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Biden and Putin to Hold Video Call in Coming Hours; U.S. Readies Sanctions Against Russia over Ukraine; COVID Positivity in South Africa Jumps by 24% in Two Weeks; Vaccine Mandates put in Place to Curb Omicron Spread. "Biblical" flooding in South Sudan Displaces Hundreds of Thousands. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 07, 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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[01:00:24]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this out on CNN Newsroom, stopping an invasion with diplomacy. The American and Russian President will talk directly in the coming hours with the fate of Ukraine in the balance. They weren't invited. And they're not going anyway, the U.S. declares a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, protesting human rights abuses. China says it's irrelevant.
Plus, impact from Omicron, possibly more contagious or potentially less deadly, as well as struggles to understand the impact from this variant of concern.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN center. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Wherever you are around the world, thank you for joining us. We begin with U.S. intelligence which says Russian forces have encircled Ukraine on three sides, double the number of troops on the border compared to a previous military buildup back in April. At the same time, U.S. officials say Russian efforts to destabilize the government in Kyiv through disinformation and cyber warfare have increased. Concerns are growing at the White House that President Vladimir Putin could soon order an invasion of Ukraine. And against that backdrop, U.S. President Joe Biden will soon talk directly via video link with Vladimir Putin trying to prevent this invasion with diplomacy.
President Biden with the support of European allies expected to want a serious economic consequences of a Russian invasion, as well as an increased NATO U.S. presence in the region. But there's been no talk of a military response to any Russian aggression. U.S. intelligence believes the buildup of Russian forces has reached the point where Putin has the ability to order an invasion within weeks. If that were to happen, sources tell CNN sanctions have been prepared, which could target Putin's inner circle, Russian energy producers, even Russia's access to SWIFT, the international payment system.
In Ukraine on National Army Day, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with soldiers in the Donetsk region, reassuring them they're capable of fighting over Russian attack. The reality is different. Ukrainian army has been fighting Russian back forces in that region for more than seven years now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): Today, I would like to wish each of you, health and to save your life. It's very important, because we need you to tell your grandsons and granddaughters wonderful stories by your heroic deeds when you defended our country. With people like you, I am confident we will beat them all for sure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Ukraine's faith could be in the balance during these talks between Biden and Putin, but the Ukrainians do not have a seat at the table, left to wait and find out what may have been decided about its future. CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more now from Washington.
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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, President Biden preparing for critical talks Tuesday with Vladimir Putin, as the U.S. weighs new sanctions in hopes of deterring Russia from invading Ukraine. The President speaking today with European allies to present a united front on imposing those economic sanctions against Russia as new U.S. intelligence obtained by CNN estimates Moscow could invade Ukraine as soon as next month.
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This is the moment for Russia to pull back their military buildup at the border, that diplomacy is the right path forward here.
ZELENY: The Russian president is expected to issue an ultimatum of his own, a written guarantee from Biden to oppose NATO and weapon systems from the military alliance from expanding into Ukraine. Putin has called this a red line and an urgent threat to Russian sovereignty. The virtual meeting between Biden and Putin comes at a low point in relations between the two countries. It's their first conversation since July, following their face-to-face June summit in Geneva.
JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: I did what I came to do.
ZELENY: Since then, tensions have soared. Based on these images obtained by CNN, new U.S. intelligence reports now estimate Russia could amass as many as 175,000 troops on the Ukraine border with half already there. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying the sanctions are aimed at Putin's inner circle and critical sectors of the economy.
PSAKI: We've consulted significantly with our allies and believe we have a path forward that would impose significant and severe harm on the Russian economy. You can call that a threat. You can call that a fact, you can call that preparation, whatever you want to call it. ZELENY: The escalation of troops on the Ukraine border is reminiscent of Russia's 2014 invasion of Crimea, a brazen move alarming U.S. and Western leaders.
BIDEN: What I am doing is putting together what I believe to be, will be the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr. Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do.
[01:05:19]
ZELENY (on camera): Diplomatic alternatives are on the table, but so are those economic sanctions. That's why President Biden spent much of the day Monday talking to European leaders trying to get everyone on the same page. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Ukraine's Defense Minister has warned a Russian invasion will end in a bloody massacre. During an exclusive interview we've seen as Matthew Chance, he also urged President Biden to stand firm against Moscow.
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OLEKSIY REZNIKOV, UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: I can advise President Biden.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Please.
REZNIKOV: I would like to ask him to very understandable , articulate to Mr. Putin that no red lines from Kremlin side could be here. Red line is here in Ukraine, and civilized world will react without any hesitation. We don't need the American or Canadian soldiers here to fighting for Ukraine, we will fight by ourselves. But we need modernization of weaponry, we have -- we need electronic warfare, and et cetera, et cetera.
CHANCE: The problem with America and NATO and others stepping up their help, their assistance for Ukraine, is that it could potentially provoke the Kremlin even further. Could be poking the bad and force them to you to invade. Is that a concern for you? Do you think that's realistic?
REZNIKOV: The idea, don't provoke Russia will not work because Georgia, Salisbury, Crimea.
CHANCE: Do you think, so you think confrontation with Russia is the only way to stop Russia's malign activity around the world?
REZNIKOV: It could be not only confrontation, it could be their various -- it should be strong position. We are a partner of Ukraine. We will help them in all kinds of ways.
CHANCE: And the Kremlin will hear that, and it will understand that, and it will stop? REZNIKOV: I'm sure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Robert English is Professor and Director of the Central European Studies at the University of Southern California is with us this hour from Los Angeles. Welcome back, Robert, been a while?
So right now, both sides, they just seem to what the status quo when it comes to Ukraine, Biden warning Putin that invading will bring a world of economic pain, as well as increase us NATO presence. Putin wants legal guarantees, which would prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. That seems unlikely. But listen to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on the regional buildup of Russia's military. Here is.
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JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: What we continue to see is added capability that President Putin continues to add, added military capability in the western part of his country and around Ukraine.
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VAUSE: So, we're looking at 175,000 U.S. troops on the border with Ukraine, this significant build up on the - you know, what is it, the Northwest, as well as the southern side of the border. So that's where Putin stands right now. How does Biden convince him that he is actually serious about an unshakable commitment to Ukraine, if that doesn't come with the threat of U.S. military action, and Putin seems ready to put 100,000 troops into the mix?
ROBERT ENGLISH, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: I think that Biden is going with the correct message. The Ukrainians would fight tenaciously and impose massive costs on Russia, if there were actually an invasion, it would be political, as well as economic and diplomatic suicide for Putin. And I think he knows it and that economic pain is what the U.S. and the west in general can bring. That would mean of course, the end of many energy projects upon which Russia depends for income, it would mean severe, perhaps Russia's exclusion from the system of global banking and financial transactions, and that would bring Russia to its knees. Putin doesn't want that. He doesn't want the 1000s that would die. But he is saber- rattling to try to, as your introduction said, to get some kind of security guarantees to stop this expansion of NATO that concerns him so much.
VAUSE: The U.K., France, Germany, Italy, they're all standing with the United States. It's a united front against Russia. Its support which will be needed if sanctions are to be imposed. But is that united front, undermined to a degree by the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which delivers you know, which will deliver Russian natural gas directly to Germany and give Putin more leverage over Europe in the process?
ENGLISH: Russia is under sanctions, many layers of sanctions for previous activities from the annexation of Crimea to the interference in the American elections. Those sanctions have imposed real penalties on Russia, and we block technology exports, we've tried to interfere with all kinds of energy projects. And yet, everybody exports imports, that is Russia natural gas and petroleum, because we need it so much.
[01:10:15]
So yes, you're correct. There's a gigantic hole in any attempt to really punish Russia, economically, because especially Europe is interdependent with Russia, it's hard to get away from that. There's no quick fix for Russia's energy relations with Europe, their dependence on natural gas in particular.
VAUSE: I want you to listen to Joe Biden talking tough about getting tough with Russia, it was back in February, here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I made it clear to President Putin, in a manner very different from my predecessor, that the days of the United States rolling over in the face of Russia's aggressive actions, interfering with our elections, cyberattacks, poisonous citizens are over, we will not hesitate to raise the cost on Russia, and defend our vital interest in our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So, is that the Joe Biden who should be sitting with Putin face to face in a few hours now or is there another approach which would work better? And why does the U.S. continue to respond sort of unconventional ways when trying to rein in Putin? Because that doesn't seem to work that often?
ENGLISH: I think it's the right message. But I think that along with the sticks, it might be time that the West has at least one carrot to offer Russia, it may not be a legal guarantee that Ukraine or Georgia will never join NATO, but some kind of halfway house towards that, some kind of slight compromise on Russia security concerns. Otherwise, you're right, it's a conventional response. And we just see this escalation. And in this current situation, even if neither side intends it, it's very possible for an accident, a provocation to spill out of control. And then I'm afraid the real losers are the Ukrainians, because the West will not be sending troops. We can send more weapons, but it would be a bloody massacre on both sides. And so, I think it's time. I think you're suggesting for a little less conventional diplomacy, it's just going to be really difficult to do that. And I think Putin knows that he has certain leverage, the Europeans aren't going to go send soldiers to fight the Americans aren't. So, it's a sort of a saber-rattling contest. We need cooler heads to prevail and find a compromise.
VAUSE: That sounds like a good plan, Robert. Robert English thank you so much for being with us. I appreciate that. Take care.
Well, measures to slow the outbreak of the Omicron variant will be discussed by European health ministers later today. New rules are now in effect to the U.K. All inbound travelers must take a pre-departure COVID test regardless of vaccination status. This comes as England reports community transmission of Omicron. France is planning to close all nightclubs starting Friday. It will mask mandates and social distancing in primary schools. The French Prime Minister says the country is now in the grip of a fifth wave. CNN's Bianca Nobilo has details.
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BIANCA NOBILO, CNN LONDON-BASED CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fearing a spike in COVID-19 infections from the newest COVID variant Omicron countries are moving swiftly in the hope of preventing a new wave of the virus from spreading. As of Monday, the U.S. now requires a negative COVID test within one day of departure for all inbound international travelers regardless of nationality or vaccination status for the U.K starting Tuesday. The window is slightly longer at 48 hours prior to departure. In India, international commercial flights but had been set to resume December 15 once again on holes. The new measures potentially wreaking havoc on an industry just starting to recover from almost two years of pandemic restrictions on international travel.
SUNNY TOMAR, TATTOO ARTIST (through translation): In the past few months, there was talk of some flight starting and that gave us hope, but the border has been shut again and we are in even deeper trouble now.
NOBILO: In Italy, a new super green pass rule going into effect. Only vaccinated people or those who have proof of recovery from coronavirus can enter into bars, restaurants, theatres and other entertainment venues. And anyone not vaccinated must show proof of a negative COVID test within the past 48 hours before being allowed on buses, ferries and other forms of public transport.
Joining other countries like Austria and Germany who have already put severe restrictions in place for anyone who remains unvaccinated with mask now requirement in crowded outdoor areas in Rome for everyone.
MARCO FORMICHELLA, RESIDENT OF ROME (through translation): It will limit us a lot during the Christmas period but if we don't want to go back to the restrictions that we have had to endure for a year and a half we must adopt.
[01:15:10]
NOBILO: France announcing Monday that all nightclubs will be shuttered, and mask required for primary school children. Throughout Europe, Asia and Africa vaccination campaigns now in overdrive, hoping to quell the tide of new infections. The new steps coming despite early indications that the latest COVID-19 strain may be far less lethal than the Delta variant currently dominating the globe.
In Greece, fines will be imposed for anyone over 60, who hasn't booked their first dose by mid-January.
KYRIAKOS MITSOTAKIS, GREEK PRIME MINISTER: We need to see vaccination rates increase. We've seen that significantly over the past week, so I think that our policies eventually will be vindicated. NOBILO: Actions like these fueling anti-vaccination protests in Athens and elsewhere, often devolving into violent clashes with police, lockdown fatigue and fear of new infections a constant that does not appear to be going away anytime soon. As the Omicron cases tick up hospitals once again preparing for a surge of admissions, yet hoping that early reports of less severe infection with Omicron combined with early and aggressive measures to prevent it spread will this time prevent the worst-case scenario from coming true? Bianca Nobilo, CNN, London.
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VAUSE: Dr. Jorge Rodriguez is a board-certified internal medicine specialist and viral researcher. He is with us this hour from Los Angeles. Welcome back.
DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST & VIRAL RESEARCHER: Thank you, John. I'm glad to be here.
VAUSE: So, every day, a little more is known about the Omicron variant in South Africa, just over 6000 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, just over 24,000 tests, and that puts the positivity rate at 26.4%. Two weeks ago, before Omicron it was at 2.3%. So, let's just go back to pandemic school for a moment, our positivity rate of 26% means out of every 100 people tested, 26 a positive. So, what do these numbers actually say to you? How concerned should we be?
RODRIGUEZ: Well, we should be concerned the fact that it's escalating very quickly. Some people seem to find some sort of comfort in the fact that some anecdotes say that this virus, luckily, if that's true, is not as virulent that you don't get as sick from it. But I just want to keep hammering the point home that there is no such thing as a good COVID infection. Even if the symptoms are mild, even if you survived the infection for the sake of the whole population, you are still breeding variants, no ifs, ands or buts. Every person that gets infected, due to the billions of viruses that are created in that person's body, there will eventually be variants, and one of these may be the next super variant. So, we need to stop all infections everywhere. That's the bottom line.
VAUSE: You just stole my next question, but there is that anecdotal evidence out there that symptoms from Omicron are not as severe as they are from the Delta variant and the and the other original strains. But the complication here though, is the unvaccinated. I want you to listen Dr. Adam Brown, he specializes in emergency care. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ADAM BROWN, CHAIR, U.S. COVID-19 TASK FORCE: It appears that this may be more transmissible than Delta. And so, if we have a large portion of the population that is exposed, we have a lot of people that are under vaccinated or not vaccinated at all. We have the potential also of having severe disease and also overwhelming our healthcare system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: OK, so a couple of things here. When Delta came along, first it was the unvaccinated who seem to be filling up the hospital beds in the ICUs around the country, then it was the vaccinated with this breakthrough infections, that kind of thing. So, is it possible that as this virus mutates and changes and all the rest of it in a very short period of time, what we want mild symptoms can become quite serious?
RODRIGUEZ: We don't know yet. We don't know yet. It's very possible. And it's always been though the unvaccinated that have been the sickest, even though with breakthroughs, the vaccinated got sicker than we expected. So, is it very likely? Yes, I think it's going to be likely, because even if there are not as many serious infections, if there are more infections overall, we're already seeing this in the United States where certain states and certain counties are already reaching maximum in the ICU. So, I think it's very likely yes.
VAUSE: And when it comes to the vaccination issue, Greece is now mandated vaccination for those 60 and older also in New York or private sector employees must be vaccinated. Listen to the mayor, here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: A lot of folks in the private sector said to me, they believe in vaccination, but they're not quite sure how they can do it themselves. Well, we're going to do it. We're going to do this so that every employer is on level playing field one universal standard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:20:04]
VAUSE: You know, essentially providing cover for business to do this seems like a pretty sensible move. Is that something that could be done at a federal level by the Biden administration?
RODRIGUEZ: Absolutely. I think it could be done. I think it should be done. And some of it is being taken to court at this time from what I understand. John, you and I are about to celebrate our two-year anniversary talking about this, I think in January, and it's about time that we started taking this, at least businesses and governments as serious as it is, we've been pussyfooting around. And I think in my opinion, for too long, we have been more concerned about the rights of the people that don't want to get vaccinated as opposed to the rights of the people that want to stay healthy, that have a right to stay healthy as much as anybody has a right not to get vaccinated and they have to be protected also. So, I think these mandates or requirements, whatever you want to call them, not only are they important, I think they're absolutely necessary.
VAUSE: Jorge Rodriguez, yes, it is, it will be two years in January and time flies, I guess. Thank you so much for being with us. Thank you so much for being us and thank you for past two years. RODRIGUEZ: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: Still to come, severe flooding in South Sudan displacing 10s of 1000s of people now in desperate need of help, CNN is there.
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VAUSE: Right now, the world's youngest nation, South Sudan has been pummeled by the worst of the climate crisis, a crisis it had no hand in making. Born into poverty a decade ago, the country is now struggling with both flood and drought, wet seasons notable for extreme rainfall and flooding followed by long periods of dry hot weather. The U.N. says the current flooding in South Sudan's Unity State is the worst in 60 years affecting close to a million people. And it's unlikely to only get worse. CNN's Clarissa Ward reporting now from the flood zone.
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CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just four months ago, this was a bustling town of 11,000 people. Then the floods came biblical and scale, leaving it submerged underwater and largely cut off. As we arrive in ding, ding there are few signs of life. Just some belonging stashed in the treetops. The only protection from the waters that have inundated much of South Sudan.
(On camera) So, this entire town has been flooded since August and the waters are still getting higher and higher even though the rainy season is now over.
(Voice-over) A group of women catch sight of us and want to talk.
(On camera) Hi, where are your homes? Have your homes been destroyed?
They survived years of vicious civil war here, but these floods may pose the greatest threat yet. They tell us their crops have been completely destroyed.
[01:25:09]
WARD: So, what are you living on right now? What are you surviving on? The lilies?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
WARD: The lilies, the water lilies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
WARD: Are people getting sick from the dirty water?
(Voice-over) Many people have waterborne diseases Mazra Kazara (ph) explains. The wells were all covered so we have to drink this water.
Well, South Sudan is no stranger to seasonal flooding. Unity State hasn't been hit like this since the early 1960s. Scientists say the floods have become much more intense and unpredictable in recent years, in part because of global warming.
(On camera) James? Hi James. James Loin (ph) is one of hundreds of 1000s who have been displaced. You freeze to show us what's left of his family home. Oh my god. That's your motorcycle.
JAMES LOIN (ph): Yes.
WARD: Nothing is left except for his children's drawings on the walls. Since the conflict erupted, we've never had a rest, he tells us. We've been constantly running displaced. Our children have had no relief from the dangerous.
Now, he is forced to flee once again. The journey to the promise of dry land is long and arduous. The lucky ones travelled by boat, most swim or wait, moving slowly but purposefully through the muddy waters. Some push makeshift floats piled high with family members and possessions. We come across a group of women whose raft is stuck in the mud. The men of the family have gone to try to save their livestock.
Narika (ph) tells us they left their destroyed home four days ago.
(On camera) Have you been pushing this raft for four days?
(Voice-over) Yes, they tell us. Along the way they say their food ran out.
(On camera) How old is your baby?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five to six months.
WARD: Five to six months. Are you worried about your children?
(Voice-over) Yes, I'm worried, she says. And that's why we keep moving. They still have several miles to push before they reach this narrow strip of dry land. According to UNICEF, some 6000 people have now settled here, completely dependent on age to survive.
LUEL DING, UNICEF EDUCATION OFFICER: They don't have latrine. They don't have enough food for them to eat, so.
WARD: They don't have bathrooms. They don't have food?
DING: Nothing.
WARD: And there are more people arriving every day?
DING: People are continuing to be in this place and continue coming.
WARD: You're obviously doing everything you can but is it enough?
DING: This is not enough. And that is reason why we are calling for donor communities to insure that, you know, children get schools. Children get health care. They get free services where to mention that, you know, we prevent them to die. WARD: As the fattest stagnant waters continue to rise. So do diseases like diarrhea and hepatitis E, malnutrition in children is now at its highest level since 2013. Those who make it all the way to the state capitol bend to find little sanctuary. Some of the main roads have been turned into waterways, cars replaced by canoes.
Just a mile further the ghostly remains of what was once a commercial hub.
(On camera) This used to be the central shopping area in town as you can see, completely destroyed.
(Voice-over) According to authorities 90% of Unity State has been impacted by these floods. Here the effects of climate change aren't a hypothetical problem in the future, but rather a real disaster in the present.
LAM TUNGWAR KUEGWONG, UNITY STATE MINISTER OF LAND, HOUSE AND PUBLIC UTILITIES: We are fighting to block this water not to reach here.
WARD: Minister Lam Tungwar concedes local authorities were completely unprepared and are now unable to cope with the scale of the crisis.
TUNGWAR KUEGWONG: We don't have a sufficient for survival.
WARD: How much longer can you cope with the situation as it stands?
TUNGWAR KUEGWONG: Realistically, I can't tell you, frankly, we don't know. But we're just worried about the next rain because we are told the water behind me will not go now. They will not resist right now. Or dry up. It got to take a while because it's deep water.
[01:29:35]
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They don't have long, the next rains are expected in May. And if the current waters don't recede, the fear is that this area will be wiped off the map.
Dikes are being built to try to hold back the encroaching waters. But a handful of diggers are no match for the vast flooding. Breaches are common, leaving many with no choice but to take matters into their own hands, hastily improvising protection for their endangered homes as the waters quietly continue to rise.
Clarissa Ward, CNN, Unity State, South Sudan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: The Ethiopian government claims to have retaken strategic towns which were under rebel control. Dessie and Kombolcha fell to rebel fighters as they were advancing towards the capital Addis Ababa.
The prime minister, a former Nobel Peace prize winner traveled to the front lines to address the troops and had praise for their counter offensive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABIY AHMED, ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The enemy has been on this journey for four to five months, and we have ended it in less than 15 days.
Today, Bati, Dessie and Kombolcha have been liberated. We'll liberate the few areas that are left in a few days.
Congratulations to you. Our victory will continue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The civil war began just over a year ago, killing thousands of people and displacing millions of others, so far.
When we come back, an Olympic boycott big on symbolism, lack on action. The U.S. will not be sending an official delegation -- a diplomatic delegation to the Winter Games in Beijing protesting China's human rights abuses. But they weren't invited to begin with.
Also ahead, the chaotic scenes in a far-right candidate's campaign kick off in France.
For those details stay with us, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: 59 days before the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics comes word the United States will not send an official delegation to Beijing. The diplomatic boycott is intended to send a message to China about it's appalling human rights record. But athletes will still be allowed to compete.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: U.S. diplomatic or official representation would treat these games as business as usual in the face of the PRC's egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang. And we simply can't do that.
As the president has told President Xi standing up for human rights is in the DNA of Americans. We have a fundamental commitment to promoting human rights and we feel strongly in our position and we will continue to take actions to advance human rights in China and beyond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:35:01
VAUSE: China has downplayed all of this, saying it is politically manipulative and warning Beijing will take resolute countermeasures if needed.
With us now from Washington, Christine Brennan, CNN sports analyst and columnist for USA Today. Welcome back. It's good to see you.
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: You too, John. Thank you.
VAUSE: Ok. So here's how the ministry of foreign affairs in Beijing has responded to this diplomatic boycott by the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZHAO LIJIAN, SPOKESPERSON, CHINESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (through translator): U.S. politicians continue to hype diplomatic boycott to the Beijing Winter Olympics. They are completely wishful thinking, grandstanding, and politically manipulative.
It is a serious defilement to the spirit of the Olympic charter, a pure political provocation and a serious offense to 1.4 billion Chinese people. It will only allow the Chinese people and people around the world to see through the anti-China nature and hypocrisy of American politicians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And that's been going on for the last couple of days. China sort of preemptively trying to play this down, saying it's all just irrelevant. Pandemic restrictions meant dignitaries were not going to be invited anyway.
But when the Olympics are being used to, you know, to win international legitimacy and global respect, which is the main objective here by China, this boycott comes with a sting, right. But what does it actually achieve?
BRENNAN: It does send a message, certainly. Obviously the Chinese aren't happy with it so that may already be a success for the United States and the others who will eventually probably join in.
You know, it doesn't really turn that much because when you think about what a delegation is, I'm sure most people watching us are thinking, wait a minute, what was the diplomatic delegation in Tokyo or in (INAUDIBLE) or in Rio?
And it's usually -- it was Mike Pence with the delegation, in 2018 it was Dr. Jill Biden. A few months ago Tokyo it's a collection of presidential family members if not the president himself. It can be diplomats, it can be Olympic athletes from the past, big names that come and form and they cheer and they wave the flag and they run around for a couple days then they go home.
So it is symbolic, but the symbolism carries over to the fact that the U.S. is saying no, no we are not going to do that this time. And I think it does obviously the Chinese are unhappy about it.
And if other nations join in, again I think it just helps to just take a little bit of illegitimacy out of China's Olympics. And you know, this is more important to China than anything else, so it is a bit of an affront that the house guests aren't going to come. Even if it is only for a couple of days and even if it is kind of window dressing at the end of the day.
VAUSE: It's an Olympics with an asterisks I guess. And much of the reason for the boycott is to protest human rights abuses against ethnic Uyghurs living in the Xinjiang region.
As you say, it's still not clear if other countries will follow the U.S. lead here and announce their own diplomatic boycott. And there are also those multi-million dollar Olympic business deals.
And on that, here's the State Department spokesman Ned Price.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NED PRICE, SPOKESPERSON, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: So, the private sector has at its fingertips and that includes American companies. A large volume of information of the concerns that the United States has put forward, that we have put forth together with our partners and our allies.
And it is up to them to make their own decisions about their practices in relation to what we have clearly said is ongoing in Xinjiang.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Up until last week, I would've said corporate America and other corporations around the world would do whatever is necessary to protect revenue and profits. But the decision last week by the Women's Tennis Federation to suspend all ties with China because of Peng Shuai and her allegations against a high-ranking communist party official of sexual assault.
Does that mean that now, you know, the game has changed with what they've done, with severing -- suspending ties?
BRENNAN: You can picture John, everyone in their boardroom saying wait a minute, look what the WTA just did.
We haven't done that, we wouldn't even think of doing that. We want to sell 1.4 billion Chinese more Coca-Cola and Diet Coke and what have you and more products. And all of a sudden, maybe they're stopping for a second and saying what are we doing here.
Now, I'm not going to hold my breath. I don't think you are either and say all these corporations are just going to do the right thing and just tell China, no, we are done. Just like the WTA. Which, by the way, if they did that could you imagine how things will change?
The International Olympic Committee, of course, should've done that, before the 2008 Beijing Games, with those awful human rights abuses in China. If they had done that in '02 or '03, '04 and threaten to take away the Olympics from China which was the greatest gift China could ever get, hosting the summer Olympics. It might have had an impact.
So, it's all would've should've could've -- you know, the IOC never did anything. The IOC hasn't done anything again. All these corporations are doing nothing. [01:39:52]
BRENNAN: And they all sit there and look at each other like, hey I just want to sell more, make more, and have more profits. And then the WTA shows them up.
So, I don't know if that is going to start to be a trend or change the dynamics. But it has certainly changed the conversation.
And it is fascinating. That combined with the Biden administration's decision for the diplomatic boycott, the athletes of course, will go to the games and will compete.
This is interesting. It is getting very interesting. This is exactly what China did not want two months before the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, which will also, of course, be in Beijing.
VAUSE: Yes. This may not be the Olympics that they were hoping for.
Christine, thank you so much.
BRENNAN: Thank you John.
VAUSE: French police are now investigating a number of violent clashes at Sunday's campaign launch for Eric Zemmour's presidential bid. One protester grabbed the far right candidate by the neck. Anti-racism protesters were assaulted allegedly by Zemmour's supporters. VFM TV reports at least 62 people have been detained.
CNN's Cyril Vanier has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Eric Zemmour's first steps as presidential candidate overshadowed by violence. France's conservative columnist turned far-right idealogue attacked on his way to the stage.
Moments later, the former journalist delivered his first official campaign speech.
ERIC ZEMMOUR, FAR-RIGHT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, obviously I'm not racist. Nor you, you're not racist. All that we want is to defend our heritage. We are defending our country, our homeland, the heritage of our ancestors.
VANIER: Eric Zemmour defended himself against accusations of fascism, of racism and misogyny. He promised zero immigration and singled out French Muslims.
(on camera): This is the reaction he's been getting.
(voice over): Even two years ago, this would all have been unthinkable. He is not possessed of obvious charm. He's never held political office and has been convicted twice, found guilty of inciting racial and religious hatred. In today's political landscape it turns out, the perfect resume for a fire breathing populist campaign.
ZEMMOUR: They are thieves, murderers, racist -- that's all they are. We've got to send them back.
VANIER: This diatribe about underage migrants in France, one of countless controversies. Yet, even that pales in comparison to his writings. "Islam is incompatible with France," he expounds in a bestselling book. "Foreigners who come in their thousands, and their hundreds of thousands, tomorrow in their millions are invaders.
He says Arabs are to blame for France's problems, explains this political analyst and Zemmour critic. Politically he's found a gold mine, a gold mine distilled into viral TV soundbites over 20 years. This from a Jewish son of Algerian immigrants.
ZEMMOUR: We must give first name from what we call the calendar. That's to say the names of Christian saints. Well your mother is wrong.
VANIER: Provocations tolerated in part because Zemmour was seen not just as a journalist but as an intellectual.
"This is specifically French," says the author of a recent Zemmour biography. He hypnotized part of the French population with his knowledge of history, his love of French literature. So how far can Zemmour's popularity take him?
In France's fragmented political landscape he is seen as having a real shot at reaching the final round of the presidential election against the incumbent, Emmanuel Macron.
But his first campaign steps have been shaky, and pictures like these won't help. An anti-racist group silently protesting at his rally, violently assaulted by Zemmour's supporters.
Cyril Vanier, CNN - Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Coming up, three more hostage are freed weeks after being kidnapped by Haitian gang. But the fate of at least a dozen others remains uncertain. Those details just ahead.
[01:43:59]
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When Joe Biden was a candidate for president he promised to end the controversial, Trump era remain-in-Mexico policy. He's president now, but the policy went back into effect Monday which means, non Mexican migrants trying to reach the U.S., will continue to wait out their asylum claims in Mexico.
Biden has said the policy forces many to live in squalor. He scrapped it early into his presidency, but a federal judge later struck it down.
U.S. Court officials says the re-launch of the remain and Mexico policy, began in El Paso, Texas. Nothing changes. It will expand to other locations along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Three more hostages kidnapped by notorious gang in Haiti, well one gang, have been freed. They're part of a group of 17 missionaries abducted by gang members back in October.
While their release was welcome news, at least 12 others, including children are still being held captive.
CNN's Matt Rivers has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good news out of Haiti Monday morning, with word that three more missionaries kidnapped more than six weeks ago by a Haitian gang have been released. That includes a mother and her child, according to a senior U.S. official.
17 people working on behalf of Christian Aid Ministries, were taken at gunpoint back in mid October, including 16 Americans and one Canadian. In a statement Monday morning the group said we are thankful to God, that three more hostages were released last night. Those who were released are safe and seem to be in good spirits.
As with the previous release we are not able to provide the names of the people released, the circumstances of the release, or any of the details.
Among the kidnapped were an infant, a 3-year-old, a 6-year-old, and 2 teenagers. It's unclear which of those children had been released. Two other hostages, both adults were released just over 2 weeks ago. Bringing the total to 5 freed so far.
While that is undoubtedly good news, it also highlights that 12 people remain hostages of the 400 Mawozo gang, the group authorities say is responsible for the kidnapping.
One of Haiti's most powerful, the group has built a reputation recently for violence. Using kidnapping as a key way to earn income and terrorize the community it dominates, a Port-Au-Prince suburb, called Croix-des-Bouquets.
The gang's Leader says "I'm ready to fight with anyone, I don't need many guys with me, sometimes people kidnap people, take cars and the parents called me to negotiate. I negotiate and take the money."
Back in October we spoke to a French priest, who have been kidnapped by that same gang earlier this year. Who told us about one of the places the gang held him.
"It was like a dark hole," he says, "like a prison cell. The last place we were in with no windows. At the beginning they were giving us food once a day but by the end they stopped feeding us. They force us to go hungry, he said. Believing it was a negotiation tactic.
This as Haiti's interim government led by Prime Minister Ariel Henri has been unable to curb swelling gang violence across the country. Security forces at time overmatched by criminal groups. Some, have even managed to cut off the flow of fuel into the country in recent months leading to critical gasoline shortages nationwide.
A source in Haiti' security forces tell CNN that negotiations are ongoing between the gang, and Christian aid ministries. It's still unclear why 5 of the original 17 were freed, but the hope is that the remaining 12 still being held hostage will follow them to freedom soon.
In the midst of all of this we should be reminded here that is not just foreigners facing these kidnapping threat in Haiti. In fact, it's far more likely that a kidnapping victims will just be an ordinary Haitian citizen. According to the latest numbers released by a Port-au-Prince-based NGO that tracks kidnappings across Haiti from January to the end of November of this year.
There have been at least 901 kidnappings recorded in Haiti. And those are just the kidnappings that this group knows about.
[01:49:53]
RIVERS: Of all of those, just a small percentage involved foreigners which means the vast majority of kidnapping victims for ransom are ordinary Haitian citizens. The kidnapping threat on that island very much remains.
Matt Rivers, CNN -- Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: A powerful storm with close to hurricane-force winds on track for the UK and Ireland. We'll have the very latest on Barra in just a moment.
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VAUSE: Ireland and the U.K. bracing for a major storm coming in the North Atlantic. It's called Barra and expected to bring wind gusts close to hurricane strength, drifting snow in parts of England and Scotland. Power outages are almost guaranteed.
Let's go to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for me. This doesn't happen everyday.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. This is pretty potent John. You know, we're still a couple weeks away from the official start of winter, of course, across the northern hemisphere. But this is as wintry as a storm system gets. Certainly the arctic air is locked in across the eastern periphery of the continent.
But back towards the west again as menacing as the storm system gets here with the hurricane-force gusts, as you noted were getting off of the heels of a system that brought power outages here about 10 days ago.
But this is system almost resembles a tropical system in its presentation and organization as it works its way into the early morning hours of Tuesday and eventually through much of Tuesday night even into Wednesday morning.
So, these are very unusual alerts here to see the oranges and the red alerts in places across portions of south western Ireland, with these wind gusts exceeding 130 kilometers per hour.
In fact, impressive enough to where officials here have not only canceled school and colleges across portions of this reason but also vaccine centers, COVID test site location, all of those shutdown just as a safety protocol because of the expected dangers associated with this storm system.
We know also rail services, ferry services disrupted as well. And it's not just in Ireland. Work your way across the U.K. nearly the entirety of the nation here underneath some sort of weather alert. And a lot of them having to do these gusty winds.
But once you get up above say 200 meters, 300 meters in elevation, certainly going to produce heavy snowfall. At times this could bring blizzard conditions across the Scottish highlands there. You notice 40 to 50 centimeters certainly not out of the question.
So a lot of destructions going to felt across this region about one in every five flights out of London's Heathrow is delayed because of the incoming system and the gusty winds associated with it.
And you'll notice again, a very potent storm system that kind of encompasses the entirety of western Europe before it migrates further towards the east.
So your forecast looks as such but the good news the worst weather for at least Dublin is going to be Tuesday there. And we do see conditions gradually improve albeit staying below seasonal averages for a couple of days and then rebounding back up by the weekend. Up to about 11 or so degrees, John.
VAUSE: Pedram, thank you. Pedram Javaheri there with the outlook. Appreciate that.
Well between 2009 and 2018 just nine years, 14 percent the world's coral reefs were lost. That's according to a report backed by the U.N. Now a reef restoration program in the Maldives is trying to help local coral make a comeback.
Here's CNN's Anna Stewart.
[01:54:51]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Landaa Giraavaru is a Maldivian island, home to both luxury resorts and one of the country's largest coral conservation group called Reefscapers.
SIMON DIXON, MARINE DISCOVERY CENTER MANAGER, REEFSCAPERS: We're a firm believer that grassroots initiatives such as ours are vital. We are not providing a solution, we are simply providing life support.
STEWART: That life support is sustained through coral reef restoration, and it starts by collecting fragments from coral colonies. In 1998, the first global coral bleaching event destroyed about 16 percent of reefs worldwide.
Simon says this is becoming a regular phenomenon and it's partially why he pursued this career.
DIXON: I did a lot of work as a dive instructor in the dive industry. And I think it's that amount of time I spent on the coral reefs, seeing their gradual decline. Once the restoration practices became more commonplace it was something for me that was a very natural fit. And something where I feel that you can make a real difference at a grassroots level.
STEWART: Back on land, the restoration process continues by creating a unique identification number, which is then attached to a metal frame. From there, coral fragments are attached to the frame which will asexually reproduce.
DIXON: We are one of the largest coral propagation facilities of our type in the world. We have now planted over half a million pieces of coral over the 20 years that we've been here in the Maldives.
STEWART: Resort guests can also help build these frames and monitor their progress after they leave. That's because Simon's team checks in on each one every six months and post the pictures online.
These images are also analyzed by artificial intelligence software to help make long term decisions like, where to place the frames.
DIXON: When you visit an area where there was very little coral reef and you have actively spent a lot of time placing those frames. To then revisit them maybe a year, year and a half later and to see that thriving ecosystem full of fish and really healthy coral is a fantastic feeling. It really is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with my colleague and friend Rosemary Church just a short break away. And here she is.
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