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Tel Aviv Shooter Remains at Large; New Putin Security Strategy Considers NATO a Threat; Mississippi Rising, Pope's New Year's Day Message; Several States On High Alert As Flooding Threatens Region; Presidential Candidates Ramp Up for 2016; The Next Big Things in Global Aviation. Aired 3-3:30a ET
Aired January 02, 2016 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: The hunt is on as authorities in Tel Aviv go house to house looking for the man who killed two people outside a pub.
Also ahead watching the Mississippi after severe flooding in the Midwest, Southern U.S. states are now on high alert.
And who is in and who is out? The U.S. presidential election will actually reach its finish line in 2016. We'll have a look at where the race stands right now.
Hello, I'm Lynda Kinkade and this is CNN NEWSROOM.
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KINKADE: We'll begin in Israel, where police have been going door to door, searching for gunmen responsible for killing two people and wounding seven others. The shooting happened on Friday afternoon outside a pub on a popular street in the Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv.
Officials say it could have been much worse but the rain and cold had kept many visitors away. Police say the gunman used an automatic weapon firing more than 15 rounds.
Ian Lee has more on the shooting, including a look at surveillance video that appears to show the gunman as he opened fire.
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IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Police are combing Tel Aviv, as one spokesman puts it, flooding the city, looking for the gunman who carried out the attack. The security camera footage captured the moments before and during the deadly shooting.
The gunman initially appears to be shopping at a supermarket; as he's leaving, he places his bag on shopping carts near the entrance, pulls out a gun and sprays the neighboring pub and sidewalk, killing at least two people.
He then runs off, leaving behind his bag and clip from the gun. These are crucial pieces of evidence investigators hope will bring them some answers. Authorities are searching street by street house by house and they're also scouring videos, surveillance videos to determine where the gunman fled and if he had any help.
The two big questions right now are obviously who and where is the shooter?
But also was this criminal or a terrorist attack?
Now police spokesmen said they're leaning towards a terrorist attack but they're not ruling out criminal. The minister of public security says they still don't know and that the investigation is developing.
A police spokesman also told CNN there wasn't any intelligence leading up to the shooting. And despite all of that and a gunman at large, police are telling Tel Aviv residents to go about their normal lives but to be on alert -- Ian Lee, CNN, Jerusalem.
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KINKADE: A major security operation is underway in India's northwest; soldiers and police are trying to secure an air force base under attack in Punjab State near the border with Pakistan. Seven people, so far, have been confirmed dead, including four militants, two security guards and a civilian. And at least one militant is still holed up inside but officials are saying the operation is ongoing.
The state of Punjab is on high alert and at this point no group has claimed responsibility.
The attack comes after an historic meeting between the leaders of India and Pakistan. Last week India's Narendra Modi met with Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif in Lahore for a surprise meeting to launch a peace initiative.
It was the first time an Indian prime minister had visited Pakistan in more than a decade. There are fears this attack could undermine the new diplomatic talks.
And this just in to CNN. Saudi Arabia's interior ministry says 47 people convicted of plotting and committing acts of terror targeting civilians have been executed. We'll bring you more information on this story as it becomes available.
Russian president Vladimir Putin says NATO has become a threat to his country. Mr. Putin signed an executive order on Thursday, formalizing Russia's stance towards the alliance. CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance has the latest.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this isn't necessarily a changing strategy but it's making formal what Russian officials have really been spelling out for years, which is that NATO and the expansion of the military alliance is seen very much here as a threat to Russia's national security.
Russia and the West have been at odds over NATO expansion for several years. It was the prospect of Ukraine being absorbed into the alliance that was one of the reasons that Russia annexed Crimea back in 2014 when it got an important naval base on the Black Sea.
At the new national security paper, which is updated every six years in Russia by law, says that Russia's independent and domestic foreign policy have triggered what it calls a counteraction on the part of the United States and its allies.
Well, the paper is only the latest in a series of Russian statements that put Moscow and NATO at loggerheads. Back in 2014, Russia updated its formal military doctrine, its official preparations to defend Russia with its weapons, to take into account NATO's growing presence in Europe.
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At the time, Russian defense officials said that NATO's enlargement meant the alliance was getting closer to Russia's borders and presented an external threat to the country. It's still the case apparently that that is what's believed is still true here in Russia -- Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
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KINKADE: In Kabul, Afghanistan, at least one person, a 12-year-old boy, was killed after a suicide bombing attack at a French restaurant. The targeted restaurant is popular among French expats. The Taliban have claimed responsibility, adding that the restaurant was "owned by the invaders."
The attack comes after Afghanistan tried to jumpstart peace talks.
Iraqi forces are scouring the city of Ramadi to free trapped civilians and hunt down remaining ISIS fighters. The Iraqi government says it recaptured the key city from the terror group on Monday. ISIS took control of Ramadi in May and has been fighting to keep it since then.
Our senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen explains the significance of Ramadi for Iraq, ISIS and the U.S.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So why is Ramadi such a key battleground in the fight against ISIS?
Well, it's hugely significant both to the United States as well as to the Iraqi government.
First of all, Ramadi is the capital of Anbar Province, which is the largest province in Iraq but not necessarily the most densely populated one.
The government of Haider al-Abadi, the prime minister, declared that Anbar was going to be the next place it would try to take back from ISIS, so losing the capital of Anbar was certainly a big blow to the Iraqi government.
Ramadi also has major importance to the U.S. and especially to many U.S. service members who fought in Iraq. In the years between 2004 and 2006, it was one of the worst battlegrounds for U.S. forces in all of Iraq.
Thousands of United States Marines as well as soldiers fought there, trying to hold the town and take it back from Sunni insurgents and many of those insurgent came from a precursor or an organization of ISIS, which was called Al Qaeda in Iraq.
And it was really after very tough battles with a lot of casualties that the U.S. managed to win. And Ramadi also became a turning point in the war in Iraq when U.S. employed a new strategy, which was called the Sons of Iraq or the Sunni Awakening program, where they actually started to talk to a lot of the Sunni tribes that were allied against them and made them join forces with the U.S. as well as with Iraqi government, turn on the insurgents and therefore win back Anbar Province from Al Qaeda in Iraq.
So certainly there will be a lot of U.S. veterans out there, looking at what's happening in Ramadi right now.
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KINKADE: Senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen reporting there.
The cause of a fire at the luxury Address Downtown Hotel in Dubai still not known. But a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that the New Year's Eve blaze started when some curtains caught fire on the 20th floor. At least 16 people were injured in that incident.
Pope Francis is urging people to stop being indifferent to those across the world who are suffering and to aspire to build a more just world. Here is John Allen with more on the pope's New Year's message and his call to action.
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JOHN ALLEN, CNN SR. VATICAN ANALYST (voice-over): Pope Francis is one of the most compelling figures on the global stage in 2015. On the first day of 2016, he presided over a very busy day in New Year's Day in Rome. In the morning he celebrated a mass in St. Peter's Basilica in honor of Mary as the mother of God, arguing that alongside a torrent of misery in today's world, there is also what he called an ocean of mercy that is every bit as much part of the picture.
At noon, he delivered his traditional New Year's Day angelus address, focusing on peace, arguing that the real enemy of peace is not just war, it is also indifference, the kind of indifference that walls people off from one another and induces them to think only of themselves.
In the evening, the pontiff traveled across Rome to the Basilica of St. Mary Major to open a holy door for his special Jubilee Year of Mercy, calling on Catholicism to be the kind of church that extends forgiveness to the world without limits.
Now this has been a very demanding holiday season for Francis. And Rome has not been immune to the security scares that very much in the air. Vatican officials released figures a couple of days ago saying that attendance at papal events was down 30 percent in the month December with respect to last year.
Related to the fear many people have about attending large public gatherings. But despite it all, Pope Francis has not lost his sense of humor. On New Year's Eve, he spent time with some 6,000 young people, taking part in a gathering of youth choirs in Rome, laughing with them, applauding their singing and, at --
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ALLEN (voice-over): -- one stage, joking that he doesn't like to sing himself because he's always afraid that he's going to sound like a donkey.
So despite a tough year in 2015 and the challenges that lie ahead in 2016, this would seem to be a pope determined not to lose his ability to smile -- for CNN, this is John Allen in Rome.
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KINKADE: Still to come, authorities in the U.S. state of Illinois are on edge as the death toll and the floodwaters continue to rise. We'll have the latest with a live report.
Plus: the campaign trail is heating up for the U.S. presidential candidates; we'll have a look at what's to come in 2016 as the race for the White House gains momentum.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. The beginning of 2016 isn't going to bring much relief to the U.K. when it comes to the weather. More rain is on the way for parts of the country already dealing with unprecedented flooding.
And the threat of ice and snow could hamper cleanup efforts. In some areas what would normally be a month's worth of rain fell in just one day. The U.K.'s Environment Agency says more than 7,000 homes have been flooded in the past week. In the U.S., the death toll is rising from severe flooding in the
Midwest. In the state of Illinois, nine people have been killed while in Missouri, at least 15 people lost their lives. People in the southernmost tip of Illinois are watching the levees closely as authorities go door to door, asking people to evacuate.
One levee has already been breached; 12 counties have been declared disaster areas with the governor calling in the National Guard.
The number of dead judasity (ph) are flooding the U.S. continues to rise as I mentioned. Meteorologist Karen Maginnis is standing by the International Weather Center.
Karen, can they expect any relief anytime soon?
KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It looks like a lot of that water or all of it is flowing down the Mississippi, so from St. Louis, where we saw near record-setting levels for --
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MAGINNIS: -- the river, we are looking at that making its way down towards Memphis and then towards Greenville, Natchez, Mississippi, and eventually towards New Orleans.
So river rises there, not just over the next several days but the next several weeks. The death toll does continue to rise in Illinois, also in Missouri; they are saying that the levee that was overtopped and one that was breached has become so difficult and too dangerous, that they've stopped sandbagging that area.
And the primary reason for the fatalities, about two-thirds of them are due to people, who were in their cars and driving through the water, either underestimating how deep the water is or just willing to take the risk.
And it is extremely dangerous; they say, don't drown, turn around. It may sound cliche but, that, in fact, is very true and very necessary. But it is very difficult to gauge, especially at night.
Now we have about 280 rivers that are reporting some flooding, either at or above flood stage. Some of them have been historic.
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MAGINNIS (voice-over): Take a look at this video coming out of Missouri. This right around St. Louis, this is along Interstate 55, this is one of the interstates that's to the east and to the west of St. Louis.
And they are now saying that Interstate 55 is open now but this was just one of three interstates that were closed. That was unprecedented. That had never happened before, even during the historic 1993 flooding, by which now many cities have set the new standard, the new record is as of 2015.
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MAGINNIS: Across the United Kingdom it looks like it's going to be another troublesome weekend as we watch back-to-back storm systems roar in. We could see between 25 and 100 millimeters in areas from Glasgow down towards Edinburgh and then towards Liverpool, it looks like for Wales we could see gale force winds, not just over the next 24 but, indeed, 48 hours, one system; another one rides in behind it.
And, Lynda, it looks like this is going to be devastating as those rivers are barely down from the last several systems. We've seen three major ones over the past month.
KINKADE: OK. Karen Maginnis, staying across it all for us, thanks so much.
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KINKADE: Now to the race for the White House. And while some of the presidential candidates took a break over the holiday, others, like Donald Trump, kept up the political attacks on social media. CNN's Chris Frates has a look at what's ahead for these presidential hopefuls as the race gets serious.
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DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to have a great time next year. It's going to be an amazing year. We're going to make America great again and we're going to do everything in our power to make sure that happens.
CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump has been off the campaign trail the last few days but that hasn't stopped him from going after his rivals on Twitter.
"I would feel sorry for Jeb Bush in how badly he is doing with his campaign other than for the fact, he took millions of dollars of hit ads on me."
Hoping to regain some mojo in the New Year, Jeb Bush changed things up this week, cancelling ad buys in Iowa and South Carolina and moving dozens of staffers to key early states to try to cut into Trumpmentum.
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JEB BUSH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's not a serious candidate. He has a broad appeal but it may not be as deep as people imagine. So, we're going to put together a ground game, if you will, in Iowa and New Hampshire and here in South Carolina that I think will be second to none. And that's how we will do -- we'll win and we're going to do well, so I'm excited about it.
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FRATES (voice-over): Trump leads by wide margins in national polls, but his lead in Iowa is more disputed. With the Iowa caucuses less than a month away, Ted Cruz is gaining on the billionaire. (MUSIC PLAYING)
FRATES (voice-over): The Republican senator is up with an ad there, selling his conservative credentials and he starts a six-day Iowa bus tour on Monday. To help blunt Cruz's rise and stay on top, Trump says he'll soon start spending at least $2 million a week on his own advertising.
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TRUMP: Well, I'm going to be doing big ads in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and they're going to be very substantial. And I think they're very well done. I've seen the first two or three of them. We're very proud of them.
And we're going to be talking about a lot of things, including the border, including trade, including ISIS and security for the country.
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FRATES (voice-over): And Ben Carson rang in the New Year with a new cast of cast of advisers, as the three top aides resigned on New Year's Eve. The struggling contender promised to reinvigorate his campaign ahead of Iowa's February 1st caucuses.
FRATES: Democrats are also getting back on the campaign trail. Bernie Sanders is in Massachusetts today. And over the next two days, New Hampshire gets a double dose of Clinton.
On Sunday, Hillary Clinton makes several stops in the Granite State. And, on Monday, former President Bill Clinton makes --
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FRATES: -- his first solo appearance of the campaign on his wife's behalf -- Chris Frates, CNN, Washington.
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KINKADE: A California couple welcomed the arrival of twins in a very special way. Although the pair will be sharing many things over the years, a birthday won't be one of them. We'll explain that story coming up.
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KINKADE: Welcome back, U.S. hockey went back to its roots this weekend for the annual winter classic. The Boston Bruins faced off against the Montreal Canadiens before a crowd in front of 67,000 people.
The classic is played outdoors, a change of pace from the modern-day stadiums. Players even wore throwback jerseys. The Canadiens defeated the Bruins 5-1.
2016 is promising to be a huge year of innovation for the global aviation industry, from super-fancy new planes to major airport upgrades. CNN Aviation and government regulation correspondent Rene Marsh takes a look.
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RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The aviation industry never stops moving and the New Year will be no exception. Here is what we can expect for 2016.
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MARSH (voice-over): Safety will be a top priority in the New Year. Indonesia ordered widespread airliner inspections, which will take months to complete.
Thailand's transport ministry promised beefed up security rules and aircraft maintenance by August.
And the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration plans to open U.S. airspace to thousands of commercial drones, which means they'll need new rules for commercial drone operators after some midair close calls.
New airliners are coming; airbus single-aisle A320 Neo is entering service for the first time. The plane's super-efficient engines allow it to eventually burn 20 percent less fuel --
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MARSH (voice-over): -- and fly about 575 miles farther than previous A320.
The Comac C919 is also expected to fly for the first time. It's the biggest airliner ever designed and built in China.
Passengers may also get a more personal upgrade. Alaska Airlines is promising more seats with extra leg room on 60 planes.
And American Airlines will debut more seats with leg room in a so- called premium economy section on international flights -- all at a charge, of course.
Brazil's main airport in Rio de Janeiro will be getting a major renovation, just in time for the upcoming Olympics, including 26 new jet bridges and a new building with dozens of check-in desks.
And more smartphone apps will be tracking U.N. airports as a guide to help you. An electronic beacon will recognize your phone as you walk into the airport and send its data to help you find nearby restaurants and airline gates.
Look for these developments and more as some 3.7 billion passengers worldwide are forecast to fly in 2016. (END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: That's a lot of travelers with a lot to look at for this year. That was Rene Marsh reporting there.
Now to the U.S. state of California, where parents in the city of San Diego are celebrating a very rare arrival of twins. Their babies, born minutes apart but in different years. Jaelyn Valencia was born at 11:59 pm on New Year's Eve 2015 while her brother, Luis, was born three minutes later at 12:02 am on New Year's Day in 2016.
Both babies are happy and very healthy and although they'll be sharing many things over the coming years, a birthday will not be one of them.
Very exciting. Congratulations to their parents.
Thanks so much for watching, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Next on CNN, it's "POLITICAL MANN." First I'll be back with a quick look at your headlines. Stay with us.
