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Queen Elizabeth II Departs Buckingham Palace For The Final Time; Mourners Stand In Line For Miles To Pay Respects To Queen Elizabeth; Volodymyr Zelenskyy Visits Liberated City Of Izium In Kharkiv Region; Ursula von der Leyen Calls For Overhaul Of Energy Markets; Muifa Weakens To Tropical Storm, Moving Across China; China's Xi Jinping In Uzbekistan For Regional Summit. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired September 15, 2022 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone, I'm John Vause.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, a silent goodbye. Tens of thousands lined up for miles to pay their respects. As the body of Queen Elizabeth lies in state.
Victory lap, Ukraine's president travels to the liberated city of Izium, a message of resolve to Ukrainian's show of defiance to Moscow.
And BFFs together again. There's a lot of catching up for these two autocrats. But how far will Xi go to prop up Putin?
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.
VAUSE: At this early hour in London, what seems to be a never ending stream of mourners slowly and silently filing past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth. Her majesty is now lying in state at Westminster Hall. Time there now just after 5:00 in the morning, the coffin and body will stay there until a state funeral on Monday.
When the Hall was open to the public on Wednesday, the line waiting outside stretch for about three miles along the River Thames, many waiting for hours in the rain and cold.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Queen's coffin was taken from Buckingham Palace on a horse drawn carriage to the Palace of Westminster where the Archbishop of Canterbury held a brief service, praising the queen's example of courage, humility, and resilience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOST REV. JUSTIN WELBY, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: It's a huge privilege. It's a great honor to do it. And it's also a very solemn moment, because I had the privilege of meeting the queen on many occasions.
And there's a deep sense of loss, but also of what a gift it is that I can actually play a part in saying goodbye.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: We have more now on the queen's remembrance from CNN's Bianca Nobilo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Queen Elizabeth II departed Buckingham Palace for the final time. Her coffin revealed for a grand farewell, adorned with the Imperial State Crown on top of the gun carriage of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
Flanked by her treasured Grenadier Guards and Household Cavalry, in a procession led by her four children, King Charles III; in ceremonial field marshal uniform, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
The ceremonial and the operational regiments breaking through the silent crowds. Flights were partially suspended during the 14-minute procession for silence over the skies.
Symbols of Britain parting famous London thoroughfares to the tunes of classic music selected by the late queen and minute guns fired from Hyde Park echoed through the mall and Whitehall.
The only spoken words were prayers led by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Hall.
WELBY: And to God's gracious mercy and protection, we commit to you.
NOBILO: Where her English oak coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, is placed on a catafalque.
CHRIS IMAFIDON, WAITING IN LINE: I was ready for the long stay. 24 hours, 48 hours, I was ready to stay on because this is a woman that means much more than majesty. She is modest and she communicated with us at our level, when we brought disadvantaged children to meet her.
NOBILO: A line of mourners snaked through Central London waiting for their turn to pay tribute to the Queen lying in state until her funeral on Monday.
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SADIQ KHAN, MAYOR OF LONDON: The really reassuring thing is our king, King Charles III, had the best possible mentor and the best possible apprenticeship. And that's why I'm so confident that he will be a wonderful king.
NOBILO: The scale and security and seas of crowds today give us a glimpse of what to expect as the city prepares for the queen's funeral next week.
Bianca Nobilo, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: Live now to London CNN's Nada Bashir so for us at this hour and this hour is now just after 5:00 in the morning, so describe the scene, the mood. Also, what it's been like? There are so many people there waiting in the rain and the cold just for this one moment.
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (on camera): Hello, John, it is remarkable to see just how many people have showed up length of the queue stretching across the Thames parts of central London. Just across is the Palace of Westminster where the queen is lying in state -- will be lying in state for four full days.
And we saw just a little while ago that the queue was about 2.9 miles long. At this point, it's gone down to 2.1 miles long according to a live tracker.
It is moving quite quickly, I have to say. People aren't getting across the bridge quite quickly. We did speak to a few families earlier who said they had been in the queue for about six hours.
So, because this is a long wait, people are waiting overnight. We've seen some pretty young children as well, but a lot of the people that we have been speaking to says this is absolutely worth it. It is a moment of history.
Actually, we've been speaking to the one lady here, Beatrice (PH), she's been waiting. How long have you been in the queue?
BEATRICE, QUEUED TO PAY RESPECTS: Well, we arrived at 11:30 last night.
BASHIR: So, it's been quite a while.
BEATRICE: It is.
BASHIR: What's the experience been like for you waiting overnight?
BEATRICE: Well, I came with a friend, so it's been very nice and not bad to wait. So, just a small tribute that I can do.
BASHIR: What was so important for you about coming here, taking part in this and being able to pay your respects?
BEATRICE: As I mentioned, it's just a small tribute. Yes, because she did a lot, not only for this country, for the whole world. So, it's just a small thing that I can do.
BASHIR: A lot of people are questioning whether it's worth it to wait this long. What do you think about that?
BEATRICE: Definitely. It is, yes.
BASHIR: Do you recommend it?
BEATRICE: Yes, definitely. Just bring something to eat, water and then just a good friend. If you have, then it will come really fast. BASHIR: OK, some good advice that that is the message we've been
hearing from a lot of people in this queue. People aren't actually allowed to bring big bags, so people are bringing very small rucksacks with them backpacks with them with the essentials. There is a coffee stand open finally, so people are able to get their caffeine.
But look, people have been here overnight. We've seen very small children here. But a lot of people that have spoken as I said, they wouldn't miss this for the world. It is a moment of history, they will soon be able to file past the queen's coffin draped in the Royal Standard, adorned with the Imperial state crown.
It is a moment of history that many people will not be able to see. Again, of course, it is a solemn moment of memory for people who are paying their respects to the monarch.
And of course, we saw so many people gathering over the last few days not only to pay their respects but also, to catch a glimpse of the new monarch, King Charles III, John.
VAUSE: Patience is the best advice I think for this day. But Nada, what is the security like there? What sort of security measures have been put in place, because obviously, this is what some people might consider to be a soft target?
BASHIR: Well, look, John, there is certainly a heavy security presence, there's a large scale operation. There has been a lot of planning, a lot of work that has gone into this, of course over the last few years, really. They have been planning for this sort of event and we are seeing a pretty heavy security presence.
There are volunteers and stewards up and down the streets across London, you can't miss them. They are here on hand to help people who need it, directing people across the street.
It is a very organized system, I have to say, a very clear route for people waiting in line to get to the Palace of Westminster.
Some roads have been blocked, we saw that yesterday, it was pretty tricky to get around. That has eased a bit now.
But of course, there are still very strict rules and instructions in place. And as I mentioned earlier, people are being advised not to bring big bags, they're only allowed to bring a small backpack, the essential items with them.
And when they are able to finally get across the Thames, cross the bridge and get to the Palace of Westminster it's there that they will go through a sort of airport style security system before they actually are allowed to enter the Palace of Westminster into enter of course, Westminster Hall where the queen is lying in state.
So, there are a lot of precautions in place, a lot of safety measures in place but so far, it appears to be running very smoothly.
The queue -- the line is moving quite quickly, I have to say. And for the most part, the people that we have been speaking to, it's been a well worth experience. Many are saying that they would do it again, John.
VAUSE: If the British are good at anything, they're very good at waiting in line, so they're putting that to good use right now. Nada, thank you so much for being with us. Nada Bashir live in London.
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Ukraine's leader has sent a clear message to Moscow with a defined visit Wednesday to the recently liberated city of Izium in the Kharkiv region.
While it was under Russian control, the city was a key logistics hub. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says there is evidence of murders and kidnappings carried out by Russian troops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: The view is very shocking, but it's not a shock for me because we began to see the same pictures from Bucha, from the first occupied territories, so the same destroyed buildings, killed people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Zelenskyy claims Ukrainian forces have liberated almost 8,000 square kilometers in the past two weeks.
Meantime, according to Ukrainian official, President Zelenskyy was involved in a minor car accident in Kyiv while returning from that trip to Izium. He did not sustain any serious injuries.
We have more now from Nick Paton Walsh on Zelenskyy's visit to Izium.
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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is what confidence in victory looks like, delighted swagger from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, touring the liberated city of Izium. A commander-in-chief greeted here as another human. The smiles for this president as genuine as the danger.
Listen here, and you can hear explosions as he talks.
It may be possible to temporarily occupy our territories, he says, but it is certainly impossible to occupy our people.
This last months have been extremely hard for you, this is why I ask you, take care of yourselves, because you are the most precious thing we have.
It is a victory that came at an as yet specified cost, this moment of silence for those dead.
What he sees, uttered devastation, part of why Russia is losing. It's hard to occupy and defend a city in this ruin. It's hard to imagine the Russian army's state of mind when it left behind this much of its armor. And what Zelenskyy did, another reason Ukrainian morale seems to be remaine high.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is usually hundreds of miles away in Moscow when he gives out medals. This past startling week, a tale of two nations and a gulf in enthusiasm for the fight. Moscow's manpower crisis is so acute, this video is apparently from a Russian prison, allegedly showing the man calling Putin Chef, Yevgeny Prigozhin, personally recruiting convicts for the frontline.
He tells prisoners that the war is hard, they can't desert, get taken prisoner, drink, take drugs, or have sex with flora, fauna, men or women in the fight, an undesirable message to an undesirable crowd.
Russia increasingly less looking like a nation united in what it won't even call a war yet. Even Putin's stooges turning. Here, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov again undermining the Kremlin that brutally put him in power.
If you ask me, I would enact martial law and exhaust all possibilities to end the conflict with these demons, unlike a volunteer for Russia, he said, writing later, "We are at war with the whole NATO bloc".
The unthinkable is happening. Russian dissent and criticism growing but not yet at the speed of Ukrainian advances.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kharkiv, Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv in the coming hours. She announced the visit on Wednesday during the State of the Union address to the European Parliament. To show solidarity, she was dressed in Ukraine's colors, blue and yellow.
Dominic Thomas is CNN's European Affairs commentator, he is with us this hour from Los Angeles. It's good to see you, Dominic.
Great to be here, John. Thank you.
VAUSE: OK, so this is an annual address the State of the Union, but it comes as Ukrainian counter-offensive has delivered a pretty big blow for the Russian military. And the leader of the E.U. issued a very clear message to member states to stay the course, here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: That is the price for Russia's and Putin's trail of death and destruction. And I want to make it very clear, the sanctions are here to stay. This is time for us for resolve and not for appeasement. This has to be very clear.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: OK, so in recent weeks, there have been protests over high energy costs in at least four E.U. countries. Newsweek also reporting on a risk analysis released earlier this month which found that the wealthiest nations of Europe are at risk of seeing civil unrest this winter, including street protests and demonstrations of energy prices and elevated living costs.
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Well, Putin may be running out of options. Are the Europeans running out of patience, and it's now a question of who blinks?
THOMAS: I think, John, that this is really something that is -- that is part of the reality today, and I think that President Putin is aware of this.
From the very beginning, this conflict has focused so much on European sanctions along with their -- those of their allies, and the retaliatory measures taken by the Russian Federation when it's come to energy. There was a genuine fear in the European Union as to the impact that this is having, the energy crisis is just simply the tip of the iceberg, the knock on effects in terms of the cost of living and the economy are very serious.
And we just think back before the global COVID pandemic, the ways in which those kinds of grievances fuel social movements like the yellow jackets in France, and I think that those kinds of movements will return unless they're able to really sort of make a dent in this.
And the question then of the survivability of European values and so on becomes secondary to those kinds of realities. And Vladimir Putin, as I just said, is well aware of that, John.
VAUSE: Yes, indication of just how big this crisis could be. The Commission President focused a lot on the energy crisis, including this plan. CNN reports looks to raise $140 billion by tapping the windfall profits of some energy companies to help households and businesses pay eye-watering gas and electricity bills.
Again, here's Ursula von der Leyen, listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VON DER LEYEN: In these times, it is wrong to receive extraordinary record revenues and profits benefiting from war and on the back of our consumers. In these times, profits must be shared and channeled to those who needed most.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: To each according to his needs, it sounds like good old fashioned European socialism. But I guess more importantly, overall, is there enough in this speech? Is there enough being laid out here to ease the pain of Putin's energy war? And is it sustainable?
THOMAS: Well, there's certainly that is a big step just sort of to be shaming fossil fuel companies for those extraordinary profits at this time of suffering. So, I think that's an important action at what is, after all, a historic moment of reckoning when it comes to global warming, climate change, and so on.
And of course, it's absolutely crucial that a plan be put in place because people are suffering, and are going to continue to suffer moving forward.
So, this range of kind of measures, initiatives, incentives, and to stop people using energy and to change are of course there.
She's talked about deep and comprehensive reform. And many people have alluded to the example of Lithuania, which not only has managed to wean itself off what could say, Soviet support, but in the contemporary era, Russian support.
And what that means is a reduction of vulnerability and dependence. The problem once again, John, is that these initiatives and measures are long term when the immediate pain is in Europe today and coming.
And I think this is just the very beginning of this -- of this conversation, and that we will be returning to this as the situation worsens and unfold.
But it's a genuine moment of crisis when it comes to the ability of the European Union to really stand up here to Russia, based on the ways in which this can potentially undermine support for these various leaders, John.
VAUSE: The German chancellor spoke by phone with Putin on Tuesday. Here's Olaf Scholz on basically his assessment, here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): Unfortunately, I cannot tell you that there is a realization that it was a mistake to begin this war. It also did not become apparent that new attitudes prevail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: That call took place a day earlier before the speech by von der Leyen. Would there be anything in that address by von der Leyen, which may have Putin reconsidering that, you know, he made some bad choices here?
THOMAS: I don't think so. And I think that Scholz's intervention was basically futile. I mean, of course, the ties between Ursula von der Leyen and the German government are very close, but simply stating that sanctions will continue, but then adding that there will be no new sanctions is hardly any kind of deterrent, and reaffirming a commitment to Ukraine is nothing new, as indeed it is to European values.
So, I see very little at this particular moment that would shift Putin's assessment of this. The important thing I think to underscore is that Putin controls for
the time being at least, the narrative at home. The problem the European Union are having is controlling the narrative in Europe, with their allies in the face of this economic crisis, which is becoming increasingly more important to people than defending the E.U. values of democracy against autocracy at this stage. And you see this struggle here playing out in Ursula von der Leyen speech, John.
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VAUSE: Yes, the winds on the battlefield by the Ukrainians only half of it right now. The other half is what's happening in Europe. So, Dominic, thank you for being with us. We appreciate it.
THOMAS: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: The head of Sweden's moderate party will soon begin forming a new government in what many expects will be a major move to the right.
The Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson concedes to social democrats' loss to last weekend's general election. That paves the way for a coalition government that's likely to end decades of tolerant and inclusive politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ULF KRISTERSSON, MODERATE PARTY LEADER (through translator): Sweden has a result, the voters have spoken. The moderates and the other parties on my side have received the mandate for change that we asked for. I will start the work now with forming a new and vigorous government, a government for the whole of Sweden and for all its citizens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The Sweden Democrats party with a history of ties to white supremacists and vilification of immigrants, is expected to play a key role in this new coalition government.
When we come back here on CNN, with Russia's war efforts struggling, Vladimir Putin is having a meeting with China's leader in the coming hours will bring a little needed diplomatic support and maybe some financial help as well.
Also a powerful typhoon now weakening as it moves across China, the latest forecast when we come back.
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VAUSE: A powerful Tropical Storm is now moving across China after battering the southeast coast on Wednesday. The storm made landfall as a typhoon taking wind gusts close to 160 kilometers per hour. Then, heading north of what torrential rains to China's biggest city Shanghai. The fourth typhoon to make landfall in China this year.
Meteorologist Derek Van Dam has the very latest first in the forecast and what we can expect. So, Derek, what you got?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (on camera): John, the China Meteorological Agency actually issued their first typhoon red warning of the year this year for eastern China when it made landfall, that's their highest level of Typhoon Warning that they have and you can just see the tumultuous seas from this particular typhoon is that approach to Shanghai in order ships to return back to port. It literally shuttered the school district across this area and it also forced some evacuations of tourists from the surrounding nearby islands across just outside of Shanghai.
But when it made landfall, it was actually equivalent to what we understand as an Atlantic hurricane of Category 2 strength, so 160 kilometer per hour sustained winds. The good news is as the storm moves across the open waters of the Yellow Sea, just off the east coast of China, this storm continues to weaken significantly as it interacts with cooler water and some landmass across this area. But not before packing quite a punch. Look at those wind speeds that were recorded. Incredible, 151 kilometers per hour, that's easily strong enough to knock over buildings and topple power lines as well.
You can see some of the rainfall totals here exceeding 215-220 millimeters from the storm and of course, it's still raining as the system continues to turn across the area.
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Current sustained winds 110 kilometers per hour, that's why it's no longer a typhoon it is now a tropical storm it is weakened and it will move one last time across the extreme Eastern sections of China before exiting into extreme portions -- southern portions of Russia.
But wait, there is another typhoon that is forming across the western Pacific. This is called typhoon Nanmadol. And this is incredibly. In fact, it is still tropical storm, but we do anticipate this storm to strengthen to a typhoon status.
This has its eyes set on the southern Ryukyu Islands in the southern portions of Japan for the end of the weekend and into the early parts of next week. This is going to bring significant rains and winds to this area. But notice how it also helps influence some of the weather across the Korean peninsula as well with two of these systems making landfall just simultaneously, almost days apart really, John.
VAUSE: Yes, Derek. Thank you for the update, we appreciate it. Derek Van Dam there.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Central Asia for his first visit abroad since the COVID pandemic. Right now, he's in Uzbekistan for a regional summit. There he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin that will happen in the coming hours and they are expected to talk about a few things. Ukraine, Taiwan, other stuff.
President Xi first visited Kazakhstan on Wednesday. There he discussed ways to further a comprehensive strategic partnership with Kazakhstan. Great big hall. CNN's Steven Jiang is live for us in Beijing. I guess the focus will
be on what is said between Xi (AUDIO GAP) what has said, do you know what the outcome that mean will be? I guess what's the talk here? How far is Xi willing to go to prop up Putin?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF (on camera): That is a big question. And I think all eyes on this anticipated summit between the two strong men. I think people will be poring over all the details, probably including visual cues, whether or not they will be wearing face masks, for example, that's increasingly a rare sight outside of China. But that's exactly what Xi has been doing since his arrival in Central Asia.
But just like Xi has been doubling down on zero COVID here, at home, many expect him to double down on his commitment to this so called no limits partnership between china and russia, and with Vladimir Putin as well.
And Putin obviously could very much use this occasion, especially given the recent developments for Russian troops on the battlefield.
But this, of course, is happening despite China's public claim of neutrality on this war. But that was in a way recently betrayed by one of Xi's most trusted senior officials, the number three in the party rank here when he explicitly told his Russian counterpart last week that China "understands Russia has reason to launch this war, because Russia was backed into a corner on its core interests by the U.S. and NATO".
And he even pledged China would continue or even strengthen, "coordinated actions with Russia". And that, in a way, is a reflection of what's been going on in the past few months, the two countries have indeed not only maintained, but strengthened their relationship on every aspect, economically, diplomatically, and even militarily.
So, Xi Jinping and Putin very much really bonded over their grievances against West, sharing the sense of besiegement and trying to work, create and promote this new world order, not liked by the U.S. or dominated by the West.
And that, of course, is very much what this regional summit known as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is all about. But the dilemma or the challenge for Xi and for China right now, of course, is the Central Asian nations, they are so eager to cultivate closer ties with are the same nations that Putin considers to be his backyard. And many of these same nations are very suspicious of Putin's intentions.
So, how she's going to strike a delicate balance is very much remains to be seen. But that nuance not really being covered by the state media here. They are focusing on China's growing clout. And Xi's global statesman status just a month before that all important Communist Party Congress where it's all the certain, Xi is going to assume a unprecedented third term, John.
VAUSE: Must be nice to control the media I guess if you're the president of China. Steven, thank you. Steven Jiang live for us in Beijing.
When we come back, the queen's funeral plan for years down to the very last detail including elaborate security measures to protect the public visiting dignitaries and the royal family. And we'll have a lot more on that in a moment.
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VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
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The lines continue to grow outside Westminster as tens of thousands of mourners wait to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth.
Right now, as we can see, live pictures from inside Westminster Hall and also outside, where we see those long lines which now stretch along the River Thames from Westminster, where the queen is lying in state almost all the way to the Millennial bridge, 2.1 miles, I'm told.
This wait to -- for a brief moment to walk past the queen's coffin can often take hours. Many have been waiting, sleeping outside overnight.
The British government as live updates on the length of the queue to get inside Westminster Hall. At 5:38 a.m. local time, that line, as we said, currently 2.1 miles and will get longer as the day goes on. At least, that's the expectation.
In the moments after the death of Queen Elizabeth, the British prime minister, just two days into the job, was reportedly told via secure line, "London Bridge is down," code words for "Her Majesty has died" and Operation London Bridge had begun.
That's the name for one of the biggest, most intricate, most well- rehearsed security, logistics, and protocol operations in British history. Here's the mayor of London.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SADIQ KHAN, MAYOR OF LONDON: In just a couple of days, we will have almost 300 world leaders and their teams and entourages coming to London. The most anyone's ever seen, sort of I presence we'll see over the next few days. And if you think about the marathon, the colorful weddings, the Olympics, it's all that in one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Security consultant Glenn Schoen is with us now from the Hague.
Glenn, thanks for being with us. And if we just listen to the mayor here, that is quite an awesome thing to wrap your head around.
GLENN SCHOEN, SECURITY MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT: Yes, it's unprecedented in terms of scale or size. With the security industry, everybody's looking at this as literally the Olympics of security.
We've never had a volume of VIPs assembled on such short notice for such a key event that will have this much global media attention.
VAUSE: It's a good comparison in terms of logistic, crowd control here, visiting dignitaries, the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. That was an operation which was Operation Cambridge, actually, which was the plan for the Queens Mum's funeral.
One of the major differences, though, is the security risk assessment. 1997 was a lot different than 2022, right?
SCHOEN: Absolutely. The threat environment is entirely different. Everything from literally cyber to all of the physical things we worry about, generally speaking, terrorism, activism, the fixated person. These are all threat elements now that are much more pronounced than they were at Princess Diana's funeral.
The other thing, of course, is the make-up here. The level of VIPs simply is higher, and the entire process surrounding it. For Diana's funeral it was basically a massive effort over one or two days.
Here, it's more pronounced. People have already been working from Edinburgh down to London, stretched out over several days, will be stretched over several days. And of course, with the arrival this weekend for the procession on Monday. Police have a much bigger operation on their hands.
VAUSE: The former head of public order for the Met Police told "The Guardian" newspaper, "The royal family will be in open-top carriages, riding horses. And that crowd of however many millions that will be on the streets have not been searched and cannot be searched. It's absolutely frightening."
At the end of the day, though, only so much can be done to secure a public venue and keeping it open to the public. So there's a cost- benefit analysis, right?
[00:35:07]
SCHOEN: Absolutely, and a hard thing with all these is you're literally protecting two major universes, as well. One is the royal family and, of course, the other case comes -- excuse me, comes Sunday and Monday. It's going to be the foreign VIPs, as well.
But then there's also the crowd itself, that you're trying to protect. And when we look, of course, at for instance, the terrorism threat in the last few years, it's been the crowd that's been the target.
So authorities here are really putting in a major, all-force effort, whereas we're often focused at looking at the layering around the principles of the VIPs and the venue of Westminster Abbey in this particular place, the whole concept is going to be much more to cover the -- the larger public.
And that's everything from the mall and -- and the route to transportation hubs and people coming into the city.
VAUSE: When it comes to security personnel and extra police, I want you to listen to London's deputy police commissioner. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEP. ASST. COMM. STUART CUNDY, METROPOLITAN POLICE: We've welcomed hundreds of additional officers from forces across the United Kingdom in support of our operation. The commissioners prior to you and our priority, first and foremost, is to do what we can to support all those who are coming to London to pay their respects and remember the queen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And that is fair enough but by making one location as secure as possible, does that leave other areas vulnerable?
SCHOEN: Not necessarily. Of course, they're working with the concept here where nationwide, you relieve the pressure in some areas by shifting resources.
We have offices coming from different areas into the London area. There's expected to be more than 10,000 personnel of just law enforcement, augmented, of course, by military units and all sorts of special units, from special forces to explosive detection, to take care of what's happening in London.
Of course, one strategic measure that they've undertaken here is literally, do we make it a bank holiday so people don't have to go to work? It cuts down on what you need to cover elsewhere in the country in terms of policing duties.
VAUSE: Yes. Glenn, we appreciate you being with us. We appreciate your expertise and your insight, as well, so thank you, sir.
SCHOEN: Thank you.
VAUSE: Well, as many in the United Kingdom mourn Queen Elizabeth, there's also a focus on William and Harry, the two brothers bound by by tragedy, their mother's death when they were just young boys, and now it's adults.
That relationship has become strained, distant and complicated. Here's CNN's Richard Quest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Princes William and Harry, marching somberly together behind their grandmother's coffin on Wednesday, echoing a painful memory of another tragic time.
Twenty-five years ago, when the two young brothers united in grief, walked heartbreakingly behind their mother's casket, their bond seemingly unbreakable. From the time they were little, the so-called heir and the spare were
always together, whether on royal duty or just horsing around.
PRINCE HARRY, UNITED KINGDOM: He's definitely got more brains than me. I think we've established that from school. But when it comes to all in hand, I'm much better hands on.
PRINCE WILLIAM, UNITED KINGDOM: It's pretty -- It's pretty rich coming from a ginger.
QUEST (voice-over): Harry was best man when the feature Prince of Wales married Catherine.
Then it was Harry's turn to wet, William also serving as best man for his little brother. The two sharing a private funny moment caught on camera, as they waited for his bride, the American actress, Meghan Markle.
But it wasn't long at that that signs of a royal rift appeared to show. Whilst on a tour of Africa, this eyebrow-raising comment by Prince Harry revealed much, even though it said little.
PRINCE HARRY: We'll always be brothers, and we're certainly on different paths at the moment.
QUEST (voice-over): In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to step back as working royals. The extent of that fracture glaringly obvious.
Prince William then forced to carry alone royal duties that the brothers had been expected to shoulder together. And then there was the tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, from the accusation that Catherine, Princess of Wales, had caused Meghan to cry a few days before her wedding; to the more serious allegations of racism in the royal family and a lack of support from those he was once close to.
PRINCE HARRY: The relationship is space at the moment.
QUEST (voice-over): The airing of the royal dirty laundry rippling like an earthquake across the Atlantic. The normally stoic and quiet future monarch defended his family against the accusations.
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PRINCE WILLIAM: No, we're very much not a racist family.
QUEST (voice-over): When their grandfather, Prince Philip, passed in April last year, many had hoped that it would be the catalyst to start the healing process. It was a hope that seemed to be in vain.
Philip passed in April last year, many had hoped that Philip passed in April last year, many had hoped that it would be the catalyst to start the healing process. It was a hope that seemed to be in vain.
Now, with the passing of their beloved granny, an opening, an opportunity. A surprise joint walkabout of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Windsor, where they greeted mourners. The first time in years the couple had appeared in public together.
Later showing an intimate dinner with the rest of the royals on Tuesday night at Buckingham Palace. A sign that perhaps this royal rift might finally be on the mend.
Richard Quest, CNN, Buckingham Palace, London.
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VAUSE: It's complicated. We'll take a short break. Back in just a moment. You're watching CNN.
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VAUSE: A day after Russia claims to have broken a cease-fire, there was no let-up in cross-border artillery fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenia says three towns took direct hits, while Azerbaijan claims the military there was firing at Armenian artillery.
Nearly 100 troops have been killed in recent days, in this most recent round of fighting. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting off and on for decades over a disputed piece of territory.
U.S. expressed concern over the surge in hostilities.
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NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: The situation continues, to be very concerning. We are deeply concerned about continued attacks along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. We've seen continued attacks now for a second straight day. And we are particularly disturbed by continued reports of civilians being harmed inside Armenia.
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VAUSE: Also on Wednesday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, warned Armenia will face consequences for what he called its aggressive attitude.
Pope Francis meeting with religious leaders this hour, before he wraps up a visit to Kazakhstan. He condemned the fighting in Ukraine, on Wednesday, saying God guides everyone towards peace, not war.
CNN's Haley Gallagher has details.
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HALEY GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Strong words from Pope Francis on the war in Ukraine, speaking on Wednesday just after an outdoor mass in Nursultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, a country which borders Russia to the south.
The pope said he was thinking of his beloved Ukraine, and he asked how many more deaths will it still take before conflict yields to dialogue.
Equally strong words from the pope earlier in the day, at an international gathering of religious leaders, when the pope spoke about using religion in the name of power.
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He said that the sacred should never be used as a prop for power. He said God guides us on a path to peace, never a path of war.
Now, one of the religious leaders for whom that was likely intended was noticeably absent. He is the Russian orthodox patriarch khadil, a strong supporter of the war in Ukraine. He was meant to be here and have a meeting with Pope Francis, but he let it be known a few weeks ago that he would not be attending. He has sent a delegation instead.
On Thursday, the religious leaders will gather to sign a phi final declaration before Francis returns to Rome.
Delia Gallagher, CNN, Nursultan, Kazakhstan.
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VAUSE: As we mentioned a little earlier, Ukraine will be high on the agenda in neighboring Uzbekistan, where the Russian and Chinese presidents are set to meet in just a few years on the sidelines of a regional summit, the first face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Experts will be looking for support from Beijing, any support that Beijing is willing to give the Russians after Russia's recent losses on the battlefield.
But the Russian president needs a lot more than diplomatic support. He needs money. A lot of it, too.
Russia has been stepping up its trade with China, trying to soften the blow of western sanctions. But as CNN's Clare Sebastian reports, Beijing support may only go so far.
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CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In December 2019, a tangible success for Vladimir Putin's pivot East. Spanning almost 2,000 miles, the power of the Siberia pipeline was the first direct link supplying Russian natural gas to China.
That gas would be supplied under a $400 billion dollar, 30-year deal, signed in 2014, just three months after Russia annexed Crimea, as western sanctions tightened their grip.
SAM GREENE, PROFESSOR OF RUSSIAN POLITICS, KING'S COLLEGE LONDON: As Russia essentially decided to go to war with Europe over a trade treaty, over a comprehensive free trade agreement, Europe wanted to sign up with Ukraine, which is what provoked the initial intervention in Crimea and in Eastern Ukraine in 2014.
You know, Putin knew that this was going to bring costs. He knew it was going to bring sanctions, and so he saw the relationship with China as an opportunity to hedge against that.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Pipelines and pancakes signaled ever closer ties between Presidents Putin and Xi. As both countries saw relations with the West deteriorate.
No surprise, then, that Putin's last foreign trip before invading Ukraine was to Beijing, where the two leaders declared their relationship had, quote, "no limits."
Russia's invasion did reveal some limits. Chinese officials say they have not provided military or economic aid to Russia.
But China has refused to condemn the war, abstaining or voting with Russia at the U.N., despite international pressure.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that China understands that its economic futures is much more closely tied to the West than it is to Russia.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): And, yet, trade between Russia and China grew by almost a third in the first seven months of the year, according to a Reuters analysis of customs data.
China has ramped up its purchases of, albeit heavily discounted Russian crude oil, a trend Russia hopes will continue when a partial E.U. oil embargo comes into force in December.
And Russia's energy giant Gazprom says that daily gas flows through the Power of Siberia Pipeline hit a record in July.
This month, the two countries announced China would pay for gas in rubles and yuan, shifting away from the dollar. Another sign of their shared opposition to the U.S.-led world order, something that for China intensified in the wake of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
GREENE: China is, maybe not enjoying, but is taking this as an opportunity to see how the West responds to a military challenge like this. To see where their breaking points might be.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The test now, with Russia losing ground on the battlefield, is whether China's tacit support has a breaking point when Russia needs it most.
Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
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VAUSE: Desperate times require desperate measures, seems to be an understatement when it comes to the lengths some in Lebanon have gone, just withdraw their money from their bank account.
Like one woman who doused herself in petrol and threatened to set herself on fire, just to get our own money. A state news agency says she pulled a gun. She later claimed it was a toy. And she stormed the bank in Beirut, along with a bunch of other people, furious they were unable to get access to their frozen accounts.
The group also took hostages before the women received $20,000 from her account. She says she needs it to pay for her sister's cancer treatment. And she wasn't arrested.
This was the second hostage situation in Lebanese banks over the same issues. Lebanese banks have locked most customers out of their accounts, because the country right now is dealing with a crippling financial crisis. Tough times.
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Still ahead, a looming rail strike in the U.S. could deal a devastating blow to the economy. What the Biden administration is doing right now to try and get things back on track.
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[00:52:02]
VAUSE: This is a national park in Chile's Patagonia region, where a heat wave and increased rainfall caused a glacier to break apart, falling more than 200 meters into the water below.
At the moment, it was captured by tourists. It quickly went viral. Actually, these kind of things happen fairly often, or are fairly common, but what is of concern is the frequency of glaciers breaking apart like this. Another example, experts say, of the impact of climate change.
A federal jury had found disgraced singer R. Kelly guilty on multiple charges of child pornography and enticement. He was acquitted of several other charges. Kelly's attorney spoke shortly after the verdict came down.
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JENNIFER BONJEAN, R. KELLY'S ATTORNEY: We're not celebrating a win entirely, but we are happy that the jury really did look at each count. And as I said in my closing arguments, each count counts. They did their job, and we ended up with seven not guilty counts in a 13- count -- Right, seven? Seven not guilty counts in a 13-count indictment.
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VAUSE: The jury heard three weeks of testimony, including one woman who said Kelly sexually abused her and courted the interactions when she was as young as 14.
Attorneys for Kelly are now considering a legal appeal.
The Biden administration now working to prevent a potentially crippling strike by tens of thousands of rail workers. One source, though, says don't expect an agreement any time soon. A shutdown would impact just about every part of the economy, including commuter rail service, deliveries to grocery stores, even chlorine for water treatment plants.
CNN's Pete Muntean has our report.
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PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the latest effort to put the brakes on a possible railworkers strike that could deal a major blow to the economy.
Bosses representing unions and railroads met with the lumber secretary in a last-ditch effort to reach a deal by midnight Thursday. That's when 60,000 workers could walk off the job in solidarity with train engineers fighting for sick time.
A strike will mean freight rail, which makes up 40 percent of all freight in the U.S., will grind to a halt, impacting everything from parts for cars to fertilizer for farming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Transportation is a big part of the cost of -- to the consumer. I don't believe there's one person in the country that it won't affect.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Starting Thursday, some railroads will stop accepting shipments of grain, critical to feed livestock and potentially further driving up costs at supermarkets.
Rail passengers will be impacted, too. Amtrak is canceling all of its long-distance routes outside of the Northeast Corridor. In Chicago, nine of 11 commuter lines will stop when a strike begins.
NIGEL JOHNSON, RAIL COMMUTER: I've been commuting from the suburbs to Chicago now for over 30 years. I could never remember this happening. It could take two hours if I'm driving. On train, it's 40 minutes.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): With midterm elections on the horizon, the pressure is on the Biden administration to reach a resolution. The president himself has called unions and employers, pushing them to resolve their differences.
[00:55:05]
If a freight rail shutdown does happen, trucking companies say they cannot pick up the slack.
PATRICK ANDERSON, CEO, ANDERSON ECONOMIC GROUP: It starts with a very small impact but it grows geometrically.
MUNTEAN: One more potential impact here: water treatment facilities are worried that they will not be able to get chlorine, which is critical for cleaning water. It's often sent by rail. It's why water treatment facilities are now warning that many municipalities nationwide will have to issue boil water advisories if this rail strike does, in fact, happen.
Pete Muntean, CNN, Washington.
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VAUSE: The end is nigh. After two and a half years, it could be in sight. The COVID pandemic might just be coming to an end. That's according to the World Health Organization.
But the head of the WHO has warned against losing steam in this battle with the coronavirus, noting the world has never been in a better position to end this pandemic for good.
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TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: A marathon runner does not stop when the finish line comes into view. She runs harder with all the energy she has left. So must we.
We can see the finish line. We are in a winning position. But now is the worst time to stop running.
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VAUSE: He also noted the risk of variants and also the number of deaths to the virus, but he also went on to say that new cases around the globe have also shown a steady decline.
Well, maintaining a healthy brain could be as easy as just taking a multivitamin. That's according to a new study by American researchers who seem to link the once daily vitamin with a decrease in cognitive decline.
The study found more than two dozen people for three years and analyzed adults who took a supplement or a multivitamin, or a placebo every day.
Researchers say they are shocked by the findings but say they are not definitive and it's still too soon to make any kind of recommendation. So what was the point?
Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. Stay with us. I'll be back with another hour of CNN NEWSROOM after a very short break. Hope to see you at the top of the hour.
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