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Rebels, Opposition Groups to Form Alliance Against Prime Minister; Ethiopian Prime Minister Called for Peace But Turned to War; U.K. Regulator is First to Approve Merck's COVID-19 Pill; COP26: 46 National Commit to Phase Out Use of Coal; ICC to Investigate Allegations of Crimes Against Humanity in Venezuela; Chinese Tennis Star Accuses Former Top Community Party Leader of Sexual Assault. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired November 05, 2021 - 00:00   ET

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

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, coming up this hour here on CNN NEWSROOM, rebel and opposition groups in Ethiopia set to announce a multi-party alliance with one goal: force the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed out of office.

[00:01:22]

Dire warnings and grave concerns for Europe. Health officials warn half a million people could be dead within months from COVID-19.

And can the world transition to green energy if the two countries which consume most of the world's coal are not part of a deal to phase out coal once and for all?

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.

VAUSE: Deep ethnic and political divisions in Ethiopia, which have already fueled a yearlong military conflict, appear to becoming more entrenched. At least nine rebel groups opposed to the Ethiopian government are forming a new alliance with one goal: forcing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed out from office.

A signing ceremony is expected later today in Washington to announce the United Front of Ethiopian Federalist Forces, which will likely ramp up both military and political pressure on the prime minister, who has struggled to contain a military conflict he started one year ago in the northern Tigray region.

And now, rebel fighters with the Tigray People's Liberation Front, who earlier joined forces with the smaller Oromo Liberation Army, claim to be 160 kilometers from Addis Ababa, and say they could march on the capital within weeks, even though they say that's not their ultimate objective.

The government claims to have the rebel groups surrounded, Ethiopia's parliament has now approved the prime minister's declaration of a state of emergency, which allows for anyone 18 years or older to be conscripted and gives security forces the power to arrest and detain practically at will.

And according to diplomatic sources, the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia will be the focus at the U.N. Security Council on Friday.

The U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa has been meeting with African Union leaders and government officials in Addis Ababa, and the U.S. State Department adding its voice to a worldwide call for immediate de-escalation by all sides.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: We have expressed grave concerns over the horrific violence committed against civilians during the conflict in northern Ethiopia by all parties. And that includes egregious angry just acts such as killings, sexual and gender-based violence, abductions, and other human rights abuses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: William Davidson is a senior Ethiopia analyst for the International Crisis Group. Before that, he spent years as a reporter covering Ethiopia, as well as the region. He joins me now from Nairobi.

Welcome back.

WILLIAM DAVIDSON, SENIOR ETHIOPIA ANALYST, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Thank you very much.

VAUSE: So the significance of this new alliance is that these rebel and anti-government groups, presumably led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front, how significant is this in terms of this conflict? On the surface, it seems like the divide between the government of Abiy Ahmed and his supporters on the one hand and those who oppose him. The divides now seems more galvanized.

DAVIDSON: Yes, sure, but I think that the real action is taking place on the ground in Ethiopia, not in D.C. where, I believe, this agreement was signed. This sort of coalition, broader coalition of disgruntled rebel forces, they may well play a significant role, if we see, you know, a change of power in Addis Ababa and a breakdown of the current system.

But as I say, the action is taking place on the ground here. It's the Tigray forces that are the main movers. They swept out of Tigray since July, trying to overcome this federal blockade, trying to remove security threats to Tigray.

They also have territory to reclaim in the west, eventually, but that is what is putting huge amounts of pressure on the federal government. And their main partners on the ground are the Oromo Liberation Army, which has become the focal point of a lot of opposition energy from Ethiopia's largest group of around 40 million people. Those anti- government protests were absolutely instrumental in bringing Abiy Ahmed to power in the first place, in 2018. VAUSE: Well, you had these rebel groups which now -- the Tigray

forces, which claim they're about 160 kilometers away from the capital. The government for its part, say they're surrounded.

What's your understanding of the latest play here? Who is doing what and where?

DAVIDSON: The -- the most confirmed recent developments were over the weekend, really, when the two major cities in Eastern Ampara (ph), Kombolcha, and Dessie, came under the control of the Tigray forces.

It was then that we saw a ramping up of the calls for all-out mobilization. We saw a spike in anti-Tigrayan hate speech, with Tigrayan civilians being accused of collaborators. And then we saw this sweeping states of emergency in response from the government and its supporters.

That showed how severe the threat is from the Tigray forces because of those gains. Since capturing Dessie and Kombolcha, they're trying to push east to control the Djibouti Corridor, Ethiopia's main trade route. That would allow the Tigray leadership to exert significant economic pressure on Addis Ababa.

And they're also pressing south from Dessie and Kombolcha towards a town called Kamisee, which they're said to be in control of with the Oromo Liberation Army.

VAUSE: The U.S. envoy, Jeffrey Feltman, he is in Addis. He's met with the officials. He's also met with officials from the African Union. And like so many others from the United Nations all the way to the E.U., he says negotiations are the only way to end this crisis. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFREY FELTMAN, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO HORN OF AFRICA: It is worrisome to see a continuation of military -- of military advances by the TPLF, airstrikes by the government against targets in Tigray that will only increase the human suffering, when in the end, there's going to have to be talks. So the sooner we get to talks, the better. The fewer people will suffer in Tigray and Amhara, the closer we get to talks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Right now, there's no indication from anyone on any side of this conflict that negotiations are even possible, they're even thinking about it. I guess the question is how much bloodshed will there be before they get to that point?

DAVIDSON: Well, there's certainly a prospect of more violence. Whether it's in terms of the conflict and it looked like the Tigray forces have the advantage, but there could be huge amounts of popular resistance to them, particularly from Amhara region, which is particularly opposed to both the Tigray and Oromo nationalist forces.

I think there could also be all sorts of intercommunal violence in that state, repression, potentially against Tigrayan civilians that we're already seeing.

I don't think these simple calls for negotiations and asking the Tigray forces to stop their advance are going to work at this point. They have a lot of momentum. They have clear goals here.

And I think what is needed is for the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, and his allies to recognize the reality of this situation, and for the country's best interests, to try and make some form of concessions to the Tigray forces so that they at least freeze their advance outside the capital,, because of how destabilizing that will be.

So I think it's important to place pressure on the Tigray forces to show restraints here. Because of that -- you know, the potential for violence, with a push to Addis Ababa. But the reality is that, unless some of their demands are met, they are going to keep maximizing pressure, and they are going to keep pushing forward, as they have done successfully since July.

VAUSE: How much leverage does the U.S. have here to, you know, try and bring around negotiations?

DAVIDSON: Well, to be honest, not a -- not a huge amount. The U.S. has been taking -- announced a program of targeted sanctions without targeting anyone, and various economic measures, including recently the -- dropping Ethiopia from the duty-free access for the U.S. market for their exporters. But no huge amounts of leverage.

But I think, if the international community, very much with the African Union and its envoy and regional partners, and including Kenya and Uganda, who have shown increasing concern.

If everyone clutched together and tries to impress upon the federal authorities and on the Tigrayan forces to make concessions or show restraint. And I think that is the best option at the moment to try and prevent more bloodshed.

VAUSE: William, thank you so much. William Davidson, we appreciate your insights.

DAVIDSON: Thank you very much.

VAUSE: Well, just days ago, Ethiopia's prime minister public -- publicly called for his enemies seem to be buried with, quote, "our blood and bones."

His soldiers have engaged in a level of brutality. The U.N. said they could be guilty of war crimes. And he's been accused of preventing humanitarian assistance from reaching rebel-held areas.

It was a failed military offensive on his orders which has now, one year later, brought the country to the brink of all-out civil war, and yet this is the 2019 winner of a Nobel Peace Prize, who described war as the epitome of hell during his Nobel acceptance speech.

[00:10:12]

We have more now from CNN's Melissa Bell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Abiy Ahmed was elected prime minister of Ethiopia in 2018. The charismatic 41- year-old promised to bring about change and heal divisions.

Initially, many of his promises were backed up with action, and the beginning many of his promises were basket by action. Abiy announced plans to relax Ethiopia's terrorism law, and he released thousands of political prisoners.

He was seen doing pushups with members of the military after they marched to his office, demanding better pay. He signed a peace deal with Eritrea, ending a two-decade-long war. And in 2019, Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize for ending that war.

ABIY AHMED, ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER: This is a labor of love. Sustaining peace is hard work. Yet, we must cherish and nurture it. It takes a few to make war, but it takes a village and a nation to build peace.

BELL: But making peace with Eritrea anchor angered the people of Tigray in the country's north. The TPLF, the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, had long-standing tensions with the Eritrean government.

Abiy had already sparked anger when he rearranged the ruling coalition, founded by the TPLF, into a single new party. He promised to hold democratic elections in 2020 but postponed them because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But in a show of strength, Tigray held its own regional elections and won. The prime minister called those elections invalid. Ethiopian lawmakers voted to cut funding to the region in October 2020, which incensed Tigray leaders.

A month later, TPLF allegedly attacked an Ethiopian military base. Abiy retaliated, ordering a military offensive into Tigray, with help from neighboring Eritrea, igniting a deadly conflict.

Abiy's party won most of the seats in the country's June parliamentary elections, assuring him another term in office. But the elections were overshadowed by an opposition boycott and logistical problems. Abiy deemed them free and fair.

AHMED: You can see how it is free and fair election. Everybody is here for free, and I hope it will be the best election in our history.

BELL: The fighting continues to escalate. Neither side is backing down.

AHMED (through translator): This pit, which is dug very deep, will be where the enemy will be buried, not where Ethiopia disintegrates. We will bury this enemy with our blood and bones, and make the glory of Ethiopia high up again. BELL: It seems the prime minister who was once celebrated for bringing

peace is now speaking the language of war.

Melissa Bell, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Now to the COVID pandemic, and the World Health Organization warns Europe could see half a million COVID deaths by February. All because of a surging rate of new infections blamed on the relaxation of safety measures and low vaccination rates in certain areas.

The WHO's Europe regional director says the Delta variant has New research shows that the Delta variant is also playing a role.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANS KLUGE, WHO EUROPE REGIONAL DIRECTOR: The current pace of transmission across the 56 countries of the European region is of great concern. COVID-19 cases are once again approaching record levels, with the more transmissible Delta variant continuing to dominate transmission across Europe and central Asia.

Last week European and Central Asia accounted for 59 percent of all cases globally, and 48 percent of reported deaths.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: In parts, in some European countries, infections have soared to record levels. Germany reports only 34,000 cases on Thursday, the highest single daily total so far.

Greece also set a record Thursday, more than 6,800 new COVID cases. The government is introducing new restrictions and testing requirements for the unvaccinated, which go into effect this coming weekend.

In Britain, there's hope on the horizon, the U.K. now the first country to approve an antiviral drug for the treatment of COVID that comes in a pill. The British health secretary calls it a game-changer.

Developed by Merck, Molnupiravir can be used on adults with mild and moderate COVID who are at risk of developing severe disease. Merck says it cuts the chance of hospitalization or death from COVID by about a half.

The bill is currently under consideration by the United States and E.U. regulators.

Well, commitments to phase out fossil fuels could head off a global catastrophe, but only if countries do what they say they will do. The latest from Glasgow, just ahead.

Also, fuel costs are rising everywhere. That's having a ripple effect. Now the president of Mexico has created a controversial new gas company. Our report from Mexico City, that's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Two people have been shot dead near a popular tourist hotel just outside Cancun, Mexico. Authorities say rival gangs of drug dealers opened fire on a beach.

Several hotel guests tell CNN they were told to shelter in place after hearing multiple gunshots. No other serious injuries were reported.

International agreements reached so far at the COP26 climate conference could keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, if all the pledges are kept.

The head of the International Energy Agency says 1.8 degrees is within reach under the agreements. But activists warn the Arctic is already near a tipping point. A four-ton chunk of Greenland's ice sheet was brought to Glasgow to dramatize how rapidly the earth's glaciers are melting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GAIL WHITEMAN, FOUNDER, ARCTIC BASECAMP: Studies are showing that, if we lose the snow and ice in the Arctic, we will amplify global warming by 25 to 40 percent. So it is one eco-region that packs a big punch. And we felt that negotiators here had to actually come face to face with the Arctic. So we brought the iceberg.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And when it comes to carbon emissions, coal has long been king. Producing energy from coal is the single biggest cause of global temperature increases. Nothing else comes close. Which is why, for the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, nothing was more crucial than an agreement to fast-track a global transition to clean energy.

As CNN's Phil Black reports from Glasgow, what they got was a mixed bag of promises, not a lot of detail as to how, and how soon, more than 40 countries will transition away from burning coal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Energy days (ph) saw several international deals, which analysts say represent progress in the world's efforts to move beyond fossil fuels. But it has weaknesses and caveats.

In one deal, 20 countries, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Italy, they have agreed to stop using public finances to back fossil fuel infrastructure and projects abroad. This applies to all fossil fuels, including oil and natural gas. So it goes beyond other recent similar pledges targeting coal.

But there is nothing in this to stop these countries from financing and subsidizing these fuels within their own borders.

Separately, 46 countries have now pledged to move on from coal-fired electricity permanently in the coming decade.

The weaknesses there? The deadlines are pretty loose. And, this pact, this pledge, it does not include the biggest users of coal like China, India, the United States.

Analysts say these deals represent real change in thinking and wouldn't have been possible at climate negotiations even just a few years ago. But they need to be ramped up quickly and embraced widely, if the world is to have any chance of escaping catastrophic climate change.

[00:20:12]

Phil Black, CNN, Glasgow, Scotland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Live now to Anchorage, Alaska, and environmentalist and professor, Rick Steiner. He's with the Oasis Earth Initiative, which advises governments and others on environmental sustainability.

It's good to have you back.

RICK STEINER, OASIS EARTH INITIATIVE: Thanks very much. Good to be with you.

VAUSE: OK, so for the president of the COP26 summit, the deal on coal, he's saying, is a major turning point, a reason to celebrate. I want you to listen as he talks to reporters at the news conference. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALOK SHARMA, COP26 PRESIDENT: I think we can say with confidence that coal is no longer king. Coal financing has been well and truly choked off. It is uneconomic. The G-20 will end its financing for international coal this year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Is it a bit of a stretch to declare victory over coal when two countries, China and India, which account for, what, about two-thirds of the world's coal consumption, do not sign onto a deal to phase it out? Australia, the world's second biggest coal exporter, is also a no-show?

STEINER: Absolutely. It's -- it's a hollow promise, and it's hopeful. And certainly, it's progress. There's no question about that. But it's insufficient.

The problem at COP26, in Glasgow, is the collective commitments are insufficient. There have been some progress, but the commitments are not sufficient to get us there. And there is no enforcement mechanism to make sure that countries, when these representatives, when they go home, actually implement their commitments in national law. And those are two big gaps here that they have not really discussed. So -- VAUSE: At this point, this kind of progress seems about 10 or 15 years too late. It would have been great if it was in 2000, perhaps, or 2005 when we are talking about this.

So describing this deal on coal as some kind of positive seems to be very misleading. Should we call it what it is, which is pretty much a failure.

STEINER: I think so. Yes, I think it is a step, where we're taking one step forward, but we need to take 10 steps forward immediately.

And, what they really need to do, I mean, we need to provide a carrot and stick to these countries, particularly the G-20, that are the main, you know, drivers of the problem, and the main solvers of this problem. The 20 richest nations in the world.

They need to impose a -- they need to agree to a global minimum carbon tax to make fossil fuels more expensive than low carbon alternatives. I don't believe that's been brought up, or at least, not agreed to.

They need to agree to a massive financial flow to provide financing and technical assistance to these countries that need to transition to low-carbon energy.

And, very importantly, and something I don't think they've discussed, is a penalty and sanctions regime for these countries that are not making sufficient commitments to reduce carbon emissions to help solve this problem, and/or go home and betray the commitments they've made at COP26.

It's fascinating to me that Indonesia joined a deforestation commitment, ending deforestation by 2030, two days ago, and they've already recanted their -- their commitment, even before leaving the meeting. That's got to be some kind of a record.

So there has to be strong international condemnation of these countries that are really not going to pull their weight. And primarily, we're talking about China, India, Russia, Brazil. There's a number of other countries. But also, the E.U. and the United States, and Canada have to join this robust reduction in emissions.

VAUSE: It's all been kind of weak tea up until this point, it seems. And the environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, seems to have given up on COP26. In a tweet, she described it as a "greenwash festival" and "a two-week-long celebration of business."

To be fair, there's still more than a week to go. Is there anything which could be announced, any agreement which could be made, sort of this global deal to phase out coal, which is not going to happen, which would mean this conference could still be seen as a success?

STEINER: Sure. If they could announce a commitment to establish a global -- global minimum carbon tax, sufficient to make fossil fuels more expensive than their -- than their low-carbon alternatives, that would be huge. But they're not -- I don't believe that's even on the table. The G-20 should have addressed that issue. They didn't.

In addition, this notion of legally binding sanctions and penalties for noncompliance, that was put into the Montreal Ozone Protocol, which is why the Montreal Ozone Protocol is one of the most successful international agreements in human history.

[00:25:06]

But it's not been discussed as legal and binding mechanisms in climate discussions.

So, we know how to get there. The science is clear, you know, of what the causes and consequences and solutions to this are.

But these governments come to these meetings, go home, and you know, kick back and continue business as usual. That is no longer acceptable. It is not acceptable for China and India and Russia to continue on the path that they're on.

I would ask that the G-20 reconvene, immediately, with a focus on climate, carbon reductions, massive carbon reductions, and a consequence, and a penalty scheme, for nations that aren't compliant, particularly within the G-20. And an enormous financial protocol, where hundreds of billions of dollars are paid within the G-20 nations as subsidies for low-carbon energy transition, and a carbon tax as a penalty for fossil fuel use. So --

VAUSE: I've just got to jump in. We're out of time, but I want to add that when we spoke last time earlier this week -- I think it was on Tuesday -- you mentioned that 1.5 degrees, we'd blown past that, and we heard that today from the International Energy Agency, saying we're on track for 1.8. Just wanted to say, you know, clearly, they now agree with your assessment. Just a point. But great to have you with us. Thank you.

STEINER: It's unfortunate, but that is the reality. Thanks very much.

VAUSE: Not good to be right all the time.

STEINER: No. Not on this one.

VAUSE: Yes. Thank you, sir. Take care.

STEINER: Thank you.

VAUSE: Well, rising fuel costs worldwide means rising prices for almost everything else. So to try and lower those costs, the Mexican president has created a new and controversial government-run oil company. Details now from CNN's Rafael Romo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On a recent morning in Mexico City, people lined up for what has long been a monthly ritual: filling up their L.P. gas tanks. Like many Mexicans, Alejandra Navarete (ph), complains about how

expensive L.P. gas has become.

"It affects all of us Mexicans. L.P. gas is very expensive, but, we still need to buy it," she says.

"I'm spending twice as much as before," this man says.

"How far is this going to go?" this woman wonders.

(on camera): According to figures by the Mexican government, L.P. gas increased by more than 20 percent from September of 2020, through the same month this year, by comparison. Inflation went up by 6 percent.

In fact, analysts with the country's central banks, say a typical price increases, observed in some products, maybe explain by global factors, including the price hike in this fuel.

(voice-over): President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador acknowledged over the summer the price of L.P. gas has risen well above inflation, which breaks a campaign promise. His solution has been controversial.

The president created Gas de Bienestar, or Welfare Gas, a new L.P. gas company under Pemex, Mexico's government-run oil company.

He says there are only five big companies that supply L.P. gas to almost half the country, companies that, according to the president, operate with very high-profit margins.

But analysts say the problem is not lack of competition but high global demand that has caused prices to spike everywhere.

ADRIAN CALCANEO, MISTREAM & NGL IHS MARKIT: All the increases are a consequence, a direct consequence, of the global situation with supply and demand.

ROMO: At the end of August, the Mexican government announced, with great fanfare, the first Gas de Bienestar trucks had begun delivering the fuel in a lower middle class neighborhood in Mexico city.

But, as if to prove President Lopez Obrador wrong, L.P. gas sold by the government's company went up 11 percent in its first month of operation, even higher than some private providers.

And the problem is the ripple effect that high L.P. gas prices are having throughout the Mexican economy, even in staples like tortillas.

Back at the L.P. gas tank exchange depot, Alejandra Navarete (ph) hopes the president's idea can make a difference, but has a wait-and- see attitude.

"There's a lot of talk, but no results," she says.

As she puts the full tank in her car to go back home, she says all she hopes is that next month's trip for refill won't leave her, again, with an empty pocket. Rafael Romo, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: An update now on the dispute between the U.K. and France over fishing rights, with British officials saying British boats will not be subject to inspections from French officials or blocked from French ports.

The announcement came after Thursday's meeting between the U.K.'s Brexit minister, and the French European affairs minister. The two did not reach an agreement overall but vowed to continue talks next week.

[00:30:07]

A British fishing boat seized by France last week is now back in the U.K.

Fishing rights have been a key dispute since Britain left the European Union.

Still to come, the International Criminal Court says it will investigate alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela. Now families of those killed, or detained, in anti-government protests are hoping they might finally get justice.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, shouts of "justice" and "liberty" have been ringing out in Venezuela after the International Criminal Court announced it will investigate alleged crimes against humanity by the Maduro government. It's a first for Latin America.

And families of those killed or detained during anti-government protests are welcoming the decision. Here's CNN's Isa Soares.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For families mourning their lost loved ones, this moment couldn't come soon enough.

"We hope that he will make room to listen to the victims, that he will receive the hundreds of relevant complaints that exist in Venezuela. And I insist, that is why we are here, appealing to his good faith, and asking him to meet with the victims."

On Wednesday, the International Criminal Court announced it was opening an investigation into whether crimes against humanity were committed in Venezuela in 2017, when the U.N. Human Rights Office says security forces used excessive force to crack down on people protesting the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

The U.N. says that more than 120 died, and thousands more people were arbitrarily detained, claims CNN hasn't been able to verify.

Adreina Baduel's father, a former defense minister and retired general, was jailed for allegedly conspiring against Maduro. Raul Baduel died last month of complications from COVID-19 in a Caracas prison.

The U.N. Human Rights Office called for an independent investigation and the release of prisoners who'd been arbitrarily detained.

Wednesday, the ICC's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, signed a memorandum of understanding with Maduro and said the ICC would establish the truth.

KARIM KHAN, CHIEF PROSECUTOR, INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: I am fully aware of the fault lines that exist in Venezuela, the geopolitical divisions that exist. We are not political. We are guided by the principles of legality and the rule of law.

SOARES: The ICC opened a preliminary examination into the Maduro government in February of 2018. And Khan says this moves that investigation into the next phase.

[00:35:07]

Meanwhile, Maduro says he respects the next step.

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We respect your decision as a state, though we have made it clear we do not share it. We have signed an agreement that guarantees, in an effective way, cooperation, positive complementarity, mutual support, and constructive dialogue to reach truth and justice between Venezuela, with its institutions, and the International Criminal Court prosecutor's office. Thank you very much, prosecutor.

SOARES (on camera): This is the International Criminal Court's first full investigation into possible crimes against humanity in Latin America, and even if it drags on for years, the families say the investigation is a step in the right direction to bring justice for their loved ones.

Isa Soares, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: In China, a tennis star has publicly accused a former top leader of the Communist Party of sexual assault, shocking the country and setting off an unprecedented level of censorship.

This isn't China's first #MeToo scandal, but this time, the government seems to be in overdrive to make the allegations disappear.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Explosive claims from one of China's top tennis players, accusing a former top Communist Party leader of sexual assault.

The post, appearing briefly Tuesday on Peng Shuai's verified Chinese social media, Weibo, account, before a swift censorship moved in. Long enough, though, to spark wide chatter across the Chinese Internet.

In more than 1,600 words, the former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion makes #MeToo allegations against retired vice premier Zhang Gaoli. The 35-year-old athlete writing that the now 75-year-old former senior official pressured her into having sex.

"Why did you have to come back to me, took me to your home to force me to have sex with you?" the post reads. "Yes, I did not have any evidence, and it was simply impossible to have evidence."

The post reads as an open letter to Zhang, alleging a first encounter more than 10 years ago, and an extramarital relationship over the past three years. CNN could not independently verify its authenticity. And we've reached out to Peng as well as Zhang, his wife, and the Chinese government for comment.

FERGUS RYAN, SENIOR ANALYST, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: This is a very big deal. It's -- it's a massive story. These are two extremely high-profile people caught up in this story.

ABDELAZIZ: China had had either high-profile #MeToo cases. Most recently, rape allegation surfaced against Canadian Chinese pop star Kris Wu. That scandal was allowed to gain huge traction on social media, dominating top trending topics on Weibo app for days.

Wu was later arrested.

But Zhang, seen here in 2012, introduced by Xi Jinping, was part of China's ruling elite before retiring in 2018. He was once a member of China's seven-person Politburo Standing Committee, the country's supreme leadership body.

The private lives of senior Chinese officials is typically shrouded in secrecy, their reputations often shielded from tarnish. Though President Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign has, at times, exposed this supposed extravagance is and misdeeds of numerous officials.

FERGUS RYAN, SENIOR ANALYST, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: It's incredibly damaging for the Chinese Communist Party. The CCP presents its leadership as unimpeachable, and this story reveals dishonesty and hypocrisy at the highest echelons of power.

ABDELAZIZ: Peng's post sparking an unprecedented level of censorship. While her verified account remains online, it has been blocked from searches. All comments sections under her previous posts shuttered. Even the Weibo discussion page about tennis was closed to comments.

Her pain-filled words, difficult to forget, even if erased online. "I know someone of your eminence, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, you said you were not afraid," Peng writes. "But even if it's just me, like an egg hitting the stone, a mauve line into flames, courting self- destruction, I would tell the truth about us."

Many social media users have voiced support for Peng, using vague terms, though censors later catch up and purge those comments, too.

The scandal surfacing just days before a crucial meeting of communist elites and Beijing. A state media touts the achievements and virtues of the party's leadership.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: With that, we'll take a short break. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. We'll be back in just a moment.

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[00:42:09]

VAUSE: Well, despite its usual poor air quality, India was all aglow on Thursday, celebrating Diwali, the age-old festival of lights.

On the first day of this five-day festival, candles and fireworks illuminated the night. Across the country, they gathered, regardless of faith, for a festival which marks the victory of light over darkness.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated with army soldiers in India- controlled Kashmir. He paid tribute to soldiers who died. He planted trees, and then addressed the troops.

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NARENDRA MODI, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I have not come alone. I have brought the blessings of 1.3 billion countrymen for you. A lot of blessings in the. Today, in the evening, on the occasion of Diwali, one earth and lamp, from each house will be dedicated to you: your valor, bravery, sacrifices, and hard work.

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VAUSE: And on the India-Pakistan border, Indian forces exchanged their weapons for sweets, which were then given to soldiers from Pakistan.

The stock exchange in Mumbai, decked out for a special one-hour trading session, the timing determined by Hindu astronomical charts.

And in Karachi, Pakistan, they celebrated with firecrackers, which were heard throughout the night in some suburbs.

There you go.

Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. WORLD SPORT starts after the break.

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