absolutely. Is it feasible, Victoria, or realistic that Meghan and Harry can do this? They said they want to be financially independent. How will it be decided how much they are involved in the royal family in the U.K., and how much they are on their own?
ARBITER: Well, these are all details that should have been ironed out before any kind of public announcement was made because these are all million-dollar questions, each one in and of itself. How indeed can they maintain a financially independent commercial life alone side of Royal role? It has never worked before. Edward and Sophie, the Queen's son, Prince Edward, when he married Sophie Rhys Jones, she had a very successful public relations firm. She wants to keep that going. She tried for a while. It didn't work.
Royals can't maintain that sort of civilian commercial side of their work, because they're accused of cashing in on the Royal family, of monetizing that connections to the royal family. It can be embarrassing for the Queen if they get involved with the wrong types of people, the wrong types of companies. So yes, it is an idealistic view that Harry and Meghan have presented. It reads rather like a wish list. I don't see how it's going to be viable given all it is they want to try and accomplish.
ALLEN: Understandable. Talk about the reasons, Victoria, behind it. How much is this the relentlessness of the U.K. tabloids which are quite different from the United States, and we certainly have our own, have they been particularly unfair to Meghan, and then there's also Harry's loss of his mother Diana, and not wanting to see another tragedy? One might understand that they want to take a different track wouldn't they?
[02:55:04]
ARBITER: There's no question that Harry and Meghan needed to do something to change how their Royal role was conducted. And I think everyone was expecting some kind of shakeup. Perhaps it was going to be a few weeks spent abroad each year at a Commonwealth nation, maybe even six months spent in Canada just to take baby steps to see. But this speaks to how desperately unhappy the two of them were.
Now inevitably, because Meghan is the newbie, she's been blamed for much of this which is grossly unfair. She has been the subject of some horrendous coverage, not just from the British press, but around the world. There's been anti-Americanism, racism, sexism, elitism, if anti-actress-ism was a thing, there would be some of that too. But Harry has long talks about how unhappy he is or has been in the Royal family. He struggles with his role. And these are two people that struggle as well with the constraints of Royal life.
Now, I think it's going to be quite difficult as they tried to transition because they want to keep one foot in a royal camp, but they still got to be very careful because they can't get too political. That reflects on the Queen if they keep an HRH status. If they get involved with commercial endorsements that then turn out to be duds or have some kind of scandal attached to them, that reflects negatively on the Queen and by extension, the monarchy.
So I think Harry and Meghan perhaps jumped the gun a little bit. It's clear they needed to do something to find a happy outcome for themselves moving forwards. But I think they've jumped ahead with this idealistic approach without thinking all the finer details through.
ALLEN: Right. This is certainly a paradigm shift for this historic family, for sure. Thank you so much, Royal Commentator, Victoria Arbiter. Thank you for your insights. We appreciate it.
ARBITER: Thank you.
ALLEN: Well, certainly Harry has his wife's back and she has been unfairly targeted by the relentless -- some of the press there.
HOWELL: Yes, yes.
ALLEN: And it's just so unfair.
HOWELL: It is.
ALLEN: Taking on the Royal family is one thing, you know, and marrying into it, and then just getting skewered like she has, for what?
HOWELL: Yes. And when you think of -- you know, with children involved, you know, that's a big focus with child so --
ALLEN: Well, this is a story that will continue to play out for sure.
HOWELL: Absolutely.
ALLEN: Well, thanks for watching this hour. We're not going anywhere though. I'm Natalie Allen.
HOWELL: And I'm George Howell. The news continues right after the break. Stay with us.
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ALLEN: Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM.
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