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Iraqi Prime Minister Denounces "Cowardly" Attack; Ortega Faces Global Criticism for Vote Seen as "Sham"; Lawsuit Filed Against Travis Scott, Live Nation & Promoter. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired November 08, 2021 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us all around the world, I'm Michael Holmes. I appreciate the company.
Coming up here on CNN Newsroom, just hours after an assassination attempt, Iraq's Prime Minister convenes a Cabinet meeting, vowing to pursue those behind the attack. A parody, a sham, that's what many are calling the presidential election in Nicaragua, as President Daniel Ortega looks to capture a fourth term. And after 20 months, the U.S. is reopening its borders to vaccinated travelers, but it's not as simple as just booking a ticket.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Michael Holmes.
HOLMES: And welcome everyone. After surviving an assassination attempt, Iraq's Prime Minister is vowing to pursue and find his would be killers. Mustafa Al-Kadhimi convened an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Sunday, following the botched hit job at his residence in Baghdad's Green Zone. The attack reportedly involves two drones, armed with explosives. Mr. Al-Kadhimi wasn't hurt but several members of his security detail were. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is covering the story for us and has the latest.
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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was one of the most brazen attacks to ever target Iraq's leadership. A drone laden with explosive struck the residents of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone according to Iraq's Military. Al-Kadhimi escaped what officials have described as a failed assassination attempt that injured members of his security detail. Shortly after that, the Prime Minister appeared calm and composed in a televised address, reassuring the nation and calling for restraint.
MUSTAFA AL-KADHIMI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translation): The cowardly missiles and drones do not build our country's nor our future. And we are working to build our homeland by respecting the state and its institutions and establishing a better future for all Iraqis. I invite everyone to a call and constructive dialogue for the sake of Iraq and the future of Iraq. Long live Iraq, long live Iraq.
KARADSHEH: No one's claimed responsibility for the attack. Iraq says it's investigating. The government vowing to bring those responsible to justice, blame "criminal armed groups," a term it's used in the past to describe Iranian backed militias.
The powerful Iranian backed groups have threatened al-Kadhim, a close U.S. ally in the past, but on Sunday, various groups were fast to deny their involvement, accusing foreign powers of an attempt they say to implicate them.
The attack comes after weeks of rising tensions following the October 10 elections, parties representing Iranian backed militias emerged as the biggest losers of that vote, losing many of the seats they once held in Parliament. They refuse to accept the results of an election they've described as fraudulent. And for weeks their supporters have staged a protest in Baghdad that turns violent on Friday, when protesters clashed with security forces as they tried to storm the Green Zone.
Militia leaders accused the government of targeting peaceful protesters and fought revenge following the death of a demonstrator.
(On camera) The Iraqi government for the most part has failed to hold these heavily armed Iranian backed groups accountable for crimes they've been accused of committing in the past. The governments really tried to avoid an escalation and a confrontation with these groups. But that may no longer be an option with Iraq's democracy and its constitutional process now at stake. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Istanbul.
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HOLMES: International condemnation of the attack was swift U.S. President Joe Biden among the leaders who denounced the assassination attempt, saying in a statement, "The perpetrators of this terrorist attack on the Iraqi state must be held accountable. I have instructed my national security team to offer all appropriate assistance to Iraqi security forces as they investigate this attack and identify those responsible."
The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also condemning the attack with a spokesperson saying, "The U.K. stands by the Iraqi people and supports Prime Minister al-Kadhimi's efforts to form a government following elections which is vital for the long-term stability of Iraq."
Nicaragua's President is seeking to extend his grip on power in an election that members of the international community are calling a parody and a sham. Daniel Ortega is all the guaranteed, a fourth consecutive term after his government stifled the competition in the lead up to the vote, dozens of critics were detained including seven likely presidential candidates.
[01:05:11] Nicaraguans in cities from Spain to the U.S. turned out in protest over what many are calling an electoral fast. In Costa Rica, dozens of protesters dressing as clowns saying Sunday's election was a circus.
And just hours ago, Costa Rica's president tweeted that his government will not recognize Nicaragua's election because of the lack of, "democratic conditions and guarantees." CNN's Matt Rivers is following all the developments, has more now for us from Mexico City.
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MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, despite large sections of the international community calling these elections nothing more than a farce, presidential elections did go ahead, as scheduled on Sunday in Nicaragua featuring current president Daniel Ortega running for a fourth consecutive term. We have some footage to show you today that features both Daniel Ortega, the President and his wife and also the country's Vice President Rosario Murillo heading out on the streets on Sunday in Nicaragua, but like I said, huge sections of the international community basically calling these results ill legitimate.
It was earlier this month that the U.S. representative to the Inter American Commission on Human Rights actually said that the Nicaraguan election is, "nothing more than a sham," the Canadian representative on that same body said the event that is taking place on November 7 is a parody of an election. And finally, we heard from the European Union's Chief Diplomat on November 2, who said that Nicaragua's election, so "completely fake, that it would not be worth sending independent observers."
All of these people are saying this because of what has happened in Nicaragua over the past several months, going all the way back to June, mainly when this targeted crackdown of opposition leaders would be presidential candidates for the opposition really began in earnest, at least a half dozen likely would-be presidential candidates were they allowed to run for the opposition have been arrested since June. It basically cleared the ballot for Ortega to secure a fourth term. It's something that independent observers has said he did completely on purpose to clear the field of any would be opposition using a vague national security laws justification for these arrests. So, despite these elections going head on Sunday as scheduled in Nicaragua, many people looking at these results saying they are just 100% illegitimate. That reverse CNN, Mexico City.
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HOLMES: Eric Farnsworth is vice president of the Americas society and Council of the Americas. He joins me now.
And good to have you back on, Eric. When it comes to, you know, silencing any political opponent, Daniel Ortega really has led the way most presidential candidates who would oppose him are in jail, seven of them. It kind of makes the election a joke, doesn't it?
ERIC FARNSWORTH, VP, AMERICAS SOCIETY AND COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS: Michael, it's good to be back with you. I wish the circumstances were different. You're exactly right, Daniel Ortega for months has been making sure that the elections that he ran today would be neither free nor fair. He's jailed not just the leading political leaders from the opposition, but he's also jailed influencers. He's also jailed people are exiled them from the press, and he's run using state resources, campaigns on social media to really promote his own candidacy and tear down the opposition. So, there's no way that anybody with an objective view would consider today's election exercise to be anything but a charade.
HOLMES: Yeah. What then is the state of the country's opposition? Is there an opposition any more functionally?
FARNSWORTH: Well, there is -- there are people opposed to the regime, no doubt, and many of them actually have been leaving either under duress or, you know, of their own volition to seek better circumstances elsewhere. But the opposition in terms of an official, unified block is -- doesn't exist. It's been divided. It's been persecuted. There are people running in the election today, who are not, you know, supportive of Daniel Ortega, but they're Trojan horses for the regime. They're not, "legitimate opposition."
So yeah, it's pretty bad. We have to say, though, that this has been a circumstance that has been going on for some time, this is the fourth time in a row Ortega has run in elections. And now, of course, you're guaranteed to win. But the opposition has been somewhat weakened over the years. So, we have to remember this isn't something that just happened today or even over the last week. It's been a slow-motion train wreck now four years in the making.
HOLMES: Yeah, what thing do you see happening in Nicaragua in the short to medium term? I mean, opponents in jail or exile, repression, growing economic problems and thousands literally fleeing the country. Where's the place headed?
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FARNSWORTH: Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, who's the Vice President are clearly in a dictatorial role now. She, in fact, is really the animating figure in the regime and someone say she's more radical than her husband. But no, I think we can assume that the oppression will continue, that the opponents will continue to be put in jail and, you know, without charges tried, perhaps under, you know, for treason and other trumped-up things if charges actually are brought.
Meanwhile, the country will continue to sink deeper and deeper into a political morass. You know, the international community has come out strongly opposed to the elections. Joe Biden, President Biden, today condemn them as being a farce. But the question is going to be what is the international community actually prepared to do besides rhetorical condemnation? There's a lot of things that U.S. can do from an economic side, from a political side, from a diplomatic side, the question is, is the political will there, is this "a big enough issue" to really take -- to take some direct steps? HOLMES: Is Nicaragua's the direction in terms of all those things that reduce freedoms growing authoritarianism, it could be perhaps called a dictatorship, and so on, is that a concern regionally, could there be or are there already, implications for democracy elsewhere in Central America?
FARNSWORTH: There is a huge concern regionally, particularly the immediate neighbors like Costa Rica, which actually traditionally is the recipient of many -- if not most, of Nicaragua, citizens who flee the country. And so, anything that is destabilizing in Nicaragua shows up literally in the borders of Costa Rica, and Nicaragua was northern neighbor, Honduras.
Other countries clearly are facing similar circumstances in Latin America, though, as well. Certainly, Venezuela comes to mind. But there are other countries even closer to Nicaragua, in Central America, where leaders who have been democratically elected are nonetheless flirting with authoritarian governance. One thing specifically in El Salvador, but there are others as well. And they're watching this very carefully, not just the tactics and tools that Ortega and Murillo use in terms of solidifying their own power, but also what is the response of the international community? And I think this is the key point, because if the international community really takes no particular actions that harm the regime in any way, people were going to assume that they got away with it, and therefore they may be tempted to try it themselves.
HOLMES: Yeah, yeah, just encourage more of the same. Eric Farnsworth, always a pleasure. Thanks so much.
FARNSWORTH: Thank you, Michael.
HOLMES: A top African Union representative traveled to the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray Region on Sunday. Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo is seeking a way to resolve the conflict between Ethiopia central government and an alliance of rebel groups. And A.U. source tells CNN the Peace and Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the crisis in the hours ahead.
A US official meanwhile, says there is still a window for diplomatic efforts in Tigray, but that window is closing the warning comes as 1000s of Ethiopians turned out in the Capitol Addis Ababa for a demonstration supporting the government. CNN's Melissa Bell with more.
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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: thousands of people out on the streets of Addis Ababa on Sunday mornings make plain their support for the Ethiopian government. This just days off and Alliance was formed of those groups that are opposed to it, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front and the Oromo Liberation Army that have made such spectacularly fast gains over the course of the last few days, entrenched position and fighting according to one senior African diplomatic source speaking from Addis Ababa earlier today, and yet, a small and narrowing window for diplomatic efforts remain according to the source Jeffrey Feltman, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa, extending his stay in the region, the U.N. and the African Union choosing not to evacuate their staff for the time being in order to try and see those diplomatic efforts through.
According to that source, the window is small, but it's important to continue because the source explained Ethiopia is simply too big to fail, and the alternative to peace, too big to consider. Melissa Bell, CNN Paris.
HOLMES: In Houston, Texas mourners are visiting the site of the Astroworld tragedy that claimed the lives of eight people on Friday. Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the deadly crash. Dozens of people were injured, and Houston's mayor says to concert goers are still in critical condition. He also told CNN that authorities are working to figure out exactly what happened in order to make sure it doesn't happen again. But police say the investigation while very active remains in the very early stages.
Meanwhile, one attendee has filed a lawsuit against rapper Travis Scott and the festivals promoters they're accused of failing to conduct the concert in a safe manner and ignoring the risks to concert goers. The plaintiff whose lawyers say was knocked down and trampled is asking for more than a million dollars. Rosa Flores tells us what's known about the timeline of this tragedy.
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ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The incident at the Astroworld Music Festival was first described as a crowd stampede or as a crowd compression will now it's a criminal investigation. This after the Houston Police Department announced that a security officer felt a prick in his neck. He went unconscious, he was administered Narcan and then revived and he's not the only one who received Narcan on site according to authorities.
Now as for the timeline, according to the Houston Police Department at about 9:15 that's when the crowd started compressing towards the stage on Friday. By 9:38 this had turned into a mass casualty event with one police officer on scene describing that he could see multiple people on the ground needing medical attention, some of them in cardiac arrest. By 10:10, according to police, that's when the concert ended.
Now I've talked to multiple concert goers and there's an array of accounts to people who are closer to the stage say that they couldn't breathe. It was very difficult for them to gasp for air because it was so crowded. They felt packed like sardines. People that were closer towards the back, say that they left the venue not even knowing that this had turned tragic. Well, now Live Nation, the Astroworld festival and Travis Scott issuing statements saying that they are heartbroken and that they are cooperating with authorities.
TRAVIS SCOTT, RAPPER: We're working closely with everyone who just shot to get to the bottom of this city Houston, HPD, Fire Department. You know everyone, you know, help us help us figure this out. FLORES: Eight people died between the ages of 14 and 27. Here are some of their names, 21-year-old Franco Patino, 27-year-old, Danish Baig, 16-year-old, Brianna Rodriguez, and John Hilgert. He was a ninth grader at Memorial High School in Houston. Now this investigation continues as a family of all of those who died will want answers. Rosa Flores, CNN, Houston.
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HOLMES: Still to come here on the program, President Biden will hit the road this week to promote a big victory, the passage of his bipartisan infrastructure bill. Plus, why some activists are calling the bill a major win for the environment. We'll be right back.
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HOLMES: President Joe Biden is fresh off a major victory in Congress, lawmakers passing his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill on Friday. Now this came after weeks of delays and marathon negotiations on Capitol Hill. But now the president faces an even heavier lift convincing enough lawmakers to pass his larger social spending and climate bill. CNN's Arlette Saenz with more from Washington.
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ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden is hitting the road this week to promote the newly passed bipartisan infrastructure bill. The President will be traveling to Baltimore on Wednesday, where he's expected to talk about the ways that the bill will help improve the nation's ports, as well as issues relating to the supply chain. But while the White House is taking this victory lap when it comes to that infrastructure bill, they also still have a long road ahead on that larger social safety net spending bill that they're hoping to get passed in the coming weeks.
They are waiting for that CBO score with moderates have demanded to see and analyze the pay-fors for this bill, but those moderates have said that they will vote for the larger package no later than the week of November 15. So, we will see if they keep their word on that. Once the bill, if it passes the House, it still needs to move on to the Senate where some senators like Senator Joe Manchin have already indicated they want to see changes to the bill. One thing Manchin takes issue with is the inclusion of paid family leave in that larger proposal from the house. But take a listen to White House Chief of Staff, Ron Klain, who expressed confidence that the bill still will pass, acknowledging that there will be changes. Take a listen.
RON KLAIN, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I think this bill will pass the House in the House comes back. I'm sure the Senate will make changes. That's the way the legislative process works. But we are going to get a very strong version of this bill through the House, through the Senate to the President's desk, and in a lot.
SAENZ: Now as for that bipartisan infrastructure proposal, the President is planning on hosting a signing ceremony here at the White House in short order, he will be inviting both the Republicans and Democrats who work together to get that bill across the finish line. But even as they are celebrating that win, the White House still has a long road ahead when it comes to that larger spending bill they're hoping to get passed in the next few weeks. Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.
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HOLMES: President Biden says the infrastructure plan will also help tackle the climate crisis. This includes reducing emissions by building a net national network of electric vehicle charging stations across the U.S. and a number of other things to. Take a listen to what Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told CNN about this massive effort.
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JENNIFER GRANHOLM, U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY: The auto industry itself has said that they want half of their fleet to be electric, new vehicle sold by 2030. This is a transition that right now we're not there yet. But we want to make sure that one of the reasons that people aren't buying electric vehicles to the extent that they could be is because there aren't charging stations. And so, there is a significant amount in the bipartisan infrastructure to build out that network. Right now, charging stations are largely in places where electric vehicles already are. So, it's a chicken and egg. We want to fill that out. So rural areas, poor areas have access to the fuel that's necessary. And then in the build back better agenda, there'll be incentives to be able to purchase electric vehicles that will bring the cost down to the same level as gas powered vehicles.
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HOLMES: Joining me now is Shalini Vajjhala. She is Executive Director of the San Diego Regional Policy and Innovation Center. Great to have you on, what's seen this infrastructure bill for climate issues, and how much real impact could be made.
SHALINI VAJJHALA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SAN DIEGO REGIONAL POLICY AND INNOVATION CENTER: Thanks for having me, Michael. There's a lot to like in this infrastructure bill that is very positive for both addressing climate mitigation, which is reducing greenhouse gas emissions and better protecting communities against the impacts of climate change.
And a lot of the investments are in things that folks would recognize as infrastructure, roads, railways, water systems, power systems. And these are things where a lot of the ways in which the money is spent, can be very climate smart.
HOLMES: Well, how can infrastructure changes or investments best help mitigate the U.S. contribution to climate change?
VAJJHALA: Well, I think investments in our infrastructure where we have high uses of energy through our infrastructure system. So, what many people don't know is that many of our water systems are some of our biggest energy users and public utilities, right? So, it requires a lot of electricity and energy to pump water and treat it. Those kinds of basic upgrades to infrastructure that you might not see every day, but that you rely on can have an enormous impact on our greenhouse gas emissions, the things that cause climate change.
HOLMES: The public, by and large is all for green energy and mitigating climate change impacts, of course, and it is becoming cheaper to have renewables as well. But how big is the challenge then presented by the powerful, you know, the lobbyists and the self- interested politicians when it comes to environmental policy, which, despite what the public thinks makes it harder to get things done.
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VAJJHALA: I think there are the same barriers that have been in place before this bill. Many of them will remain in place after this bill. What's promising is that the amount of money being made available, can really let us tackle transformational changes on our infrastructure systems. And it's less of a zero-sum game, where there's a lot of lobbying to compete for small amounts of money. And so, I for one, I am very optimistic about the opportunities and less worried about the barriers at this stage.
HOLMES: And then the next bill that the President wants passed, of course, is that massive build back data legislation, it's going to focus even more on climate. But it also faces a lot more opposition, including from Democrat senators, like Joe Manchin, who, of course, is a big fan of the coal industry. How steep of the hill does that bill face and how critical are the climate measures in it?
VAJJHALA: Well, the climate measures in that bill are absolutely critical. If you think about the infrastructure bill that just passed as the down payment on our climate future, the Build Back Better bill is the long-term mortgage, and our ability to invest over the long- term in shifting completely to something more climate smart for all of our infrastructure systems. You can't get there with just the down payment. And what's striking is the opposition is coming from states that have endured tremendous impacts from climate change, and also failures in infrastructure, flooding in places like West Virginia is something that this bill is intended to solve. And so, I think these bills must proceed in tandem. And they really do depend on one another to be the most effective investment in communities that we can have in the U.S.
HOLMES: Yeah, politics gets in the way of a lot of good ideas. I mean, between 2009 and 2019, I was reading the cost of solar and wind power has declined by nearly 90% and 70%, respectively. While many politicians and lobbyists protect fossil fuel use, do you think it will be basic economics that ultimately has the biggest impact, the fact that clean energy is going to quite simply be cheaper?
VAJJHALA: I think that will have a tremendous effect. And the story around solar and wind is incredibly compelling. What I think we're hearing from a lot of folks, when they're talking about infrastructure is a real lack of imagination, right? Investing in broadband can help us build better sensors for flood and fire risk. And those kinds of things aren't being taken into account when we're talking about what is a climate investment and what is not. And so, I think you're going to see tremendous innovation here. And the opportunities are really striking.
HOLMES: We'll see how the real politic plays into it. Shalini Vajjhala, thank you so much as always.
VAJJHALA: Thank you, Michael.
HOLMES: Still to come here on the program, it has been a long time coming but the U.S. is finally rolling out the welcome mat for foreign visitors. Details on the new travel rules coming up also why some experts say Europe needs to consider bringing back the top restrictions they impose earlier in the pandemic. We'll be right back.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. is reopening to fully vaccinated international travels ending a ban on foreign visitors that lasted for months. The change affects both air travelers and those crossing land borders.
CNN's Priscilla Alvarez with a closer look at the new rules.
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PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER (on camera) : The United States is reopening its borders to non-essential travel after more than 19 months of restrictions. Travelers crossing for nonessential purposes will now have to show proof of vaccination, be it digital or paper. As far as what vaccines the United States is accepting, they say they will admit FDA or WHO authorized or approved vaccines.
Children under 18, however, will be exempt from those vaccination requirements. And COVID-19 tests will not be required, a difference from air travel or passengers, who will have to show a negative COVID test.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is anticipating large travel volumes, and longer wait times, as this kicks into gear. But the overall consensus among border mayors is that this is a positive development, as they look to boost their economies, after the toll of the coronavirus pandemic on their communities.
Priscilla Alvarez, CNN -- at the U.S.-Mexico border.
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HOLMES: Well, the new travel rules are a welcome change for many families separated by the pandemic. They're also a sign of hope for a battered travel industry.
CNN's Richard Quest with that.
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RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST (voice over): These are the routes that keep the global economy moving. For more than 18 months, they have been painfully quiet.
Back at the start of the COVID pandemic, then President Donald Trump, announced he was banning most travel into the United States. Few would have predicted that ban would last for most of 2021 as well. Most travelers, some from the United States 'closest allies, barred from visiting. For loved ones, that means separated by borders, months of heartache. And for the airlines, it spelt financial disaster.
SEAN DOYLE,CEO BRITISH AIRWAYS: We keep outlining the economic impact of staying closed, and the human impact. So there's a lot of who haven't been able to visit family in the U.S. They haven't been able to reunite.
You know,, and poor countries have huge amounts of foreign direct investment going both ways. And that's going to be impacted by this impasse.
QUEST: As COVID levels ebbed and flowed, and vaccinations began to be rolled out. The U.S. position did not change much to the frustration of European leaders.
"The travel ban seriously harms vital, economic, and human ties at a time when they are most needed," tweeted the E.U. ambassador in Washington. And Americans were able to travel overseas with some restrictions like vaccination, testings, or quarantines.
I'm a U.K. citizen, so I could fly from New York, to London on JetBlue's inaugural trip, and it was packed. The return journey, because I am a green card holder, I could travel, not so.
(on camera): Because Brits, even those fully vaccinated, are not allowed into the United States, but on this plane, it's about a quarter full.
All in all, all change on Monday. Vaccinated travelers, finally able to visit the land of the free. Separated families, a moment to cherish and for the global economy, a sign that things may be getting closer to normal.
Richard Quest, CNN -- New York.
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HOLMES: Well, even as the world begins returning to normal or something like it, the pandemic of course far from over. Globally, cases of COVID-19 are now approaching 250 million. On average, nearly half a million new infections are being reported every day.
More than half of those are in Europe, where COVID cases and deaths have been soaring, and experts are warning time might be running out to get the surge under control.
CNN's Nada Bashir reports.
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NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: Well, European leaders are facing mounting pressure and a stark warning from the World Health Organization that Europe is now once again at the epicenter of the global pandemic.
And this comes as numerous countries across the continent report record-breaking figures in the number of daily cases, being reported.
And Europe's Center for Disease Control has said that it expects cases hospital admissions and even deaths to continue to rise over the coming weeks.
But what is perhaps the most concerning is the warning from the WHO that Europe and Central Asia could see something like half a million coronavirus deaths between now in the beginning of February, if this current trajectory continues.
The WHO has highlighted two key areas of concern. The first, European leaders need to take a look at their own national policies, and perhaps consider bringing back into force these tougher measures we have seen in the past.
The second is looking at the uneven uptick of the coronavirus vaccine, with parts of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, in particular, still struggling against vaccine hesitancy.
What we've seen in other parts of Europe is the introduction of variations over heath costs where citizens will have to prove that they either had the vaccine, or tested negative for coronavirus, in order to access places like restaurants, bars, and theaters, even in some countries to go to work. So there is a real pressure for people to go out and get their jab.
And some countries are now introducing this third booster dose, and this is all part of efforts to really bring the pandemic under control, as we move into the winter months, particularly in light of the spread of the delta variant, which is highly transmissible.
And somehow, experts have also warned against what they're describing as the twindemic that is governments trying to deal with the pandemic, while dealing with a seasonal flu during the winter months, which has long put for governments under a immense strain, but particularly in the health care sector.
So there are real concerns, and a real push for governments to take action now, to bring the pandemic under control. But as we move into the winter months, really, not a lot of time left to do that.
Nada Bashir, CNN -- London.
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HOLMES: Iceland is tightening its COVID rules, in an attempt to curb a rapid rise in new cases there. Masks once again required in crowded areas, and officials plan to cut hours of some restaurants, and limit attendants at gatherings. This all comes as new infections in Iceland are approaching record
highs. The average number of new cases has more than doubled in the last month alone.
Austria, also cracking down on COVID rules, after new infections quadrupled there in the last month. Starting Monday, unvaccinated customers will be banned from restaurants, hotels, and large events. But officials say for the first four weeks, proof of an initial COVID vaccine and negative test will be enough to get inside. Right now, just under 64 percent of Austrian's are fully vaccinated.
And here in the U.S., the Biden administration's vaccine mandate is continuing to face legal troubles. A federal appeals court temporarily blocked the rule, which requires employers and employees at large companies, certain health care workers, and federal contractors to be fully vaccinated by January 4th.
The lawsuit was filed by Republican-led states, and private businesses. The White House chief of staff believes a mandate will still go ahead as scheduled.
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RON KLAIN, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I'm quite confident that when this finally gets fully adjudicated, not just a temporary order, the validity of this requirement will be upheld. It is common sense, Chuck. If OSHA can tell people to wear a hard hat on the job, to be careful around chemicals, it could put in place these simple measures to keep our workers safe.
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HOLMES: NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers is suffering the consequences for misleading the public about his vaccine status. And with Rodgers out of the game Sunday, his Green Bay Packers saw their 7-game win streak come to an end against the Kansas City Chiefs.
CNN's Nick Watt with the latest.
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NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So the fallout has begun for Aaron Rodgers after his rather controversial interview on Friday. And of course, testing positive for COVID on Wednesday. Having said that I have been immunized, he tested positive and then came clean that it wasn't a vaccine. He had taken a homeopathic defense against COVID-19.
So Previa Health, he has been a spokesperson for this Wisconsin-based health care system since 2012. They have now parted ways that -- Previa Health has a vaccine mandate for its employees, and it's obviously very pro-vaccine, and working hard to get as many people vaccinated as possible.
So having a spokesperson who advocates a homeopathic defense wasn't really a good fit anymore.
"Saturday Night Live" also took a little pop at Rodgers on Saturday night. Take a listen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our first guest is an American brave enough to stand up and say, screw you, science, I know Joe Rogan. Please welcome NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers.
[01:39:56]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello. Hey Jeanine, it's great to be here. Remember when I hosted Jeopardy?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Straight talk, Aaron because I never talk gay. Did you ever lie about being vaccinated?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never lie. I took all my teammates into a huddle, got all their faces three inches away from my wet mouth, and told them trust me. I'm more or less immunized. Go, team.
WATT: Now, of course, rogers is a mainstay, a central plank in the Green Bay Packers season in their attempt to get to the Super Bowl.
He could not play Sunday against the Chiefs because of his positive test. Now, he can, under NFL protocols, be back with a team Saturday, so that's the day before they take on the Seahawks, next Sunday.
Will that be enough time for him to slop back in? Well, we shall see.
Nick watt, CNN -- Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Coming up here on the program, China's Xi Jinping, set to be place on the same level as Mao Zedong as communist party leaders meet behind closed doors.
Plus, one lesson of climate change: prepare for extreme weather events, how one country took precautions long ago, so lives would be saved when rivers flooded again.
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HOLMES: China's ruling communist party is kicking off a four-day plenary session. President Xi Jinping expected to tighten his grip on power during the closed-door session of the 300-plus member committee.
CNN's Beijing bureau chief Steven Jiang joins me now for more on this. Tell us about the meeting -- the importance, and what it means for President Xi's power?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Michael, you know, in this country the presidency is actually a largely ceremonial title. Xi Jinping's real power derives from his top position within the Chinese Communist Party.
That's why the whole world is so closely watching this conclave of a small group of people, mostly old men, because of the top down power structure in this one party system, as illustrated by this graphic. Even though this is the world's biggest ruling party with over 95 million members. What really matters is a central committee and that's what's meeting here behind closed doors.
And when you go off from there, the numbers quickly become even much smaller, really culminating in the seven person standing committee of the Politburo and that's the parties and indeed the country's top decision making body. And that body has been dominated by one man, Xi Jinping.
Now, this meeting of course, is taking place as Xi continues to re- assert the party's control his dominance in every aspect of Chinese society. Not just politics and military but also the economy, and even people's private lives,.
All the while as he continues to push for a more confrontational and some would say more aggressive foreign policy.
[01:44:54]
JIANG: And in the months and weeks leading up to this meeting, we have seen state media relentlessly touting China's great achievement since Xi took power in late 2012, and using extravagant terms that we haven't heard for years to describe him as a great helmsman, visionary, as a statesman, as a father-like figure, really building this cult personality called, leading to this moment.
Now, the main agenda for this meeting is actually to pass a so-called resolution on the party's history. This may not sound very exciting to most people, but this had previously only happened twice in the party's 100-year history. And on both occasions, it cemented the undisputed supremacy of the parties leader at the time. First, Mao Zedong and now then Deng Xiaoping, only for the 3rd time, Xi Jinping, that's going to happen to him.
That's why people are expecting once this is passed, he is going to demand even more loyalty, Absolute loyalty, absolutely loyalty, from not only the party but also the nation of 1.4 billion people because any suggestion or hint against him or in his policy would be considered party heresy.
All of this Michael of course, is paving the way for him to seek an almost unprecedent, third term, as the (INAUDIBLE) impressive next year, allowing him to of course, dominate the party politics and indeed while stage for the foreseeable future if not for the fore future, if not for the rest of his life, Michael?
HOLMES: A powerful man indeed. Steven jiang, thank you so much.
Well, it is crunch for a critical climate talks in Glasgow, as the CoP26 summit enters its final week. Negotiators need to hash out exactly how to make good on promises made by world leaders last week.
Monday, they will shift their focus to finances, and how to help vulnerable countries cop with climate change.
With the clock ticking down, the president of the event says, it is time for everyone to knuckle down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALOK Sharmo, you know COP 26, the rubber is going to hit the road. During next week. And I think anyone who has been to a cop, and many of you have, know that this is not plain sailing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: One country that is taking action on climate change is the Netherlands. Long before heavy floods ravaged Europe this summer, the Neverlands took drastic action to reshape the land so people could live safely.
CNN's Phil Black has the story.
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PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ahr Valley is striking and serene. Soaring steep slopes, covered with vineyards. We see the river flowing gently, more like a stream. But everywhere, there is evidence of its unpredictable power.
In July, the water here swelled suddenly. Violently swallowing homes and businesses in just a few hours. Extreme rainfall, devastated communities throughout this region of Europe, killing more than 200 people.
This video was taken from the top floor of Franziska Schnitzler Hotel and Restaurant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We lost a kitchen. The restaurant was there.
BLACK: Today, much of that centuries old building is gone. The damage was so great it had to be torn down.
FRANZISKA SCHNITZLER, RESIDENT OF DERNAU, GERMANY: A lot of people are selling the houses already. We do live with the climate change, and this is the result.
BLACK: Scientists later determined this rare flooding event was made more likely by climate change.
(on camera): It's going right through the floor.
SCHNITZLER: Yes. And then in the first (INAUDIBLE) something like on my knees.
BLACK (voice over): Lea Kreuzberg is in no doubt that terrifying night, watching the water rise higher than anyone remembers, has changed her to this day.
LEA KREUZBERG, RESIDENT: When it started raining a bit more, the emotions came up again, and I start crying. And I don't feel very comfortable in these situations.
BLACK (on camera): You're scared of the rain?
KREUZBERG: Yes.
BLACK: Lea's community is now grappling with how, where, if to rebuild, how to live by this river now, the risks of climate change are already here.
KREUZBERG: Not just (INAUDIBLE) things happening like this will take place on many different cities or countries, because of the climate change.
BLACK (voice over): The waters of the Ahr Valley flow north through Germany, and eventually into the Netherlands, a low lying country with centuries of experience, building dikes and holding back water.
HANS BROUWER, DUTCH MINISTRY OF INFRASTRUTURE AND WATER MANAGEMENT: We know we are a very vulnerable country. If we would've protect ourselves by dikes on a daily basis, about half of the country can flood.
BLACK: Hans Brouer says the Dutch have now also realized dikes alone are not enough. Huge floods in the mid 90s together with some of the earliest warnings about climate change, inspired what was then revolutionary thinking.
What if you could just let the river flood? Let the water find its own space.
[01:50:00]
BROUWER: We believe that giving space to the river, which means that you can accommodate more water without raising level then the damage, can be controlled much better.
BLACK: The result is called room for the rivers, a vast, long term project, reshaping the land to accommodate the extreme weather that comes with climate change. Dikes have been lowered, so land can flood more easily. Some are now permanently open, allowing water to take over, transforming farmland into lakes and marshes.
Homes and businesses have been knocked out with only some rebuild on huge mounds, designed to sit above the worst floods.
BROUWER: When the water comes, it takes the rest of the land.
It takes the rest of the land?
BLACK: The project has grown, with greater understanding about the changing climate. But it's only possible through great selflessness. People have given up their land to absorb flooding, so riverside towns and cities will be safe.
(on camera): The water is like there?
(voice over): Anneke Van Lelieveld used to live next to a neighbor's farm. That farm is now a lake and flood plan. Embracing the project, watching friends and neighbors leave has not been easy.
ANNEKE VAN LELIEVELD, RESIDENT: It's so complex.
BLACK (on camera): Because you know other people have made those sacrifices.
LELIEVELD: Yes. Yes. Yes. and I saw the tears and the cries, and yes it blocks the air from the heart, you know. And this makes me emotional because it has a deep impact, but I do it for the youth, you know, for young people.
BLACK: And she believes the Netherlands is setting an important example.
VAN LELIEVELD: I am proud that we give this area up for all the people. The climate is changing, and we must, as a community, as people all over the world, to do things to make a future for our children.
BLACK: This project shows preparing in advance for climate change is hugely challenging, and often painful. But there are lessons on the flooding of the Ahr Valley too. Vulnerable communities risk even greater loss and trauma if they wait too long to adapt.
Phil Black, CNN, at Germany's Ahr River Valley.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And join us for the first ever "call to Earth Day, that's going to be on Wednesday, November 10. CNN partnering with schools, individuals, and organizations around the world, to raise awareness of environmental issues. It's going to be a day of action, dedicated to conservation, environmentalism and sustainability.
Follow us online and on TV. Follow the hashtag, call to earth on social media.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: It has been decades since Frida, Benny, Bjorn and Agnetha last released an album. But now long-suffering fans of Abba are singing thank you for the music.
They had faith the now elderly Swedish legends, would eventually reunite, and now, the group has taken a musical voyage with a new album.
[01:54:48]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: CDs, vinyl, music listed in alphabetical order in the store -- flashbacks to a different time.
(MUSIC)
HOLMES: And one of the biggest bands of that nostalgic era is back with their first album in 40 years.
The Swedish super group Abba dominated the music scene in the seventies with hits like "Dancing Queen" and "Mamma Mia" before breaking up in the early 80s.
Their fans lined up once again in record stores to buy the new releases, "Voyage".
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I grew up with Abba So for me, it's a new suit the group is important.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to be like 40 or 50 to have this connection with Abba. To have experienced Abba when you were young.
HOLMES: The new album has 10 songs from the quartet of two formerly married couples, who sold more than 385 million records during their decades long rain on the radio.
One greatest hits album surpassed a thousand weeks on the U.K. album chart earlier this year. The group reunited to create a digital concert series, that begins in May, in which avatars of the band will perform with a live band.
The members now in their 70s say the new tunes will still have their signature sound, maybe just a little more mature now.
BJORN ULVAEUS, ABBA MEMBER: And as an element of something that comes with age, I think in the whole album, not that it sounds like four tired geriatrics, that's not what I'm saying. It sounds, there's a lot of energy in it.
While fans are mostly thrilled with the record, music critics are mixed. Some love it, and some say it's average. And delivers a sound that is stuck in the past.
But the band says it's an authentic sound built on the melodies and voices that made them famous, and doesn't overly rely on computer enhancement.
ULVAEUS: We cannot -- as we are now, in the age that we are now. And it's up to the audience to see whether they like it or not. But of course, it doesn't sound like Drake. But it sounds like Abba.
HOLMES: A trip down memory lane for some longtime fans, and a chance for the supergroup to show a new generation an oldie is still a goody.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Thank you for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @HolmesCNN.
I will be right back with more news.
[01:57:41]
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