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S. Korea & U.S. Launch 8 Missiles in Response to N. Korea; Fierce Fighting Rages in Eastern Ukraine's Donbas Region; Nadal Wins Record-Extending 22nd Grand Slam Title; At Least 49 Killed in Bangladesh Container; Beijing Further Eases COVID-19 Restrictions; Platinum Jubilee Takes Place Amid Growing Republican Movements in Commonwealth; Rising Seas Create 'Ghost Forests' on Outer Banks' Shores. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired June 06, 2022 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome, everyone to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.
[00:00:24]
Coming up here on the program, the U.S. and South Korea send a response to North Korea's missile tests with a launch of their own, showing Kim Jung-un they can quickly respond to a crisis.
Ukraine says it's regained partial control of the key Eastern city of Severodonetsk, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits frontline troops.
And a Platinum Jubilee surprise. Queen Elizabeth makes an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony after missing much of her own celebration.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM, with Michael Holmes.
HOLMES: And we begin in South Korea, where eight surface-to-surface missiles were launched in cooperation with the U.S. early Monday morning, local time. The South Korean joint chiefs of staff says the move is a direct response to North Korea's own launch of eight short- range ballistic missiles on Sunday.
North Korea also fired three missiles last month, after U.S. President Joe Biden ended an Asia trip where he agreed to new measures to deter Pyongyang.
To break it all down for us, CNN's Ivan Watson joins me now from Hong Kong.
You know, the North Koreans are testing at a rate of, you know, ten -- once every ten days this year. But what's the significance of South Korea and the U.S. responding with their own Lunches?
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I would interpret it, Michael, as this kind of new language, this signaling going on between enemies, basically. Using missile launches.
That the U.S. and South Korea, now with a newly-elected conservative president, want to show that -- that they disagree with North Korea's missile launches, which the U.S., South Korea and Japan would argue is in violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions, and they're trying to show, Hey, we can respond in kind, and quickly.
These eight missiles launched by the U.S. and South Korea less than 24 hours after North Korea fired its short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off the East coast of the Korean Peninsula, and this wasn't the only military signaling that we saw.
The U.S. And its ally, Japan, also announced that they conducted their own bilateral ballistic missile defense exercise on Sunday, within hours of the North Korean missile launch.
If you want to take a broader look at what's going on right now, Michael, let's look at just how many missile launches North Korea has carried out this year alone, with at least -- this is now the 17th launch that we've seen.
Now, there is a lot of activity right now, and I think that most military analysts would say, with every launch, North Korea gets to test its technology and try to move forward its technology.
But then, if you take a broader look at its missile program, over the course of the past couple of years, you can see that there have been other years where the North Koreans have been firing these missiles again, and again, and again.
2018, when it dropped, was the year that U.S. President Trump met face-to-face with the North Korean leader for the very first time, a meeting between a U.S. leader and a North Korean leader.
And then, in 2019, the missiles launches were back up again.
So this is a form of signaling and communication that North Korea does against its rivals, while also working on its own weapons program -- Michael.
HOLMES: Yes, yes. Always a risk of miscalculation. Ivan, good to see you, my friend. Thanks for that. Ivan Watson there in Hong Kong.
Now, Ukraine says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited the war- torn East of his country, as Ukrainian troops are said to be taking back ground in Severodonetsk.
Fierce fighting has raged in that city for weeks now as Russian forces push to capture the entire Donbas region. On Sunday, Mr. Zelenskyy reportedly visited frontline troops near Severodonetsk and in a city of Soledar in the Donetsk region.
Before that, he met with displaced residents from the devastated city of Mariupol, which fell under Russian control last month.
And while President Zelenskyy was visiting the front lines, his Russian counterpart was making threats from Moscow. Vladimir Putin speaking to state media, saying Russia would strike new targets in Ukraine if the U.S. and its allies followed through on promises to supply the country with long-range missiles.
[00:05:14]
Now, that warning coming as Russian missiles shattered the sense of relative calm in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday.
CNN's Matthew Chance with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The fighting in Ukraine continues to be its most ferocious in the East of the country, where Russian troops are pounding Ukrainian positions in several locations, pushing to gain full control of the Donbas region, which Moscow, of course, says is its military priority.
Streets in the city of Severodonetsk are apparently changing hands rapidly, according to Ukrainian military officials, with conflicting reports of Ukrainian and Russian forces gaining the upper hand.
The city of Sloviansk is also now, according to Ukrainian officials, under renewed Russian attack as Moscow pushes hard for military gains.
But, Donbas, in Eastern Ukraine, is not the only focus, it seems, of Russian strikes. In the past day or so, there appears to have been an upswing of violence elsewhere, with Russian missile attacks, for instance, on the Southern port of Mykolaiv, where three people have been killed, and a grain storage terminal was destroyed, further damaging Ukraine's ability to export food.
And, of course, Kyiv, the capital, has again come under sustained attack, with five Russian cruise missiles slamming into the city, hitting at least one military target, according to Ukraine officials. But also destroying a train repair factory.
The Russian president, meanwhile, Vladimir Putin, has criticized the United States for agreeing to supply Ukraine with long-range artillery, telling Kremlin-controlled media that that move was intended to prolong the armed conflict. And vowing that Russia will respond by striking unspecified facilities that he said had not yet been targeted yet.
Matthew Chance, CNN, in Southern Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: On Sunday, Ukraine's president paid tribute to a Lithuanian filmmaker killed in Mariupol. He was captured and killed by Russian forces in April while working on a documentary about life in Mariupol after Russia's invasion.
The film was later completed by his partner and screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Mr. Zelenskyy praised the filmmaker for his life and work during a taped address at Sunday's Lithuanian National Film Awards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It is important to bear the truth. It is important to support art that is for life, not for those that want to destroy that life. Ukrainians will remember Mantas Kvedaravicius as a man who was just like that. He really deserves the Golden Swan. He valued life and always spoke out against what was life-threatening, in his view. And that was a very attentive view.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Ukraine's Cinderella run for the football World Cup is over. The sentimental favorites lost 1-0 to Wales, with the winner getting a ticket to Qatar.
This is the first time since 1958 the Wales men's team has qualified for the tournament.
The Ukrainian national team has been a rallying point for the war-torn country. Yellow and blue flags were everywhere inside the stadium, and the Welsh Football Association gave 100 tickets to the match to Ukrainian refugees.
Wales will join England, the U.S., and Iran in Group B when the World Cup starts in November.
And in tennis, another win for Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. The 36- year-old Spaniard easily defeating Norway's Casper Ruud in straight sets for his 14th French Open title.
Nadal has also extended his own record with Grand Slams, 22 now. CNN's Christina Macfarlane with more from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN WORLD SPORT (voice-over): It's the most familiar scene in sport. Rafael Nadal lifting the French Open trophy on a Sunday night in Paris. His 14th title extending his record at Roland Garros, cementing his legacy as the undisputed king of clay.
RAFAEL NADAL, FRENCH OPEN WINNER: For me, to have this trophy next to me again means everything. I've been emotional. Victory is without a doubt unexpected in some way. Very happy now.
MACFARLANE: But this was his most hard-fought, unlikely victory. Rafael Nadal has had to contend with many injuries over his long career, but this past year has been particularly grueling.
(voice-over): After withdrawing from tennis for six months due to an ongoing foot injury, it's taken extraordinary grit and belief for this champion to force his way back into the equation. Even after this unexpected feat of brilliance, Nadal is not done yet.
NADAL: I want to be in Wimbledon, if my body is ready to be in Wimbledon. That's it. Wimbledon is not a tournament that I want to miss. I think nobody wants to miss Wimbledon. I love Wimbledon. I have a lot of success there. I lived amazing commotions (ph) there, so full great and respect to the tournament.
And a player like me, I am always ready to play Wimbledon.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): He now leads his greatest rivals, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, by two Grand Slams, and has the potential to add even more, with a chance for a first ever calendar Grand Slam.
BEN ROTHENBERG, CNN TENNIS CONTRIBUTOR: You know, it hasn't been done in men's tennis since 1969, Ron Lever. And remember, Djokovic came within one match of it last year, winning the calendar Grand Slam.
It's been tough for Nadal. I mean, Nadal hasn't won Wimbledon since 2010. It's been a tougher surface, especially with his knee issues, it's not easy for him. We'll see what kind of further treatment he's able to do to anesthetize it on the grass. He can do it there.
And he's won the U.S. Open four times in the previous decade. So he can do it there, as well.
But it's still very tough. I would say it's definitely less likely than not that he does it, but Nadal showing time and time again this year that you really can't ever fully count him out confidently.
MACFARLANE: There's no doubt the 22-time Grand Slam champion is edging ever closer to the twilight period of his career. But as long as body and mind are willing, Rafael Nadal will continue to chase history.
Christina Macfarlane, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: What a legend.
Tennis champion Rafael Nadal will join Christiane Amanpour on Monday to talk about his record-extending French Open win.
You can catch that at 5 p.m. London, 7 p.m. Paris, 1 p.m. in New York, only on CNN.
Thousands of people hit the streets of central London for a pageant marking the finale of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee. But perhaps the true highlight of the day was the queen's surprise appearance on the balcony at Buckingham Palace as celebrations marking her historic 70-year reign came to an end.
CNN's Max Foster with more from London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The priceless gold state coach travels down the Mall, kicking off the final day of the queen's jubilee celebrations. Then, on to Buckingham Palace. Just as it did 70 years ago, carrying a young, recently proclaimed
Queen Elizabeth. Now, the 96-year-old monarch appears represented by a hologram, a sign of the times but also, of the queen's frailty, after she missed all but one of the jubilee events due to her discomfort.
Prince Charles, again, taking on the queen's responsibilities, saluting the parade as it passed. An estimated one billion people watched the so-called People's Parade, including the prime minister, Boris Johnson, and other members of the royal family in the audience. But not Harry and Meghan.
The event aimed to tell the story of the queen through a parade marking the most iconic fads over the past 70 years, from the '50s "Lambeth Walk" to the Notting Hill Carnival, and even punk culture.
With a special appearance of some U.K. celebrities, national treasures, and many more. To the great delight of the queen's great- grandchildren.
Even the iconic double-decker bus got a special make-over for the occasion. A celebration of the last 70 years of British culture, and the testimony to the incredible length of the queen's reign.
Her many challenges, her worldwide responsibilities, as leader of the commonwealth, and even her personal interests. It was also an opportunity to get a rare glimpse of the more informal part of the royal family dynamic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like it's been monumentous [SIC]. I feel like this is the people's pageant, a chance to say thank you to Her Majesty's 70 years of service.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that people are genuinely -- yes, much more happy towards them (ph) to talk more about her, because of her age, you know?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think most people are just proud of her, so we are really pumped up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been crying all afternoon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been crying a lot. I've even got Union Jack tissues.
FOSTER (voice-over): In a statement, the queen said she was humbled and touched by the support. And said, quote, "While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all."
British singer Ed Sheeran closed Sunday's festivities with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth before the surprise highlight of the day.
FOSTER: It was the book ending to this four-day jubilee celebration that so many people had been hoping for. One last glimpse of their aging queen up there on the Buckingham Palace balcony. And for the queen in the twilight of her reign, reassurance that she's
loved more than ever.
Max Foster, CNN, Buckingham Palace, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Communities around the U.S. are grieving after a weekend that saw nearly ten mass shootings, ten more mass shootings. The stark details on America's estimating gun violence epidemic, coming up.
Also, parts of Beijing easing restrictions as COVID cases trend down in the region. We'll have a live report, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:17:57]
HOLMES: Firefighters in Bangladesh are battling a containment depot fire that's already claimed the lives of at least 49 people. Nine firefighters among the dead. Two others remain missing since the fire began on Saturday night.
Here's some more details on that deadly blaze.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): Smoke rises in the air. The result of a massive fire in Bangladesh can be seen for kilometers. The wreckage, still smoldering by day after an intense battle to douse the flames the night before.
It is unclear what started the fire at this storage depot in the Southeastern part of the country. But it escalated quickly when shipping containers, some of which may have contained chemicals, exploded throughout the site.
Residents said the blasts shook nearby neighborhoods. Hundreds of firefighters were on the scene to try to contain the blaze before it reached even more containers.
But, on Sunday, more explosions, officials say that the army was called into to assist the firefighters.
Dozens of people have died. Hospitals were packed with injured people and distraught relatives searching for loved ones. It's an unfortunately common scene in Bangladesh, Which has seen several fires in industrial complexes in recent years, where hundreds of people have died.
Experts say weak safety codes and a lack of oversight have contributed to the tragedies.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: At least 28 people were killed after a gunman stormed into a Catholic Church in southwest Nigeria and opened fire. We just warn you, the following video of the attack is graphic.
Authorities told CNN they have yet to confirm the total number of casualties and the identity of those behind the attack. According to a statement from the Vatican, the pope has been informed of the shooting and is praying for the victims and the country.
America's epidemic of gun violence worsened over the weekend. CNN has confirmed that, since Friday, at least nine mass shootings in the U.S. have killed 12 people and wounded 59 others.
[00:20:05]
Parts of Philadelphia under curfew right now after police say multiple shooters opened fire in a bustling entertainment district on Saturday night.
Well, authorities are searching for one of the suspected gunmen, while another, they say, is likely among the dead.
And a similar incident in Chattanooga, in Tennessee. Authorities believe multiple shooters were involved, using several types of firearms. Police have not detained any suspects at this time.
Now, the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive says there have been at least 246 mass shootings in the U.S. just this year. CNN and the archive define a mass shooting as one in which four people were shot, excluding the shooter.
Beijing is easing its COVID measures, citing a decline in cases since late May. Workers can now return to the office. Restaurants can return to dine-in services except in some areas, and starting June 13, elementary, middle, and high schools will return to in-person learning.
Residents wanting to take public transport or enter public spaces will need to show a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours.
A lot of developments there to break down. Let's bring in CNN's Kristie Lu Stout, live for us in Hong Kong.
Infections falling. China easing these restrictions. How much normal life, if we can put it that way, is being restored?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, both Beijing and Shanghai are further easing COVID-19 curves. And life is returning to as normal as possible in zero-COVID China.
In Beijing, starting today, workers are allowed to return to the office. Dining in service has resumed across the city with the exception of the Fengtai district, as well as parts of Changping. And we've also learned that public transport will also resume normal operations.
But there's a catch. Residents in Beijing have to provide proof of a negative nucleic acid test or PCR test taken in the previous 72 hours before they're allowed to get access to public venues, offices, or buildings.
Now, meanwhile, in Shanghai, residents there still slowly emerging from that punishing two-month lockdown. Most of the city's 25 million residents have been able to go out and about and to leave their homes. And we've learned that, starting today, older high school students in Shanghai will be able to resume in-person classes.
But, we've also learned, in the last few days, hundreds of thousands of residents in Shanghai have been subjected to these mandatory mass testing campaigns for COVID-19.
So even though these restrictions are easing in the Chinese capital and in its financial capital, China is still holding firm to its zero- COVID policy.
Back to you.
HOLMES: Yes, and meanwhile, where you are, cases rising in Hong Kong. What is the trend line there, and -- and are restrictions likely to return?
STOUT: Yes. On Sunday, Hong Kong reported 515 new cases of COVID-19. It's the highest daily tally in six weeks. And it's raising some concern here about whether the government will further backpedal on the easing of pandemic restrictions here in the territory.
Look, it was last week when we learned that the Hong Kong government was sending people who were infected with a subvariant of the Omicron variant into government-run quarantine camps. Even mild cases, even close contacts, being sent to these quarantine camps, which is a reversal of previous policy, where people could quarantine at home.
We are seeking more clarity on the pandemic policy here in the territory, as well as the latest case numbers. That will come out, hopefully, later today, 4:30 p.m., local time -- Michael.
HOLMES: And real quick, why is it so difficult for China to let go of zero-COVID pandemic policies?
STOUT: Because it can't. It can't afford to. It would bring about mass deaths in China. You know, China itself even acknowledges that it's vulnerable elderly population is poorly inoculated.
And the population who is inoculated, they're vaccinated with Chinese- made traditional vaccines, which are not as effective as the Western- made messenger RNA vaccines.
And on top of, that you have the facts that the medical system in China is under-resourced and under-developed. They cannot afford to let COVID-19 rip, to live with the virus, because it would be millions of death, mass deaths. That's something that the Communist Party does not want.
So, the zero-COVID policy is something that the people of China must endure. And the economic toll must be endured, as well -- Michael.
HOLMES: All right. Kristie, good to see you. Kristie Lu Stout there in Hong Kong. Take care.
STOUT: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right. We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, the queen's surprise appearance caps off days of celebrations in London. We'll have more on her Platinum Jubilee after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:27:40]
HOLMES: A triumphant finale to historic jubilee celebrations in London, Queen Elizabeth making that surprise appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace Sunday, capping the final day of events marking her 70-year reign.
The queen had not been present at events on Friday and Saturday. In the statement, the 96-year-old monarch said she was humbled and deeply touched that so many people came together to Mark the milestone.
But amid all the celebration, some nations in the commonwealth are considering moving on from the British monarchy. Just last year, Barbados removed Queen Elizabeth as head of state and inaugurated its first ever president. That was the first time in nearly three decades a nation made that move. But with a growing republican movement in the commonwealth, some wonder who might be next.
All right. Joining me now with perspective from Australia is Peter FitzSimons, sports writer for "The Sydney Morning Herald."
Peter, good to have you with us. The Platinum Jubilee celebration is over. You and many Australians have long fought for the queen to no longer be Australia's head of state. When is the time right to make that change? And is it inevitable?
PETER FITZSIMONS, SPORTS WRITER, "THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD": Michael, about now. It's -- yes, we're in the third decade of the 21st Century, and we wish her well. We warmly congratulate her on 70 years. I think that she's 14 prime ministers in, and maybe 15 soon. But, you know, she's done an extraordinary job.
But is it inevitable? No. It is not inevitable, despite all of that. In 1797 it was the first time the word "inevitable" was used for an Australian republic. Then, in the 1830s. Then in the 1890s, 1930s, 1970s, 1990s.
The problem is people say it's inevitable, but we, Australians, actually have to roll up our sleeves, sign up and get involved.
And the wonderful thing now is that, for the first time in Australian history, the incoming Australian government has said, we're in. We've got a -- we now have a minister, an assistant minister for the republic. And to use the phrase used by one of the monarchists, we now have a minister for the crown devoted to removing the crown.
HOLMES: Yes. Exactly, that was going to be my next question about how that might give impetus to it. But you've answered that. Cutting those, you know, head of state ties with the queen, it has been rejected before.
[00:30:07]
How have views evolved, and have they evolved enough in Australia since the last referendum on this issue? Much love still for the queen, perhaps, not as much for Prince Charles but for the queen.
FITZSIMONS: In 1999, we never say "Ninety-nine." We always say "last century," when we had the referendum, we had a government and a prime minister that was resolutely against it. John Howard, who was the sitting prime minister, he said out loud and very strongly, and campaigned against it, said, I don't want the Australian people to vote for this.
And, as you would know, as an Australian, only eight times in our history have we ever had a referendum pass. And so, it's not easy to get a majority of people in a majority of states to change the Constitution.
But things have moved on. And to have a prime minister -- so Anthony Albanese is the new prime minister. The previous prime minister, Scott Morrison, I asked him, Sir, where are you up to on this? Are you a -- are you a republican?
And he said, Peter, I'm a constitutionalist, which basically meant that when Moses came down from the mountain, he had the Ten Commandments and he had the Australian Constitution, and thou shalt not change.
And Anthony Albanese is not like that. Anthony Albanese spoke at our republican dinner in Canberra, Old Parliament House, not long ago. And I put him down as if I'm the loudest republican in the land, he's probably the most passionate. He's very strong.
But he wants to do the timing. It has to be correct. You have, you know, the reason for having a minister for the republic is to tilt the soil, to nurture the ground to make sure that when the referendum takes place, the Australian people will be behind it with a sufficient majority.
HOLMES: You know, I think it's 50 nations out of 54 of the commonwealth who have kept the queen as the symbolic head of state, including Australia, of course.
And, we have seen a lot of push-back on the rural role in several of those countries. Six Caribbean nations recently indicated they want to remove the queen as head of state.
How do you see the broader commonwealth trend to make the break and why? I, mean you and I know the argument that we would make as you don't want a foreigner as your head of state.
FITZSIMONS: No. That's exactly it. I mean the line that I -- the line that I say, and everything that I say is premised by personal respect for the queen. In the ARM, Australian Republic Movement, we have respect for the queen.
But the simple premise of the Australian Republic Movement is that, in the 21st Century, we as a nation can do better than to find our head of state from a family living of English aristocrats living in a palace in London, much as we might admire the head of that family, the queen of England.
Paul Keating, our erstwhile prime minister from the early '90s, he said, "A mature nation does not have a foreigner as head of state."
You mentioned the Caribbean. When Barbados -- I think it was in November of last year, Barbados, said I think we can do this on our own. I think a lot of Australians really, they looked at Barbados and with the obvious. Well, look at Barbados can do this and go on their own, so can we. And so they -- it's ought to give us impetus.
HOLMES: How would the new head of state be chosen? What would the roll be? How would the system change in a tangible sense?
FITZSIMONS: Well, the way the system works right now, and I start giving this as an international audience, when the vice president of the United States, Mike Pence, in 2018, February of 2018, he visited Australia, and he put out a tweet which was correct in every particular.
He said, "I had a wonderful afternoon with the government -- I had a wonderful afternoon at Admiralty House with Queen Elizabeth II's representative into Australia, Sir Peter Cosgrove." Sir Peter Cosgrove, great governor-general, great Australian.
But that's what he is. The role of governor-general is the representative of the queen of England to us. And so the system -- the way the system works now is, once every five years, the democratically elected leader of Australia is reduced to asking, Queen of England, is it all right with you? I'm resting on democracy. You're there by hereditary right. Is it OK?
So, the two systems that have been proposed, one is the minimalist proposal, is everything stays the same. You stay with the government general. But, instead of asking the queen of England, you ask the Parliament of the people.
The other one is direct election, something similar to what Ireland has, where you have a list of candidates. But it's not anybody can put their hand up in Ireland and say, I want to run for president. You have to have a certain number of people signing a petition for you to be nominated.
We in the ARM have put up what we call the Australian twist model, which would be every state and territorial parliament in Australia makes a nomination of one imminent Australian. The federal parliament puts up three. You have 11 nominees, and you pick one of those. The people vote.
[00:35:03] But, it's a more -- it's a ceremonial role. It's not like -- you know, the president of United States can pick cabinet ministers, announce policies, argue for policies. But this is a much more ceremonial role, and it would stay with the Westminster system.
HOLMES: Right, exactly. And just finally, what then, to you, would or should be the role of the royal family in Australia, if the relationship was to be the way you'd like it to be?
FITZSIMONS: Well, a lot of people, you know, the pushback in Australia, people say, I love the queen of England! I love William! And I love Kate! And I love the little ones!
And the answer to that is, all of that goes on. All of that still goes. You know, in ten years' time, young Prince George will no doubt be spotted at Royal Espot (ph) with Lady Fotheringbottom (ph), and in -- and the magazines and all of that, will go crazy. All of that will go on.
And, occasionally, if we're lucky, they may come down and visit Australia.
But, the point is for Australia to be a freestanding, sovereign nation beneath the Southern Cross to say we are running our own show.
HOLMES: Peter FitzSimons, with "The Sydney Morning Herald" and the Australian Republican Movement, great to talk to you. Keep on tweeting, by the way. You're a mile a minute on Twitter.
FITZSIMONS: Michael, are you with us? You're an Australian. Tell us now, tell us true, are you with us?
HOLMES: I couldn't part. Mate, I have been for years, all right? Decades!
FITZSIMONS: Good.
HOLMES: But that's just my personal thing. Put me on the spot there.
FITZSIMONS: Follow me on Twitter. Give me a go: @peter_fitsrepublicmovement. Thank you. It's not --
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: You put me on the spot there, Fitzy, I'm going to be in trouble now. All right, see you later.
FITZSIMONS: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right, a new study shows alarming levels of carbon dioxide building in the earth's atmosphere. CNN goes to North Carolina to see the firsthand effect of climate change. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Welcome back. The amount of planet-warming carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere hit an all-time high this spring. That's according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The undeniable impact can be seen, of course, in rising sea levels all over the world. And along North Carolina's Outer Banks.
CNN's Sara Sidner with that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just a couple of hours away from Raleigh, North Carolina, an ecological disaster is hitting the shore.
SIDNER: Where are we?
MARCELO ARDON, RESEARCHER: So, we're in a ghost forest right here. This, you know, 20 years ago used to be a full, functioning forest. And now, the water has risen, the storms have eroded away the soil. And what we have is a bunch of dead stumps.
SIDNER: You can really see all of the corpses of trees just littering the entire coast line.
[00:40:00]
ARDON: Right.
SIDNER (voice-over): Researcher Marcelo Ardon has been studying these so-called ghost forests for over a decade. Once thriving trees, dying, turning white and drowning.
Here in Columbia, North Carolina, Ardon says the effects of climate change can be measured in many ways.
ARDON: We're going to measure where the shore used to be in 1993.
SIDNER: I can't believe you're still going. That's insane!
ARDON: So, this is where the short used to be back in 1993.
SIDNER: How many feet is that?
ARDON: So that's 82 feet!
SIDNER: So, 30 years ago, about, the shore was where you are. And, this is where it remains now.
ARDON: Right.
SIDNER: That's a lot of loss --
ARDON: That's a big loss!
SIDNER: -- of the beach and the soil. ARDON: Exactly.
SIDNER (voice-over): Destruction that researchers say is imminent from rising sea levels; increased salinity killing the trees; and an uptick in more intense hurricanes and super storms.
A 2021 study by the Ecological Society of America found that, between 1985 and 2019, up to 11 percent of North Carolina's forced wetlands, which were generally near the state's coast, have deteriorated into ghost forests. Nearly 3,000 acres of land disappearing entirely into the ocean.
SIDNER: What would this look like in 100 years, if nothing is changed?
ARDON: So, unfortunately, this area in 100 years would probably be underwater. It would be completely flooded. Because this is a very low-elevation area, and we're in an area where we have high rates of sea level rise.
I think it's probably safe to say that 30 years from now, a lot of these trees that we see right here are going to be gone.
SIDNER (voice-over): And it's not just here. These ghost forests are popping up in other places across the country, like Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Delaware and New Jersey.
ARDON: People tend to think of climate change as something that's going to happen by 2100. Or maybe something that's happening to polar bears. This is change that's happening right now. It's change that we know is accelerating.
SIDNER: It directly affects human beings, correct?
ARDON: Yes. It directly affects human beings. In North Carolina, we have this common sticker that -- it's "No wetlands, no seafood," right? And we depend on seafood a lot.
And so if we're losing these wetlands because of these increase in salinity, increase in storms, then that's going to affect the seafood industry, as well.
SIDNER (voice-over): And without the barrier of trees and vegetation, the winds of hurricanes will lash communities inland harder, because there's no barrier to slow them.
Scientists from Duke and the University of Virginia predict that coastal forested wetlands will be drowned and salted out of existence in North America within 100 years. A looming sense of darkness that Ardon hopes to brighten.
ARDON: Something that I keep coming back to is, like, 'am seeing this change happen while I'm doing research out here. What's this going to look like for my kids? Right?
And that's why I like talking about this, because we're not too late. We can make changes. And we can avoid the worst consequences. (END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Thanks to Sara Sidner for that report.
And thank you for watching the program. I'm Michael Holmes. Stick around. WORLD SPORT coming up next. I'll see you in about 15 minutes or so.
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