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Extreme Weather Around The World; The World May Hear From ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi For The First Time Since Last May; Are Two Clintons More Persuasive Than One?; Donald Trump Lashes Out At Hillary Clinton's Campaign Companion. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired December 27, 2015 - 5:00   ET

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


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[05:00:00] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: These tornadoes, wildfires and more. We are following the mayhem caused by extreme weather and untold damage in the United States and beyond.

Our two Clintons, more persuasive than one. Donald Trump lashes out at Hillary Clinton's campaign companion, a person who knows a thing or two about running for president.

And what would Jesus drink? We give you a taste of the sort of wine enjoyed in the Holy Land two millennia ago.

From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell. CNN Newsroom starts right now.

Have a good day to you. We start with the extreme weather around the world this day from tornadoes to flooding and wildfires.

In Australia, fire official say a mammoth bushfire might keep burning into the New Year. Four Latin American countries are reeling from the worst flooding they've seen in years. More than 100,000 people had evacuated their homes in Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil.

And in the State of California, people are being forced to evacuate after this, a fast moving wildfire that has burned nearly 500 hectares or some 1200 acres since Friday.

In the southern State of Alabama, there are fears that some rivers may overflow their levees. And in Texas, eight deaths are now attributed to a storm system that included at least one powerful tornado.

Texas official say five of the people killed were inside their vehicles that were hit by that tornado.

There's been significant damage reported in the Dallas metro area. One family described how they were simply lucky to get out of their home alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our daughter's car is in the kitchen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow. Your daughter's car is in the kitchen?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her car is in the garage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's in the kitchen here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the back of your house?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And my husband's car was in the driveway, it's out and around into the alley.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the alley, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But her car is in the kitchen and it was in the garage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: From Texas to Northern England, floods are also causing misery there. Prime Minister David Cameron will convene a cabinet meeting on Sunday to address the situation.

As of now, 24 severe flood warnings are in effect, and hundreds of homes have been evacuated.

ITN's Martha Fairlie has a look at some of the worst hit areas.

MARTHA FAIRLIE, ITN CORRESPONDENT: The Boxing Day deluge have been predicted but there was nothing homeowners could do to stop the rising water. At one point, 15,000 homes were left without electricity as power cuts affect to the center of Rochdale.

The water inside the restaurant of building which had stood toll for over 200 years on the banks of the River Irwell, another casualty of the rising river levels. And in Radcliffe, a gas main exploded.

In Woolley, Lancaster, the river colder flooded the main road, cutting the village in two and flooding businesses and homes. Some families who were evacuated return this evening to assess the damage and salvage possessions. But the clean-up here will take months.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the first time we've been in this states. McKesson & Robbins has been here for 50 years. Heinrich (ph) Shackleton is been here for 52 years and never ever, it's totally unprecedented.

FAIRLIE: Efforts to keep the rising waters at bay where seemingly futile and emergency services and the army were drafted in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we can go into the houses that are likely still flooding in the doors asking the people to leave. I'm telling them the situation and then registering their response so we're helping them to evacuate their property, or registering whether they say that they want to leave and then taking that information possibly to the police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There we go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FAIRLIE: The force of the flood water swept away the Red Rocks foot bridge at Hoghton on the River Darwen. While in doubt, homeowners attempted to bailout their properties as the river levels continued to rise.

Parts of Manchester City Center were also submerge as the River Irwell burst its banks.

The M62 Motorway was shut after 20-foot sinkhole appeared in the carriage way. A months' worth of rain has already come down over the course of one day. And with a continuing to fall this evening, residents are wondering when it will all end.

Martha Fairlie, ITV News, Lanchester.

HOWELL: In the southeastern United States, several states are dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding during the Christmas holiday. Some states even hit record levels of rainfall, leading to flooding which damage hundreds of homes and has caused at least 17 deaths.

CNN correspondent Nick Valencia has more.

[05:04:59] NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Over the course of the last few days, portions of the southeastern United States have been absolutely battered by a string of storms. Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia all hit hard and portions of their state. The bad news is more storms could be yet to come.

Severe weather batters several southern states, heavy rains hammer parts of Alabama. The water made some roads impossible. Rescue crews helping residents trapped in their homes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The damage was done that was confined to approximately one square mile, we have three structures, three houses that collapsed. We transport it, one person from the scene, there were two others that was removed from the structure that were reported no damage -- no injuries.

VALENCIA: Alabama's governor declared a state of emergency because of widespread flooding. At least 117 homes overcome by water. In Georgia, the rain damage roads and made driving treacherous.

And in Mississippi, flood warnings and relentless rain add more misery to areas already devastated by tornadoes that killed at least eight people in the state. Many roads are flooded and some people are dealing with rising water in their homes.

In Wren, Mississippi, Victor and Tamika Hale watched as their home of 10 years was overtaken by water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible) the lawn mower, the trailer, it just floated away, the garbage can and everything gone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It happened so fast. We have to get up and get out of the way. Rain is going away too fast.

VALENCIA: The couple and their 9-year-old son now homeless and staying with relatives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's discouraging when we lost everything. My child, he didn't get any Christmas items.

VALENCIA: The Storm Prediction Center says the risk for violent weather has dropped dramatically, but the threat is still out there.

Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

HOWELL: So, you get a sense there of the damage the destruction that has been left in the path of these storms and fires.

Derek Van Dam joins us. Derek, where do we start?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: There are calamities across the world at the moment and it seems like the United States has this fair share at the moment as well. And there was a tornado in Dallas that was particularly bad.

At late Saturday evening, about 6.45, local time, it's considered a nocturnal tornado, meaning that takes place after the sun set and this can be extremely dangerous.

(CROSSTALK)

HOWELL: It's a worse time.

DAM: It's the worse time because not only can you not see it but sometimes people are sleepy so they can't heed the warnings. That also brought a lot of people's nightmares to reality as well.

Take a look at this, George, I want to show you something. Some storm chasers actually spotted this and took this video footage that we're going to show you that's behind me. Look at the power lines and the electrical -- the electricity getting snapped from the strength and the fury of the tornado just illuminating the background there.

So, you can see just how wide the tornado actually is. Almost a mile wide according to reports that I've been looking around Twitter and the National Weather Service coming around of that area and it has been an extremely active nights.

And I hate to say this but it doesn't look as if it's over for Eastern Texas, not particularly Dallas. But I'm talking Houston into the Lousianna region.

More on that in just a second. Boxing Day, we saw six reported tornadoes, even one lone tornado in Oklahoma as well. The National Weather Service still has to assess the damage once that first glimpse of sun starts to peak its head over the horizon early on Sunday morning, and then it will start to see the extent of the damage that took place.

This is the radar, that's the actual tornado super cell that moved through the Dallas Fort Worth metro area. Fortunately, it didn't make its way through the actual city center, but nonetheless, it still went through an extremely populated part of that particular region. Dallas County being the second most populous county in all of Texas.

A very complex weather system taking place across the central of U.S. Let me try and break it down for you to show you what's coming next. Severe storms slides ever so slightly to the east behind it. We wrap in very cold there that's why it changed that precipitation from liquid into the frozen variety, you know what that means, a winter mass. We have the possibility of freezing rain and heavy snow.

In fact, a full blown blizzard expected across the Panhandle of Texas, as well as Oklahoma. Here's our main threat for severe weather this Sunday. Houston, three or four, Little Rock, Jackson, and New Orleans, you're in the firing line for the potential of tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hails.

So, take a necessary precaution. Now prepare yourself for later on Sunday evening when we start to get that heating from the sun that's when we typically see our thunderstorms to develop.

Here is the latest watches and warnings across the nation. We've extended that winter storm watch into Michigan and Wisconsin, that's for freezing rain.

Anyone traveling for the end of the holiday weekend. And there's our blizzard threat across New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. Get this, we could have three to five foot snow drifts by the time this storm is all set and done.

[05:09:58] On top of that we have a very saturated environment. We've been talking about flooding, there is more rain to come localized to 10 inches or more on the ground, that means the National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for many locations. St. Louis, look out, you've got the possibility of heavy rainfall and flooding as well.

There is a set up going into Monday, people are heading back to work perhaps or celebrate in a little extra long this weekend for the holidays is going to be rough out there, George, and people are going to want to pay very close attention to the weather forecast.

HOWELL: And especially at night. You know, I remember covering a tornado at night, you know, when you can't see it.

DAM: Yes.

HOWELL: And the best thing you can see, you know, you can see when those tornado hits those power lines, you can see the power line hits. You hear the sirens but you don't know where that thing is.

DAM: Right. It only illuminate the tornado for a brief seconds and then it goes back into its darkness

HOWELL: Thankfully, you know, when people can get out of the way, get to shelter and keep in touch with people like you, you know, who are tracking this, the most important thing. Derek, thank you so much.

DAM: That's true.

HOWELL: And obviously, from the damage you saw many of the victims of the storms, they are now homeless. So, if you would like to help you can go to our web site, cnn.com/impact, you can get plenty of information there about what you can do.

Turning now to wildfire on two different continents, first in Southern California, where the Solimar fire has burned more than 1200 acres, so that's about 500 hectares, but is now about 60 percent contained.

CNN correspondent, Sara Sidner has the story.

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The holiday interrupted by a sudden ferocious brushfire. Within hours it turned into an inferno Saturday, in the hills of Ventura County, California. Hundreds of firefighters jumping into action from the sky and land to deal with the terrible combination. Drought-stricken lands, strong winds, and brittle burning brush.

The fire so intent that it closed down a section of one of the most picturesque highways in the state, the Pacific Coast Highways. It also closed down a portion of US101, a workhorse of a highway.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These homes are right along the seashore. I mean, if you step at the backyard your feet are wet. But this fire just happen to blow down right at the Solimar area in almost alignment with the wind. There were -- there was a fuel bed long enough to carry it toward those homes. We were fortunate, we recognize the threat immediately and deployed engines into that area and successfully defended those structures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: The fires burning hundreds of acres in Ventura County which lies between Santa Barbara to the north and Malibu to the South. Population, nearly 850,000. The evacuation have been ordered as the fire burns closer and closer to homes and structures.

And an even worse scenario looms. Ventura County is home to an oil field. It's conceivable. The fire could make its way there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a very dynamic, if you look up on the hillside you can see a lot of smoke. Whether we open something up is still a dynamic situation. And it could change or could even if we do open up the roadways, is that it's still not a contained fire. So, I just want to caution you that any openings that do happen is at a subject to being closed again if the fire changes direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Firefighters are working to head off disaster. Unfortunately, after the worse drought in 100 years, this is a scene that is sure to be repeated far too many times in 2016.

HOWELL: That was CNN's Sara Sidner reporting for us.

And now on to Australia, that is where crews are working to fully contained bushfires that destroyed at least 100 homes in Victoria State. The fires also shut down part of the Great Ocean Road, the popular scenic highway. The emergency officials are warning that dry conditions could make the situation with the fires worse and cause more fires.

For more on this let's bring in CNN producer, Joel Labi who joins us. And, Joel, you are from Australia, you can give us a good sense of, you know, the region and what's happening. But these particular fires, what's the latest?

JOEL LABI, CNN PRODUCER: Well, the latest is that the fire authorities are saying that the fire is subdued but not under control.

So, what they're looking at the moment is containing, building containment lines along these towns just south of Lorne, which is on the Great Ocean Road, a very popular tourist destination like what we're seeing on Route 101, it's a very similar set up.

They're trying to make sure that the flames don't spread because New year or even New Year's Day they are expecting temperatures in the mid to high 30 Celsius over a 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I mean, these are conditions that if the winds whip up...

HOWELL: Right.

LABI: ... this is -- this is just could be catastrophic fire condition and the blaze is already big enough. I just want to let you know that the intensity of the blaze as well that the Emergency Management Commission or who is essentially heading up the operation to stop this blaze said the other day that the run of this place and its intensity would have shortly cause lives in the past. Which I found extraordinary because everybody was able to clear out without massive home losses.

But few years ago, without this management preparation that we've got now the outcome could have been much worse. [05:15:02] So, we're looking now at planning, preparing. Hopefully,

New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, the conditions are a little bit calm on what they're hoping for.

HOWELL: And, Joel, just briefly here, what about the people, so, you know, you've got 116 homes, you know, that were lost, what about the people who now don't have homes?

LABI: This is the worse part of the bushfire, you get out alive and need to find out that everything you own has now gone. One hundred sixteen homes, what the fire crews were doing throughout yesterday was taking people on two of the fire devastated areas because this is simply too unsafe to go back there.

And what we heard from the Emergency Commission as well, and the people handing the situation out there just how traumatizing this sort of loss is on the people that have in fact, lost everything.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) understandably, just really wanted to just sort of look and take it in and really all you can do is trying to support them. We won't be letting the people back in. We won't be able to if it's not safe to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Wow.

LABI: And that just goes back, George, to what I was saying earlier that this blaze could flare up at any moment. The amount of land that it is scourged is huge at this stage, and we can only hope that the conditions are more favorable in the days to come. And the way that they are looking at it now two-thirds of the town still remains standing and they want to keep it that way.

HOWELL: Joel Labi, thank you for your insight. And we'll stay in touch with you, obviously following the situation in Victoria State.

LABI: Absolutely.

HOWELL: You're watching CNN Newsroom. And still ahead, Iraqi forces for a victory against ISIS. Ahead, we'll have the latest in the fight for Ramadi.

Plus, our CNN correspondents sit down to discuss Russia's role this year on the international stage and the impact around the world.

This is CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm George Howell.

The world may be hearing from the ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi for the first time since last May. An audio message claiming to be from this shadowy commander surfaced on ISIS affiliate social media over the weekend.

Meanwhile, rebels in Northern Syria have captured a major dam from the terror group. The Tishrin Dam is about 22 kilometers, or that's about 14 miles from the ISIS' stronghold, the supposed capital of Raqqah making it a significant tactical victory.

[05:20:08] ISIS forces are closing in on ISIS positions in the middle of Ramadi. The military and the terrorist have been locked in a brutal battle, a fight there for the strategic city west of Baghdad. Iraqi troops have rescued more than 100 families who were trapped by the fighting.

Meantime, an air strike by Iraq's Air Force has killed an ISIS commander.

For the very latest on this, let's on to CNN's Robyn Kriel who joins us now live from London. Robyn, what is the latest in this effort to retake all of Ramadi?

ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What we know in addition to that airstrike that killed a fairly a high level commander that they have also Iraqi forces on the ground in Ramadi who are slowly edging towards taking at the city center have also captured one high level commander on the ground alive. They say his name is Abu Bakr, not to be confused with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head if ISIS.

But they say that he is providing of intelligence in terms of just how many ISIS fighters are on the ground. We initially understood that there were 300 to 500 foreign fighters in Ramadi who are allegedly are supposed to be fighting to the death.

But we do know that they have suffered some losses, 20 on the first day when the initial onslaught was launched by the Iraqi forces when they cross over that bridge and took several district from the Humaira side of the city and moving north towards this crucial city center.

There are about half a kilometer, we understand, away from this crucial city center where the government compound used to be where now ISIS' strong holders.

HOWELL: And as these forces continue their push again to retake all of the city, obviously, there are people there are civilians who are caught in the crossfire. You know, what do we know about in helping to secure and rescue these families?

KRIEL: Well, that's part of the reason why this wasn't an operation that was over in a matter of hours and even though it is just a few blocks that they still have to, still have to retake. They are controlling about three quarters of the city at the moment, that is the Iraqi defense forces. So, about 30 percent still in ISIS, on militants hands.

But the reason that is taking so long to secure the city is because of both the booby traps, as you mentioned, ISIS' had a long time to set the city up for a -- for an operation like this to make sure that they inflict maximum casualties on Iraqi forces trying to retake the city, but also because of civilians. ISIS prevented a number of civilians, or at least 10,000, we understand from leaving.

And so, those people will be caught in the crossfire used essentially by ISIS' as human shields. They have rescued about a 120 families, thus, far. They're allowing them safe passage out of the city out of the ISIS stronghold. But they do believe there are still many, many more inside.

And they are asking families to raise white flags outside of their homes so that the Iraqi defense forces do not believe that there an ISIS -- that there would be an ISIS home that would in fact be civilians.

HOWELL: The Iraqi defense forces making progress, but nonetheless, a very complicated situation that they are dealing with. CNN's Robyn Kriel is joining us live in London. Robyn, thank you so much for your reporting.

And a step towards a potential peace, the United Nations hopes to convince Syria's warrying parties for talks. As pledge, in a security council resolution that was just adapted just over a week ago. Syria has been embroiled in a Civil War for now almost five years.

The U.N. Special Envoy for Syria says he hopes the Assad government, the rebel opposition and country supporting either side are willing to come together. The peace talks are now set for January 25th to be held in Geneva.

Now to Russia's role in the fight against ISIS and the Syria peace process, it has change the whole foreign policy dynamic. And now, it puts Russia and its President, Vladimir Putin, once again, on the international stage.

Some of our CNN correspondent sat down to talk about that nation's role over the past year. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Russia literally acts with impunity on a global stage and gets people wagging their fingers at them. I mean, there is nothing that is stopping any of it. And either, you know, the West, the U.S. actually needs to step to up or say, you know what, we're getting out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are a lot of potential challenges that could come with not only Russia intervening in Syria right now and continuing to...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Flex its muscles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... flex its muscles but also repeat the NT kind of Western anti-NATO anti-American rhetoric.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The rising Russian nationalist.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But, you know, the Ukraine conflict could flare up at any moment.

[05:24:57] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But it sort of also the response of an extraordinary weak aging regime, Assad. Because you are seeing a population demographic aren't doing particular well, whose economy isn't doing particularly well, whose reaching out into foreign military adventures to try and retain a sense of relevance that we're not going to give it anyway, frankly, just buying its base.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But it works.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But look at them, I mean, it's really work. I mean, Putin has for better or for worse you can make that argument. But he is certainly commanded the world's attention.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no question...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He doesn't have easy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... that he has kind of feel a void that America has pulled back from and with a pretty negative impact I think from what we've seen in Ukraine and now in Syria and elsewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Putin operates without transparency. He doesn't have Congress to worry about, he doesn't have the media are asking him uncomfortable questions every time that he's turn checks to his agents.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't know checks and balances.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what he wants the next day, which is when you look Obama with all the problems he faces they can't operate in similar space.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which is a different set of camaraderie.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no shared language almost in a way that...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, one day he will no longer be the President of Russia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But for the time being there is a guy with surely, with apparently, limitless power who likes to throw his pen in the works for short term political game.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right. But it works. It has worked they made themselves relevant.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But what it could, it could lead to unexpected consequence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, there is nothing that's stopping any of it. And either, you know, the West, the U.S. actually needs to step it up or say, you know what, we're getting out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're done.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't do this in between thing anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But then, as some of them are former colony I always find that kind of narrative very worrying because the expectation that a super power should be the police officer of the world comes with a lot of exploitation, a lot of expectation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, sure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of what the return is going to be. I mean, the reality is...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure. Then if America is not going to be the police of the world then don't be the police of the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop promising or inadvertently promising people...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think President Obama has made very clear he doesn't want to be the police officer of the world. I don't think...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But he can't set Ryan then you're just going to sit back and watch what happens...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... then you're no longer able to wag your fingers about it and say I demanded that. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a diplomat such made to Middle Eastern dream of known American intervention in the regions finally happened and they are really not particularly happy about it frankly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: A great deal of insight there from correspondents who have covered this extensively.

You're watching CNN Newsroom.

And still ahead, with the first democratic primary approaching, Hillary Clinton looks to cement her lead with a very unique advantage. Details ahead.

Plus, we take you to Rome for the details on the final mass of 2015, as Pope Francis celebrates the Holy Family. That's story ahead as this broadcast continues live around the globe this hour on CNN worldwide.

[05:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: A warm welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. Good to have you with us. I'm Gorge Howell.

The headlines we are following for you this hour. At least eight people are dead after a powerful storm systems swept through the State of Texas, Officials believe at least five people. Five of those killed were struck by a tornado while inside their vehicles. Rain, driven by a powerful wind is expected to turn to snow later on Sunday.

Hopes are deeming in Shenzhen, China for more than 70 people missing from last week's landslide. The death toll is now at seven. This memorial you see here was held in their honor. Buildings were crashed last Sunday when a massive pile of construction debris gave out. Official there blame the disaster on safety violations.

Beginning January 1st, China will officially end its decades-old controversial one-child policy. The Chinese lawmakers approved a new law on Sunday. This law allows the couples to have two children. The change comes in response to that country's aging population.