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10 American Sailors Held by Iran's Revolutionary Guard; Obama's SOTU Address, Nikki Haley's Response; Obama Talks "Moon Shot to Cure Cancer," Talks Presidential Candidates in SOTU; Turkey P.M. Says ISIS Responsible for Attack; Brent Oil Price Plummets; Iran Demands Apology from U.S.; South Korea Fires Warning Shots at North Korea; Security Agencies Focus on New Jihadi John; NFL's Rams Moving Back to L.A.; U.S. Caught in Powerball Fever. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 13, 2016 - 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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[02:00:39] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Rosemary Church.

ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Errol Barnett. We are covering the world for you over the next two hours. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

Our top story this hour is a still developing story. Iranian media say the 10 American sailors held by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps are being questioned. Now, this is happening on Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf.

CHURCH: Iran says two U.S. military boats entered Iranian territory on Tuesday and, quote, "disturbed the security of the area."

BARNETT: Our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, joins us live from London this morning.

Nic, what is the latest information on why exactly these American were taken in, and if they will be heading home or back to U.S. possession, I should say, anytime soon?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, it seems to be at the moment that there's a question mark over when they'll be released. A few hours ago, we were reporting on the information all seemed to point towards -- and this is coming from the Iranian side, as well -- that these 10 sailors would soon be released with the daylight in that part of the world. That's not happening. What we're hearing now coming from the Revolutionary Guard Corps is that the sailors acted unprofessionally, that they are currently being questioned that the Revolutionary Guard will release them when they get the proper orders. This is what they're saying. They're saying that these sailors, rather, and their craft, the two boats, the small patrol boats are in good condition and being well treated.

The question of how they ended up in this position, that's not clear at the moment. We know that these boats were going from Kuwait to Bahrain further down the coast, that one report says that they had mechanical trouble, another report said that potentially they had fuel issues, were running out of fuel. What the Iranians are now saying is that they're being questioned. And you know, I think when we hear from the Revolutionary Guard in this way, and we've had these other statements prior to this, it seems as if there's something of sort of a struggle between the hardliners, the Revolutionary Guard here, and the more moderates, the voice perhaps that the foreign ministry has been talking to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry about the quick release of these sailors. That is what appears to be the situation at the moment.

BARNETT: And what's interesting, Nic, is with the Iran nuclear deal defended by President Obama during his State of the Union speech, you wonder if those negotiations in any way opened a door of communications between the two nations that didn't exist before and if that is helping resolve this incident at all. Do we know about the communication channels being used right now?

ROBERTSON: Well, we know that Secretary Kerry, when he was in a meeting around noon, around local time where it was yesterday around the Philippines, he immediately picked up the phone to his opposite number in Iran to the foreign minister, Zarif. Now, these two men, we understand, have formed a very close working relationship and understanding of ouch other over their years of trying to -- to deliver this Iran nuclear deal. So, I mean, absolutely we can say unequivocally that because of their closer relationship, when one picks up the phone to the other, there is an immediate understanding. It doesn't mean that Zarif has any more power to do anything different than he might have done in the past in a situation like this. But the ability to communicate effectively between this level at a very, very senior level is certainly something that wouldn't have existed a few years ago.

But at the moment, it appears to be the Revolutionary Guard, the hardliners here, not the more moderates, the foreign minister who are in control. That's key.

BARNETT: Originally, we were being told that the Americans were to be released at around this time, we're going to keep connecting with you, Nic, over the next few hours and watch this as we bring our viewers the latest information.

Nic Robertson, live for us in London.

CHURCH: U.S. President Barack Obama wants the American people to know the state of the union is strong. He delivered his annual speech to Congress Tuesday night saying that one of his few regrets is that partisan politics has become worse, not better.

[02:05:18] BARNETT: Mr. Obama called on Congress to work together to address the nation's challenges, like poverty, climate change and the threat of terrorism. But he also touted his successes as president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our auto industry just had its best year ever. The United States of America, right now, has the strongest, most durable economy in the world. The United States of America is the most powerful nation on earth, period.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: Our troops are the finest fighting force in the history of the world.

Gas under $2 a gallon ain't bad, either.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: And that's why I stand here as confident as I have ever been that the state of our union is strong.

Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley delivered the Republican response.

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NIKKI HALEY, (R), SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR: Unfortunately, the president's record has often fallen far short of his soaring words. As he enters his final year in office, many Americans are still feeling the squeeze of an economy too weak to raise income levels. We're feeling a crushing national debt, a health care plan that has made insurance less affordable and doctors less available.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Now, Mr. Obama's final State of the Union address was as much about defending his legacy as it was about setting a legislative agenda.

CHURCH: And even though he didn't mention anyone by name, he made some clear references to the upcoming presidential election.

CNN senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, reports.

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JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: In his final State of the Union address, President Obama called on the nation to reject the politics of division. The president urged Congress to pass new gun control, tackle climate change and close the detention facility at Guantanamo. He also defended the Obama doctrine of seeking diplomacy first before unilateral military action, pointing to the normalization of relations with Cuba and the Iran nuclear deal. But there was no mention of Iran's move Tuesday to detain 10 American sailors. The president also took aim at the race for the White House. In some

veiled jabs at Donald Trump, he asked Americans to respect the differences of their fellow citizens, including Muslims.

Here is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: As frustration grows, there will be voices urging us to fall back into our respective tribes, to scapegoat fellow citizens who don't look like us or pray like us or vote like we do or share the same background. We can't afford to go down that path. It won't deliver the economy we want. It will not produce the security we want. But most of all, it contradicts everything that makes us the envy of the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And in one of the most emotional moments of the speech, the president called for a "moon shot mission to cure cancer." It was a tribute to Vice President Joe Biden, whose son, Beau, died of cancer last year.

Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: CNN's senior reporter for media and politics, Dylan Byers, joins us now from New York.

Thanks so much for being with us.

So how did President Obama's final State of the Union address go over, do you think, and what stood out?

DYLAN BYERS, CNN SENIOR REPORTER FOR MEDIA & POLITICS: Well, I think it went over very well in the eyes of progressives and of Democrats. Certainly probably less so in the eyes of conservatives and the Republican Party. Usually, what a president does with the State of the Union is they set the agenda. What Obama was doing in this late State of the Union was very much sort of defending his agenda, defending his tenure in office and continue to go fight for bipartisanship despite acknowledging one of the regrets he had had of his eight years in office was not being able to achieve bipartisanship in Washington. He's continuing to fight for that and it seems like at least rhetorically he'll continue to fight for that through the end of his tenure through 2017.

CHURCH: What do you think everyone will be talking about do you think in the hours ahead and how strong was this final State of the Union address compared to others delivered in the past by other presidents, their final address, as well?

BYERS: Well, I think it was strong in large part because President Obama is such a gifted speaker. Certainly the build-up to the end of his speech was very moving. Even Nikki Haley acknowledged that in her response. She gets that. I don't think anyone would deny the sort of emotional appeal of what the president laid out tonight.

As far as the big take-aways go, though, one, we'll look at his moon- shot proposal to have America be the country that cures cancer. There will be a great deal of debate about his foreign policy remarks, about whether or not he's had successful policy tenure. Certainly, there are a lot of Republicans who would take issue with that. Again, I think we'll see a lot of people discussing how both President Obama and Nikki Haley went after Donald Trump and his sort of -- you know, you could say maybe he did achieve bipartisanship insofar as both parties came together to sort of rebuke Trump, call on people to resist what Nikki Haley called "the siren call" of the loudest voices in the room.

[02:10:48] CHURCH: That was very significant, wasn't it? It really stood out. What does it tell you about how the Republican Party machine feels about Donald Trump, and what more would you read into those comments by Nikki Haley?

BYERS: Well, as I always say, the only group of people who fear a Donald Trump presidency or a Donald Trump nomination more than liberals are moderate conservatives, moderate Republicans. The Republican establishment doesn't like Donald Trump because, one, they don't agree with the direction that he's taking the party and, two, because they have legitimate fears that if he were to become the nominee, that that would give the election over to the Democrats, very likely Hillary Clinton. So what you saw there tonight, and I think that was really why Governor Haley's response was sort of as significant as the president's own response is you saw that fissure in the Republican Party and it's a very important one and it's one that's going to play out for now all the way through the November election.

CHURCH: All right. Dylan Byers, thank you so much for talking with us. Appreciate it.

BYERS: Thank you.

BARNETT: Want to bring you a developing story with information coming into CNN at this hour. South Korea has fired warning shots at an aircraft near its border with North Korea. An official with the South Korean defense ministry tells CNN warnings will broadcast beforehand. That official says the aircraft was a drone believed to be from North Korea and it immediately flew back north after those warning shots. We will update from our correspondent there on the peninsula at this hour. Stay tuned for updates on that.

CHURCH: In another story, at least 14 people are dead after a bomb went off near a polio vaccination center in Pakistan. More than a dozen others are injured. A government minister says 13 of the victims were policemen and one was a member of the Frontier Corps. There's been no claim of responsibility so far.

BARNETT: At least 10 people are killed in a popular tourist area in Istanbul. And Turkey's leaders are placing blame for the attack. We'll bring you more details on this in a live report, coming up.

CHURCH: Plus, sinking oil prices prompt a dire warning from one influential bank. We'll have details on that when we come back.

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[02:17:01] BARNETT: An update on the breaking news we brought you roughly 24 hours ago. In Turkey, the prime minister says the suicide bomber who killed at least 10 people in a popular tourist area in Istanbul was a member of ISIS.

CHURCH: So far, no group has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's blast.

So let's bring in CNN's Ian Lee. He is in Istanbul.

So, Ian, it is interesting that ISIS has not claimed responsibility for this blast, despite Turkey's prime minister saying the suicide bomber was a member of the is. What are we to make of that and what more are we learning about the investigation and how this deadly attack was able to take place?

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, they were able to get somewhat of an I.D. on this person fairly quickly after this bombing coming from Syria quite recently. This person, in his late 20s, although they haven't named him or given out more details than that. This investigation, the direction is going to be is how he was able to get from the border region to Istanbul. How was he able to get the bomb? Who helped him? These are all things that Turkish officials are going to be looking into at this hour in this attack that killed at least 10 people.

Turkey, though, is quite a large country, about 70 million people. It has a long, porous border with Syria. The Turkish officials have arrested hundreds of -- or over a hundred people with, they say, links to terrorism. So there are going to be a lot of questions about how this person wasn't on the radar or the intelligence agencies. That's when a Turkish official says. But going forward, how they're able to secure places like this. This attack happened in the heart of Istanbul at an area that is quite a soft target. You have hundreds of tourists, usually on a good day, thousands of tourists coming here to this square seeing the sights. You have the Blue Mosque and you have two large landmarks there. And so Turkish officials are going to be looking at how they can step up security so something like this doesn't happen again.

But Turkey has experienced quite a few attacks that they have blamed on is, one of the largest happened in October where 103 people were killed in Ankara. That was carried out by two suicide bombers, as well as in July, over 30 people were killed in a suicide attack close to the Syrian border. So these sorts of attacks have happened in the past. Turkish officials have had a large operation. Just last December, they arrested someone who they said was planning an attack on New Year's Eve. These sorts of attacks Turkish people have expected. But this is another deadly one that has happened and that they're going to be trying to prevent from happening again.

[02:20:04] CHURCH: Indeed. And the investigation continues there.

Ian Lee, reporting live from Istanbul in Turkey. Many thanks to you.

Errol?

BARNETT: Rosemary, the price of Brent crude oil plummeted on Tuesday to just above $30 a barrel in the last few hours. It's rebounded slightly in early futures. But this is a big deal. Anyone remember when oil was $90, $100 a barrel? Some of the world's biggest banks now have a grim outlook with all of this. Analysts at Goldman Sachs, in fact, say the price of crude oil could fall down to $20 a barrel. Morgan Stanley, in fact, said a 5 percent rise in the value of the U.S. dollar could push oil down between $10 percent and 25 percent. Standard Chartered Bank believes oil could hit the $10 a barrel mark this year. And then there's this from Andrew Roberts at the Bank of Scotland. He says tumbling oil prices will ultimately hit investors hard. Quote, "We think investors should be afraid. The world is in a global recession. This terrible cocktail means investors should be thinking about getting a return of capital, not a return on capital."

What should all of our regular folks do about this?

Let's bring in John Defterios. He joins from Abu Dhabi with more.

John, OPEC has resisted plans to cut production as a way to stop the steep drop in oil prices, but there is dissent among the ranks with the member nations and there's pressure now mounting to act. What's being said, exactly?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, a lot is being said and a lot of predictions out there, Errol, as you're suggesting on oil prices. But none of them, at least in the first half of 2016 are pointing to higher prices. And that $30 level pumped in a wake up call or a call to action within OPEC. The outgoing president is also the Nigerian oil minister right now, suggesting they should call an emergency meeting. He would like to see them cut production which flies in the face of the major producers who have a lower cost of production. So I sat down with him yesterday with this idea he had in mind and asked him, could we see an emergency meeting and cuts by the end of February or early March? This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EMMANUEL IBE KACHIKWU, NIGERIAN OIL MINISTER: I don't expect to see -- I expect to see it on the fringes of 30s, maybe in one or two months I expect to begin to see it climb. Actually, I'm optimistic that on an average 40 to 50 barrel type level. But the first is going to be rough, but all the way to 31, 32, potentially 30 now. On the horizon, we're looking more in the 35 region.

DEFTERIOS: With the presidency of OPEC in mind here, you had a very divided meeting in December. In fact, you almost had a mutiny. What happens at this stage and what triggers an emergency meeting? Could we see one at the end of February as many are suggesting? KACHIKWU: I expect to see one. There's a lot of energy around.

Ultimately, OPEC is the union of the interest of members. Members are beginning to take a flow in the oil markets environment and their climates are getting shot at. Something needs to give. And that emotion, much more than the politics of pricing, was going to drive an emergency meeting.

DEFTERIOS: Does it change the Saudi Arabian position with three our Arabian Gulf producers? Has it gone too far to fight for market share?

KACHIKWU: That policy is going too far. We need to sit back and say how can we balance the need to protect the share with the need for survival of the business itself and survival of the countries who run this business themselves. And I think a greater majority of the people. The majority in terms of membership, it's going to sit back and have a meeting and dialogue once more without the sort of tension that we had in Vienna on this.

DEFTERIOS: You raise a very interesting point. You can have dialogue. Does it lead to action? Will Saudi Arabia give up some of the almost 1. 5 million barrels it acquired in the last two years? Will they change policy is the real question.

KACHIKWU: I think ultimately for the interest of everybody, some policy change will happen. Now, with the amount of barrels that you can take out, will it necessarily make that much of a dramatic difference? Probably not. But I think the symbolism of an action is more important than of the markets. So the symbolism for me with the numbers and numbers, you're going to be able to have a meaningful -- with Russia. As long as Russia sees going, they're not going to meet.

DEFTERIOS: So OPEC took action, do you think Russia would come off the throttle in your view?

KACHIKWU: Russia would be willing to talk. But if OPEC was to sit back and say, look, we'll have a better dialogue with Russia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:25:17] DEFTERIOS: Pretty bold call there by the minister of petroleum in Nigeria, Errol.

See if we can break it down for you. It is Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United States competing for market share, all around 10 million barrels a day. To make it simple, we have OPEC, the house divided. There are 13 members. Nine of them would like to see a cut in production to raise prices. But those who have the spare oil or the spare capacity led by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, it will be a painful the first half of 2016.

And then I spoke to the UAE minister yesterday at an energy forum I was chairing and he put cold water over this, saying we want to let the experiment play out, there's no rush to cut production. And that's why we see oil dropping yet again to a new 12-year low.

Back to you.

BARNETT: And it may continue to do that.

John Defterios, in Abu Dhabi, with news on oil prices dropping, as Rosemary and myself wonder why we are driving electric cars when petrol is supposed to be expensive.

John, great to see you. Thanks very much.

(CROSSTALK)

CHURCH: It will be worth it in the end.

BARNETT: Yeah. Long-term, right?

CHURCH: Exactly.

Next on CNN NEWSROOM, Iranian security forces are questioning 10 American sailors in the Persian Gulf. We will have the latest on when they will be released.

BARNETT: Also, coming up, more on the president's State of the Union Speech. We'll go to Havana, Cuba, to find out if the policies have changed life there at all.

We'll be right back.

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[02:30:02] CHURCH: A warm welcome back to our viewers around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

BARNETT: And I'm Errol Barnett. We're a half an hour in.

Let's update you on our top stories.

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BARNETT: Now, we have a bit of new information to bring you. Iranian media say the country's foreign minister now wants an apology from the U.S. after two U.S. military boats entered Iran's waters. State media report that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps are questioning 10 American sailors in their custody. All of this unfolding on Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf.

CHURCH: Iran reports the ship, quote, "disturbed the security of the area." An Iranian commander says the sailors will be released as soon as the proper orders are given.

For more on all this, let's bring in CNN military analyst, retired Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona. He is a former U.S. military attache and joins us by Skype from La Quinta, California.

Thank you, Colonel, for talking with us.

We had expected their release at this time. But now Iran is calling for an apology from the U.S. And, of course, the timing of the arrest of the 10 U.S. sailors just hours before President Obama's final State of the Union address. That had Republicans claiming Mr. Obama's policies and the nuclear deal have helped emboldening Iran to be provocative. Is that a fair assessment?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Actually, in this case, I think not. I think what we're seeing here is an internal power struggle inside the Iranian government. On one happened, you've got the hardliners represented by the Revolutionary Guard versus the moderates who support this opening to the West and the nuclear deal. So I think these 10 American sailors have become pawns in this power struggle inside the Iranian government. And the foreign minister calling for an apology from the United States, this is par for the course. We've seen this before. There's precedent for what's going on. In 2007, a British ship was captured inside of Iranian territory waters. And after a few days, they were released. But after they extract their humiliation of the British, they'll do the same thing to the Americans. And we'll go along with it in the interest of getting these people back. So I think this is more of an internal Iranian issue than it is having to do with the United States.

CHURCH: It's interesting, though, that we heard from U.S. Secretary of state John Kerry that it would happen very soon, this release. And then, of course, you have the Republicans saying it should have happened immediately. But clearly, they have to work through some sort of process here. But how long do you think it's likely to take and what does Iran gain by interrogating these sailors?

FRANCONA: I don't think they're going to get much out of the interrogation. They're doing this as a power play, a chance to humiliate the West, to humiliate the Americans. They don't want America in the Persian Gulf. And Farsi Island is very, very sensitive. That's their intelligence gathering station right in the middle of the Persian Gulf. They're very wary of anybody coming near it. These things happen more often than we hear about it. Usually they're handled diplomatically and they are returned back to their countries. But when you're dealing with the Iranians, a different animal and they're trying to make a statement.

This will go -- this will end in a few days, but in the next few days, it's going to be very uncomfortable for these ten sailors. But we'll get through this.

CHURCH: Yeah. Interesting, Colonel, you think it will end in a few days.

FRANCONA: I do.

CHURCH: But, of course, the timing, again, very sensitive. How likely is it this incident might impact the Iran nuclear deal which is set to go into effect in the next few days?

FRANCONA: I don't think either side wants that though happen. I think once he gets an apology from the United States, this will go away. The internal struggle between the Iranians will be dealt with by the Iranians and eventually the moderates will win out. They won out on everyone else. The IRGC will, of course, throw as many roadblocks as they can, but this will resolve itself in the favor of foreign minister. They will be released. There will be an apology. And in another week, we'll be talking about something else.

CHURCH: Colonel Rick Francona, always a pressure to speak with you. Thank you.

FRANCONA: Good to be with you.

[02:35:00] BARNETT: To another developing story we're tracking this hour, South Korea has fired warning shots at an aircraft near its border with North Korea. The South Korean official says they broadcast warnings before those warning shots.

Let's turn to CNN Paula Hancocks who joins us now from Seoul, North Korea.

Paula, something was flying towards the South Korean border. What happened exactly and have we seen incidents like this before?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Errol, we can assume that it was from North Korea. We don't know that for sure. The defense ministry are saying over the border from north and south, they spotted an unidentified aerial vehicle, is how they described it. They did carry out those warning broadcasts, warning shots, and then they say that that vehicle actually headed north. So the assumption is -- and certainly among local media, the assumption is this is another drone from North Korea.

We have seen this in the past. Back in 2014, there were three of them. There were a flurry of them at that point. They were discovered on the ground. They were discovered crushed effectively. And it was very useful for the South Korean military because they were able to dissect these drones. They effectively said they were very basic. There was nothing too sophisticated about them. And on them, they saw that they had flown over some very strategic military targets. Some of the strategic islands in South Korea that are close to North Korea. Also, the blue house, which is the presidential compound here. So one of these drones was believed to have flown over and taken photos of the presidential compound before heading north. So this has happened before.

Obviously, the warning shots are something that is not too familiar, too common because quite often these drones are found crushed on the ground -- Errol?

BARNETT: And, Paula, there were some reports that some North Korean propaganda leaflets had been sent over the border, perhaps via balloons that had dropped. And, again, we don't know for sure that this was from North Korea, but as you just talked about, it's happened before. What would we expect the North Korean response to be after those warning shots are being fired? Unpack the psychology a bit for us, if you can.

HANCOCKS: The psychology of North Korea is obviously something that's very difficult to dissect. It would be very difficult to predict what they would do. Certainly you would expect some kind of a response, not just to this individual incident, but to what has been happening recently. Just to put this in context, last Wednesday was when we had that nuclear test which the North claimed was a hydrogen test that's been discredited around the world. Since then, you had a b-52 bomber flank it by fighter jets and the South Korea flying over the peninsula and you have the talk of sanctions, you have these loud speakers, the propaganda loud speakers at the sight. It is stationing on the North to boom these anti-regime messages to the North. So there is a feeling here in South Korea that there is an eerie calm waiting for some kind of reaction from the North. They have given a visual reaction saying that the U.S. Is to blame for the peninsula being on the brink of war, similar rhetoric to what we've seen before. But no significant response from the North at this point, so that really is a case of waiting and seeing -- Errol?

BARNETT: Paula Hancocks, for us in Seoul, approaching 4:38 in the afternoon there. Paula, thanks.

CHURCH: He is being called the new Jihadi John and his sister says he was a typical good older brother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KONIKA DHAR, SISTER OF NEW JIHADI JOHN: He had the most colorful, creative personality and I don't know where it's gone and where we've gone wrong. But it's been lost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Coming up, we'll hear more about what led to her brother's radicalization.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:42:01] CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Aid workers are describing heartbreaking conditions in the Syrian city of Madaya. A convoy of trucks delivered aid Monday to the 40,000 people who were trapped there. One U.N. source said experienced workers were brought to tears.

BARNETT: That's right. Children politely asked for just a biscuit. Adults offered the workers all they had, which was hot water seasoned with spices.

The U.N. says the situation in Madaya isn't unique.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED U.N. SPOKESMAN: This is the first aid the people in these locations have seen since October last year. Colleagues on the convoy to Madaya said that they found people in a miserable condition and that children were severely mall nourished. The situation in Madaya is tragically far from unique. Almost 400,000 people in Syria are trapped in areas besieged by the various parties to the conflict. The use of siege and starvation as a method of war has become routine and systemic with complete disregard for civilian life. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: ISIS, of course, has taken over large parts of Syria, and the most recent ISIS propaganda video features a man speaking with a distinct London accent. Well, he is now being referred to as the new Jihadi John.

CHURCH: Security agencies are reportedly focusing on a 32-year-old man who converted to Islam.

Clarissa Ward sat down with his sister.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What was he like as a brother?

DHAR: Typical brother, I think, yeah. Just into sort of -- he liked playing his basketball a lot, which he was quite good at. Video games and films and he liked to collect comic books, as well.

WARD: But after converting to Islam as a young man, things began to change. He fell in with a radical preacher. And in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" shortly before he fled to Syria in 2014, he told me he was not able to love his mother or anyone in his family any more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIDDHARTHA DHAR, NEW JIHADI JOHN: I don't love them and -- but I desire for them to become Muslim and embrace Islam.

WARD: But you love her as your mother?

SIDDHARTHA DHAR: She's my mother and she has rights over me so I have to take care of her.

WARD: But do you feel love for her?

SIDDHARTHA DHAR: It's not right for me to love non Muslims, so that is a matter of faith.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WARD: What's your reaction to that?

DHAR: I was upset and sad, more than anything, because I don't understand it. I'll be honest with you, one thing that I sort of noticed is that he has stripped his identity completely. And this is what's sad because he had the most colorful, creative personality and I don't know where it's gone and where we've gone wrong. But it's been lost.

WARD: You say where we've gone wrong. Did on blame yourself?

DHAR: I think, yes, definitely, there's an element of guilty. I feel why could I not stop it? Are we that bad that you have to leave, that you have to go and live another life?

[02:45:10] WARD (voice-over): Dhar wants to believe her brother is not the man in the new ISIS video, though she has conceded the voices are similar. She says she is unable to reconcile that killer with the boy she grew up with.

(on camera): Most people would say that anyone who joins ISIS on some level is evil, a psycho path. Do you believe that to be true about your brother?

DHAR: Well, I can only speak in regards to my brother and I can -- you definitely say that I don't agree with that. I see him as a compassionate sort of family person, caring individual, somebody who sort of who doesn't really engage in activities like --

(CROSSTALK)

WARD: Even after he's joined ISIS?

DHAR: Maybe I don't want to believe it. I don't know.

WARD: Do you believe that he's a killer?

DHAR: Oh, god no. No, absolutely not. No.

WARD (voice-over): Clarissa Ward, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Next hour, we will check in with CNN's Nima Elbagir. She has an exclusive report on the child soldiers of ISIS.

Stay with us here on CNN. More after this break.

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[02:50:18] BARNETT: Welcome back. The St. Louis Rams will start their 2016 season as the Los Angeles Rams. This comes as league owners vote to approve the team's move back to L.A. The Rams left California for Missouri in 1995 and have since built a fan base, but the fans now feel, as you might understand, let down.

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UNIDENTIFIED FAN: I am so disappointed. I've been able to be at two Super Bowls and really been able to experience all that for years. And I really am -- we're going to miss them.

UNIDENTIFIED FANE: I've been a huge Rams fan my whole life. My dad has been a season ticket holder 20 years. It's depressing to see a team I loved and poured all my Sundays into for years just leave.

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CHURCH: They are not happy. The Rams will play in the new season in the Los Angeles coliseum before moving to their permanent stadium.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell explained the decision Wednesday during a press conference.

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ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: In 2019, they will be opening in a new stadium which we were all, as ownership, very excited about. The kind of facility that's going to be built that we believe will be extraordinarily successful in the Los Angeles market. It's more than just a stadium. It's a project and entertainment complex that we believe will be responsive to the kind of things we need to be successful with our fans.

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BARNETT: All right. Roger Goodell there.

Now, heavy snow and powerful winds have halted hundreds of flights across parts of Europe and Russia this week.

Our Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us.

Pedram, good to see you.

What's the update here?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: This several hundred flights across this region and the fact that you're looking at video coming out of Minsk and Belarus, they picked up about 10 sent meters of fresh snow. Just because of the incredible volume of snow across parts of the city. But, again, conditions very much wintry in nature. This is precisely what you expect this time of year with major travel implications across this region. A data analysis company for flights and aviation industry says, on average, when an airline cancels one flight, it costs them about $6,000 use. You translate that to how much it cost for passengers. This includes their lodging, their food, missing work potentially from being left behind on a flight is precisely what is happening, on a large scale across Europe because of an active pattern set up in place. On a frontal boundary pushing into portions of western Asia, a cold air mass coming in across portions of the eastern Atlantic. You put it together, it translates to a lot of snow towards the latter portion of the week. The color contours show you how cold we're talking with the deep blue webs, the purple in place over the next couple of days. Frankfurt, towards the next day and a half or so, rainfall. Look at what happened from Thursday into Friday. It becomes all know and stretches farther to the east where Moscow could pick up at least 20 centimeters of rainfall. In London, minus 2. Towards Moscow, could get as cold as 20 below zero when you factor in the winds. These temperatures, so cold that motor oil could start freezing at about 10 below. You bring that down to about 37 below, antifreeze begins freezing. So certainly cold enough air mass here to cause mass disruptions across parts of Europe. And Moscow, a seven-day forecast to saver because it goes downhill and very rapidly in the minus 12 to minus 13 range for high temperatures across portions of Russia.

And we'll leave you with this, Errol and Rosemary. This is across northwestern China. How about an icy scene? Look at these icicles here. It warmed up, some of them melted, drooping over the side of the building and refreezing at night creating a spectacular sight across parts of China, guys.

BARNETT: Yeah. Stay clear of that.

CHURCH: Yeah.

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CHURCH: Pedram, before you go, have you got your Powerball ticket?

JAVAHERI: I have not for this next one, but you bet I will be picking up another round of tickets.

CHURCH: Well, good. We'll see how it goes.

Did you?

BARNETT: I did. We're going to lose. It was so sad.

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CHURCH: Wait until you see the odds.

All right.

BARNETT: Thanks, Pedram.

CHURCH: Let's take a look at that. Much of the United States, of course, caught up in Powerball fever. The jackpot for the multi-state lottery is now $1.5 billion.

BARNETT: Just a stunning amount. The grand prize has been growing since the beginning of November. That's 19 drawings with not a single winner. Shows you how difficult it is to win. The next draw is Wednesday night and the big downer here, the reality, the odds of winning the jackpot are one in 292 million.

[02:55:16] CHURCH: Pretty slim. $1.5 billion. The jackpot is so big it's hard to get your head around. And with that much money, you could give everyone in China $1 and still have enough left over to give everyone in Germany a dollar.

BARNETT: That's very diplomatic.

If you put $1 every second into a vending machine, it would take 47 years to spend it all. Or if you stacked it all up, $1.5 billion in pennies, you'll stack more than 238 kilometers high, essentially halfway to the moon.

CHURCH: I think what we're saying is it's too much money for one person. They should share it around, right?

BARNETT: That's the only reason I got convinced to do it. All these office pools, if everyone else wins, I'll be stuck here and be very sad.

CHURCH: Very sad.

BARNETT: That's it for us this hour. Remember, you can always connect with us on Twitter anytime. It's great to hear from you.

We will have more CNN NEWSROOM after a quick break.

CHURCH: And we will have all the top stories from all around the world. Do stay with us.

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