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U.S. Approves Ukraine's Use of Long-Range Weapons in Russia; Controversial Matt Gaetz Appointment Raises Questions; Israeli Strike in Beirut Kills Hezbollah Spokesperson; World Leaders Meet in Rio de Janeiro; Morphing Wheel Aims to Revolutionize Wheelchair Mobility. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired November 18, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.

[00:00:32]

Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, a major shift in U.S. policy. Joe Biden authorizes Ukraine to use long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia.

Israeli airstrikes pound Beirut, killing Hezbollah's spokesperson while discussions are underway on a ceasefire proposal.

And as world leaders gather to curb global warming, negotiators appear to have hit roadblocks over a number of issues.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is NEWSROOM with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: And we begin with a significant shift in U.S. policy when it comes to the war in Ukraine.

President Joe Biden, for the first time, allowing Kyiv to use long- range U.S. weapons to strike deeper inside Russia. The decision had been under consideration for months as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed Washington for the green light in the hopes of changing the moment of the war.

But U.S. officials have been divided and concerned it could have escalated the conflict. A U.S. official says the weapons are to be used primarily in Russia's Kursk region for now, where Moscow has deployed nearly 50,000 troops to try to take back territory.

Thousands of North Korean troops are among those taking part in the Russian offensive. President Zelenskyy, with this message after news of the U.S. decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Today, there's a lot of talk in the media about us receiving permission for respective actions, but strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves. They certainly will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, this decision by President Biden comes with just two months left in office and a lot of uncertainty about future U.S. support for Ukraine when Donald Trump returns to the White House.

More now from CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ultimately, it's not clear what impact this decision is going to have on the battlefield. There simply aren't enough of these ATACM longer-range U.S. precision missiles to make a huge impact on Russia overnight.

And that, I think, was one of the elements of the U.S. decision-making process. They weren't really going to be able to give enough to Ukraine to hugely change the battlefield.

WALSH (voice-over): What is hugely important, though, is the amount of time in which President Joe Biden has said he simply didn't want to make this decision because of how escalatory the introduction of these weapons would be.

Well, here, he's made a complete volte-face and said, OK, I'm going to introduce this technology and allow Ukraine to hit deeper inside of Russia.

Now, I should point out that Ukraine and the gap, while waiting for the White House to make its mind up, has been developing longer-range drones, and they've been quite successful at hitting various airports; parts of Russian energy infrastructure; wreaking havoc, frankly, at a pretty low cost.

And indeed, it's a program that the U.S. decided to try and assist and fund, according to some reports, because it was doing quite so well.

But the symbolic nature of this is what is so entirely key. They won't necessarily have enough missiles to make a big difference, but this gets the United States deeper involved in Ukraine's war at an utterly key time.

The White House is saying this is a response to Russia's escalation of introducing North Korean troops into the fight most likely to retake the Kursk region that Ukraine invaded back in August.

But ultimately, we are seeing here the Biden administration, in its closing months, taking this significant step.

Now, it will likely complicate the life of Donald Trump. Potentially, he can reverse this decision when he becomes president on January the 20th in a matter of hours.

But it certainly puts the U.S. deeper inside this war and potentially will make the Kremlin maybe angrier and demand more at the negotiating table.

This also follows a very familiar pattern for the Biden administration, in terms of their aid they've been giving to Ukraine. We've seen with the HIMARS precision missiles, with the Abrams tank, with the F-16 jet, all things Ukraine has asked for for months and then been told by the White House they can't have them.

Allies have stepped forward and publicly and privately briefed how much they want this technology to be given to Ukraine. And then ultimately, almost when perhaps Ukraine has given up asking, that technology is furnished to Kyiv.

It's exactly the same story with these ATACMS. Now we are in an utterly key moment here. These new missiles may not change the battlefield. In fact, there have been some suggestions by U.S. officials that key attack aircraft that these missiles may have been aimed at have moved out of their range, deeper inside of Russia. Although some analysts have presented a long list of targets they could still potentially hit.

[00:05:11]

In the next two to three months, we're going to see Ukraine and Russia throw everything they can to put themselves potentially in the best position on the battlefield, ahead of the Trump administration.

WALSH: We don't know Trump's plan. We do know he thinks he can end the conflict in 24 hours. We do know that many of his top national security picks are not a fan of the endless assistance that NATO currently thinks it wants to provide Ukraine.

So, change is most likely coming, and they've spent much of the week talking to officials in European capitals about what that may indeed mean for the Western alliance behind Ukraine going forwards.

But we're going to see now these ATACM longer range missiles, part of the bid to give Ukraine a better hand ahead of any talks that may indeed come next year.

But the battlefield changing so fast, at this point in Russia's favor, we are looking for some very stark months ahead.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Ukraine, meanwhile, reporting widespread damage after Russia's largest aerial attack in months targeted the country's energy infrastructure.

The strikes across Ukraine also killed at least five people and triggered blackouts in several regions. President Zelenskyy says about 120 missiles and 90 drones were launched by Russia, but Ukraine's defense forces destroyed more than 140 of those.

A spokesperson for the U.N. secretary-general says he strongly condemns these latest Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, which will only increase the suffering of Ukrainians heading into the winter months.

And joining me now is Mick Ryan, a retired major general in the Australian army, former commander at the Australian Defense College. And his latest and recently released book is "The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire."

Always good to see you, Mick.

I want to start off with the reporting that President Biden is authorizing something Ukraine wanted for a long, long time. Those long-range weapons inside Russia.

How might that impact this conflict? And is there a risk it could be too little, too late?

MAJ. GEN. MICK RYAN (RET.), AUSTRALIAN ARMY: Yes. G'day, Michael.

Unfortunately, these missiles are probably going to have a very, very limited impact on this conflict. They've probably come about a year too late. The dithering in the Biden administration has given the Russians heaps of warning to be able to adapt and move their forces.

And frankly, Putin would be very satisfied that he's deterred the Biden administration this long from providing these missiles.

HOLMES: Yes, yes. I wanted to ask you, too, about this massive Russian attack on energy infrastructure. Far from the first time, of course.

You see it as another attempt to impact civilians with the winter getting underway hurting civilian morale and so on.

RYAN: Absolutely. These Russian attacks generally have several objectives. That is certainly one of them. They would like as many Ukrainians to leave the country as possible to put pressure on President Zelenskyy and also degrade the power available to Ukraine's defense industry.

So, it has a whole range of different outcomes. But principally, it's about projecting in the minds of the incoming Trump administration that Russia is winning this war, and it shouldn't support Ukraine.

HOLMES: And to that point, with winter, well, it's pretty much starting. It's pretty cold over there at the moment. And Russian forces advancing in the East.

How perilous is the situation for Ukraine right now, and especially if there are more such attacks on energy facilities and more advances on the battlefield?

RYAN: Well, it's pretty grim on the battlefield at the moment. On the ground, the Russians have actually accelerated the amount of territory they've taken per month since the Ukrainians went into Kursk.

The Ukrainians are really going to have to shore up their defenses over winter.

Their air and missile attacks are much, much higher per day than what we saw this time last year.

So, you know, the Ukrainians are heading into a much grimmer winter than they faced in the last three years.

HOLMES: Volodymyr Zelenskyy said -- it was interesting that he said this, too, because he doesn't want to give up territory or anything like that. But he said that the war will end sooner with Trump.

Do you have any thoughts on what he might mean by that? I mean, it is crystal ball stuff, but what sort of U.S. policy change might potentially be coming?

RYAN: Well, I mean, it's hard to know. I mean, no one really knows what the Trump administration is going to do, but there's a range of different scenarios we might imagine, including one where he gives an ultimatum to Putin, which Putin ignores. And then he really pluses up Ukraine's forces with a whole lot of equipment and training and munitions.

Otherwise, you know, it's actually hard to see Ukraine just rolling over and stopping the conflict now. It's worked very hard for three years to hold its territory.

I think it's going to have a pretty big say in these negotiations.

HOLMES: Yes. Surrendering of territory was one thing that was floated as a bit of a trial balloon for a negotiation, but Zelenskyy does not want to do that. And the people presumably don't either.

[00:10:08]

In fact, he said, you know, Ukraine must enter any future negotiations from a position of strength, that in his words, the country must be strengthened by some important elements to negotiate with Putin.

What would it take for Ukraine to be in that position of strength?

RYAN: Well, unfortunately, it's going to mean that the Ukrainians have to be supported so they can hurt the Russians even more than what they are at the moment.

They need to be -- they need to be able to up the number of Russian casualties and equipment.

So, you know, really put pressure on Putin and look at where he might be able to withdraw from areas of Ukraine. But at the moment, Russia has a strategic momentum. And without a change in strategy for the U.S. and NATO, it's difficult to see that changing.

HOLMES: It was interesting. Zelenskyy criticized the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, for speaking with Putin. To that point, what's your read on how united Europe is or NATO when -- when it comes to this conflict? RYAN: Well, I think by and large, Europe and NATO has been remarkably

united. And we've seen a really terrific reinvigoration of NATO over the last three years.

But there are outliers, whether it's Hungary or Austria. And every now and then, Olaf Scholz has this kind of brain explosion that really, I don't think, is going to help Europe or NATO negotiate a favorable outcome to -- for Ukraine, if indeed, that's what happens next year.

HOLMES: Always great analysis from Mick Ryan. Good to see you, mate. Thank you very much.

RYAN: Thanks, Michael.

HOLMES: Now, exiled Russian opposition leaders, including Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, rallied in Berlin on Sunday, calling for an end to the war in Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Thousands took part in the march to show that there are many Russians who disagree with the war but can't voice their opinions there because of repression in their homeland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXANDER KORNINOV, PROTESTER (voice-over): People here are demonstrating against Putin and for freedom. For freedom for Russia, for freedom of the Russian people from Putin's dictatorial regime and for the war to finally end. And with the conditions to return the territory that Russia took from Ukraine and that the deaths of the people there would not be in vain. We are protesting for this war to finally end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The protest ended at the Russian embassy with protesters holding up signs reading "Putin is a killer" and "No peace under Russian occupation."

Now here in the United States, President-elect Donald Trump continues to name the people he wants in top positions for his second term in office.

Late Sunday, he announced current federal communications commissioner Brendan Carr as his choice to become the agency's new chairman. Notably, the group's job is to regulate communications amid more than a dozen calls from Trump to revoke licenses from major television networks.

But the controversial selection that has much of Washington talking is still the choice of former House Republican Matt Gaetz for attorney general.

CNN's Steve Contorno with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump enters his second full week as president-elect with questions still remaining --

CONTORNO (voice-over): -- about some of the early picks for his incoming administration, especially around Matt Gaetz, his choice for attorney general.

There are questions as to whether or not senators will get to see the results of an ethics investigation into alleged sexual misconduct. Speaker Mike Johnson on "STATE OF THE UNION" on Sunday, discussing his views on whether or not senators should be able to see that report.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): The president and I have literally not discussed one word about the ethics report, not once. And I've been with him quite a bit this week between Washington and Mar-a-Lago. And last night in Madison Square Garden.

CONTORNO: Even as Republicans on the Hill speak out against Matt Gaetz and raise concerns over whether he can get the 51 votes needed for confirmation, there are already signs that some Republicans are moving toward yes.

Senator Markwayne Mullin, for example, of Oklahoma, he has previously voiced his displeasure with Gaetz. At one point, he said Gaetz showed him videos on the House floor of, quote, "the girls he had slept with."

But now, he says Gaetz should have a fair shot.

SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK): I've got a tough situation that I've got to set my personal opinions -- and they're really not opinions. I've got to set my -- I've got to set my personal situation with Matt to the side and look at the facts. And if he's qualified, he's qualified.

CONTORNO (voice-over): After spending some time in New York this weekend where he watched a UFC fight at Madison Square Garden, Donald Trump will remain in Palm Beach at his Mar-a-Lago estate as he continues to fill out his cabinet.

He still has to choose a treasury secretary --

CONTORNO: -- as well as secretaries for Commerce, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation and Education.

Steve Contorno CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[00:15:03]

HOLMES: California Senator-elect Adam Schiff tells CNN there is a bigger reason behind Gaetz's nomination. Speaking with Jake Tapper, he says it's a sign the president-elect will not -- will tolerate virtually no opposition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA), SENATOR-ELECT OF CALIFORNIA: I think he's not only unqualified, he is really disqualified. Are we really going to have an attorney general who there's credible allegations he was involved in child sex trafficking, potential illicit drug use, obstruction of investigation, who has no experience serving in the Justice Department, only being investigated by it.

But, Jake, I think the whole point with these nominees, several of them, is their unqualification, is their affirmative disqualification.

That's Trump's point, because what he wants to do with these nominees is establish that the Congress of the United States will not stand up to him with anything.

If they will confirm Matt Gaetz, they will do anything he wants. I mean, look how the speaker had to tie himself in knots a couple of days ago, saying the speaker, effectively, should stay out of this. There are important reasons for that. And then getting involved in this, reversing himself, tying himself into a pretzel to placate Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: It is just more than 60 days now until inauguration day in January, when Donald Trump reenters the White House. Buckle up.

Still to come here on the program, Israel takes out a key Hezbollah figure in an attack on Beirut, even as efforts continue to try to reach a ceasefire.

And world leaders are in Rio de Janeiro for a meeting of the G-20 group of nations. Their new plans to battle climate change, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Israeli forces killed Hezbollah's spokesperson, Mohammad Afif, in a strike on Beirut on Sunday.

It was followed by another deadly attack on the Lebanese capital hours later as Israel continues to ramp up its offensive deep inside Lebanon.

CNN's Nic Robertson explains how this move could impact ongoing ceasefire talks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, Mohammad Afif was a very significant figure in Hezbollah. Not a military commander, a keen and close advisor --

ROBERTSON (voice-over): -- to their leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in that massive Israeli airstrike on the 28th of September.

Subsequent to Nasrallah's killing, it became a much more sort of publicly engaged figure. He had been running the al-Manar TV station, which was Hezbollah's mouthpiece in Lebanon, but had given several press conferences over recent months. He was a fairly accessible figure to the media, if you will.

Why he has been killed now is unclear, and of course, this does come at a time when Lebanese government officials --

ROBERTSON: -- just a couple of days ago, had told CNN they expected Hezbollah to answer their decision about whether or not they would accept a U.S. proposal ceasefire with Israel.

[00:20:13]

That decision was expected in the coming days, by Monday even. Whether or not this was intended to have some effect on Hezbollah's decision making here, of course, not uncommon for a sort of high-level assassinations, these sort of last-minute maneuvers, if you will ahead of ceasefire deals.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): And whether or not this will have an impact on that ceasefire deadline isn't clear. The conditions of the ceasefire, according to sources I've been talking to, had told me that they were difficult for Hezbollah to accept.

But it appeared to them, at least, that Hezbollah was moving in that direction. The assassination attempt, or the assassination, rather, killing him, injuring three others.

And that was the fourth attack since 2006. The fourth attack in the center of Beirut. But only hours after, there was another attack, not clear as yet who or what the target may have been there.

But these rounds of strikes in the center of Beirut, a real upping of the ante, if you will, in this conflict with Hezbollah.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Lebanon's Health Ministry says that second Israeli attack on central Beirut Sunday killed at least two people and wounded more than a dozen others.

No evacuation warnings were given before the strike, which hit a densely populated Sunni majority neighborhood. CNN reached out to the Israeli military for comment.

Meanwhile, Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 50 people, and probably more, were killed in Israeli strikes in Northern Gaza on Sunday.

Video of the aftermath shows children panicking with some crying in the background and a toddler covered in blood. A local journalist says dozens of Palestinians displaced by Israel's

operation in nearby Jabalya refugee camp were sheltering in two of the houses that were hit.

World leaders are in Rio de Janeiro for the G-20 summit. Heads of state plan to address issues from poverty and hunger to reforming global institutions, as well as climate change.

This is U.S. President Joe Biden's final appearance at the meeting, and there is speculation about how the Trump administration will handle international issues.

For more, let's go to Marc Stewart, standing by in Beijing.

Good to see you, Marc. I mean, the world feels a lot of uncertainty with a second Trump administration. From where you are in China, does the G-20 perhaps serve as an opportunity for Beijing?

MARC STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Michael. Yes. No question. This is being seen as a moment of opportunity.

As the G-20 is set to get underway, we certainly have items that are on the agenda. But as often is the case, it's what happens on the sidelines that makes potential news.

And in the case of China, for President Xi Jinping and other Chinese diplomats who will come face to face with world leaders and other diplomats, this is another chance for China to promote itself as a stable force in the world.

You know, we heard from one analyst from a think tank who -- who summed things up. Amid the uncertainty that is now facing the United States with this incoming Trump administration.

This is a chance for China to really promote itself as a stable force of both peace and for development moving forward. And we've already seen that, this move by China to almost establish itself as a wedge between the United States and its allies.

It was just days ago, in Lima, right before the start of APEC, that we saw Xi Jinping help open up this brand-new port in Peru, a substantial infrastructure investment, $1.3 billion by the Chinese government in Peru. A way for it to show that, as the world's second largest economy, it has force and power well beyond its borders.

Michael, there's no question Xi Jinping will likely be talking with a number of world leaders just looking at the guest list. The prime ministers of Australia, Japan, India, and the U.K. are among the likely participants that we will see in Rio in the days ahead, Michael.

HOLMES: You mentioned Xi Jinping in -- in Peru, met with Biden when he was there. Do you think China has a better road map for U.S.-China relations with the incoming Trump administration? STEWART: Well, there's no question this is a time of mystique for China or for -- for China and other nations that are going to be dealing with a second Trump administration.

[00:25:03]

One thing that caught my attention was the language that Xi Jinping used in his conversations with President Joe Biden, talking about the need for win-win cooperation, mutual interests, peaceful coexistence.

These are all phrases that are being meant to send a signal to the incoming Trump administration that China is about stability. It's about communication.

But those phrases in particular are the exact phrases that Xi Jinping used in his congratulatory message to President-elect Trump.

So yes, there is this period of unknown. But Michael, China is trying to follow the diplomatic playbook very carefully.

HOLMES: Yes, absolutely. Always good to see you. Marc Stewart in Beijing. Appreciate it.

Now, after the break, the Philippines grappling with yet another typhoon emergency, its fourth in less than two weeks.

And scientists say global warming is increasing the severity and frequency of natural disasters worldwide. We can see that with our own eyes. But are governments ready to do what it takes to fight climate change? We'll discuss, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: U.S. President Joe Biden looking to make the fight against climate change a key part of his legacy. During a historic first presidential visit to the Amazon, Mr. Biden urged the incoming administration to continue to embrace the economic progress offered by a clean energy revolution.

He didn't directly name President-elect Donald Trump, who has, of course, questioned whether climate change even exists and vowed to reverse Mr. Biden's policies on gas and oil exploration.

But Biden delivered a clear message after an aerial tour of the Amazon rainforest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's no secret that I'm leaving office in January. I will have my -- I will leave my successor and my country in a strong foundation to build on, if they choose to do so.

It's true. Some may seek to deny or delay the clean energy revolution that's underway in America. But nobody -- nobody -- can reverse it. Nobody. Not when so many people, regardless of party or politics, are enjoying

its benefits.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, the role of governments in climate change was the focus of protests at the COP-29 climate conference. Demonstrators in Baku, Azerbaijan, called for rich nations to spend more to fight climate change.

They say developed nations are largely responsible for greenhouse gas emissions and should support poor countries heavily impacted by the consequences.

[00:30:07]

Now, this marks the third straight year the U.N. climate talks have been held in an economy that relies heavily on oil and gas, and this year's meeting has devolved into a string of boycotts and political tirades, with little progress made on a plan to scale up money to help cover natural disasters wrought by global warming.

Bill McKibben is the founder of Third Act, which organizes people over the age of 60 for action on climate and justice. He's also a contributing writer to "The New Yorker" and a distinguished scholar at Middlebury College.

It's good to see you, Bill.

Climate experts signed an open letter on day five of this COP, calling for a fundamental overhaul of the U.N. climate process and saying these COP talks are no longer fit for purpose. Are they right?

BILL MCKIBBEN, FOUNDER, THIRD ACT: Well, I mean, let's think about it.

There are 1,700 lobbyists, representing the sovereign nation of fossil fuel at these talks, more than any other country. The -- for the second year in a row, we're holding them in an oil state.

The head of Azerbaijan declared, in his opening remarks, that fossil fuels were a gift from God.

It doesn't really feel like they're making progress at anything like the pace we need them to be right now. So, yes, it would be a good idea if the U.N. fixed things.

HOLMES: You make -- you make a good point. I remember doing interviews in past COPs when that's been the situation with fossil fuel lobbyists.

I mean, you know, COP has become partly a trade show for the fossil fuel industry, with all the lobbyists. And as you point out, the host country's leader, oil and gas are gifts from God.

And even the COP being held in a petro state in the beginning. That doesn't really help, does it, with the messaging? MCKIBBEN: No, look, 80 percent of the world's people live in countries

that import fossil fuel instead of export it. And they have a very, very different set of interests around this transition to clean energy. And we should be paying a lot more attention to them.

HOLMES: Yes. Donald Trump ran on a platform of drill, drill, drill.

I mean, he's likely, obviously, to impact the effectiveness of the EPA. He's talked about again, pulling out of the Paris climate accords. How much could the coming Trump presidency impact efforts to curb emissions?

MCKIBBEN: Well, look the -- the best estimate I've seen indicates that the Trump administration, over four years, will add about 4 billion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere, which is the equivalent of the annual combined emissions of the E.U. and Japan. So, that's not good.

We don't need another continent's worth of carbon pouring into the atmosphere.

America made a grave mistake in electing him, and it will be a series of grave mistakes for the climate.

The only saving grace, if at all, here, is that the price of renewable energy continues to plummet. And it's getting so cheap that you really have to build the kind of political wall that Trump is building to keep solar and wind and batteries from fully breaking through.

HOLMES: Yes, I think it's cheaper to -- to finance a wind farm than a coal power station these days, to produce the same amount of energy.

I mean, having said that, there's still no hope. Or is there no hope of reaching a safe climate without substantive action from the United States, from China, from Europe and so on? And is there any indication of that substantive action coming from those places?

MCKIBBEN: Well, substantive action in the U.S. over the next four years will be confined to the states. But that's not marginal. I mean, California is the world's fifth biggest economy. It's bigger than Germany. And New York state is the world's 10th biggest economy.

So, there'll still be some things going on in the states. But effective leadership on global climate stuff has now passed to China. And pretty convincingly.

China is building more than half of the world's renewable energy now, and they're taking it seriously. We don't have a sense of what role they intend to play diplomatically.

I think we'll find out over the next 18 months. And I think that, if China is smart, they will use the clean tech revolution that they're heading as their path to true global legitimacy as a kind of leader of the 21st Century.

HOLMES: That's a great point. And in the meantime, we're seeing a fair bit of consensus that, you know, limiting temperature rise to 1.5 is unlikely. On the current trajectory, how much could we exceed it by, and what would be the impacts of our lives?

[00:35:03]

MCKIBBEN: On the current trajectory, we're going to double that.

HOLMES: Yes.

MCKIBBEN: We're headed for three degrees Celsius, unless we speed up this transition to clean energy dramatically.

It's possible to do that. We'd need to about double the pace at which were putting up solar panels to start meeting the targets we set in Paris.

Every 10th of a degree really counts. The latest evidence indicates that every 10th of a degree Celsius that we raise the temperature will force another 100 million people out of a kind of climate habitable zone.

So, that gives you some sense of what the stakes are for every 10th of a degree. That's why we're fighting so hard.

HOLMES: Yes. And -- and we need people like you to do that. Bill McKibben, we're out of time, but thank you so much.

MCKIBBEN: Thank you so much. You have a good night, Michael.

HOLMES: Now, the Philippines is recovering after Super Typhoon Man-yi swept through the main island of Luzon, home to more than half of the country's population.

More than a million people were ordered to evacuate ahead of the storm, which damaged several buildings in the area.

It is an unprecedented event, the fourth typhoon to strike the Philippines in less than two weeks.

And officials in India's capital are taking new measures to deal with a thick layer of toxic smog. The hazardous air quality in New Delhi has many residents wearing masks and all primary schools switching to online classes.

The government is also banning non-essential construction work. The city battles smog every winter as the cold air traps emissions, smoke, and dust.

And French farmers are protesting a possible trade deal between the E.U. and a bloc of South American countries.

The farmers used tractors to block a road near Paris on Sunday while they set up camp. They claim cheaper agricultural imports are not subject to the same standards as domestic produce in France.

Making the situation more difficult for French farmers, rain has damaged harvests, and disease has hit livestock. The South American trade group includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia. Still to come, removing limitations by literally reinventing the

wheel. How one group of engineers hopes to revolutionize personal mobility and beyond.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: how would life change for someone confined to a wheelchair if those wheels could take them literally anywhere?

Well, a group of engineers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials is making that dream a reality.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This wheelchair can move like no others can. Engineers in South Korea have developed a shape-shifting morphing wheel, calling it the world's first.

[00:40:05]

The wheel can shift between rigid and soft areas, providing stability on both flat ground and rocky paths. And it may even allow users to climb stairs.

All this without complex machinery or fancy sensors.

SONG SUNG-HYUK, PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER, KOREA INSTITUTE OF MACHINERY & MATERIALS (through translator): Traditional wheels are designed to retain a rigid, circular shape for stability on flat surfaces, which limits their ability to overcome obstacles.

However, our wheel maintains its round form on flat ground and softens only when navigating obstacles.

STOUT (voice-over): The wheels can reach speeds of 30 km or 18 mph.

The innovation behind these wheels is simple yet groundbreaking. The wheel's flexibility is inspired by the surface tensions found in liquid droplets, says the researcher.

SONG (through translator): When the force that pulls the outermost molecules of a liquid droplet inward increases, the droplet can maintain a stable, circular shape.

Similarly, our wheel is designed with a smart chain block on the outer edge. The greater the inward pull on this block, the more stably it maintains a round shape.

STOUT (voice-over): The wheel turns firm for stability when the wire spokes pull the block inward. When it's loosened, it softens, allowing the wheel to adapt to uneven surfaces.

Researchers see big potential for the wheel: from personal mobility to robots.

SONG (through translator): This modularized wheel can be attached to any mobile platform, simply by replacing existing wheels. Once installed, the wheel provides variable stiffness, adapting to each application.

STOUT (voice-over): Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And the Spanish Scrabble world championship has a new winner, and it's a man who doesn't speak a word of Spanish.

New Zealander Nigel Richards won the prize on Saturday just by memorizing Spanish words.

Remarkably, the 57-year-old pulled off a similar feat two other times when he won the French language scrabble world championship, despite not speaking French either.

Reports say he memorized a French Scrabble dictionary in just nine weeks. Richards also does pretty well in English, winning that world championship five times.

Pretty good.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Instagram, @HolmesCNN, and Bluesky, @HolmesTV.

I'll be back in 15 minutes with more news. Stick around, though. WORLD SPORT coming your way.

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