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Russian Forces Continue Shelling in Severodonetsk; President Biden Pressure Congress to Act; Gunman Killed Four People in Tulsa Hospital; Britain Celebrates Queen Elizabeth's 70th Anniversary; Consumers Worldwide Bear the Brunt of War; East Africa Seeking to Unblock Shipments from Ukraine; China Trying to Win Pacific Island Nations; Solomon Islands Signed a Security Pact with China; Shanghai Residents Paranoid of Lockdown. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired June 03, 2022 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: One hundred days with no resolution in sight. We'll bring you the latest on the war in Ukraine and how it's affecting not just Europe but the entire world.

Plus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: How much more carnage are we willing to accept?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Joe Biden demands action after tragic series of deadly shootings in America.

And the world is celebrating Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee. We're live in Windsor ahead.

And welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

UNKNOWN: Live from CNN center, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: Day 100 of the war in Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces now control about 20 percent of his country. Vladimir Putin's troops are making progress in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, while Ukraine report success in its counter offensive to the south in Kherson. Zelenskyy says Russia has mounted a powerful attack on the Severodonetsk, one of the last Ukrainian holdouts in Luhansk. A senior Ukrainian military official says the Russian shelling has become more powerful with new strikes almost every minute. CNN's Nada Bashir is tracking now live this hour from London. Nada,

let's start there with Severodonetsk. What's the latest there?

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Kim, the situation is till precarious. We are hearing from Ukrainian military officials that there could be an attempt by the Ukrainian forces still to continue to push those Russian troops back. The concern there is, of course, that the Ukrainian armed forces in Severodonetsk do face a significant risk of being encircled by Russian troops who are of course attempting to push that line further westward.

Now what we do understand from the Russian military and the armed forces who spoke on Thursday in they said, although there is that significant risk, there is a

suggestion at this point that they will be making an immediate withdrawal. They continue with their counter offensive.

But we've heard from the Ukrainian military officials, that bombardment by the Russian armed forces continues to be heavy, continues to be severe. And it really is a precarious situation. It is a critical junction point now in the Russian armed forces pushed westward.

Now that's exactly the message we heard from President Zelenskyy speaking yesterday during his daily address. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF Ukraine (through translator): The situation in Donbas has not changed significantly in a day. We have some successes in the battles for Severodonetsk, but it's too early to tell. It's the hardest area we have now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: Look, as you mentioned there at the beginning of your show, this is a significant point in the invasion of Ukraine. A hundred days, according to President Zelenskyy, some 20 percent of Ukrainian territory now in Russian hands. He's described the frontline stretching more than over 1,000 kilometers from the northern Kharkiv region down to Mykolaiv in the south.

And we continue to see that heavy bombardment continuously by the Russian armed forces. President Zelenskyy has said that the Donbas region is practically destroyed. He has called on the west to step up their military support, to toughen those sanctions. And there is a serious concern now that that line that has been drawn could still stand. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right, Nada Bashir in London. Thank you so much.

The U.S. president is imploring Congress to do something, anything about gun control after a spate of high-profile mass shootings. In a primetime address Joe Biden said too many everyday places in the U.S. have become killing fields and battlefields. After walking down, a hallway line with 56 counties representing the

number of U.S. state and territories to show that it's truly a nationwide problem, he called for a ban on assault weapons. And short of that, raising the purchase age from 18 to 21. Biden also wants stronger background checks and so-called red flag laws.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: This is not about taking away anyone's guns. It's about vili -- not about vilifying gun owners. In fact, we think we should be treating responsible gun owners as an example of how every gun owner should behave.

[03:05:03]

More school-age children have died from guns than on-duty police officers and active-duty military combined. Think about that. More kids than on-duty cops killed by guns. More kids than soldiers killed by guns. For God's sake, how much more carnage are we willing to accept? How many more innocent American lives must be taken before we say enough? Enough?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: A new heartbreaking details are coming to light about last week's elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The New York Times reports that one of the slain teachers, Eva Mireles, spent some of her final moments on the phone with her husband, a school district police officer. He was on the scene outside the school during the massacre.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Uvalde says, it's time for both sides to come together and pass common-sense gun legislation. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON MCLAUGHLIN, MAYOR, UVALDE, TEXAS: It's both problems. It's a mental health problem and a gun problem. Sure, we need to make changes, but right now in this country you have two parties, you have Republicans and you got Democrats, and both parties, not one, but both have an attitude of, it's my way or the highway. That's not what we elected them for.

We elected them to go up there and represent the American people, and that means you sit at a table and you sit down and you negotiate. And I'm not going to get 100 percent what I want, you're not going to get 100 percent what you want but we can compromise and come up with good common-sense laws that will work for everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now some congressional leaders are coming up with what they consider common-sense gun legislation but even its supporters have doubts it will ever get through. On Thursday, Democrats passed the Protecting Our Kids Act to the House judiciary committee. Among other things, it would raise the minimum age for buying some semiautomatic weapons from 18 to 21. The Democrats aren't sure they'll get enough Republican support to avoid a filibuster in the Senate.

Now during Thursday's debate some legislators let their frustration show. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAVID CICILLINE (D-RI): You know who didn't have due process? You know who didn't have their constitutional right to life respected? The kids at Parkland, in Sandy Hook, in Uvalde, in Buffalo, and the list goes on and on. So, spare me the bullshit about constitutional rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Some Republican leaders say that they're at least open to raising the age limits for buying semiautomatic weapons. And among them is Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson who said, quote, "instead of putting the responsibility on society, the societal ill of our gun violence in our schools, why not address the root of the problem, which is the ubiquity of gun access for everyone?"

It seems like an endless cycle of mass shootings here in the United States. It doesn't show any signs of slowing. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 233 mass shootings, nationwide, according to the gun violence archive. And 20 of them have happened since Uvalde, with 105 people shot and 17 killed.

CNN and the archive to find mass shooting is one that injures or kills four or more people, not including a shooter. And among those recent killings is Wednesday's mass shooting at a hospital complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma that claimed the lives of four people. Police have identified the gunman as well as the victims and the likely motive.

CNN's Lucy Kafanov reports from Tulsa.

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're getting the sense of the motive, a grudge against a doctor blamed for ongoing back pain after surgery, as well as a TikTok of how this massacre unfolded. The shooter named by police as Michael Louis had an operation back here last month with the Dr. Preston Phillips.

Louis was released from the hospital on May 24th, but he complained of pain after the procedure. He called the office numerous times, he was seen again by Dr. Preston on May 31st. Phoning again on Wednesday, also on Wednesday at 2 p.m., Louis apparently purchased an AR-15 style rifle, semiautomatic rifle from a local gun store and the 911 calls began to flood in nearly three hours later.

Police say that Louis used two guns, the AR-15 style rifle as well as a semiautomatic handgun that he purchased from a local pawnshop three days before the slaughter. Police recovered a letter that the gunman had on him detailing how he was going to, quote, "be killing Dr. Phillips and anyone who got in his way."

[03:09:54] The victims, Dr. Phillips, 59 years old when he was gunned down, a surgeon who traveled yearly on medical missions to Africa with a nonprofit. He provided surgical services to those in need. He was killed along with Dr. Stephanie Husen, a 48-year-old sports medicine specialist. Amanda Glenn, a receptionist and mother of two boys, and William Love, a patient who happen to be there that day.

Dr. Ryan Parker, who was at the press conference describing what happened, breaking down, apologizing to William Love's family for the trauma team not being able to save his life. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN PARKER, ASSOCIATE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL: We so wanted to be able to utilize our skills and training to save these precious lives. To the family of Mr. Love, I'm so sorry we couldn't save you. We are grieving with you. When I woke up this morning, I really just wanted this all to be a bad dream, but this is the reality of our world right now. And today, our world and our Saint Francis family are devastated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAFANOV: Another community shattered by another mass shooting. This is America's 233rd mass shooting in 2022 alone.

Lucy Kafanov, CNN, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Still ahead, crowds of royal watchers were thrilled to see Britain's Queen Elizabeth as she kicked off her platinum jubilee. We'll look at what's in store for the next day of celebrations coming up. Plus, a new portrait of the queen was also unveiled. And coming up here, we'll tell you how this hologram was updated nearly two decades later. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Countries around the world are celebrating Britain's Queen Elizabeth in her 70 years of service to the crown. Thousands of beacons were set to light across the U.K. and other nations including Pakistan, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Crowds gathered in Toronto's old town neighborhood to hear the town crier read an official proclamation marking the special day. But there is some disappointing news amid the jubilee celebrations.

Buckingham Palace says the 96-year-old queen won't be attending today's main event at St. Paul's Cathedral.

CNN's Anna Stewart joins us now live from Windsor. So, Anna, the queen had a packed schedule yesterday, maybe a little too hectic. What more are we learning about the queen's health and how that could affect the rest of the jubilee?

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Well, we always knew that it was going to be almost a day-by-day basis, as to whether the queen would be involved in various events. And so, yesterday, Buckingham Palace released a statement to say the queen had experience some discomfort yesterday during all of those events.

[03:14:57]

They're working though to note that she really enjoyed the first day of the jubilee. And I think that will be great for all the thousands of people who turned out to the mound to watch the Trooping the Colour, to watch the balcony moment, to watch the flypast.

So, in that sense it was good. But if you think about it, the queen is 96 years old, we know that she suffers mobility issues and she actually lives here in Windsor, Windsor Castle, not Buckingham Palace. So, yesterday, she traveled to London all made up, ready to go for the world's cameras, she was there for Trooping the Colour, stood in the balcony by herself for that salute for some time.

And then of course went back and was joined by family members for the flypast. I'm sure there's a lot of social gatherings within Buckingham Palace to meet and greet all of the family members who gathered there, and then the queen came back to Windsor Castle where she started the beacon lighting ceremony from here. That was at 9.30 pm.

So just thinking about that as a day for a 96-year-old who does suffer from mobility issues, I'm not surprised that she's going to have a day off today. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. All right. So, let's look ahead then. Tell us more about what and maybe insignificantly who are expecting to see today.

STEWART: Yes, so yesterday was very much pomp, pageantry, picnics and parties, today is a little bit more of a somber affair in a way. At St. Paul's Cathedral there will be a big thanksgiving service, giving thanks, really for people who have served communities, and the public, of course, the queen being a great example, 70 years of public duty.

Four hundred people will be invited here, who have committed acts of duty for the public in various roles. I think quite a few of them over the pandemic actually. So, we expect to see some key workers, for instance, from NHS, the National Health Service here in the U.K.

But also, of course, members of the royal family, not the queen, but we do expect to see lots of familiar faces from yesterday, hopefully, some of the children and I hope we might see Prince Harry, and Meghan, the duchess of Sussex who were there yesterday but not in an official role.

Now the tabloid press spotted them through a window watching Trooping the Colour. We do wonder whether we'll see Archie and Lilibeth, their children, we haven't seen Archie for years, and we've never seen Lilibeth in the U.K., so that would be fun. And also, I think the kids were such a highlight yesterday, the Cambridge children.

I'm sure we can show you some pictures from the balcony, the moment when Prince Louis covered his ears for the very noisy flypast. We're hoping we see more of the kids today. Back to you.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll be keeping a lookout for that, for sure. Anna Stewart, thanks so much, appreciate that.

Well photographer Robert Munday shot the first ever holographic portrait of the queen in 2003. Now, almost 20 years later, he's unveiled a new portrait to celebrate the platinum jubilee. He describes the serendipity of unearthing the image that had been abandoned in his personal archive and about the moment that created it. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT MUNDAY, PHOTOGRAPHER: I had taken this short video sequence, it was only one-second long. And I've completely forgotten about it. It was lying on the hard drive for nearly 19 years. But I was in (Inaudible) inside this directory, and I saw that there are 32 frames in total. And I, you know, I thought I'd have a look at them.

But as I was stemming through, right in the middle, there was just this one frame that just kind of leapt out at me. The frames the either side of it, again, would have been totally unusable. This one was almost God given if I say so, it was just a beautiful image, and I just thought, you know, I looked at it. I kept looking at it. And then you start asking yourself the question, is it really good? Or is it just me wanting it to be good?

So of course, I got people to come and have a look, and my wife being one, and I said, look, what do you think of this? And I think it looks completely natural, unposed, very beautiful. She's full of life, she has that whimsical smile, twinkle in the eye. It was a very jovial atmosphere, the lax sitting, and there are jokes were being told, and people are laughing all the time.

And Angela Kelly, her very, very long-term personal assistant, dresser, and a very good friend of the queen, said something funny at that precise moment. I hadn't realized when I actually get the shot, it was just a coincidence.

This is why I just loved it so much because it's just a really, really natural portrait. I mean, a lot of people have told me that they've never seen a portrait quite like it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And for all things royal, keep it right here on CNN, our coverage of the queen's platinum jubilee begins next hour with Max Foster at St. Paul's Cathedral. And you can watch the celebration. It's at 9 a.m. in London, that's four in the afternoon in Hong Kong.

Well, some of the world's most vulnerable populations may be on the verge of severe food shortages due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We'll explain what one African leader is trying to do about it when we come back. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us from around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is now in its 100th day, and Moscow is showing no sign of letting up the assault. Despite putting up fierce resistance, Ukraine's president says that Russian forces now occupy 20 percent of Ukrainian territory. That includes most of the strategic city of Severodonetsk, where fighting is reported to be street by street. It's one of the last Ukrainian holdouts in the Luhansk region.

And Kyiv and Moscow are accusing each other of minding the waters off Ukraine's ports, making them unsafe for international shipping and preventing the exports of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain.

Now, many countries are moving away from Russian oil since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and now OPEC is planning to increase its output to make up for some of the shortfall. The cartel says it will boost supply by 648,000 barrels a day in July and August.

Now we ask Moody's chief economist Mark Zandi if that will mean lower fuel prices for consumers any time soon. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK ZANDI, CHIEF ECONOMIST, MOODY'S ANALYTICS: You'd have to fill that void left by the sanctions on Russian oil, and that's not easy finding that other oil. And some of it is going to come from here in the U.S. frackers, some from Saudi Arabia, some from the UAE. But you know, it's going to take a while to fill that void, and as long as that shortfall prices are going to remain high.

And that's not only that, how much we have to pay at the pump, it also goes to food prices because of big chunk of food prices as the diesel cost getting the food from the farm to the store shelf.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Well, tons of Ukrainian grain now blocked from export by Russia. The leader of the African Union will meet with President Putin today about getting critical shipments of grain and fertilizer.

CNN's David McKenzie joins us from Johannesburg. So, David, tell us more about what the African Union is asking for, and whether there's any chance they'll actually get it.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what they're asking for is better access to grain, that blockade which is more than 22 million tons of grain, Kim, in Ukraine, that is stuck at ports on the Black Sea coast mostly is unable to get out because of that blockade you described. Russian warships and mines are stopping what is a crucial lifeline for the world's food supply.

The World Food Programme head this week said that the country blockade is declaring war on global food security. In the short-term, you will have a rise in prices of grain, sunflower oil, and other agricultural products. And in the long-term, you may even have a shortfall in supply, in the actual availability of food from both Ukraine because of blockades, and Russia, potentially because of sanctions. [03:25:01]

Now the head of the African Union and the president of Senegal, Macky Sall is in Sochi today to meet with Vladimir Putin. They will be trying to figure out a way to access this. It's also a political win, I think, for the Russian president, showing that there are significant world leaders who are willing to meet with him.

Earlier this week, the same Macky Sall criticize the, or at least pointed out the issues related to sanctions on the SWIFT payment system, saying that various African countries might struggle to get grain and fertilizer from Russia.

Now, how bad is this potentially? In an African context, you know, Senegal itself imports about 50 percent of its wheat from both Ukraine and Russia. Somalia, Kim, imports more than 90 percent. There are a whole swath of countries in this continent and in central Asia and other parts of the world that are heavily dependent on both Russia and Ukraine for food security. As this war drags on, without a diplomatic solution, this could just get even worse. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Yes, the need so desperate, as you outlined there. David McKenzie in Johannesburg, thank you so much.

Now for more on this, I'm joined now by Shashwat Saraf, the International Rescue Committee's regional emergency director for east Africa. And he joins us from Nairobi.

Thank you so much for being here with.

So, you are just hearing our correspondent here talk about this. What are you hoping, realistically comes out of today's meeting between the head of the African Union and Putin?

SHASHWAT SARAF, REGIONAL EMERGENCY DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE: So, one of the things we are hoping is actually that it will unlock and get those grains out of the Ukrainian ports. That the 22 to 24 million tons of wheat that we are talking about sitting there.

But realistically, I think even an agreement in terms of how we can handle, and how the Russians are able to appreciate and understand the increasing food insecurity in the continent of Africa. And chances of finding solutions together would be an important -- it would be an important discussion during this meet.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, it will be interesting to see if there's any movement there given how much disregard for human life there's been so far on the Russian part. The stakes are huge, as we heard from our correspondent there, the experts are talking about an additional 10 to 100 million people subject to starvation and hunger worldwide in Africa as we heard will be particularly hard hit.

Now you work in East Africa, so what impact will these shortages have there? SARAF: In East Africa, we're already looking at massive drought, the

last four rains have failed in large parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, even Sudan. And on top of that, now we are seeing massive increases in food prices. I was in Somalia last week, and we were told by communities that going to the market to look --

BRUNHUBER: I think we have lost our guest there. I'd like to thank Shashwat Saraf in Nairobi for speaking with us there briefly.

Well, the death toll in northeastern Brazil after days of torrential rainfall and flooding has now risen to 126. More than 9,000 people have lost their homes since heavy rain started over a week ago. Officials say dozens of shelters have been opened across the state to provide temporary housing. Two people are still missing.

Well, the South Pacific becomes a battleground for influence between Beijing and Washington. Still ahead, Beijing tries to bring the region under its thumb, and some island nations are getting caught in the middle. Stay with us.

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[03:30:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: It's a geopolitical chess match in the South specific. And China just came up short in the latest round. This week Beijing failed to get what it wants in its sweeping attempt to extend its influence in the region.

The U.S. and Australia are now racing to outplay China and make sure that the strategic region stays out of its orbit.

For more, Ivan Watson joins us from Hong Kong. So, Ivan, so many, you know, countries are trying to go out to these small nations in the South Pacific. Tell -- take us through why they're going there and what's at stake.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a modern-day diplomatic scramble in the South Pacific, precipitated by China making an aggressive push for influence, offering lots of aid in recent years and assistance. And a sense, I believe that the U.S. and its western allies have been caught a bit flat-footed.

And you have this remarkable scene now of the two Wang's, Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister on a 10-day tour of the region. And then Penny Wong, the newly appointed Australian foreign minister, kind of in parallel two trips in the region in under two weeks, all seeking to shore up support and to get influence from countries and governments of small countries that have their own interest at stake amid this geopolitical scramble -- scramble in the region.

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WATSON: To many outsiders, island nations in the South Pacific are a tropical paradise, exotic and remote. And yet, the focus of intense diplomatic activity from China. Part of a Chinese push for influence that's turning the blue Pacific continent into a zone of geopolitical competition between China and its western rivals.

China's foreign minister has been leading a delegation on a whirlwind 10-day tour across the South Pacific. Meeting face to face or virtually with officials from at least 11 different Pacific Island nations. Most of these countries entire populations are dwarfed by even a small Chinese city.

WANG YI, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Don't be too anxious, don't be too nervous, because the common development of the prosperity of China and all other developing countries will only mean greater harmony, greater justice and greater prosperity of the whole world.

WATSON: The last time great powers competed in the South Pacific Was World War II when the U.S. and its allies fought a grinding island hopping military campaign against Japan. Since the war, many Pacific Island still have close ties to the U.S. and its western allies. But in March, that status quo shaken with the leak of a secret security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands signed the following month.

It allows the Solomon's government to call for help from Chinese police and armed forces. In May, the release of another proposed document. The Chinese Pacific Island countries common development vision, a sweeping vision slammed by the president of the federated states of Micronesia.

In this letter, he accuses China of offering attractive economic assistance as part of a bid to take control of security, communications infrastructure and fisheries in the islands. Just days after being sworn into her new job, Australia's foreign minister rushed to shore up western support for the region.

[03:34:57]

PENNY WONG, AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: And Australia will be a partner that doesn't come with strings attached, nor imposing unsustainable financial burdens. We're a partner that won't erode Pacific priorities or Pacific institutions.

WATSON: During his visit, China's foreign minister refused to take questions from independent journalists.

UNKNOWN: No questions will be asked at this press conference.

WATSON: Prompting a boycott from reporters in the Solomon Islands, like Dorothy Wickham.

DOROTHY WICKHAM, SOLOMON ISLANDS JOURNALIST: We want our government to remember that we were a Democratic society. I mean, there in parliament for the Democratically, by the people. And if they would go to war on signing agreements with foreign powers, then at least our people should be informed. WATSON: Meanwhile, the prime minister of Fiji has a warning.

FRANK BAINIMARAMA, FIJIAN PRIME MINISTER: Geopolitical point scoring means less than little to anyone whose community is slipping beneath the rising seas, whose job has been lost to a pandemic.

WATSON: On Monday, Chinese diplomats backtracked, offering a softened vision of Chinese influence in the Pacific, expect more visits from high-level delegations in the months ahead, as foreign governments scramble to secure influence in the South Pacific.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now, Kim, China's foreign ministry is boasting that it is -- carried out more than 100 aid projects in these different Pacific

Island nations. In the case of the Solomon Islands where Beijing just signed this new security pact, the U.S. has not had as active of a role.

In fact, Washington downgraded its embassy in 1993 in Solomon Islands in its capital to a consulate. And just this year, the U.S. secretary of state has announced, at some point, that will be upgraded again to an embassy. And that just kind of shows where, I think Beijing has seen an opening and has tried to act upon it. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And Ivan, I was interested, we just heard Fiji's prime minister there refer to rising seas. So, tell us more about what role climate change plays in all of this.

WATSON: Well, this is fascinating. You've got these big governments that are competing for influence, and meanwhile, this is giving a chance for the leaders of these small countries that are on the frontline of climate change who are very vulnerable communities to the changes that are taking place.

They've been beating the climate change drum for years, and now they're saying, hey, you want to talk to us, one of our chief concerns is climate change, we need help. And they are talking to representatives of the biggest carbon emitters in the world, I mean, China and the U.S. and Australia, which its economies dependent on the export of things like coal.

The Australian foreign minister has come to the region from a newly elected government with a major policy shift, saying this government does care about climate change. The Australian foreign minister saying that she is her first country's climate minister in a previous. And that has been well-received from local governments. So, this may give the small countries a chance to make bigger countries actually listen to them.

BRUNHUBER: And chance for leverage. Ivan Watson, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

Well, each time Shanghai takes two steps forwards in its fight against recent COVID outbreak, it seems to take one step back. Multiple neighborhoods are now sealed off after seven new cases were reported on Thursday just a day after the city eased restrictions.

So, for more on this, I'm joined by CNN's Steven Jiang in Beijing. Steven, that must be a demoralizing development for so many people who had finally tasted the measure of freedom.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, Kim. Also, not surprising because Shanghai officials and, indeed, authorities across China have said they will stick to very strict enforcement of the country's zero COVID policy. And that does mean anytime a new positive case emerges, entire residential or commercial buildings or complex would be placed under lockdown again.

That's why we've seen dramatic videos of people, panic people fleeing a shopping mall in Shanghai upon learning a positive case may have visited that location recently. And this is why, it's worth remembering, when we're talking about the so-called reopening of Shanghai or the Chinese cities, it's really not the return to pre- pandemic normalcy as we're seeing in many other parts of the world.

The reality on the ground is, even when people regain some degree of freedom of movement, they are faced with increasingly pervasive and invasive COVID measures that are here to stay. And in the case of Shanghai, that means the constant need of scanning, so-called location QR codes to allow the authorities to track your every move in the name of contact tracing. That also means getting tested every 72 hours to access most public places.

[03:40:00]

Now numerous Shanghai residents have been telling us there's already growing frustration or even anger at the chaos in many of those testing locations because people have had to wait for hours to get tested if they got lucky, even though authorities have pledged to set up over 10,000 testing locations across the country.

It seems many fail to open and others were ill-equipped or understaffed. So, you know, that is the kind of reality that people are dealing with. And again, calling to question about a sustain -- sustainability of the zero COVID policy.

But so far, there's a little indication that President Xi Jinping would change his mind. If anything, local officials have been told they need to stick to this rule.

But also, trying to minimize the economic and social impact of its enforcement, really sounds like a mission impossible. But state media here has touted zero COVID as the country's magic weapon in dealing with this pandemic. So, Kim, let's see what kind of magic they'll be able to make in the coming weeks or months. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll keep following along. Steven Jiang in Beijing, thank you so much.

Well, the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the U.S. is always pretty intense. But on Thursday, it had to go to a sudden death speed round called spell off to crown a winner. Fourteen-year-old, Harini Logan defeated 11-year-old Vikram Raju for the $50,000 top prize. The first ever spell of tested how many that the young contestants could correctly spell in a blazing 90 seconds.

Logan of San Antonio, Texas nailed 21 of 26 words. Many adults can barely pronounce let alone spell. Congratulations to him.

All right. Thanks so much for watching. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Living Golf is next. Do stay with us. I'll have more news at the top of the hour. And we'll take you live to St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Much more on the queen's platinum jubilee. Until then, I want to leave you with a taste of Thursday's events. Here it is.

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