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Zelenskyy Strikes Resilient Tone In Izium; Queen Elizabeth Now Lying In State At Westminster Hall; Australian Republicans Call For Debate To End Monarchy Ties; Long Lines of Mourners Form to Pay Their Respects to Queen; Negotiations In-Progress to Prevent a Possibly Devastating Strike; Massachusetts Receives Migrants from Florida Under Governor DeSantis; Muifa Weakens to Tropical Storm; Nan Madol Anticipated to Intensify Into a Typhoon; 20% of Northern California Mosquito Fire Contained; WHO: Pandemic About to End; Multiple Child Pornography Allegations Against Singer; Mountain Glacier Calving in Chile Captured on Video; To Combat Climate Change, Patagonia's Founder Shuts Its Business. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired September 15, 2022 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:00:31]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Becky Anderson in London where the line to view the queen lying in state at Westminster Hall now stretches about two miles as one by one mourners say their silent goodbyes.
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And I'm Kim Brunhuber in Atlanta. We're also tracking big developments on the ground in Ukraine where a defiant Volodymyr Zelenskyy rallied his troops in a newly liberated city near the front lines.
ANDERSON: Well, it's just after 7:00 a.m. here in London. It's a fresh morning steady stream of mourners has been filing past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth all through the night. Her Majesty now lying in state at Westminster Hall behind us and her coffin will remain there until her state funeral on Monday.
Preparations for the queen's funeral have been underway here in London where rehearsals were held late into the night.
Somber procession on Wednesday to the queen's coffin from Buckingham Palace on a horse drawn carriage to the Palace of Westminster. Following just behind the casket King Charles III third and his siblings along with Prince William and Prince Harry who marched side by side along the procession route.
A silent and solemn entrance as the queen's coffin was carried into Westminster Hall. Thousands have already passed through the doors to pay tribute to the queen. The queue of mourners at one point stretching for almost three miles along the River Thames. When the doors, the hall first opened on Wednesday evening. So many of the queen's admirers willing to wait for hours just to walk past her coffin and say their goodbyes.
Well, CNN's Nada Bashir joining me now in London. You can see the images there of people queuing to pay their respects. You've been in amongst them. What have they been telling you?
NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: Absolutely. We were there overnight. We've got there around 2:00 a.m. and I have to say it was pretty remarkable to see just how many people were still in that queue stretching right across the Thames. Many people waiting to get in, taking about five hours at that point from when we had spoken to them. And of course, we saw lots of families there too.
Many of them, telling us that this was a moment of history that they wants to be a part of. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How long have you been --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd say four hours and 20 minutes, just trying to keep high spirits. Everyone's here for the same reason. So we're all connecting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had something to eat before we came out. And hopefully we'll be back in time for breakfast.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can't go to the church. So we can do this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A momentous moment in history. I think like it's really important for my kids to remember it. And like I put some photo books together for him and stuff. And remember everything that's going on. Before Lily (ph) may fell asleep, she said wake me up when we get to the queen. So yes, I'll get them up before we get there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASHIR: Look, we saw lots of families there trying to be part of this historic moment. This is happening for four full days. And it is as you saw there running around the clock 24 hours in order to get people in as efficiently as they can and after the queue was moving quite quickly. Many people said that they have thought they'd be in line for at least 20 hours. But at this point, it's looking more like six, seven hours, which is still a long time to wait. But for many, it's a -- they say it's deeply worth it.
ANDERSON: It's a -- as I described it a fresh morning in London and many of those who are queuing folks are queuing right by the river. The queue is being sort of moved alongside the river. So it's not warm, I have to say. But there is a resilience to those who are queuing, as you rightly point out. They want to be just play a part in what is a moment in history. Nada, thank you for that.
Well, the French president Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that he will be at the queen's funeral and he will join a long list of world leaders in London on Monday including the U.S. president as well as the prime Ministers of New Zealand and Australia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been invited neither has the leader of North Korea.
[02:05:08]
The Mayor of London spoke earlier about the influx of people expected to the city over the coming days.
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SADIQ KHAN, MAYOR OF LONDON: We expect to see over the course of the next few days, hundreds of thousands of people personally paying their respects to Her Majesty, the queen but also we expect to see prime ministers, presidents, members of royal family and others from across the globe coming to pay their respects over the next few days in London.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the guest list including leaders from across the globe that speaks the queen's influence and relationships the world over. But there have been changes through the years for instance British colonialism in the Middle East when Queen Elizabeth became monarch slowly disappeared in the years that followed. But although the queen witnessed the crumbling of British power in the region, she continued to have close ties with the ruling families there.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No day has ever dawn that rival this.
ANDERSON (voice over): When Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in the early 1950s, Britain was the dominant power in the Middle East. Most countries on this map were British protectorates, newly formed nation states such as Iraq, Jordan and Yemen were bound by treaties that wielded Britain an exorbitant amount of control that was often contested, while Gulf states such as Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, then known as the Trucial states were mostly content with British presence.
Queen Elizabeth quickly became a familiar face in the Middle East, making her first state visit to the region in Libya, just two years after she became head of state. She was also pictured next to the Emir of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Kuwait's Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jabir Abdullah and the UAE's founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. But behind all the smiling was a growing movement for independence.
ABDEL RAZZAQ TAKRITI, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, BROWN UNIVERSITY: Britain was responsible for growing the region on map at the time. Queen Elizabeth came at a time when that map was being challenged. In that period the region was engaged in a massive range of anti-colonial uprising struggles and attempts to overthrow this British domination.
ANDERSON: The attempts worked. And by 1971 the last vestiges of British colonialism in the Middle East had disappeared. But visits between Queen Elizabeth and the region's rulers didn't stop, particularly with those in the Gulf Cooperation Council or GCC where Britain's legacy wasn't viewed as unfavorably as in other parts of the Middle East.
JAMES ONLEY, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH: The number of state visits or other high level visits of the British Royal Family to the GCC is a such scale, it is comparable to the royal family's visits to the Commonwealth realm. Members of the ruling and royal families of the GCC formed genuine relationships with members of the royal family in Britain, which results in is substantial business ties, educational ties, cultural ties.
ANDERSON: Those ties have also been shared with royal families outside of the Gulf, such as Jordan despite being a former British protectorate. But for some of the region's citizens the monarchy is a symbol of British colonial rule that they blame for their current grievances.
TAKRITI: There are many people in the world that don't have particular resentment to the -- to the queen or the -- or the current king of England. However, they certainly disapprove of British colonial policy because it took a huge toll on the people of the rich.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Loftiest heritage rank high said above all else on --
ANDERSON: Under Queen Elizabeth's reign, British influence in the Middle East underwent significant change, where colonial structures dissolved and strategic partnerships formed that if sustained until this day.
ONLEY: The last visit to the Gulf was I believe to Oman where she visited the late Sultan Qaboos. And if you take a look at the photos and images, you'll see the genuine feeling of affection and friendship between those two monarchs. It is deep, it is meaningful. It is real. Britain is more I think than just a strategic ally. Its family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three cheers for His Majesty, the king. Hep hep.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hooway.
ANDERSON: Well, this crucial chapter of British history closes another may soon be burgeoning. As the new King Charles III looks towards the region to build off the relationships his mother cultivated.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: The British empire once banned continents with a number of territories under its protection.
[02:10:03]
Most of which have mixed feelings about the monarchy today. One of those places is Australia and King Charles III spoke with the country's governor general on Wednesday who had expressed his condolences for the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Cindy McCreery is senior lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Sydney in Australia and joins me now. How would you describe Australia's relationship with the British monarchy? And I'm particularly thinking here of the indigenous communities.
CINDY MCCREERY, SENIOR LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY: Yes, that's a really important question, Becky. And it's a complex one to answer because, of course, indigenous Australians, like other Australians have a range of views. Some indigenous Australians, such as Senator Lidia Thorpe have called the queen a colonizing queen. She actually used that term when taking her oath of office in the parliament and had to redo that.
Other Indigenous Australians, such as Peter Yu (ph) have seen the queen as a very valuable ally in the campaign to gain more acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within Australia's constitution. Today, that commitment of the Albanese government, our prime minister was elected in May is to enshrine an indigenous voice in Parliament to change our constitution.
And the prime minister has announced that that is going to be the priority for his first term, so that there will not be any referendum on becoming a republic until a second term which would only take place after 2025. But there are Republicans in Australia who are saying that that's too slow. And some Republicans have even suggested that before the referendum Australia might decide for example, not to include images of King Charles III on its coinage which strikes other people as a bit of like trying to have one's cake and eat it too.
ANDERSON: Well, that's fascinating. The Australian Republican Movement just 24 minutes after the announcement of the queen's death issued a public statement calling for an Australian Republic after paying their respects. It said "The queen backed the right of Australians to become a fully independent nation during the referendum on an Australian republic in 1999, saying that she has always made it clear that the future of the monarchy in Australia is an issue for the Australian people."
And for them to alone decide by Democratic and constitutional means. What does the latest polling show about how Australians feel? And is there a generational divide? Because we are certainly seeing that in other places around the world?
MCCREERY: That's right, Becky. So it's really interesting. There was a poll taken just after the King Charles III took his proclamation, accession proclamation to the throne was made, and that showed 60 percent of Australians support remaining a monarchy. But there's not just a generational divide, Becky. There's also a gender divide. 66 percent of women support Australia, Romania monarchy, according to that poll, versus only 54 percent of men.
So this is a very complex story. But I think we also need to make -- pay attention to the fact that that poll was taken at a moment of profound shock at the announcement of the queen's passing and the accession of the king. And I think we've needed to have follow-up polls to really establish. That is truly the feeling of the Australian people.
ANDERSON: We have to consider what the benefit is to the Commonwealth for a country like Australia. There's certainly a benefit to Britain in terms of sentiment, in terms of economy, certainly, in terms of economy, post-Brexit. I just wonder whether or how you would describe the benefit to Australia into terms of more than just for example, the Commonwealth Games, and let's not -- let's not undervalue how important the ties are when it comes to sport because that's oftentimes something people hear most about when we consider the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Games were here just earlier on this year.
MCCREERY: Absolutely, Becky. And let's face it, Australia does very well at the Commonwealth Games. And I think that's probably the aspect of the Commonwealth that most Australians are A, familiar with and B, happy about. But let's also remember that Australia becoming a republic in the future, if that does in fact happened. Absolutely has no relationship to Australia remaining within the Commonwealth.
All it does is Australia would no longer be a Commonwealth Realm. In other words, the country would no longer have the British monarch as head of state. But let's remember of the 56 members of the Commonwealth 36 are republics. And I see that trend continuing. In other words Commonwealth realms becoming Republic's but remaining within the Commonwealth. I do think the Commonwealth is a hugely important asset to Australia along with other nations.
I spoke recently to a former Australian diplomat who commented that Australia doesn't have a big diplomatic presence.
[02:15:05]
And the Commonwealth gives us leverage by being part of this organization with many of our neighbors, many of our Pacific neighbors, and gives us access to really high-level dialogue that would otherwise be much more difficult for a country as distant as Australia to conduct. So I think it's -- there's a lot to be said for staying in the Commonwealth of Australia.
ANDERSON: That's fascinating. Cindy, it's good to have you on your analysis and perspective. Really important as we continue our special coverage of the queen's passing and of her funeral, Cyndi McCreary in Australia. Thank you. And I'll have a lot more from London in just a few minutes. First, let's get you over to Kim Brunhuber at CNN Center in Atlanta, with some of our other news this morning. Kim?
BRUNHUBER: All right, thanks so much, Becky. Still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM. Massive destruction and possible evidence of war crimes. What retreating Russian forces left behind and Ukraine's Kharkiv region. Pus years of tolerance and inclusion in Swedish politics may be coming to an end. What we can expect from the coalition set to take power in Stockholm. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine's leader got a firsthand look Wednesday at the recently recaptured city of museum in the Kharkiv region. Before Ukraine's lightning counter offensive and served as a key logistics hub for Russian forces. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says evidence is being gathered there murders and kidnappings carried out by Russian forces. Much of the city is now in ruins with scenes of destruction like this everywhere.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: The view is very shocking, but it's no shock for me because we began to see the same pictures from Bucha, from the first, the occupied territories, so the same destroyed builders, killed people.
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Meanwhile, once rare public dissent in Russia is growing in the wake of Moscow's losses. A local Russian official in St. Petersburg appeared on CNN earlier to reiterate his call for Vladimir Putin to step aside. Listen to this.
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NIKITA YUFEREV, DEPUTY, SMOLNINSKOYE MUNICIPAL DISTRICT IN PETERSBURG: We will continue to insist on his resignation. Perhaps our words about Putin having a harmful effect on Russia and he needs to leave power will continue to spread.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: And we're getting new insight into Vladimir Putin's mindset from German Chancellor -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. After the two spoke earlier this week. Chancellor Scholz says there's no indication that Putin's attitude towards the war has changed.
Our Clare Sebastian is following developments for us from London. And Claire, as we just heard there. There's growing pressure on Putin though it's hard to tell what impact that might have. What more are we learning?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kim. It's interesting because we've seen ever since Russia crackdown on any sign of protests and certainly crackdown on the media at the start of this war.
[02:20:08]
There have been pockets of debate on Russian television and among politicians. But this is about a series. An example of that, as we have seen, because of the route in the hockey region, and the defeats the news of which are trickling through to Moscow, you know, we've had -- we've got politicians, former politicians, raising debate about the kind of Intel that Putin was given on television.
People starting to talk about the idea of mobilization. We even saw in a parliamentary debate this week, the head of the Russian Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov who is a veteran of Russian politics say that he thinks this is now a war and we should adjust to that reality. So it is significant. The Kremlin though is staying remarkably silent on this issue. They have deflected questions for the ministry of defense.
When asked about the amount of territory that Ukraine has gained this week, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that he doesn't actually know the topography of the area and reiterated that Russia will achieve its goals in Ukraine. So they are sort of sticking to their guns, therefore not surprising that we're seeing that Putin in phone calls with foreign leaders like Olaf Scholz, like the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres who he spoke to on Wednesday, sticking to his line that they -- that they, you know, that he is just going to continue with this conflict.
Guterres emerged from that call say that we are far away from the end of the war. I think the question many are asking is what does that mean, on the battlefield? Does this set up a more dangerous moment for Ukraine? Will Russia be willing to use some kind of unconventional method to try to achieve those goals given that its conventional military has actually run from its positions in the hockey region, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. And then Claire, in the context of these reverses for the Russian military, then how important is that meeting coming up between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chinese President Xi?
SEBASTIAN: You know, I think it's more important than ever. This has been a critical relationship for Russia, frankly, one that it's been cultivating for many years. Much more so, Kim, since the invasion of Crimea when the sanctions that the West imposed on Russia became a serious part of the calculus. Right now, two things. One, the route that Russia has seen on the battlefield, I think, not only makes this relationship with China more critical but sets up a test for how long China will be prepared to stick by that no limits promise that the two leaders made in February.
If it looks like it might be backing the losing side in this conflict and whether or not this will serve China's goals. And secondly, on the economic side, we've seen trade between the two countries skyrocket since the start of the year. Certainly on the energy front this is growing in importance. Russia has cut down its gas supplies to Euro which was its biggest energy customer by more than -- by about three quarters over the last few months.
Its oil supplies are under threat from an embargo which comes into force in December as well as an oil price cap. China has been ramping up its purchases of Russian energy. So this is a relationship that Russia needs economically as well as geopolitically more than ever. I think we're going to get a very interesting splitscreen visual today Kim of the Russian and Chinese leaders meeting in Uzbekistan.
And on the other hand, the Ukrainian and E.U. leader meeting in Kyiv, a sign perhaps of the divisions that this war has provoked.
BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll be watching for that. And we'll have more on that pivotal meeting from our correspondent in Beijing coming up later. Clare Sebastian, thank you so much. Really appreciate that.
Ukrainian officials says President Zelenskyy was involved in a minor car accident in Kyiv on Wednesday after returning from Museum. He wasn't badly injured but the driver of the car that hit the president's vehicle was given emergency treatment in an ambulance. Authorities are investigating the accident. Artillery fire rained across the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, just a day after reported ceasefire deal. On Wednesday, Armenia said three of its towns were hit. Azerbaijan claimed its military target units were targeted by Armenia's artillery. It happened a day after Russia suggested it brokered a ceasefire. Nearly 100 troops have been killed on both sides since the latest round of fighting broke out in recent days.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting off and on for decades over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The U.S. express concern over the latest uptick in hostilities. Listen to this.
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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. We are particularly disturbed by continued reports of civilians being harmed inside Armenia.
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BRUNHUBER: And also on Wednesday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey which is Azerbaijan's ally that Armenia will face consequences for what he called its aggressive attitude.
The head of Sweden as moderate party says he will begin forming a new government in what many expect will be a major move to the right.
[02:25:06]
BRUNHUBER: Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson concedes her social democrats loss last weekend's general election while it paves the way for a coalition government that's likely to end decades of tolerant and inclusive politics in Sweden.
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ULF KRISTERSSON, MODERATE PARTY LEADER (through translator): Sweden has a result. The voters have spoken. The moderates in 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.
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BRUNHUBER: Sweden Democrats party are expected to play a key role in the new government. They have roots in the white supremacist fringe and blame liberal immigration policies for many of the country's problems.
Queen Elizabeth's casket is lying in state until her funeral on Monday for the British public the next few days will be their last chance to say farewell. We'll hear what some of those people are saying as they wait their turn. And the world is once again watching two brothers with a long complicated history. A look into the lives of Prince Harry and Prince William next.
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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANCHOR: Well, a long line of people slowly making its way through central London at this hour so they can pass by Queen Elizabeth's casket inside Westminster Hall. The queue, at times, has stretched along the River Thames for several miles. And the wait can be some hours. Those lines are expected to get longer in the hours and days ahead.
While once across the river, the public is then directed into Westminster Hall the oldest part of the palace where the queen is lying in state until her funeral on Monday. CNN's Scott McLean has been meeting with people waiting for their chance to say goodbye to the queen. Scott?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Becky. Yes, the London mayor said yesterday that he expects hundreds of thousands of people to file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. He said it's like the London marathon, the London Olympics, and the last couple royal weddings all put together the number of people who are here and sort of the pomp and pageantry around this occasion. And you can see why just considering how many people.
Let me just give you a lay of the land. I'm just going to flip the camera around here. Obviously, you can't see the front of the line here because officially, it's over two and a half miles long. You see this flow of people here walking towards us. They are actually, by in large, trying to find the end of the line. And you'll notice a lot of them have quite a hop in their step because they're trying to get their place. Because while we've been here, the lineup -- well, originally it was about here. And it has since moved back past two more bridges.
And so, there are a heck of a lot of people. And if you ask folks in the line, they are expecting to wait for a very long time. Let me just grab a couple of people. Quick question, just, wondering how long have you guys waited so far?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: About --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 15 minutes.
MCLEAN: And how long are you expecting to wait?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know. About five hours, I think.
MCLEAN: Five hours.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Five, six hours.
MCLEAN: And you, guys, how long are expecting to wait for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think five or six hours.
MCLEAN: OK. Well, here's hoping is only five or six hours.
Let me walk along and find a couple of other people.
Ma'am, I just wondered, why was it so important for you to be here today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The queen's always been part of our life. I've grown up with her and the royal family. So, I just felt it was the right thing to do.
MCLEAN: And where have you come from today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: About 50 miles north of London, Bedfordshire (ph).
MCLEAN: Wow. So, not close?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it was just an early morning train.
MCLEAN: Yes, a lot of people in the same boat. So, you know, as you walk along, the lineup, Becky, the answers that we've gotten are most people are expecting to wait five or six hours. Some people expecting to wait 20 hours, we've been told.
Ma'am, just wondering how long you guys are expecting to wait today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hopefully, we're hoping to be invited on midday or something like that.
MCLEAN: And why is this worth it for you guys to, you know, spend half your day in this lineup?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's -- for me, it's a historic event. We've got a few -- my son with us as well, so it's a family affair. And I just think what the queen has done for so -- since she came to the throne. It's just been magnificent and will never be repeated.
MCLEAN: What does the queen mean to you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think she's just always been there for all of us, for all of our lives, really. And everyone in our family, that's here know that we've lost, you know, she's been a part of their lives as well. So, constant.
MCLEAN: She has definitely been a constant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MCLEAN: Thank you. And Becky, I have to tell you, you know, we were talking to people in the front of the line yesterday who had waited, some of, two nights overnight to actually be among the first in line. And they all said that, look, what was remarkable is the sort of camaraderie, the friendship amongst strangers that people had while they are waiting in line. It just sort of this shared common bond around this person that they really had a deeply held admiration for.
Of course, a lot of people are like the women that we just met who so that they want to be part of history. They want to witness history. Other people are, may be dedicated monarchists, you could call them. They would never miss a royal event, the jubilee, anything like that. But most people, it seems, that you talk to just sort of have a deep admiration for the queen, and they wanted to be here to show their respect.
ANDERSON: Well, the weather is doing people a favor. Because one, it's a little chilly. It's not wet, and it's certainly warmer than it can be at this time of year. How have authorities, sort of, set up facilities for those who are queuing, because five, six, seven hours is an awfully long, time isn't it?
MCLEAN: It is, yes. So, there are porta-potties all along the route, porta-loos as they call them in this country. They're also giving people wristbands, at some point in the line, they haven't gotten them out to people here.
[02:35:00]
But certainly, toward the front of the line, they're handing out wristbands so that when you have one of those, it's OK for you to leave the lineup and then come back. Unfortunately, it's a little bit more difficult at this stage because the line is constantly moving. So, you really won't be able to go for a very long time because it'll be difficult for you to find your place in line.
It's also a really herculean effort, Becky, in terms of the police and the security. There were some 1,000 volunteers and police who are out to try to secure and make sure that the queue is moving smoothly. And there are hundreds of police as well who have come from outside of London, from all across England, and I've seen them even from Wales as well.
ANDERSON: It's a particularly British thing isn't it to be able to queue for hours and hours. Scott, thank you, getting perspective from those who are down on the river as they move through what has been -- a couple of miles along the river until they get that opportunity to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall.
Well, as people across the United Kingdom and around the world mourn her, they are also keeping a key eye on Princes William and Harry. The brother bound by the tragedy of their mother's death when they were just youngsters. But as adults, their relationship has become strained and somewhat complicated. Here's CNN's Salma Abdelaziz.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): Prince William and Prince Harry, solemnly march behind the coffin of their grandmother. Two brothers united in grief. The brothers, coming together publicly for the first time since the platinum jubilee in June. Together they laid flowers at a memorial for Queen Elizabeth. And later had dinner with the rest of the royal family at Buckingham Palace, a source told CNN.
The current moment, reminiscent of a childhood tragedy for the pair. The loss of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. After her death, the brothers appear to have a close bond. But the princes would drift apart. William polished his image as he became poised to ascend the throne, while Prince Harry's marriage to American divorcee and Hollywood actor, Meghan Markle, led to rifts.
The couple stepped back from the royal duties and relocated to the United States in 2020. In 2021, Buckingham Palace announced the queen, Prince Harry and Meghan agreed they would not return as working members of the royal family. The split between the brothers became every more an apparent as Harry and Meghan gave a tell-all interview to Oprah Winfrey.
PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: I love him to bits. He's my brother. We've been through hell together. And we have a shared experience. But we, you know, we were on different paths.
ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): Before the divisions, the brothers have spoken other closeness.
PRINCE WILLIAM, PRINCE OF WALES: but we have been brought closer because of the circumstances as well, that's the thing.
CATHERINE, PRINCESS OF WALES: Yes.
PRINCE WILLIAM: You know, you are -- you know, uniquely bonded because of what we've been through.
ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): On the day of the queen's death, the two arrived separately to Balmoral. William by plane, Harry in a car. But soon after, they made a public appearance with their wives, walking together as the united family. Leaving many wondering whether this is a brief moment of reconciliation or a lasting reunion. Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And a lot more from London in the hours to come. First, let's get you back to Kim at CNN Center in Atlanta.
BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much, Becky.
A looming strike by 60,000 rail workers here in the U.S. is threatening to put a major dent in the U.S. economy. The Biden administration is meeting with union leaders and labor negotiators to try to reach an agreement. But one source says don't expect an agreement anytime soon. The strike could disrupt deliveries to grocery stores, farms, gas stations, and water treatment plants. Amtrak has already suspended all long-distance routes and is warning of more cancellations to come.
Florida governor, Ron DeSantis is claiming credit for sending two planeloads of undocumented immigrants to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. State's representative Dylan Fernandez tweeted, our island jumped into action putting together 50 beds, giving everyone a good meal, providing a play area for the children, making sure people have the healthcare and support they need.
Local officials say they had no advanced notice. Listen to this.
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BARBARA RUSH, ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH: Martha's Vineyard Community Services had 50 people, sort of, literally walk up to their front door. From what we found out by talking to the people, they're originally from Venezuela. They were flown here. We're not sure what plane brought them here, or how they got in a plane to here. They did tell us they came from Texas, and they walked from the airport to Martha's Vineyard Community Services.
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BRUNHUBER: DeSantis is following the lead Republican governors in Texas and Arizona, sending migrants to so-called sanctuary states and cities including New York and Chicago.
All right, still to come, with Russia's war effort. Struggling Vladimir Putin is hoping a meeting with China's leader in the coming hours will bring some much-needed diplomatic support.
Plus, a powerful typhoon weakens as it moves across China. But a new storm threat is on the horizon. We'll have the latest forecast coming up, stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine's leader got a firsthand look, Wednesday, at the recently recaptured city of Izium, in the Kharkiv region. Before Ukraine's lightning counteroffensive, it had served as a key logistics hub for Russian forces.
For more on this, Peter Layton is a visiting fellow with the Griffith Asia Institute and he joins me now from Brisbane, Australia. Thanks so much for being here with us. So, the speed and success of this Ukrainian counteroffensive has taken most experts by surprise, not to mention the Russian military. Why do you think they've been so successful so far?
PETER LAYTON, VISITING FELLOW, GRIFFITH ASIA INSTITUTE: It's an excellent question. Certainly, all the experts thought that such a breakthrough would not be possible for several months. I think we have to think about the war in the east there. And if you think about the full-range of the battle area, it's a fairly thin line on both sides. It's a very long line, about 2,100 kilometers long with a small force to space ratio.
All that complicated talk means is that once you get a small breakthrough, you can expand behind it, because the Russian line is like a piece of pastry crust, if you like. Once you get through the front line of troops, it seems in that area, there were no reserves. So, the front crumbled very quickly indeed. I think that people were caught unawares that the Russian front line was that thin, and there weren't any reserve forces available.
BRUNHUBER: It's an interesting metaphor, this pastry crust. There's a -- talk to me about the importance of momentum and morale on this. What role is that playing.
LAYTON: Well, certainly the troops on the northeast up there, in the northeast path of the full-range of the battle area appear to be second rate troops. The Russians have moved most of their high-quality forces down to the south to Kherson. So, the northeast troops were holding the line. So, defensive troops only, not offensive troops.
And certainly, the Russian troops themselves appear to be a growing tired of the war, and the morale is bad, and they're finding it hard to get replacement soldiers when they are killed or injured. The Ukrainians, on the other hand, have a great will to win. And there is certainly no doubt that they're confident soldiers now, and they're also very keen to finish this war.
BRUNHUBER: But there is only so far, a will to win will carry you from a Ukrainian perspective.
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So, can Ukraine hold, or will Russia be able to regain what they conquered once they sort of regroup?
LAYTON: And certainly, the Russian are forces are numerically larger. And there's certainly a chance that a Russian counterattack will be to success. By the same token, the Russian forces are now spread out along the line, and getting them to regroup again will take a finer time.
So, they have about six weeks left in the campaigning season before autumn, and winter really sets in. So, the Ukrainians have to hang on, I suppose, for about a month and a half. Now, bear in mind, the Ukrainians have a slight advantage. And if they do have long-range artillery and rocket systems, so they'll be trying to stop any Russian buildup. They'll be trying to halt any logistics or support places behind the lines that they have captured too.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, and all of that, the U.S. military aid has been crucial and they plan to say -- to announce even more of that. So, what does all of this mean in terms of Russia's goals? Do they have to reappraise them now? Does it mean Russia's bid to take all of the Donetsk and the Luhansk regions, is that dream over?
LAYTON: I think that dream's over. I mean, I suppose the Russians have been changing their goals from the very first day of this war when things haven't worked out how they originally thought. I think at the present time that they're hoping for, if you like, a frozen conflict, that they'll keep what they have. And they'll try and simply hold on to that rather than mount any fresh offensive, certainly, over the winter period. The German chancellor spoke to President Putin. And President Putin still seems to think this war is a good idea. But on the ground, they are not making progress and they are losing ground. So, there is talk the Russians are manning a spring offensive in 2023. But that is a long way away and a lot of things might happen before then.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely, as we've just seen. We'll have to leave it there. Peter Layton, thank you so much for your expertise and analysis. We really appreciate it.
LAYTON: Thank you.
BRUNHUBER: Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Central Asia for his first visit abroad since the COVID pandemic. Right now, he is in Uzbekistan for a regional summit where he'll meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming hours. And they're expected to talk about Ukraine and Taiwan, among other issues. President Xi first visited Kazakhstan on Wednesday where he discussed ways to further a comprehensive strategic partnership with his Kazakhstani counterpart.
CNN's Steven Jiang joins us live from Beijing. So, Steven, in the context of the Putin's struggles in Ukraine, this meeting between Xi and Putin takes on added significance. Walk us through what we're expecting at the summit?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BIEJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, Kim. Just like he has been doubling down on zero-COVID at home, it's pretty safe to say Xi Jinping will double down on his commitment to the so-called no- limits partnership with Russia and with Putin, personally. And Putin, as you mentioned, could certainly use a boost like this at a time when the Russian troops are not doing so well on the battlefield.
Now this, of course, is taking place despite Beijing's public claim of neutrality on the war. But that position was, in a way, betrayed by one of Xi's most senior officials last week, when the number three leader in the communist party told his Russian counterpart that China, "Understands Russians -- Russia's reason to launch this war," because they were backed into the corner by the U.S. and NATO on its core interest. And he even pledged to further "Coordinated actions between the two sides".
But these remarks really a reflection of what's been going on the past few months where the two countries, not only maintaining but strengthening bilateral ties on all fronts, diplomatically but also economically, and even militarily. The two strongman leaders, very much sharing the sense of besiegement from the west. And they're eager to create and promote a new world order not led by the U.S. And that's very much what for this regional summit in Uzbekistan is all about.
But the dilemma or the challenge faced by Xi Jinping now, of course, is the Central Asian nations China's been so eager to cultivate closer ties with are the same nations considered to be Russia's backyard. And these nations harboring very strong suspicion of Putin's intention.
So, it's really going to be something a lot of people are watching closely, how Xi strikes a delicate balance. But of course, here in China, the state media is very much focusing on his so-called global statesmanship just one month before a key communist party meeting where it's all but certain that Xi is going to assume a precedent- breaking third term. Kim.
BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll be watching. Steven Jiang in Beijing, we really appreciate it.
A powerful tropical storm is moving across China after battering the Eastern Coast on Wednesday. Muifa made landfall as a typhoon with towering waves and strong winds nearly 160 kilometers per hour. It traveled north, dumping torrential rains on China's most populated city, Shanghai.
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But a new tropical storm is brewing in the Pacific with typhoon potential as well. Meteorologist Derek Van Dam joins me with the latest. So, Derek, yes, back-to-back storms here. What are we expecting?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we've highlighted them here on our map as well. You can see Muifa that's made landfall, again, across Eastern China. Here is the second tropical storm that's waiting in its wings. This is tropical storm Nanmadol. And it is starting to get its act together as well. It's got its eyes set on Southern Japan. We'll highlight that in just one moment.
But the more immediate threat, let's get to where Muifa is going. This made landfall, again, within the last 24 hours, just along the coastline of Eastern China near Shanghai. It's 160 kilometers per hour. Some wind gusts were clocked in at 150 for some of those locations, just incredible to see that.
And as the storm races northward it is moving over cooler ocean waters. And it's allowing for it to become disorganized as it interacts with land and it will weaken as it continues to race to the northeast. So, it's going to rain itself out, and the winds there are -- we're seeing improving conditions.
But here's tropical storm Nanmadol. And it is over the Western Pacific, 100 kilometer per hour sustained winds. But notice that spiral shape to the cloud cover, that is a good indication that it is strengthening. And that, indeed, shows that on our official forecast track from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Look at that. By two days from now, it should be a typhoon with winds of 215 kilometers per hour, as it edges closer to Okinawa, as well as the Kagoshima region into southern portions of mainland Japan.
That would be for the second half of the weekend and then into the early parts of next week. We got to watch out for the potential for strong heavy rain and wind across this area, as well as the Korean Peninsula. So, multiple storms lining up, once again, over the Western Pacific coming alive. Kim.
BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate it. Derek Van Dam, thanks so much. California's Mosquito Fire has now burned an area nearly half the size of Chicago, becoming the State's biggest fires so far this year. Firefighters have been working tirelessly to contain the flames and lay down control lines as the fire grows. But now they're worried the fire could move into forests with plenty of dry materials. Officials are hoping cooler temperatures and lighter winds in the forecast hold true.
All right, still to come, could the end of the pandemic be within reach? The World Health Organization is optimistic given current trends, but has issued a new warning.
Plus, a dramatic moment caught on camera as a melting glacier breaks apart and falls into the river below, will have details coming up. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: A massive global failure is what the Lancet COVID-19 Commission calls the death toll from coronavirus. In a new report, the group pointed out multiple missteps taken during initial responses to the virus. It called for countries to be better prepared and cooperate more in the future. The group of experts added, "Too many governments have failed to adhere to basic norms of institutional rationality and transparency. Too many people, often influenced by misinformation, have disrespected and protested against basic public health precautions, and the world's major powers have failed to collaborate to control the pandemic."
The World Health Organization says the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight.
[02:55:00]
Speaking on Tuesday, the group's director general warned against losing steam in the battle with the coronavirus. Noting, the world has never been in a better position to end the pandemic. Listen to this.
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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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BRUNHUBER: While noting the risk of more variants and death to the virus, the W.H.O. also announced the lowest number of reported COVID- related deaths last week since the start of the pandemic. New cases around the globe have also shown a steady drop.
A federal jury has found singer R. Kelly guilty on multiple charges of child pornography and enticement. He was acquitted on several other charges. The judges heard three works -- three weeks-worth of testimony, including from a woman who said Kelly sexually abused her and recorded the interactions when she as young as 14. Kelly's attorney says they may appeal the verdict.
Now to Chile, where tourists managed to capture an extreme event in nature. You're looking here at this video taken at a national park in the country's Patagonia region where a heat wave and increased rainfall caused this glacier to break apart, as you can see, falling more than 200 meters into the water below. Experts say events like this are actually common, but the frequency at which they are now happening is troubling, and another example of climate change.
Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard has given up his company in an effort to fight climate change. He transferred ownership of the outdoor apparel company to two entities that will use profits to protect nature and biodiversity. Patagonia and its founder have been passionate supporters of environmental causes. A small percentage of the company's stock will fund the trust, ensuring Patagonia can never legally deviate from its founder's wishes.
All right. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Our coverage continues with Becky Anderson, at Westminster Bridge, and Rosemary Church here in Atlanta after this short break. You're watching CNN.
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