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England Imposes New Covid Restrictions to Contain Omicron; Delta Still a Problem as Omicron Spreads; Number 10 Allegedly Partied During 2020 Lockdown; Canada and U.K. Join Diplomatic Boycott of Winter Games; Facebook Expands Ban on Posts Linked to Myanmar Military. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 09, 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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[01:00:20]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up here on CNN Newsroom, Plan B to England with the Omicron variant more contagious than Delta, Boris Johnson tightens pandemic restrictions, but unlike last year when the nation was under lockdown, Christmas parties are still allowed.
Boris Johnson insists there was no festive gathering at Number 10 this time last year. Despite video showing Downing Street staff is laughing. But what to say anyone found out about their Party at Number 10.
And the Olympics which came with an asterix, a growing number of countries signed on for a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games in Beijing, protesting China's appalling record on human rights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Thank you for joining us here at CNN Newsroom. We'll begin in the U.K. with the British Prime Minister has announced pandemic restrictions, which will be tightened over fears of the Omicron variant, which is spreading faster than the Delta variant could be the dominant strain in Britain within weeks. Well, Boris Johnson is trying to convince a pandemic weary nation why these measures are needed. He's facing criticism of double standards after leaked video shows his aides joking about a Christmas party at Downing Street last year when all social gatherings are bad. We'll have more on that story in a moment.
Now, under what's called Plan B for England, new guidance for working from home, mandatory vaccine passports for large public events and face masks must be worn in public. For more details, here's the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We will reintroduce the guidance to work from home, guidance to work from home. Employers should use the rest of the week to discuss working arrangements with the employees. But from Monday, you should work from home if you can. Second, from this Friday, we will further extend the legal requirement to wear a face mask to most public indoor venues, including theatres and cinemas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: To have more on the Omicron variant and booster shots, here's Dr. Eric Topol, Cardiologist and Professor of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research. Welcome back, good to see you.
ERIC TOPOL, CARDIOLOGIST: Thanks, John. Great to be with you again.
VAUSE: OK, so the U.K. health security agency lays out fairly obviously the reason why Plan B is going into effect putting on their website Omicron is displaying a significant growth advantage over Delta, meaning that it is likely to out compete Delta in the U.K., become the dominant variant, a current trend at least 50% of coronavirus cases to be caused by Omicron variant the next two to four weeks. British Prime Minister pointed out that Omicron virus is spreading across Britain at the same rate as it is in South Africa. So, I guess does this mean Omicron will likely replace Delta as the dominant variant globally? And what are your concerns when you look at this incredibly high rate of transmission?
TOPOL: Yes, it's very concerning, John, because it's happening so fast in South Africa and the U.K., Denmark, these are all exponential curves. And certainly, that's going to happen in all the countries around the world. So, we're heading towards a new global dominance strain of Omicron, which is really we don't need that Delta has been enough of a challenge. This one has a lot more immune escape, and at least some increase contagiousness. So, it's going to give us a rough time in the months ahead.
VAUSE: And England's Chief Medical Officer made the point that right now for the U.K., at least this is the calm before the storm. Here he is.
TOPOL: Right.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WHITTY, ENGLAND'S CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: We know from previous ways, and this is not particularly surprising that there is a delay between people becoming infected with COVID and ending up with symptoms and then with hospitalization. So, there's usually about a two-week delay, we would therefore not expect that these cases that the case rates in hospital will start to go up for a number of probably two to three weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So essentially, given this rate of transmission, should hospitals be bracing for a tsunami of COVID patients all needing treatment all around the same time? TOPOL: Yeah, that's a really important question. That's an unknown. As you know, John, the early reads were maybe this was more mild. But that's very uncertain, because in South Africa, the patients that were presenting were younger, and they had prior COVID. Many were vaccinated. So, we really don't have a sense about what happens if you have people who are over age 60 who haven't been vaccinated haven't been prior infected. So, we're going to learn about this in the next few weeks. That's something you can't get out of a lab study. Most likely the virus will be similar. Unfortunately, we don't have any signs that it's more lethal or more virulent but it's probably going to behave similar.
[01:05:08]
And then the question, the begging a question is, will that put a tax on hospital resources in places around the world, and it's certainly a possibility, especially since we don't even have Delta contained.
VAUSE: We don't have Delta contained in many parts of the world. Yeah, and we get this information about the double dose Pfizer vaccine being fairly weak against Omicron. But when you get this third dose, this third injection becomes highly effective. I want you to listen to Pfizer's Chief Scientific Officer, here he is.
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DR. MIKAEL DOLSTEN, CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER, PFIZER: To be protected of Omicron, you really need a three-dose serious vaccination. And that's how we should look at it right now, the three dose areas is what you need, everyone should get vaccinated. And those that have given the two doses should as soon as possible, get the third dose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So, I guess this COVID vaccines, they started out, you know, most cases, two doses. Now it's up to three, which was mandatory to fight the virus. The latest research we have from Israel, though, shows that mortality from COVID, is reduced by 90%, after a booster, that's a pretty compelling argument, you go out there and get the third shot. But is this now the ceiling for the number of shots we'll need?
TOPOL: Oh, that's a tough one, too, because, you know, your point about reduction in mortality 90% and that's against Delta. That study was published today, that alone should give a strong reason to get a third dose. And that's an age over age 50.
But now, with Omicron, as you pointed out, after the exposure to Omicron, there with two doses, it just doesn't match up. And that booster has an extraordinary effect from 25 to 40-fold increases in neutralizing antibodies. So, we do know that the boosters necessary, not just because of what the waning over time, not just because of Delta but also to restore effectiveness against Omicron. The question though, that is central right now is how long will that last? How long would this original vaccine be able to fend off on Omicron? Is it just a few months? And no one knows that yet? So, we're going to find that out over time. We need better vaccines that are either Omicron directed or pan coronavirus vaccines, which are in our reach.
VAUSE: Two years -- almost two years into this and we're talking about new vaccines, more studies, more research, so much of which is unknown. Dr. Eric Topol. Thank you so much. It's amazing.
TOPOL: You bet. Thanks, John.
VAUSE: Yes, Virginia, it seems there really might have been a Christmas party at Downing Street. Leaked video of staffers at Number 10 not of the actual party but rather days after the alleged event, laughing and joking about how to explain the gathering should anyone find out. It's already forced one senior aide to resign and cause a growing louder for the Prime Minister to step down as well. Boris Johnson has apologized he's ordered an internal investigation. Repeatedly insisted there was no party at Downing Street a year ago, when the rest of the country was under strict lockdown. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has the latest from London.
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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Allegra Stratton, spokesperson for Downing Street became a household name overnight in the U.K. On Wednesday, she resigned on her doorstep.
ALLEGRA STRATTON, FORMER DOWNING STREET SPOKESPERSON: More promotes seemed to make light of the rules, rules that people were doing everything to obey. That was never my intention.
ABDELAZIZ: The senior British government officials made headlines appearing to mock COVID rules and joking about a Christmas party last year.
STRATTON: I went home (laughs). This fictional party was a business meeting. And it was not socially distanced.
ABDELAZIZ: If true, it would be a brazen violation of COVID restrictions. This video obtained by CNN Affiliate ITV shows aids rehearsing for a briefing four days after the alleged party. But while Downing Street staff giggled on the video about cheese and crackers. The U.K. was in the grips of a deadly rise of COVID-19 cases. Sofiah was caring for her elderly father that day. She says he contracted coronavirus during the Christmas period and later died of the virus.
SAFIAH NAGH, COVID FAMILIES FOR JUSTICE: Had five people at my dad's funeral. I was able to actually be with my dad when he died. Me and my mom, my brother, were able to be there which I consider a huge privilege because so many other brief family members didn't have that opportunity.
ABDELAZIZ: On December 18 alone the day the Downing Street party allegedly took place, more than 500 people were reported dead from COVID-19 in the U.K.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, I need to start leaving now.
ABDELAZIZ: And this is how police handled other festive gatherings, cracking down and handing out spot fines. For days the Prime Minister maintains that no party even took place.
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JOHNSON: All guidance was followed completely. That's not true. All I can tell you is that all the guidelines were observed.
ABDELAZIZ: On Wednesday, the Prime Minister told parliament he would launch an investigation but admitted no wrongdoing.
JOHNSON: Because I was also furious to see that clip. But I repeat, Mr. Speaker that I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged, that there was no party and that no COVID rules were broken.
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH LABOR LEADER: So British people put the health of others above themselves and follow the rules. Isn't the Prime Minister ashamed that his Downing Street couldn't do the same?
ABDELAZIZ: The day after the alleged party, Boris Johnson effectively canceled Christmas for the entire nation limiting gatherings. Two days later, most of the U.K. was back under tier four restrictions, essentially a full lockdown.
Now as the country once again is fighting a variant, Omicron, many are asking if the Prime Minister has the moral authority to lead the country. Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
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VAUSE: With us now is Matthew Karnitschnig. He's the Chief Europe Correspondent for Politico. Matthew, thank you for being with us.
Matthew Karnitschnig: Good morning.
VAUSE: Now, explain this theory out there that Boris Johnson announced the Plan B restrictions as some kind of diversion from the controversy of the alleged party, which was not held at Number 10 by his staffers who joked about holding a party at Number 10?
MATTHEW KARNITSCHNIG, CHIEF EUROPE CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO: Well, I think the theory is that he's really just trying to get ahead of what is an extremely embarrassing scandal. And it's not the first time something like this has happened. I think some viewers will remember that the chief scientist that was handling the pandemic in 2020, had to resign when it turned out that he was travelling across town violating the rules to see his girlfriend. And you had a Chief of Staff of Boris Johnson's who was also making similar trips sometime later. So, I think you know, there is this sense of us and them. This is a two-class society as it were where the government can do what it wants and regular people, you don't have to follow these restrictions. And the coverage of this in the U.K. press has been just absolutely devastating for him know that the Daily Mail yesterday calling it a sick joke, for example.
So, I think this is really going to be quite difficult for him to really get ahead of in the coming days before Christmas. Because as we just heard, pandemic is getting worse again, more restrictions have just been announced. And with Christmas coming. This story is not going to help many.
VAUSE: Boris Johnson and scandal as you mentioned, they seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. This time the Prime Minister is really bad. At least he was, during question time on Wednesday. Listen to this.
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JOHNSON: I understand and share the anger up and down the country at seeing Number 10 staff seeming to make light of lockdown measures. And I can understand how infuriating it must be to think that the people who have been setting the rules have not been following the rules.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And is that the real issue here the damage done to public trust. So, the government leadership on tougher pandemic guidelines which I tried to get, you know, convince the public why they're needed. You know, just this affects the government's in its ability to deal with the pandemics or goes to trust.
KARNITSCHNIG: Well, that's right. And I guess one of the questions is at what point does Boris Johnson really run out of road here because his credibility is really shot on this front. And there's a poll out over the last day or so showing that more than 50% of Brits now think that he should resign over this. And I think it's also interesting to see that there's also a lot of criticism from within the Conservative Party, which we haven't really seen to this degree in the past. The question is, who would be really out there who could challenge him, who could replace him, and it doesn't look like there's anyone on the horizon who would be a viable candidate at the moment.
VAUSE: And then includes the leader of the Labor opposition, but he had a good shot at going after the prime minister in question time. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STARMER: The Prime Minister has been caught red handed. Why does he end the investigation right now by just admitting it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: I mean, what are the chances that Johnson was completely unaware of this whole a shindig was going on?
KARNITSCHNIG: Well, you know, can't really know for sure, but it does seem to strain credibility. Anybody who's has to Number 10 knows it's not the biggest place in the world and if there's a party going on at Christmas, you know, you would think that the Prime Minister who lives right next door there to, where the offices are, would probably be aware of it, especially if his senior staff was involved.
[01:15:16] So, you know, given his history and his relationship with the truth, let's say, I think there's a very high likelihood that that he would know about it. But it's interesting because in the past, we've seen the public has ultimately forgiven him for sort of infractions like this. And it reminds me a bit of the relationship that many Americans had to Donald Trump where, you know, a lot of people would look at, you know, Trump's antics and think, well, this is it. I mean, this is -- people aren't going to stand for this anymore, but he somehow survived, and we've seen something similar with Boris Johnson over the past few years.
VAUSE: That's a good point to finish on, Matthew, thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate it.
KARNITSCHNIG: Thank you.
VAUSE: There have been apologies as well from the prime minister of Finland after she was seen out clubbing late Saturday night in Helsinki -- in Helsinki, I should say, even though she'd been exposed to COVID-19.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANNA MARIN, FINNISH PRIME MINISTER (through translation): Actions, I haven't acted the best way possible. And for that, I apologize.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Helsinki. The Prime Minister was exposed Friday during a meeting with a foreign minister who tested positive the next day. She claims to a bit of tech Saturday advising her to self-isolate, because her phone was at home.
Another government minister at that same meeting, went to a football match and other went to a dinner party. All of them tested negative. Diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics is gathering pace, but according to Beijing, some of those boycotting countries that were never invited in the first place. The latest in a moment. And why Rohingya refugees is suing Facebook over the violence that they endured in Myanmar.
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VAUSE: A prominent pro-democracy leader in Hong Kong has been found guilty of encouraging participation in a peaceful Chairman square vigil last June. Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai's legal representative has told CNN the formal charge, read incitement to knowingly take part in an unauthorized assembly. Sentencing is set for Monday.
Lai in Beijing has been in custody for months facing charges related to a 2019 pro-democracy protests. He's also under the National Security Law being held, which is being imposed by Beijing.
Canada and U.K. have joined a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, announcing they will not send a government delegation along with the United States, Australia and Lithuania. All protests China's appalling human rights record.
Live at Hong Kong CNN's Kristie Lu Stout for more. Yeah, it's slowly getting pace. There's some complaisance taking, it's not happening fast enough, but it is underway.
[01:20:09]
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is underway and China's feeling it. Some observers have said that the purpose of having a diplomatic boycott is not to hurt the athletes but to hurt the pride of the host nation and China has been issuing some pretty forceful statements as more countries join the United States in this diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. You know, China keeps reiterating the line that they oppose the politicization of sport, and that they never invited these foreign officials to come to the games in the first place.
Now, on Wednesday, we heard from the British Prime Minister he announced in his words effective diplomatic boycott, so you have the U.K. joining Canada, Australia and the United States. This is not a formal boycott. Again, this means that the athletes from these countries will be able to participate in the games just means that the officials in these countries won't be able to take part in say the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games.
On Monday, this week. That was when we heard the Biden administration announced its formal announcement of this diplomatic boycott, citing human rights concerns in China, namely charges that China is committing genocide against Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, a charge that China vehemently denies. And China's struck back hard against the United States with very tough language, saying that the United States will pay the price and that there will be repercussions.
China's language not so tough in regards to in response to the U.K. and Canada. Let's bring up a statement from the Chinese Embassy in the U.K., in response to the diplomatic boycott announced by London saying this, "The Beijing Winter Olympics is a gathering of Olympic athletes and winter sports lovers across the world. It is not a tool of political manipulation for any country making an issue out of the presence of government officials at the Beijing Winter Olympics is in essence, a political smearing campaign."
And we also have this statement from China's embassy in Canada. We'll bring that up next, saying this "Based on ideological biases, as well as lies and rumors, Canada and a handful of Western countries have been flagrantly engaged in political maneuvering with the attempt to disrupt the smooth progress of the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games."
And finally, moment to share another photograph with you this hour, John, I'm just comparing this moment to where we were 13 years ago at the Beijing Summer Games. And just the stark contrast that we see, you know, back then 13 years ago. Well, here's the same photos showed you in the last hour, but it's worth sharing again. You see then U.S. President George W. Bush with his father, George H.W. Bush, who was also an honorary captain of the U.S. Olympic team, between the two of them a Chinese official, that was the former Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, between the two of them.
And here you see another photograph of then U.S. President George Bush with his daughter, Barbara Bush. She's cheering in the stands. He's in the water cube. Apparently, that was the moment that Michael Phelps the American Olympian was swimming. 13 years ago, China was under intense scrutiny and criticism for its treatment of Tibet. Yet there was no diplomatic boycott, of course, it was a different era entirely. That just underscoring just how that moment feels like a very, very distant past. It feels like eons ago, back to you.
VAUSE: Yeah. You know back then, there was at least some sort of credible hope that the international spotlight was bringing about some change in Beijing. And they were reforming -- there were changes were underway, but they backslidden the year since. So, the IOC kind of had a credible argument to make back then in the Beijing Summer Games. What is the IOC saying now that this diplomatic boycott?
LU STOUT: Yeah, you know, it's interesting, because back then, there was the belief that this was a coming out party for China. China, that would be more willing to engage with the rest of the world 13 years on, it's a very different scenario. And now you have the IOC under pressure, with you know, charges of genocide in China with IOC, having ping a blind eye and not to human rights abuses being committed by China, but also to the case of Peng Shuai. We heard from the head of the IOC overnight, Thomas Bach, where he addressed the issue about these diplomatic boycotts, he basically dismissed them. He said, these are political decisions, is not going to affect the sport, it's not going to affect the athletes. But he also acknowledged the case of Peng Shuai. He, in fact acknowledged that she is in a fragile situation. I want you to listen to this.
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THOMAS BACH, PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: We have achieved things so far with these talks, what we could reasonably be expected to achieve in such a fragile situation Peng Shuai is in, you have to make all the efforts to build trust, to engage in a human relationship.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: So, you have the IOC President here acknowledging that the Chinese tennis star is in this fragile situation but also saying they don't believe that she's being pressured. The IOC leader also not acknowledging the sexual assault allegations that she leveled against a very powerful man, the former Vice Premier of China, an allegation she made just over a month ago. Back to you, John.
VAUSE: Kristie, as always, thank you. Kristie Lu Stout, live for us in Hong Kong.
LU STOUT: You bet.
[01:25:02]
VAUSE: Facebook's parent company Meta has expanded a ban on postings linked to Myanmar's military. Now includes all pages groups and accounts representing military controlled businesses. Just a day earlier, a lawsuit was filed in the United States against Meta, seeking $150 billion in damages, alleging the company did not take action against anti-Rohingya hate speech, which contributed to violence and genocide in Myanmar. More than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar in 2017 after a brutal military crackdown.
Yanghee Lee is the former U.N. Special Rapporteur on Myanmar. She's with us live from Seoul. It is good to see you again. Thank you for being with us.
YANGHEE LEE, FORMER U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON MYANMAR: Good to be back, John.
VAUSE: So, when it comes to the allegations against Facebook, the company has admitted it could have done more to control the anti- Muslim hate speech. Mark Zuckerberg admitted they made mistakes. And here's a statement from the parent company Meta. "We're appalled by the crimes committed against the Rohingya people in Myanmar. We built a dedicated team of Burmese speakers, banned the Tatmadaw,' which is essentially the army, 'disrupted networks manipulating public debate, taking action on harmful misinformation to help keep people safe."
And that's all very well, a good now. But a special rapporteur, during this time, what did you see happening on Facebook? How was it being used against the Rohingya? How effective was it?
LEE: Well, you know, back in 2017, I had actually called Facebook a beast. I know that it didn't turn out -- it didn't start as a beast. But it started to help people in Myanmar to get connected. But in 2017, it had not taken down any posts that were inciting violence against the Rohingya. And soon after that, they came out with their community standards, which didn't go far enough. And to be honest, some questions were flagged up back in 2013, and '14. But Facebook has not gone far enough to take down the posts of the incitement for violence against the Rohingya. And now they're being sued for the crimes that they had committed. It's not a crime for not taking down the post, but they deliberately or they were not fast enough to take down the post. And now they're not giving away information to the lawyers. Because the Rohingya victims are trying to seek justice. And this is blocking the effort to seek justice.
VAUSE: The Burma campaign has called out this decision by Facebook to now take action and banning all these entities associated with the military treating the related decision to remove military company pages is more of an act of desperation, after being sued for $150 billion being involved in Rohingya genocide than any genuine concern for human rights. Do you think Facebook or Meta, whatever they call it, has any kind of concern about human rights in Myanmar?
LEE: For me, during the past years that I was a special rapporteur, I could not see that they really did care for human rights in Myanmar, I don't know elsewhere, but definitely not in the situation of the Rohingya, and in Myanmar, and now I think the situation in the tech model have gotten so emboldened, whereby they're acting like terrorists. And I think Facebook had a big part in this too. VAUSE: You know, the legal case seems to be boosted in part, at least by the Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, you may recall back in October, she said this to British lawmakers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCES HAUGEN, FACEBOOK WHISTLEBLOWER: I have no doubt that the chat -- like the events we're seeing around the world, things like Myanmar, Ethiopia, those are the opening chapters. And so, Facebook comes back and says, only a tiny sliver of content on our platform is hate, or only tiny slivers violence, one, they can't detect it very well. So, I don't know if I trust those numbers. But two, it gets hyper concentrated in, you know, 5% of population, and you only need 3% of the population on the streets to have a revolution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And to that last point, is that what happened in Myanmar, the hate speech against Rohingya became hyper concentrated?
LEE: Yes, you know, people got connected through internet, through Facebook. When you purchase a mobile phone, Facebook is on it. And that is the only way they get connected through internet there is really no wide penetration of internet without Facebook. And that's why I would you agree there was that highly concentrated aspect in Myanmar.
VAUSE: Those are word on Aung San Suu Kyi, the former civilian leader has been sentenced to prison time by the military. Many now writing her political obituary. She's a part of an opinion piece from the Washington Post. If document is to have a future Myanmar, it is this new generation that will bring it to the country. If they succeed, they will go down in history as architects of a new era in the life of Myanmar, while Aung San Suu Kyi's term in office will quietly fade into history as a brief and failed experiment in collaboration with tyrants."
Do you agree with the last part, did she collaborate with tyrants and is democracy still likely for Myanmar?
[01:29:42]
And is democracy still likely to Myanmar?
YANGHEE LEE, FORMER U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON MYANMAR: Democracy is still vibrant. We see the democracy movement demonstrated by the civil disobedience movement, general strikes and other people, youth groups and ethnic groups in solidarity to fight this tyrant, the tyranny.
I would say the Tatmadaw is a terrorist group and my colleagues at (INAUDIBLE) we are going to publish a briefing paper designating them as a terrorist group, based on our analysis of international law.
We can see just in the last first week of December, the kind of behavior that the Tatmadaw has exhibited. They killed a 5-year-old just recently. They burned down 11 civilian. One was a 14, and four were 17-year-olds. And they burn down villages, houses.
And it was really reminiscent of what happened back in 2016 and 2017 against the Rohingya.
VAUSE: It is sad what has happened to Myanmar after they've had such a positive path at least there for some time. And now it's this again.
LEE: Yes.
VAUSE: Yanghee Lee, thank you so much for being with us.
LEE: Thank you very much.
VAUSE: Authoritarian regimes around the world continue to imprison reporters at an alarming rate, nearly 300 this past year. The annual report of the Committee to Protect Journalists says it's the sixth year in a row the number of jailed reporters exceeds 250.
For the third straight year China topping the list. 50 journalist now confirmed behind bars. The CPG -- the CPJ, I should say, also says at least two dozen reporters were killed doing their jobs this year, including 19 murdered in retaliation for their work.
16 years of conservative rule are now over in Germany and Angela Merkel handing power over to the new chancellor, Olof Scholz.
Coming up, what's ahead for this new three-party coalition government.
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VAUSE: Welcome back everyone, I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
The cause of a helicopter crash in India which claimed the life of a senior military leader is now under investigation. The chief of defense staff died Wednesday when his helicopter came crashing down in a fiery crash in southern India.
12 others on board were also killed, including his wife. A military captain survived and is now in hospital.
[01:34:57]
VAUSE: The general served at the top military job for almost two years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him out as an upstanding soldier and true patriot.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz just sworn in and quickly getting down to business. His first foreign trip is planned for Friday. He goes to Paris, then Brussels. His three-party coalition has made green investment a priority. So too, strengthening the European Union. But the most pressing challenge of all, Germany's COVID crisis.
Here's CNN's Fred Pleitgen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is the end of a political era here in Germany. After more than 16 years in power, Angela Merkel is stepping aside and handing the reins over to the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz.
Now, on her way out, Angela Merkel had some words of wisdom for Olaf Scholz. She said that she understands that right now the very emotional moment for him as he takes over power from her. But she also said that she wished him all the luck in the world, as he takes on this very important job.
ANGELA MERKEL, FORMER GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): I know from my own experience that it's an emotional moment to be elected to this office. He may have guessed that it's an exciting, fulfilling task and also a demanding task. But if you approach it with joy, then it's perhaps also one of the most beautiful tasks there is to bear responsibility for this country.
I sincerely wish you all the best in this work. And always a happy hand for our country.
PLEITGEN: Now, both Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz made clear in their speeches that they expect a lot of continuity. One of the things that we have to keep in mind is that, of course, Olaf Scholz was the vice chancellor in Angela Merkel's last cabinet and also the finance minister in Germany. So a lot of the policies that we've seen here in this country over the past couple of years have also been shaped by Olaf Scholz.
Nevertheless, he does face a lot of challenges. On the one hand, it is modernizing Germany's economy. But first and foremost is also fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
now, Germany in a very difficult situation with a lot of daily new infections in this country. And also the death toll really rising as well.
Aside from that, foreign policy also seems to be a big challenge for this new chancellor. Of course, right now, with the situation there in eastern Ukraine and with Russia amassing troops near the borders of Ukraine.
And Olaf Scholz has made clear over the past couple of weeks and the past couple of days that he really values that transatlantic alliance. He appears to be very, very much in favor of some of the things that President Joe Biden has been doing. He also praised President Biden for what he calls new multilateralism in the way that the United States deals with its allies.
Now of course, foreign policy is going to be a big issue. And one of the other key players to take a look at in the new German government is the new foreign minister, for the first time, is going to be a woman leading Germany's foreign ministry.
And Annalena Baerbock of the Green Party has also been highly critical of Russia and also highly critical of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN -- Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: We may have Vladimir Putin's response to his video summit with Joe Biden. Ukraine officials say Russia's military presence near their border has increased. Putting the number of Russian troops at 120,000.
Earlier this week, U.S. intelligence said that number could reach 175,000. U.S. president Joe Biden has ruled out sending U.S. troops to Ukraine. Instead, warning Russia of high impact economic sanctions for any military escalation.
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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I was very straightforward. There were no minced words. It was polite but I made it very clear.
If in fact he invades Ukraine, there will be severe consequences -- severe consequences. Economic consequences like none he's ever seen, or ever have been seen in terms of being imposed.
But the idea of the United States is going to unilaterally use force to confront Russia invading Ukraine is not in the cards right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Mr. Biden is scheduled to speak with Ukraine's president in a few hours from now.
French authorities have released a Saudi man they initially suspected of taking part in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. He was detained in Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris on Tuesday, after his name appeared to match a man wanted in the murder.
But French prosecutors say further identity checks showed they were holding the wrong man. A hit squad murdered and dismembered Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. A U.S. intelligence report concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation. The Saudi government denies the report.
Early this year, Cuba saw a large anti government rally, it's the largest in decades. But one of the activists involved fled. Now he's facing anger from his supporters back on the island, questions about where his loyalties are.
He sat down with CNN's Isa Soares in the midst of self imposed exile to tell his side of the story.
[01:39:54]
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ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For many Yunior Garcia was the rising star of Cuba's protest movement. A renowned playwright who hoped to bring the curtain down on the world's last communist stronghold, before he and his wife suddenly fled to Madrid.
YUNIOR GARCIA, CUBAN ACTIVIST: I think if I had stayed in Cuba, I would be able to do a lot less for my people.
SOARES: His dramatic departure in November under the cover of darkness caught many by surprise. But he tells me he did not abandon the very cause he's been fighting for.
GARCIA: I appreciate that some maybe don't understand my decision to leave. But time will show where one can be more helpful to its companions.
SOARES: Still, some including supporters of his Archipelago Movement, now accuse of him of surrendering to pressure from the regime, even calling him a traitor. His former supporters now raising questions about his true allegiance.
(on camera): Now the Cuban government says that you work for the United States. But the way in which you left begs the question of whether you could actually be an agent for Cuba. Are you a double agent?
GARCIA: Neither double, nor single, nor any kind. They call me exchange agent. They don't even dare say I'm a CIA agent. What they say is that the CIA has been using me without me knowing it.
SOARES (voice over): His departure followed months of pressure from the Cuban government. He says they blocked him from leaving his house. Threatened him with arrest and even left a dead bird on the door of his apartment as a warning.
GARCIA: I withstood everything until a point where I couldn't take it anymore. I was losing my center. A kind of anger started to grow inside me, you know? Like a kind of hatred that changes you into someone else.
SOARES: Leaving Cuba also meant leaving his 8-year-old son behind. A decision that is still eating him up.
GARCIA: We hadn't had the time to pause, my wife and I, in the middle of all of this intense beating. Until the moment where we had a break in our schedule when we had nothing to do and I heard my wife cry in the room. We found some release together. Neither of us wanted to be here.
SOARES: Still, he decided he did not want the Cuban regime to turn him into a martyr.
GARCIA: I don't want to die trying. I want to achieve it that Cuba becomes a good country where my son can live in.
SOARES: He says his fight will continue, away from his homeland at least for now.
(on camera): You're a script writer. How does the story and? GARCIA: This story cannot be written by a single person. It is a
collective creation. And if I don't return, I lose myself. This is the thing, so I know that I have to go back.
SOARES (voice over): A tale of tragedy and sorrow, whose last act has yet to be written.
Isa Soares, CNN -- Madrid, Spain.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Coming up on CNN, how a much loved endangered species made a miraculous recovery and the new technology helping to protect it.
[01:43:33]
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VAUSE: Today on "Call to Earth", the remarkable comeback of China's giant panda. Once on the brink of extinction, now a new national park with advanced technology is helping the species to continue to recover.
CNN's David Culver traveled the to Szechuan Province to visit the giant panda breeding center.
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DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is China's most beloved species, the iconic face of this nation. Treasured globally, once endangered and near extinction, now the giant panda is on path to populate China's majestic mountains for generations to come.
Welcome to Panda Valley, as it's called. For years, these cuddly- looking creatures have lazily roamed here in central China's Szechuan Province.
Despite decades of encroaching human development, in 2021 as part of an effort to increase biodiversity across China, five new national parks were unveiled. Half of the 10 pilot areas under review for national park status.
Among the first batch created, the Giant Panda National Park. It's become a panda sanctuary, thanks in part to what happens here.
At Chengdu research base of China panda breeding, when we visited, this one was getting ready for its close-up.
(on camera): The giant pandas are known as flagship species. Meaning ecologically, they're not as important as they are culturally here in China. But by protecting the giant panda, you're protecting the ecosystems for potentially millions of other species.
(voice over): I met some of the rangers tasked with protecting that ecosystem and was surprised by how big tech has revolutionized their jobs. Looking to protect pandas, well there's an app for that. They are using the Digital Panda System, developed by Chinese tech giant Huawei with the Szechuan Forest and Grassland Administration along with other partners. Spanning all of Szechuan Province, the system uses more than 600 cameras, along with drones and satellite to detect wildfires in hard to reach areas. With data stored in the Huawei cloud.
ZHAO JIAN, SOLUTIONS EXPERT, HUAWEI (through translator): In those locations, there is often no power supply. So we provide microwave transmission network solution. And solar power solutions to support this kind of system in the wild.
CULVER: Technology like this has also been used to track and monitor the other residents of the forest. Like the black bear, golden pheasant, Tibetan macaque, long tailed (INAUDIBLE), helping to protect the biodiversity that sustains all life, including us humans.
AHIMSA CAMPOS ARCEIZ, PROFESSOR, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: Biodiversity provides what we call ecosystem services. These are goods and services that we don't pay for but we need. Nature provides this clean water we can drink. But if we need to produce this water it's much more expensive.
And when we lose biodiversity, we're going to break-in dysfunction. The technology will have much of the information that we can be better informed.
CULVER: This is just the latest of the long-standing conservation efforts that have helped revive the once dwindling giant panda population.
Over the past 20 years, the number of wild, giant pandas in China has jumped nearly 80 percent from about a thousand to roughly 1,800, removing it from the endangered species list in 2021.
This conservation success story is thanks to the work of people like Hou Rong nicknamed "panda mom". She's worked with pandas for almost three decades.
HOU RONG, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CHENGDU RESEARCH BASE OF GIANT PANDA BREEDING (through translator): Through protecting giant pandas we want more people to pay attention to biodiversity protection. The giant panda is definitely not the only species we care about. We hope to extend the conservation efforts to other species.
[01:49:51]
CULVER (on camera): Here in Chengdu, it's not only the giant pandas, but also you've got these guys -- red pandas. A bit more approachable, but equally as cute and cuddly.
(voice over): Sadly red pandas are still endangered but the hope is with new technology designed to protect these newly minted national parks, there will be more state basis for a range of species from the lesser known to the most famous, to lounge freely for centuries.
David Culver, CNN -- Chengdu, China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Let us know what you're doing to answer the call with the hashtag, Call to Earth.
We'll be back in a moment.
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VAUSE: Employees of the ride-share company Lyft will be working from home for another year if they so choose. Lyft is still planning to reopen their work places but turning up to work will be optional.
A number of other major companies have also pushed back their return to office states.
Lawmakers have some tough questions for the head of Instagram on Wednesday about the harm the app does to the mental health of younger users. Accused the company of not doing enough to protect children. But the Instagram executive pushed back claiming the app could be a positive force.
Senators also expressed frustration about just how long it's taken Instagram and its parent company Meta to address these concerns.
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SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Shouldn't children and parents have the right to report dangerous material and get a response? Get some action because we've heard harrowing stories from parents who tried tor report and have heard no response.
My office made a report and got no response until CNN made the report to press relations. Shouldn't there be an obligation that Instagram will respond?
ADAM MOSSERI, INSTAGRAM: Senator, yes, I believe we try and respond to all reports. And if we ever failed to do so, that is a mistake that we should correct.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The boss at Instagram promised more would be done to protect younger users and suggested an industry body should be created to determine best practices to keep children safe.
Well, the Environmental Defense Fund says over-fishing is the number one threat to marine life but a centuries-old fishing method in the Maldives proves sustainable fishing is not only possible, it's also practical.
CNN's Anna Stewart has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Mohamed Adil is the executive sous chef at this Maldivian resort.
MOHAMED ADIL, EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF, DHIGALI MALDIVES: How are you?
STEWART: His menus often include traditional recipes which rely on the local environments.
ADIL: Almost everything is made with tuna. We don't have chicken. We don't have beef. What we have is tuna. So I think without them it would not be Maldivian cuisine.
STEWART: The quest for this quintessential ingredient starts around 2:00 a.m. on fishing vessels that then traveled three hours out to sea.
[01:54:53]
STEWART: This is pole and line fishing. It's one of the most sustainable ways to fish, because just one fish is caught at the time. As opposed to the commercial use of nets, which causes significant by- catch.
Despite spending a decade cooking with tuna, Chef Adil has never seen pole and line fishing firsthand, which may be surprising, because it's Maldivian tradition.
HAMID ABDULLA, FISHERMAN: This is what my family has been doing for generations. Going back to my forefathers, this has been our livelihood.
Hamid's role for the day is to scatter live bait fish. This combined with water sprayed from the back of the boat, creates the illusion of a school of fish swimming along the surface, teasing that tunas to bite.
ABDULLA: When you are at sea for about a week, I don't think much about it. Because I am passionate about it, my heart and soul is in this.
STEWART: In the Maldives, pole and line fishing date back centuries. Some even believe it originated here.
Hamid has been fishing with this group, which includes his father and grandfather for 10 years. But Mohamed has never given pole and line fishing a try.
ADIL: At first, it was quite scary for me, because they were too many people so I got scared that if I might hit somebody. Now I know how much effort it goes. And I just can't do and I can only imagine how much effort they must be putting and it is not easy.
STEWART: This group will usually come out to sea for a week at a time. Today they hauled in about two tons. And after descaling their catch, they sell it to nearby resorts.
ADIL: It was really good time, yes. (END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: New Zealand looks set to take some of the toughest anti smoking laws in the world. Put it in place to ban the next generation from smoking, period. A new law will go before parliament next year, which will effectively raise the age limit for those eligible to buy cigarettes until at the point they will not be able to buy -- legally buy cigarettes anywhere.
New Zealand's government plans to reduce the number of shops that sell tobacco as well as cut the number of tobacco imports as well as advertising.
Death from cigarette smoking is still the number cause of preventable death in New Zealand. These new measures are expected to remedy that situation. It has yet to pass parliament, but it is a radical measure there by New Zealand's government against smoking.
Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause.
Please stay with us. The news continues here on CNN with Rosemary Church after a short break.
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