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New COVID-19 Variant Giving Global Concerns; Eight African Countries Restricted to Enter U.S.; Taiwan Scrambles Air Force in Response to China; Iran Nuclear Program to Resume Talks. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired November 29, 2021 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" and I am Rosemary Church.

Just ahead. The list of countries with confirmed cases of the omicron COVID variant is growing as new travel restrictions going to affect across the globe.

Taiwan's air force scrambles to ward off more than two dozen Chinese aircrafts that entered its defense zone. The latest in a live report.

And in just a few hours, Iran nuclear talks will resume for the first time since a new Iranian president took office. But the U.S. and its allies are not sure what to expect from Tehran's new government.

Good to have you with us. Well, a U.S. ban on most travelers from South Africa and nearby countries is now in effect as the world races to contain the omicron variant of COVID-19. Now, this comes as G7 health ministers are set to hold talks on the variant in the coming hours.

Omicron has been found in more than a dozen countries and territories. Canada, on Sunday, becoming the first in the Americas to confirm infections. And the variant is also spreading in Europe. The president of the European Union, a commission, had this warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: We are in a race against time. Why that, because we know not all about this variant. But, it is a variant of concern.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, there are signs omicron is more infectious, but we still don't know how bad the threat is compared to other variants. A doctor, who is among the first to raise the alarm about omicron says the symptoms appear mild, but it is worth mentioning many of the cases she saw in South Africa were in people under 40. Take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELIQUE COETZEE, CHAIR, SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: Looking at the mildness of the symptoms that we are seeing, currently, there is no reason for panicking as we don't see severely ill patients. The most predominant clinical complaint is severe fatigue for one or two days with then the headache and the body aches and pain. Some of them will have what they call a scratchy throat and some will have a cough, a dry cough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And CNN is covering this story from all angles around the world. Will Ripley is in Hong Kong, but let's go first to Larry Madowo in Paris. Good to see you, Larry. So, how is Europe responding to this latest COVID variant and how widespread is it across the continent?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Rosemary, let me start with the last. It's not clear how widespread right now, which is why in response to the first question, you could say Europe is responding with mild panic. You see all the barriers going up. You see people getting asked to if you're not vaccinated, get vaccinated. If you already double vaccinated, make sure you get your booster shot because these are the only protections available until health authorities know a bit more about how serious this omicron variant is.

I, for instance, did not fly from Southern Africa. I flew from Nairobi in Kenya, which is in the East Africa, but I got an e-mail from the health ministry here in France saying that I had come from a region where omicron had been detected and I needed to take a PCR test and isolate until I got negative test, which I did.

So you see the level of precaution that authorities across Europe are putting in place. The French health ministry here says they have eight possible cases, but none so far are confirmed. But also, the French health minister did say it's only a matter of time until some of those are confirmed.

And that is something that is solid. It's based in fact because in the Netherlands, out of 61 positive cases, some of -- many of whom came from throughout South Africa, 13 turned positive. And authorities there in the Netherlands expect there will be probably more cases turning positive.

So, there is a possibility that there are already omicron variant cases all across Europe, but not just detected yet. And until they learn more about them, they're trying to take every precaution available to try and stop the spread of it.

[02:04:58]

CHURCH: All right, Larry Madowo, joining us live from Paris. Many thanks bringing us up to date on the reaction and response across Europe.

And some countries are taking more extreme measures to contain the omicron variant. In the past few hours. Japan announced plans to temporarily close its borders to all foreign visitors starting Tuesday. So, for more on that, we want to bring in CNN's Will Ripley who joins us live from Hong Kong. So, Will, why has Japan decided to ban all foreign visitors for now? What's the reasoning behind that decision?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some might say scientific prudence. Other might say xenophobia depending on their perspective. This is not the first time this pandemic that Japan has closed its borders to all foreign nationals. Even those who might have student visas or work visas right now will be affected under these new restrictions which go into place on Tuesday.

Japan is facing a lot of pressure from the general public not to allow omicron into the country because they are still very fresh in their minds as a widespread outbreak of the delta variant that occurred during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

And there was also a lot of fear that foreigners would bring that virus into the country even though as it turned out the number of cases inside the Olympic bubble remained relatively low because of the extensive COVID testing and other restrictions in place whereas the virus were spreading like wildfire out in the general public.

So Japan is just one nation adding to a growing list including as you heard Larry talk about the European Union, Australia, the United States, New Zealand, Canada, and many others that are banning travelers from these several Southern African countries, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Will you are there in Hong Kong, of course. So, what is the situation there now that omicron has been detected? And what about concerns over any possible impact on the upcoming Beijing Olympics?

RIPLEY: Well, certainly, I'm here at the Hong Kong International Airport, which is the front line of defense for the virus containment measures that are in place in this territory. Hong Kong already has one of the strictest quarantine protocols in the world, up to 21 days for most incoming travelers.

Travelers from those eight southern African countries including South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi -- if there are Hong Kong residents and they're coming in from those countries or had visited those countries in the past 21 days. First, first they have to spend seven days in a government quarantine center where they will be tested for COVID every day.

And then if they remain negative after those first seven days, then they move to a compulsory quarantine hotel to finish out the remaining 14 days of their quarantine. Hotels like the Regal Airport Hotel, where I am, where the first two cases of the omicron variant were detected last week. Just two floors down from me as a matter of fact.

On the fifth floor, a man from South Africa in his 30s tested positive and within a week, a man in his 60s in the room across the hall from him also tested positive. I have been tested for COVID now three times and I've been back in Hong Kong from Taiwan for less than a week. I'm expecting more COVID tests in the coming days and even COVID tests after I get out of the quarantine hotel.

As far as the Beijing Winter Olympics, their COVID quarantine protocols are even more strict than Hong Kong. Some people have to quarantine for up to seven weeks before they enter the mainland. And there is a very, very strict Olympic bubble planned for the games.

So, health authorities in China are saying they are not particularly concerned about omicron because of their very strict and disciplined quarantine procedures and the fact that they have an almost hermetically sealed Olympic humble plan in place to keep the media in one bubble, the athletes in another, and absolutely no contact between those in the bubble and people in the general population, Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Will Ripley joining us live from Hong Kong, many thanks for that report.

Well, Japan isn't the only country taking drastic measures in response to omicron fears. Israel was the first country to close its borders to all foreigners in an attempt to contain the new variant. CNN's Hadas Gold has more now from Jerusalem.

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are, now at least seven suspected and one confirmed case of the new variant in Israel. Four of the suspected cases are from people who recently traveled abroad. Health authorities say making it possible that the other three suspected cases may have been local transmissions.

In response to fears over the new variant's possible dangers, the Israeli government is taking drastic new measures, which are some of the strictest in the world. The country is shutting its borders to foreigners for two weeks and this is not even a month after opening up to vaccinated tourists.

Additionally, all Israelis returning from abroad no matter where they're coming from, will be required to quarantine for at least three days and to produce two negative PCR tests before they can be released. And that's for vaccinated or recovered people. If they're unvaccinated, Israelis will need to quarantine for at least seven days with two negative tests before they can be released.

And Israelis who are returning from what the government considers red countries, which essentially most of Africa apart from the continents northern countries, will be sent to directly to designated quarantine hotels.

[02:09:56]

And anyone with a suspected or confirmed case of the new variant will be tracked via their cellphones by Israel Security Service, the Shin Bet. But Israeli authority say that they are not imposing new restrictions on gatherings as the country begins to celebrate Hanukkah, which is set to begin Sunday night.

And then there is the Miss Universe pageant, which is supposed to take place in two weeks in the southern city of Eilat. Authorities and organizers say that as of now, they expect the competition to go on as planned. Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.

CHURCH: While no cases of the omicron variant have been detected in the U.S. just yet, experts warn it could be just a matter of time. Speaking with CNN, the director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health says that the best defense is for people to get fully vaccinated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCES COLLINS, DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: So, the question is will the antibodies generated by the vaccines that we have all have had or should have had, will that enable us to be protected against this virus? I think there is a good reason to think it will probably be okay. But we need to know the real answers to that and that's going to take two or three weeks.

People are listening who haven't yet gotten boosted, but did get their original vaccine and who are eligible now. This is another reason to do that now because the booster basically enlarges the capacity of your immune system to recognize all kinds of different spike proteins it has never seen. This is a great day to go and get boosted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, he added, the data from South Africa should give us a good idea i the next few weeks about how effective the vaccines are against this new variant.

U.S. President Biden is scheduled to make public remarks on the fight against the coronavirus later Monday. News of the variant prompted him to gather his top health advisers at the White House over the weekend. CNN's Joe Johns reports.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: A White House status report on the omicron variant telling us a lot that we don't know. The president issuing a statement after flying back from Nantucket for his Thanksgiving vacation.

Now, here at the White House, speaking with among others, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the statement from the White House giving a great deal of attribution to the president's medical advisor. It says in part, "Dr. Fauci informed the president that while it will take approximately two more weeks to have definitive information on the transmissibility, severity, and other characteristics of the variant, he continues to believe that existing vaccines are likely to provide a degree of protection against severe cases of COVID."

Dr. Fauci also reiterated that boosters for fully vaccinated individuals provide the strongest available protection from COVID. The president is expected to give an update on the situation on Monday. Also on Monday, travel restrictions to several Southern African nations including South Africa and Botswana will go into effect. Joe Johns, CNN, the White House.

CHURCH: And joining me now is Dr. Muhammad Munir, a virologist at Lancaster University in Lancaster, England. Thank you so much for being with us sir.

MUHAMMAD MUNIR, VIROLOGIST, LANCASTER UNIVERSITY: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So, according to a doctor in South Africa who first detected this variant, she says the omicron variant may not be as bad as many fear and she is telling people stop panicking. We don't know that for sure, yet, of course, but what do you make of what we know so far?

MUNIR: Yes. I think, we certainly -- I completely agree with you, don't need to panic, but we do need to be cautious what's ongoing in Africa about the omicron. But one thing I would like to highlight here is that the situation in South Africa is significantly different than many other part of the world.

And unfortunately or fortunately in terms of understanding this omicron, most of the cases we are having are in South Africa. So, what happened in South Africa needs to be translated very cautiously. For instance, most of the cases at the moment, they are in a very highly urbanized population in Pretoria and in Johannesburg region where HIV and TB are very common.

So, the disease spectrum is always different when there is a co- infection or without co-infection. So, the information coming out of South Africa is certainly the firsthand information, but we need to be very careful in interpreting that. Whether that is really is making the situation into the developed world or not.

But any information coming up at the moment indicates that the virus has certainly the potential to transmit and it is outcompeting the delta variant because the delta variant was very common over there. And now this emerged in the presence of delta variant. Definitely, this virus have got some advantages over there.

CHURCH: Right. So, as a virologist, I do want to ask you this. Are travel bans the appropriate way to deal with this new variant or could that discourage other countries from being transparent when they detect new variants like this?

[02:14:55]

MUNIR: Absolutely. That is very critical at this moment because what we know is that when these new variants come in. And if those are more transmissible in a country or in a continent level, they are very difficult to control them. We have example of delta variant last summer. Once it entered into the continent, it just really took every continent on the knees.

So the best bet at the moment is to reduce the introduction of those variant into a continent or country so that we buy time to really act on to whether it really have impact on to the transmission or vaccine efficacy which we are rushing and working overtime to really answer those questions.

So, buying time is really critical at this moment and that can be done by restricting movement. However, at the same time, it's really unfortunate that South Africa has been almost penalized for this closure (ph) and I think we should thank them for being very honest and passing that information on to us in a timely manner because if we would not have this information we might not be very well prepared for.

CHURCH: Yes. It's a very good point. And I did want to ask you this, too. How critical is it to get more vaccine supplies to the continent of Africa to ensure that more people there, get shots to slow down any additional new variants because the vaccination rate there is very low? I think it's somewhere around the 11 percent point, isn't it?

MUNIR: Yes, absolutely, Rosemary. I think this is the point that we, from the beginning of this pandemic been emphasizing and really hardly being practiced. Until we don't really get that part of the world vaccinated, which is the major worry at the moment and no -- any practical action is being taken at the moment, these variants keep emerging and will emerge in the future as well.

You can imagine that if this variant would be outcompeting the delta, although we still have to investigate that part, meaning that this could infect the person who is already infected with the delta, can lead to some other variants. And that phenomenon will carry on until we vaccinate that part of the world.

And as you indicated, the overall coverage is very low. I mean, compared to 147 doses per 100 people we have given in the developed world, it's only seven in the low income countries, majority of them are in Africa. Until we don't get them vaccinated, the chances for this virus to come from one person to another person will remain very high and that is ideal ground for the virus to mutate.

CHURCH: Yes. Absolutely. Of course, the big question everyone is asking right now is for those people who have two shots or three shots so far, how much protection would they get or likely get from this? And we may not know that for another couple of weeks, but as a virologist yourself, what is your sense?

MUNIR: Well, certainly, this is something that we are working very actively including my labs. And today we are having meeting of our group with the WHO to really emphasize on to the fact how quickly we can do serum neutralization as they do tell us about how effective the seed (ph) are from a vaccinated person would be against this omicron.

But at this moment, what I would like to highlight is that none of the variants that we've identified so far has completely dismantled the effect of the vaccine. Neither will this do. It might have some impact on to the efficacy because after the magnitude of the mutations been observed in the spike protein and majority of the vaccine we are using in the population are based on the spike protein.

So therefore, we will need to be extremely cautious, but that doesn't mean that the booster will be discouraged, no. Booster are still required because more antibody mean better protection, even if those are not all neutralizing.

CHURCH: Yes. And of course, it's all about protecting people from get severely ill and also dying from this. So that is the reason why those vaccines are out there and we do want people to trust these vaccines. Muhammad Munir, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it.

MUNIR: Thanks, Rosemary, for having me.

CHURCH: Well, a renewed -- thank you sir. Well, a renewed burst of Chinese air force activity has Taiwan on high alert. The latest incident coming up.

And negotiators are set to resume talks on Iran's nuclear program in just a few hours from now. Ahead, why no one's expecting a breakthrough to come out of this route.

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[02:20:00]

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Well, Taiwan is accusing China of conducting so-called gray zone warfare. Beijing sent 27 warplanes into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone on Sunday, including 18 fighter jets, five nuclear capable H6 bombers and a Y-20 aerial refueling aircraft.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is in Hong Kong. She joins us now live. So, Kristie, what is the latest on this incident, and of course, the threat this could pose?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, look, Taiwan once again finds itself in a position it had to scramble its jets to warn away China's air force. It's an incident that happened on Sunday. According to Taiwan's defense ministry, some 27 Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's air defense zone. This is not its territorial air space. It's important to make that distinction.

Air defense zone is a much broader area, but Taiwan monitors and patrols the area nonetheless. We also learned that on the same day on Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping was busy wrapping up a very high profile three-day meeting with top military brass.

Since October around the time of the national day holiday in China, China has been ratcheting up these displays of military might around Taiwan especially in the form of these air incursions. As you mentioned at the top, Rosemary, Taiwan says that this an example of gray zone warfare. China is trying to wear out Taiwan's forces through these tactics. Also trying to test its responses. Earlier today, we did hear through a press conference with Taiwan's defense minister saying that Taiwan is capable of responding to these incursions.

It was in October when according to Taiwan, China sent about 150 Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan's air defense zone. On Sunday, 27 including, as you mentioned, those nuclear capable bombers as well as something that we'd never seen deployed in the field before. This was mentioned in state media.

On Sunday, this aerial refueling aircraft that was also used as well in Sunday. No immediate comment yet officially from China to this, but state-run media, they have been saying and we're reporting on this high profile military meeting that Xi Jinping had. And wanted to show you just some comments that the Chinese leader said during this meeting because it's very indicative of the tone of the sense of tension in the region right now.

According to Xinhua news agency, it quoted Xi Jinping in saying, "It is necessary to make great efforts to strengthen scientific and technological literacy and improve the actual ability to win modern wars." He goes on to say, "It is necessary to strengthen practical experience and encouraging guide officers and soldiers to experience the wind and rain, to see the world, to strengthen their muscles and bones, and develop their talents and fiery military practice."

So, there you have it, Rosemary, a strong message that accompany yet another strong display of Chinese military might. Back to you.

CHURCH: All right. Thanks for that. Kristie Lu Stout joining is live from Hong Kong.

Well, in several hours, the U.S. and its allies will resume talks on Iran's nuclear program. This comes after a nearly six-month break and discussions and the election of a new president in Iran. Nic Robertson has more on why expectations for the seventh round of talks are low.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Iran's uranium enrichment, a possible path to making a nuclear bomb, is way beyond internationally agreed levels.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETRY OF STATE: Iran has been using this time to advance its nuclear program.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Talks to head this off stalled late June with the election of a new, hardline president in Iran. But will finally restart Monday. The outcome is uncertain, the stakes high, the U.S. insisting Iran must move forward.

[02:25:04]

UNKNOWN: This window of opportunity will not be open forever.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal called the JCPOA, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was a signature achievement of the Obama-Biden leadership.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Cut off every pathway that Iran could take to develop a nuclear weapon.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Years of fraught negotiations cut Iran's pathway to a bomb by limiting uranium enrichment and committing them to international inspections. It wasn't perfect, but U.N. monitors confirmed it worked. Until 2018 when President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the JCPOA.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We will be instituting the highest level of economic sanction.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Iran's response? Up its uranium enrichment, stymie some inspections. Tensions rose. The U.S. killed Iran's top general. Tehran strikes back at U.S. forces in Iraq. Iran's top nuclear scientist mysteriously shot dead. Tehran, blames Israel, confirmed by the U.S.

BIDEN: Diplomacy is the best way to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Since getting into office, Biden has been trying to get back into the agreement and limit Iran's missile program. Iran has been playing hardball. Six rounds of negotiations stalling, even as they ramp up enrichment.

ALI BAGHEN KANI, IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER (through translation): The main issue in upcoming negotiations is actually removing all the illegal sanctions against Iran.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): And since the last round of talks, an added uncertainty. Iran has a new U.S. skeptic government with new negotiators.

(On camera): At the recent G20 Summit in Rome, President Biden met with European partners to firm up a plan if the talks stall again. And for sure, Iran will exploit any differences. The clock is ticking, and so far, Iran will exploit any differences. The clock is ticking and so far, Iran's calculation appears to be the talks, or lack of them, are going in their favor. Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still ahead, how South Africa's president is responding to the travel bans targeting his country over the omicron variant.

And this man is lucky to be alive after he flew from Guatemala to the U.S. in a plane's landing gear. More on this incredible story after this short break. Stay with us.

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[02:30:00]

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Well, we have more details on our top story this hour. Governments around the world are racing to contain the newly discovered Omicron variant as more cases are identified globally. More than a dozen countries have already confirmed infections since the WHO designated Omicron, a variant of interest.

On Sunday, Canada became the latest confirming at least two cases. And many countries are restricting or banning travel from South Africa and its neighbors where the variant was first identified. Officials in Southern Africa are pushing back on those new travel bans.

South Africa's President says he is deeply disappointed by the measures, calling them unjustified and unfair. And for more we want to bring in CNN's Eleni Giokos. She joins us live from Johannesburg. Good to see you, Eleni. So what all did South Africa's president say about this? And what is the likely impact of these new travel bans on the region?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, look, and it's not just Cyril Ramaphosa, the South African president that has voiced his concern, saying that we're seeing discrimination against South Africa and neighboring countries. But also, we've heard this from other leaders on the continent, as well as scientists and experts and the WHO saying these travel bans are not going to help. And there's various reasons for this.

Firstly, we already know that the Omicron variant has been identified in many other countries and you don't see travel bans against those. And that has been the argument coming out of South Africa. To be honest with you, Rosemary, since I started covering the pandemic, and particularly when the Delta variant was identified in South Africa, we have never seen this kind of aggressive reaction by the West to ban - to ban flights out of South Africa and you remember, that the Omicron variant was identified on Thursday.

The UK wasted no time to put South Africa back on the red list. And then you see many other countries doing the same. I want you to take a listen to what the president had to say last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: We are deeply disappointed by the decision of several countries to prohibit travel from a number of Southern African countries including our own, following the identification of the Omicron variant.

This is a clear and completely unjustified departure from the commitment that many of these countries made at the meeting of the G20, countries in Rome last month.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Promises that have clearly been broken because this is going to have a significant impact on tourism and the economies in this region. Importantly, here there's been panic that has filtered through across the world. You're seeing it playing out in the stock markets, you're seeing the uncertainty coming out as well. What we don't know Mary - Rosemary is firstly, we don't know if it's more transmissible. We don't know if it causes more severe illness.

We know that there's a lot of data that needs to be collated to understand the Omicron variant. In the meantime, the President says that countries should review these decisions and should lift the bands immediately. Right now South Africa has incredible genomic sequencing that is why it was able to identify the Omicron variant and many say it is now becoming the epicenter and being targeted because of its scientific excellence.

CHURCH: Yes, still so much we don't know. Eleni Giokos joining us live from Johannesburg. Many thanks. And global markets are looking to recover this week after being rattled by news of the Omicron variant. So far markets in Asia and Australia have begun trading down but things are looking up for U.S. futures. The markets closed early on Friday after Thanksgiving holiday. This after the Dow tumbled more than 900 points, its worst day in more than a year.

The leftist opposition candidate in Honduras is in the lead after Sunday's presidential election. Early results give Xiomara Castro more than 53 percent of the vote, apparently putting her on track to become the country's first female president. Officials have up to 30 days to declare a winner. Shortly before the polls closed, the electoral council said there was a cyberattack on its server. The council said the web page that crashed was where people could look at their electoral census information.

Well, top European officials held emergency talks to address growing concerns over a migrant crisis. France called for the meeting after 27 migrants died trying to cross the English Channel in an inflatable boat last week. The majority of the victims were Iraqi citizens. Officials at the meeting said airplane patrols will be stepped up along the European side of the English Channel. And although the UK was excluded from Sunday's meeting. here's what a top French official had to say.

[02:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GERALD DARMANIN, FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER (through translator): This meeting was not anti-British. It was pro-European. And we must work with our British friends and tell them certain things. First, to help us collectively to better fight against people smugglers. We've said it before, we're lacking some intelligence. The response is not always to the level of the French police's expectations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: In an Op-ed, Britain's Home Secretary said she and the Prime Minister are ready to discuss proposals with their French counterparts at any time. Well, meantime, the migrant crisis is also on top of Pope Francis's mind. He says he's pained by the recent deaths as well as other migrant deaths along the Poland-Belarus border and in the Mediterranean. Pope Francis is calling on civilian and military leaders to use their power to resolve the crisis and to respect the humanity of migrants.

CHURCH: Well, now to a stunning story about an airplane stowaway. Authorities say a man hid inside the landing gear of a commercial flight from Guatemala City to Miami on Saturday and survived. Video posted on social media shows the 26-year old appearing dazed after he emerged from the plane, he was sent to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation. And this is the area of the plane where he managed to hide for over two hours during the international flight. It's still unclear how he got onto the plane undetected.

A renowned U.S. born cavalry star is being celebrated again in France, the latest honor for Josephine Baker, just ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well, France is preparing to give one of its highest honors to Josephine Baker. The U.S. born cabaret dancer, World War II spy and civil rights activist will be inducted into the Pantheon. The final resting place for France's most notable dignitaries. CNN's Jim Bitterman has that report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM BITTERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At the American Center for Arts and Culture in Paris, expats from the United States gathered to celebrate one of their own, a dancer and singer famous in France for her scanty stage outfits and signature dance moves. But equally known here for the uniforms she wore after serving as a French spy in World War II.

It was all part of the extraordinarily rich life of Josephine Baker, a young African-American girl who fled the discrimination of the slums of St. Louis, Missouri, to become at age 19, a star of French music halls with her flamboyant dance routines and lyrical songs.

A biographer says that after the ugliness of World War I, the wild and Footloose American provided a welcome distraction.

[02:40:00]

EMMANUEL BONINI, AUTHOR, LA VERITABLE JOSEPHINE BAKER: She was crazy, Josephine, a little crazy. In the United States, she was not allowed to do what she - she wanted to do, because the segregation. Here she found liberty freedom.

BITTERMAN: In France too, she found a more serious purpose. After the country was invaded in the Second World War, she used her stage performances and travels to secretly provide the French Resistance and intelligence services with information about the Nazi occupiers.

After the war, Baker who couldn't have children used her fame and fortune to begin adopting kids from around the world. A dozen of them she called them her 'Rainbow Tribe.' One was a refugee for the French Algerian War, who today can easily pick himself out in the old videos. In the theater where his mother once performed, he explained why she wanted to take on the burden of so many children.

BRIAN BOUILLON BAKER, RAINBOW TRIBE MEMBER: She wanted a big family with a lot of kids. And in her hand, she wanted to have an example for the world, an example of universal brotherhood.

BITTERMAN: In both Europe and the U.S., Baker began a campaign against racism and for human rights.

JAKE LAMAR, NOVELIST AND PLAYWRIGHT: She gained more and more recognition throughout her life. And she is I think, the only or certainly one of the few if not the only woman to speak at the March on Washington in 1963 with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

BITTERMAN: Lamar will be among the invited guests here at the Pantheon in Paris where preparations are underway for President Macron to immortalize Josephine Baker, with the most prestigious tribute France can offer. The French call it Pantheonisation the process by which a person is honored and made eternal by being buried in the crypt below the 18th century Pantheon in the Paris Latin Quarter.

Over the last 230 years, only 80 people have been so revered, and only a handful of them have been women. And never before has there been an African-American woman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And France in particular, they look to African- American culture, African-American people who've succeeded in - against the, whatever racial obstacles that were in the society, and they're inspired by that.

BITTERMAN: In what was her signature song, Josephine Baker seemed to sum up her life. I have two loves, the song goes, my country and Paris. At least one of her loves is returning the affection. Jim Bitterman, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: So impressive. Well, a baby in northern China hasn't mastered walking yet, but she's already quite the snowboarder. Look at this. Videos of the 11 month old sliding down the slopes have gone viral with her little face peeking out from under all her snow gear. Her parents say they had wanted to learn how to ski and were surprised at how quickly their little girl could stand on the snowboard all by herself. Incredible.

Well, thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary church, I'll be back in 15 minutes. World Sport is coming up next.

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[02:45:00]

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LISA KING, HOST, THIS IS LIFE: Colonel Christiansen served in the Air Force for 23 years, but his military career would come to an end in the fallout over one case. As Chief Prosecutor of the Air Force, the colonel was ordered to Italy in 2012 to try a senior officer accused of sexually assaulting a physician's assistant.

He convinced the jury of this man's guilt, but four months later.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the stroke of a pen, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel James Wilkerson, an F16 fighter pilot was freed from a navy break after only about four months. His conviction tossed out. The man who freed him, his commanding officer, Lieutenant General Craig Franklin,

KING: A shocking turn of events that sent Congress into a tailspin.

SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL (D): My heart is beating fast right now. I am so upset about this. COL. DON CHRISTENSEN (RETD): There was pressure from leadership that I support the process and support the general and I refuse to do that.

KING: It's a pretty bold move to go against this entrenched system.

CHRISTENSEN: Yes, After I chose not to defend the general, I knew my career was over.

KING: In the aftermath, the colonel retired while the military created a new loophole in its justice system. In 2018, a military appeals court ruled sexual assaults occurring between 1986 and 2006 would be subject to a five year statute of limitation. It was a ruling that released at least three convicted rapist from prison, including the man who raped Harmony.

HARMONY ALLEN, RAPE SURVIVOR: Because the rape happened in 2000, he won his appeal.

KING: And here's where Harmony's story and Colonel Don Christiansen's story come together. Harmony wanted to fight the appeal. She contacted Protect our Defenders and met its new president, Retired Colonel Christiansen who advised her to do something drastic.

ALLEN: He said you need to take your case to the Supreme Court.

KING: The United States Supreme court?

ALLEN: Yes and he said it's not very likely. They only accept 87 cases a year. But I said I'm going to get it there. I'm going to take it to the Supreme court.

KING: For Harmony, it was yet another uphill climb. Her case couldn't go anywhere without the military's permission.

[02:50:00]

It took a year of persistent letter writing from Harmony and pressure from Congress. But the military finally gave in.

CHRISTENSEN: When the Solicitor General brings a case to the Supreme Court, Supreme Court about half the time grants review so I feel confident going in. I mean, it was a clear injustice. My only concern was it was an injustice that only affected the military and with the Supreme Court care.

KING: In December of 2020, they delivered their ruling.

ANNOUNCER: The Supreme Court deciding in favor of a Port St. Lucie veteran and rape survivor who wanted her attacker back behind bars after an early release.

CHRISTENSEN: The fact that the court ruled 8-zero. That was incredibly important because the lower military courts have been extremely hostile to victims and have gone out of their way to overturn verdicts of convicting sex offenders. They needed to hear loudly that they were wrong. ALLEN: I was just jumping for joy. I called everybody you know, I was like we did it, we won.

KING: The Supreme Court's win sent Harmony's rapist back to prison. For her it was a significant victory. But ultimately, it didn't change the law. And today, that's Harmony's new mission. Together with Florida Representative Brian Mast, they've created a bipartisan bill called Harmony's law that if passed would eliminate the statute of limitation for prosecuting military sexual assault.

Harmony wants to ensure no rapist walks free because of a technicality. It's a step in the right direction. But what is it really going to take to hold the military accountable?

CHRISTENSEN: This is a message to the generals and admirals, it's time to reform.

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[02:55:00]

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sexual harassment will not be tolerated.

GEN. DENNIS REIMER: Sexual Abuse is criminal conduct.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people will be held accountable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Air Force goal for sexual assault is not simply to lower the number. The goal is zero.

MARK ESPER, ARMY SECRETARY NOMINEE: There is no room whatsoever in the army for sexual harassment, sexual assault.

KING: Year after year, promises of zero tolerance haven't solved the problem. But today in the wake of Vanessa Guillen and other tragedies, the military is finally acknowledging it needs to do something different. In February, the new Secretary of Defense, General Lloyd Austin, called for an independent review of the military's response to sexual assault.

GEN. LLOYD AUSTIN, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I take this issue of sexual assault very, very seriously. We've been working at this for a long time in earnest, but we haven't gotten it right.

KING: Four months later, the Commission came forward with a list of recommendations, including one advocates have been fighting for, taking prosecutorial power out of the chain of command and putting it into the hands of independent prosecutors.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This kind of independent advocacy where someone is 100 percent focused on the victim and reporting outside of the command structure is the best practice. It's what victims need, somebody's 100 percent on their side. KING: This could have been a major help to Celeste and Harmony, and I wanted to know what the military had to say about their cases. When we reached out for comment, we received a letter directly from Secretary of Defense, General Lloyd Austin. He wrote that while he couldn't comment on specific cases, he does take the Commission's recommendations seriously, and vows to work with Congress to reform the system.

He continues to say, "This is not a short-term problem and will not be solved by short-term strategies. Every commander civilian leader and member of the force must be a necessary part of the solution. We aren't afraid to change what we do, how we prosecute and how we better prevent sexual assault crimes. This is a leadership issue, and we will lead."

Now we wait to see if actions follow words. The path to reform has been maddeningly slow. For several months after we completed filming, Celeste came one step closer to justice. There's been a big break in her sexual harassment claim against her superior officer. other survivors have come forward against him with their own allegations of abuse.

For Celeste, it's validation that she's not in this fight alone. And now she can take steps toward healing.

KENNY, COMBAT VETERAN: Hey Sub. How you doing?

KING: As a combat veteran, Kenny knows firsthand the restoring power of equine therapy. And for the first time he's introducing it to his daughter.

KENNY: All these horses here are similar to us. They've got PTSD just like we do. But I've been working with him for many months. So he's able to be pet like this. This is going to help you through your life Celeste.

CELESTE: Can I give him a hug?

KENNY: And it's all he wants. It takes time to last but it'll get better.

ALLEN: I don't think a rape victim ever heals. You've just been given a life sentence. It never goes away.

KING: Despite everything that's happened. Harmony does have renewed hope.

ALLEN: For the first time, I can just keep looking forward and not backwards. That victory came along with being able to breathe.

KING: Celeste and Harmony's allegations of sexual assault happened 20 years apart, but they face the same disbelief, the same retaliation. It's not enough to say we have a problem. There needs to be accountability and justice, not just lip service. The brave men and women who fight to protect this country deserve it.