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Growing Number of Countries Confirm Omicron Cases; Women's Tennis Association Suspends Tournaments in China; Blinken to Meet with Russian Counterpart in Stockholm; Facebook: Belarusian KGB Used Fake Accounts to Stoke Crisis. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired December 02, 2021 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Japan's Prime Minister has reversed the decision of the country's travel ministry, to ban new reservations on inbound international flights allowing Japanese citizens to return home.

And a Chinese border city has launched mass testing for its 300,000 residents. After dozens of local COVID infections were reported.

And in South Korea is reporting the first cases of the Omicron variant along with record surge of new COVID cases for the second day in a row. Let's put this all-in perspective for you. Our coverage continues tracking the spread of the Omicron variant. Joining me now CNN's Paula Hancocks in Seoul, South Korea. But first, I want to go to Johannesburg where CNN's Eleni Giokos is standing by. Good morning to you, Eleni. We're seeing -- as I was just reported -- a surge is COVID cases in South Africa, just over 8,500 in the last 24 hours. How dominant is Omicron, and what are you hearing in terms of the symptoms from physicians there?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, it's interesting, you mentioned the case load and that seems very low to compared to what we're seeing in parts of Europe. But important to note, that we've seen a doubling of cases over the past week and that is absolutely of concern according to scientists.

That being said, we've only seen around 52,000 tests being conducted over 24 hours for a population of around 15 million. What is concerning, and you've already they said that there's is a province here in Gauteng, that you're seeing the major case load coming through from the Omicron variant. But it's important to note this is just a sample.

So, of that sample, around 250 samples that have been focused on for sequencing, 74 percent of those show that it's the Omicron variant. So, this basically shows us that the Omicron variant is now overwriting the Delta variant which was dominant for the month of October. In terms of severity of illness, we're hearing from scientists, we're hearing from hospitals that the symptoms are not as severe, specifically for people under of age of 40.

The big concern is as you start to look at the older demographics what would that mean? What would that mean for vaccine efficacy? Scientists have already said they are worried about a bit of immune escape right now. They are concerned about what it means for fully vaccinated people as well. But hospitalizations in the country right now are still dominated by unvaccinated people.

The genomic sequencing that's occurring in South Africa right now, Isa, is focusing on trying to collate clinical data to understand the variant a lot more. But right now, the surge in cases and as you start to see Omicron starting to become a lot more dominant in keynote in the country, is starting to help us understand a little bit more about its spread and transmissibility.

SOARES: And very, very briefly, Eleni, what's the vaccination rate in South Africa -- we're talking about here -- we're looking at?

GIOKOS: Yes, exactly. It's 35 percent. It's very low. It's much better than the whole of Africa which is sitting at 7 percent -- Isa.

SOARES: Thank you very much, Eleni. Let's get to Paula in Seoul. And Paula, I want to focus on China. Because despite a zero COVID policy in China, we are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases in one of China's northern border cities. What more are we learning at this hour?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, this is a city of some 300,000 population which is just boarding Russia. And they have had an outbreak there over recent days, and dozens more, over 50 more people were tested positive. It was reported today.

And what we're seeing from China is, as you say, the zero COVID policy is still in place. They're one of the very few countries around the world that haven't moved away from this zero COVID policy and they're sticking to it. So, what we're seeing is many people unable to leave their homes. There's an effective lockdown of this particular area.

Something they have done time and time again, when trying to restrict the spread of a particular cluster. Now, they're also doing mass testing, again, something that China has done repeatedly. So, some 300,000 people are being tested to see just how widespread the community transmission is.

But we really are seeing this zero COVID policy. And of course, just a couple months away from the Beijing Winter Olympics. China is doing everything it can to make sure that these outbreaks do not spread.

SOARES: Eleni Giokos for us in Johannesburg and Paula Hancocks, there in Seoul, thank you very much.

Well, in an unprecedented move the Women's Tennis Association is suspending all tournaments in China and Hong Kong. The WTA CEO says Chinese officials have failed to address sexual assault allegations made by Peng Shuai last month against a retired senior Communist Party leader. CNN's Will Ripley has all the details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PENG SHUAI, TENNIS PLAYER (voice-over): I shouldn't have come into this world, but I don't have the courage to die.

[04:35:00]

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The painful words of Peng Shuai, Chinese tennis star, three-time Olympian, sexual assault accuser.

SHUAI (voice-over): Why did you have to come back to me, take me to your home to force me to have sex with you? I couldn't describe how disgusted I was.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Those allegations against a retired senior Communist Party leader, made one month ago on Chinese social media, censored by the government, erased in less than 30 minutes.

The Women's Tennis Association suspending a lucrative 10-year deal in China and Hong Kong, demanding a full investigation and direct communication with Peng.

STEVE SIMON, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, WOMEN'S TENNIS ASSOCIATION: We are planning to suspend our events until such time that the Chinese authorities do the appropriate thing.

RIPLEY (voice-over): The head of the WTA telling CNN, China's leaders left him no choice.

SIMON: I can only imagine the range of emotions and feelings that are likely going through Peng right now.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Two emails to the WTA supposedly from Peng walked back her accusations. The WTA not buying it, not backing down.

SOPHIE RICHARDSON, CHINA DIRECTOR, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: The WTA has really turned in an exemplary performance, essentially saying that her well-being is more important than business.

RIPLEY (voice-over): The WTA's strong response in stark contrast to the International Olympic Committee. The IOC released this single photo of its video call with Peng last month, an attempt to calm the controversy. The Beijing Winter Games right around the corner.

DICK POUND, MEMBER, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: That's the evidence we have.

RIPLEY (voice-over): The IOC's longest serving member telling CNN, that call alone is proof enough that she's OK.

POUND: She's fine and she's not under any kind of coercion or confinement.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Chinese state media ignoring the story inside their country. Outside, tweeting updates and videos of Peng. Videos activists say are almost certainly staged. Aimed at a foreign audience to repair China's reputation ahead of the games. One high-profile state propagandist tweeting, the WTA is coercing Peng Shuai to support the West's attack. China's "Global Times" tweeting the WTA's decision was based on fictitious information. The foreign ministry in Beijing says China has always been firmly opposed any act that politicizes sports.

Some of the world's most famous athletes praising the WTA for not staying silent. Who is staying silent about Peng? Olympic partner sponsors.

RICK BURTON, PROFESSOR OF SPORT MANAGEMENT, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: And they are aware that taking a stance against an individual from China or against the country itself can have damaging repercussions.

RIPLEY (voice-over): With billions of dollars of stake --

SHUAI (voice-over): I feel like a walking corpse.

RIPLEY (voice-over): -- Peng Shuai's call for help goes largely unanswered.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: CNN's Will Ripley joins me now live from Hong Kong. Will, WTA clearly standing up to China. The IOC, though, going a different route. Talk us through the repercussions of whether that's not pressure here on China and what the reaction you see there?

RIPLEY (on camera): Well, if anybody had the leverage to really take a stand in this issue, it would have been the IOC. But what did they do? They did the opposite. They essentially collaborated with the Chinese government to provide this proof of life video. Not even a video, it was one still image of a video call with the IOC. And you heard Dick Pound in the piece there saying everything is fine, this is OK. She's relaxed. They walked away with any sense that she might be speaking under duress.

And now the Chinese state media blitz against the WTA is happening. You have the Chinese Tennis Association expressing indignation and firm opposition.

But I thought the most ironic tweet actually came from Hu Xijin, who is that high-profile propagandist. And I think we have the tweet that we can put up on the screen. He said it is the West that is depriving Peng Shuai's freedom of expression. The West depriving her freedom of expression. Completely ignoring the fact that we heard are in her own words in that initial post.

And now sporting organizations that choose to stay silent, sponsors that choose to stay silence, they are choosing to continue to do business with China, but they will go down in history as having been on the side of putting this business before a very personal account, very painful account of alleged sexual assault that now essentially is kind of being brushed aside. And by the time that there's the opening ceremonies of Beijing 2022 games they're just going to try to pretend like this never happened -- Isa.

SOARES: And I know, Will, you are going to stay on top of this story for us. Our Will Ripley for us there in Hong Kong. Good to see you, thank you very much, Will.

And still ahead, right here on the show, a stark warning from America's top diplomat and Russia's intensifying aggression towards Ukraine. We'll be meeting between Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart ease tensions. We are live next.

[04:40:00]

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SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. The U.S. Secretary of State is set to meet with his Russian counterpart in Stockholm in the next 30 minutes or so at a time of heightened tensions between the two nations. It comes just a day after Blinken warned that Russia is setting the stage for a possible invasion of Ukraine. As Moscow significantly increased the number of troops along the border.

America's top diplomats said there will be consequences for any Russian military action against its Western neighbors.

CNN's Alex Marquardt is traveling with Secretary Blinken and joins us now live from Stockholm. Good morning to you, Alex. We have heard some very strong words and warnings, I think it's fair to say, from Secretary Blinken. What can we expect to come out of this meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, that meeting as you just said is due to get started in just around half an hour's time. It is not expected to be terribly long but it will be, we are told, a direct message from the United States, as well as NATO, that there will be severe consequences for Russia, should they choose to invade Ukraine.

Now just moments ago, Secretary Blinken met with Ukraine's Foreign Minister. In the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said that he is calling on the U.S. and its other partners to prepare what he called a deterrent package.

And Isa, that is really the name of the game right now. They are doing everything they can to try to deter Russia from invading Ukraine. And yesterday, when Secretary Blinken laid out -- not in great detail -- what the consequences would be. He called them high-impact economic sanctions which had never been levied against Russia before. Take a listen to how he described these severe consequences.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Should Russia follow the path of confrontation when it comes to Ukraine, we've made clear that we will respond resolutely. Including with a range of high-impact economic measures that we have refrained from pursuing in the past. We will, at the appropriate time, share that with Moscow, so that they, again, understand fully what's at risk, what the consequences would be, if they commit further aggression against Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP) [04:45:00]

MARQUARDT: So, Blinken there saying that he would not necessarily go into great detail with Lavrov today, just saying that he would share those details with Russia at an appropriate time. Isa, Blinken also said that it is not clear to NATO, whether Russia intends to invade Ukraine. What is clear is that they have created the capacity to do so in short order.

And what the U.S. and rest of NATO is seeing right now is very similar to what they saw back in 2014, when Russia then built up its troops along the border with Ukraine and then invaded, of course, and annexed Crimea. And it's not just the military movement that are similar. It's also what they're doing to destabilize Ukraine internally in terms of disinformation campaigns. Blinken said Wednesday there that there had been a ten-fold spike in social media accounts posting anti-Ukraine propaganda.

So, Russia has created this capacity to invade Ukraine. Of course, the U.S. and NATO are very, very concerned. But Blinken making clear that there is still time for a diplomatic solution, a diplomatic off-ramp to de-escalate this entire situation -- Isa.

SOARES: Yes, historical context very important here. Alex Marquardt for us in Stockholm, Sweden. Do keep us on top of the diplomacy there when the meeting kicks off, and it starts in about 30 minutes from now. Thanks. Much, Alex.

Now, the Secretary of State also announced that the U.S. is preparing new sanctions against Belarus, quote, using migrants is political weapons. It comes as Meta -- formally known as Facebook -- reports that Belarusian security official used dirty tricks to fuel the crisis at the Poland/Belarus border. Donie O'Sullivan has the latest for you

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Facebook says it has evidence the Belarusian KGB set up fake accounts on its platform designed to look like activists and journalists as stoking tensions at the border between Belarus and Poland. Here's what Facebook said these accounts are doing. They said these fictitious personas, quote, is just a criticism of Poland in English, Polish and Kurdish including pictures and videos about polish border guards allegedly violating migrants rights.

And to also make these fake accounts look realist, Facebook said, as the Belarusian KGB had used pictures generated using artificial intelligence. So faces that appeared to look like they belonged to real people but were actually generated by a computer.

Now, interestingly here, Facebook also pointing to a separate set of accounts run from Poland, run from inside Poland. And these accounts posed as migrants. Telling and trying to encourage other migrants not to come into the European Union. Not to come into Poland, pointing to neo-Nazi groups in Poland, as one reason why people should not try and cross the border. Facebook not saying who is responsible for those accounts. And not

tying it to any particular group or government. They said they have not been able to determine that yet. But what we see here, of course, is how both sides are being played on these platforms. And how easy it is to covertly run these campaigns online.

Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Thank you, Donie.

Well, ahead of the Christmas holiday, U.S. President Joe Biden says the economy is in strong shape as supply chain issues begin to ease. But some are saying new variant concerns could threaten the progress. How markets are responding. That's ahead.

[04:50:00]

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can't promise that every person will get every gift they want on time. Only Santa Claus can keep that promise. If you watched the news recently, you might think the shelves in all our stores are empty across the country. That parents won't be able to get presents for their children on this holiday season. But here's the deal. For the vast majority of the country, that's not what's happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, U.S. President Joe Biden says U.S. the economy is in strong shape ahead of the holidays -- as you heard there. Business leaders say supply chain issues are easing but they warn the Omicron variant could be a threat.

After that, a looming deadline as the U.S. federal government's on the brink of a shutdown. Lawmakers are struggling to pass a stop gap measure before funding runs out Friday at midnight.

And between the potential shutdown and the variant concerns, U.S. stocks lost steam on Wednesday with the Dow falling more than 400 points -- as you can see in your screen. But futures are looking in the green. We have a look. Green arrows right across the board.

Well, the calendar says December, but in part of the U.S., (INAUDIBLE) if you get the message, Pedram Javaheri is keeping an eye for unusually warm temperatures that are setting new records for this time of the year. Good morning, Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning, Isa. We've got a lot of warmth to tell you across the United States. The central portion of U.S., as much as 30 degree above average. And frankly, any time of year you put 30 degree above average, even in the cold season, you're going to be tapping into record warmth, and that is precisely what is happening here for a large area of the U.S.

But really the western portion of the U.S. is standing in approximately parity of the United States. Up towards portions of the eastern corner of the U.S., as many as 40 records could be either tied or broken on Thursday. And I'll tell you what, we've seen plenty of it so far this week. In fact, on Wednesday, places such as Burbank, California, Phoenix, Arizona had temperatures that were into record territories, in the middle to upper 80s in December. Las Vegas at 75 degrees, a record that's been standing since 1940.

Even into Washington state and state of Oregon, an incredible run of warmth here. Some of these records dating back decades were in the middle 70s. These are more in line what you'd expect in the spring season. And we're seeing this, of course, just a couple weeks before winter officially gets under way.

But here's what's happening. Some in flood alerts still in place across Washington state but the rain showers really going to be limited over the next couple of days. The energy now generally into portions of higher elevations like British Columbia, where snow showers are going to be the main threat.

In Seattle, it's all about the colder air and look what happened. Saturday into Sunday, well below average.

[04:55:00]

Moderates have a little bit into next week, but the gloomy pattern we expect this time of year, certainly in place.

Now, the warmth, that's going to begin to break down into the central United States, eventually much colder air in store. Temperatures across portions of the Midwestern United States that have been in the 50s and 60s, Chicago at 54 degrees. All of that is changing. You have a clipper system here to bring with it a cool shot of wintery weather across the region -- Isa.

SOARES: Thank you very much, Pedram.

Now, next year's Major League Baseball season is in jeopardy after players and owners failed to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. Players are now locked out of two leave without facilities. And we could be without baseball for the first time since 1994 and '95 season. If the issue is not resolved, the economic impact could be huge. 30 teams times 136 games adds up to, well, a lot of money. "Forbes" magazine says Major League Baseball grossed a record $10.7 billion in 2019. That's the last pre-pandemic season.

Now, the news that dominates the streaming world this year has been announced. It should come as no surprise that Olivia Rodrigo's "Driver's License" was classified the most streamed song in the world. The single was streamed more than 1 billion times.

"Dynamite" by K-pop group BTS, was Apple Music's most played song of the year even though it failed to make Spotify's top five. And for the second year in a row Bad Bunny was Spotify's most streamed

artist in the world with more than 9 billion streams. He beat BTS and drake with the top spot.

And that does it here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Isa Soares in London. Our coverage continues on "EARLY START" with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett. We'll have more of course on the Omicron variant. Have a wonderful day and I shall see you tomorrow, bye-bye.

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