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U.K. Tightens COVID Rules Amid Conservative Revolt; Parts Of Europe Grappling With Surge In COVID Cases; Pfizer: COVID-19 Pill Greatly Lowers Risk Of Severe Illness; At Least 62 Dead In Haiti Fuel Tanker Blast; UAE Suspends Talks With U.S. To Acquire F-35 Fighter Jets. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired December 15, 2021 - 00:00   ET

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

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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, after a parliamentary revolt by almost 100 backbenchers from his own Conservative Party, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly warning leadership challenges on the cards in the coming weeks.

The swift and jaw dropping spread of the Omicron variant now reported in almost 80 countries and could be the dominant strain in parts of Europe within days.

And another deadly disaster for Haiti. Dozens killed in a fireball after a fuel truck overturned and explodes in a residential area.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.

VAUSE: Thank you for joining us here on CNN and we begin with the very latest on a sticking backbench revolt by conservative lawmakers voting against Boris Johnson and his plan B pandemic restrictions.

The new measures which include mask mandates and booster shots to receive COVID passports were passed by Parliament, but only with support from the Labour opposition.

Boris Johnson has survived rebellions from within his own party before but not on this scale. More than a quarter of all Conservative MPs openly defied Johnson. Many said the new restrictions were too draconian, and a case of government overreach.

For others, there are no vote seen as a warning to the prime minister over a string of recent scandals, and the man described as the great survivor of British politics could see a leadership challenge early in the New Year.

In the midst of all of this political crisis, Number 10 also dealing with the highly contagious Omicron variant spreading quickly across the U.K., almost 60,000 new infections reported in the past 24 hours.

We get more now from CNN Salma Abdelaziz reporting in from London.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Order, order.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's the biggest Tory rebellion against Boris Johnson since he took office.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The noes to the left, 126.

ABDELAZIZ: And yet, another blow to the prime minister's credibility after weeks of scandal.

Nearly 100 conservative MPs, member of Johnson's own party, voted against plan B coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday. The measures include extending mask mandates in most public indoor settings, mandatory vaccines for NHS workers and most contentious, requiring COVID health passes to enter large public venues like nightclubs.

The U.K. health secretary said the measures are necessary to stem the tide of Omicron.

SAJID JAVID, BRITISH HEALTH SECRETARY: We're likely to see a substantial rise in hospitalizations before any measure is starting to have an impact. So, there really is no time to lose.

ABDELAZIZ: But some Tories accused the government of overstepping, curbing civil liberties.

ANDREA LEADSOM, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: So, Mr. Deputy Speaker, this is a slippery slope, down which I do not want to slip. So, I'm afraid I'm not going to be supporting these measures.

ABDELAZIZ: Despite the rebellion, the restrictions passed, but some warned they did not go far enough.

CAROLINE LUCAS, BRITISH GREEN PARTY MP: The government's mixed messaging has been incredibly unhelpful, telling people that a tsunami of Omicron is underway, but at the same time we can go on partying absolutely undermines that message.

ABDELAZIZ: To slow the surge of cases, Johnson expanded the nation's ambitious booster program.

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Everyone eligible age 18 and over in England will have a chance to get the booster before the New Year.

ABDELAZIZ: A rush of bookings crashed the government's signup website Monday and hundreds were seen waiting in long lines outside vaccination centers.

In total, about half a million people across the U.K. received their booster jabs in the 24-hours after the announcement.

But the prime minister's authority still being tested after accusations that multiple Christmas parties were held in Downing Street during lockdown last year. [00:05:07]

ABDELAZIZ: Johnson has denied the allegations that COVID rules were broken but launched an internal investigation.

Johnson now fighting what U.K. officials say is a more transmissible variant of COVID-19 with little support from his own party.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: To Los Angeles now and CNN European Affairs commentator, Dominic Thomas. Dominic, thank you for being with us again. Good to see you.

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Thank you, John. Here we go again.

VAUSE: Well, you know, we've been here before, Boris Johnson has survived, you know, a rebellious backbench in the past, three times over his Brexit deals with Brussels. Don't forget, he was the leader of the rebel uprising against Theresa May his predecessor.

But this time, what was it, 98, 99 Tory backbenchers, openly defying Johnson after he made a direct appeal to what's called the 22, which is this powerful committee representing these conservative backbenchers.

So, this was a shot across the bow, right? But it seems though they're firing all 100 cannons at the same time.

THOMAS: Yes, they absolutely were. And I think what was interesting going into this is, of course, the conservatives have this massive parliamentary majority. And they knew that the opposition would be supporting these new health measures. So, they knew they had the leeway, therefore, no matter whether they were voting to express some kind of protest against Boris Johnson sort of general sort of behavior, or whether they were discontent with the actual policies.

And they sent an unambiguous message that they had, that the Prime Minister essentially serves as the head of the Conservative Party, and at their pleasure. And that message today was absolutely unambiguous that he's on a very short leash right now as he moves forward into the December holidays.

VAUSE: Yet, lots of talk -- lots of reports that he could be facing this leadership challenge sometime in the New Year if it happens at all.

But if it does go ahead, there needs to be a serious challenger, for there to be a leadership challenge. So, is there a serious candidate out there?

THOMAS: Yes. Well, there are some serious candidates. And this is also a pattern that we saw throughout 2019, where the same backbenchers were the ones essentially threatening Theresa May, bullying her into policymaking over those various meaningful votes.

What's interesting is in the 2019 race for the party, there were 10 candidates, the candidate who came second is not currently in the cabinet. And that was the former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

And so, we would have to think of him as a viable candidate. But it's also interesting that so many of the people who ran against essentially Boris Johnson in this race in 2010, where he was the clear and unambiguous leader also ended up in the cabinet.

And so, it's going to be interesting as these different tensions across the conservative party line play out who these various candidates are going to back and who is potentially going to run for this race.

And I think it's quite obvious that those occupying the current important positions, Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Foreign Secretary, the Justice Minister, and so on and so forth, will be the most likely people to continue on in the party. And to try and vie for these particular positions.

VAUSE: It seems the health secretary, he drew the short straw to be the one who funded Parliament to try and ease the concerns over these new pandemic restrictions. It didn't work, but in particular, this requirement for two vaccine shots plus a booster to get a COVID health pass, here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAVID: These are not steps that we would take lightly, I firmly believe in individual liberty and that their curbs should be placed on our freedoms only in the most grievous of circumstances.

And not only that, I am of course mindful of the cost that restrictions can bring to the nation's health or education and to the economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: OK, so no doubt many who voted against this package were motivated by this genuine concern of a freedom and liberty. But how many defied the prime minister over issues at the Christmas party scandals? You know, the do as I say, not as I do attitude?

THOMAS: Well, it's clear that there are two groups, one of them that was upset about the behavior. And I think that in this opposition vote, I think that that would -- they would have been a majority. I think that the bulk of those who voted against him on these particular policies today are concerned about overreaching from the government in these areas.

And it's interesting that, you know, throughout the European Union, there has been, of course, tensions around regulations, vaccination requirements, and so on. But the overwhelming consensus is that the path forward is through vaccination, and that these passes are the condition of access to life. Yet, this has become a highly politicized issue within the

Conservative Party, especially among backbenches. And from the very early days of the COVID pandemic, there's been this argument in the U.K. around the economic priority versus the health priority, as if somehow rather these two were not linked.

And the Prime Minister finds himself therefore in a very complex predicament between trying to please those particular backbenchers and hold on to power, while at the same time implementing the health measures, which of course, ironically, are the pathway towards opening up.

[00:10:12]

THOMAS: And I think that the Labour Party and the opposition in general understood that there were tensions in the party today.

And by supporting Boris Johnson on these votes, they exacerbated the tensions with those particular backbenchers, which are of course threatening him now with a potential leadership challenge.

So, it's an unfolding and complex situation for Boris Johnson.

VAUSE: And through it all, Theresa May the former Prime Minister grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Dominic, good to see you. Thank you.

THOMAS: Thank you.

VAUSE: The Omicron variant is adding to concerns across Europe about a surge in COVID infections. France, Italy, Norway, Denmark are among nations seeing a huge spike and our CNN's Nina dos Santos reports Omicron will soon be a dominant strain in parts of the continent.

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NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Parts of Europe are entering crisis mode when it comes to the spread of COVID, cases are on the rise while roughly one in three Europeans remains unvaccinated.

In London, there are long lines to get the COVID booster jab. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that all adults in England will be offered a booster by year's end.

The pandemic is worsening in the U.K. where there have been an average of more than 50,000 new infections each day over the last week, the Omicron variant representing 20 percent of cases.

SUSAN HOPKINS, CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER, U.K. HEALTH SECURITY AGENCY: We are concerned with the large volume of individuals who are being infected every day in the population that we are going to have a very difficult four weeks ahead with cases in the community.

DOS SANTOS: England is also removing all 11 countries from its red travel list. The U.K. Health Minister says that it's less effective now that the Omicron variant has spread so widely around the world.

The COVID wave is also affecting the sporting world. A high number of Omicron cases are being reported within England's Premier League. Positive tests in the league are at a record high.

Tuesday's game between Brentford and Manchester United has been rescheduled, the second postponement in three days.

The League says that there were 42 positive tests between December 6th and the 12th, more than tripled the previous weeks total of 12.

Norway is banning the sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants to help curb the spread of COVID. The country has what is believed to be one of the highest number of cases of Omicron in the world.

Officials there warned that it could become the dominant variant in the country within days.

And Denmark reported nearly 7,800 new infections on Monday. That's the highest daily increase there since the pandemic started.

The Danish government is closing schools. It has curbed nightlife, and its encouraging residents to work remotely.

As a wave of the Omicron variant sweeps across Europe, scientists are warning that they don't yet know how often the variant causes severe disease.

Yet, they caution that the increase in cases could begin to overwhelm hospitals. This, as many Europeans continue to resist getting the vaccine.

Nina dos Santos, CNN, London.

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VAUSE: Anne Rimoin is a professor with the Department of Epidemiology at UCLA's fielding School of Public Health. She is with us this hour from Los Angeles. Welcome back.

ANNE RIMOIN, EPIDEMIOLOGY PROFESSOR, UCLA FIELDING SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Nice to be here.

VAUSE: OK, so there's a lot of anticipation now after Pfizer released some new data showing their COVID pill cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 89 percent if given to high risk adults within the first few days of their first symptoms.

I want you to listen to Pfizer's CEO on the direct impact he's expecting to see where it matters most in hospitals, here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERT BOURLA, CEO, PFIZER: With this pill, we are expecting that out of ten people going to hospital, only one will go, and actually no one is dying. So, these are very, very good news. (END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: OK, so if all is as advertised, could this pill turn the tide of the pandemic? I know we've been here before. But could this be the moment when we might just see the pandemic in the rearview mirror?

RIMOIN: You know, John, I think that it's really fantastic news. This particular kind of treatment could be a game changer. It could save a lot of lives.

But I've said this before, and I'm going to say it again, there is no single magic bullet that is going to turn the tide of this pandemic. We're going to have to use a layered approach.

This virus is going to continue to be with us, we're going to need to be using vaccines as a primary response. But this -- but this new treatment could be a really great thing.

VAUSE: (INAUDIBLE). Pfizer has sent this data to regulators in the U.S. as part of this application for Emergency Use Authorization, that data claims the pill should be effective against the Omicron variant. Because the drug actually blocks an enzyme, which is involved in viral replication. This is different from the spike protein on the virus surface, whose numerous mutations have escalated global concerns about the variant, that's CNN's reporting.

[00:15:10]

VAUSE: But we will only know I guess how effective this treatment is against Omicron once it starts being used extensively in the real world, is that right?

RIMOIN: Absolutely. Again, I'm going to -- I'm not going to underscore how -- I want to underscore, excuse me, how important this pill could be in treatments like this could be if people do get COVID, if they have breakthrough infections, if they haven't been able to be vaccinated, if they haven't gotten vaccinated for whatever reason, this is going to be great.

However, it's going to require a lot of logistics to be able to get this pill to people. It means that this pill really works well when it's given within five days of symptoms, which means that people are going to have to have access to testing.

And then, they're going to have to have access to prescription from a health provide -- from a health care provider to be able to get this -- to get this prescription. And we still don't know really, as you said, how it's going to work in the general population.

So, this is really great news, we should always be celebrating when we make these steps forward, has to be approved by the FDA first, then once it's out there, we're going to have to see how it works in real life and have realistic expectations about what it's going to be able to do considering, you know, it needs to be given within a short period of time, and we still don't have really good access to testing. VAUSE: The best way to treat COVID I'm told is not to get it in the first place, which means vaccines, vaccines, vaccines and on that, here's the latest information from South Africa on the severity of Omicron.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN NOACH, CEO, DISCOVERY HEALTH: What is clear is that vaccinated individuals are experiencing milder reinfections in general. And that's supported by the data shown by the 70 percent effectiveness against severe illness.

And also, supported by anecdote where we're hearing that it's primarily the unvaccinated that are requiring admission and also, that are requiring oxygen in hospital.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Didn't Delta have kind of a similar start? Not completely the same. But initially, it was the unvaccinated who are being infected, the unvaccinated who are being sent to hospital, the unvaccinated who are dying.

But then, came these reports of, you know, breakthrough infections. It was just a few at first and then, more and more each day. Could we see something similar here with Omicron?

RIMOIN: Absolutely, this is definitely a possibility. These are still very early days. It's great news that we're seeing that the case reports are in particular are mild.

But the story is not written yet. We still have to see how these spreads. It often spreads at first in young populations who are healthier than it will end up getting into more vulnerable populations, into older populations.

I've heard other people say and I'm going to say it again, I think it's going to be really important to see what happens when older people get infected, if they're able to be as well protected. That's going to be a real test.

We've also heard reports of pediatric hospitalization starting to go up in South Africa. So, these are things we're going to have to keep an eye on.

And it's important to remember that even if this virus is going to cause less severe disease, if it's more or less severe disease, if it's more contagious, then you eventually are going to see more cases and hospitals are still going to be potentially getting overwhelmed

VAUSE: Anne Rimoin, the world's epidemiologist, thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate your time. Thank you.

RIMOIN: It's my pleasure.

VAUSE: Up next here on CNN NEWSROOM, another catastrophe in Haiti. Dozens killed in a massive explosion (INAUDIBLE) with gasoline from a leaking fuel tank.

Also ahead, the Philippines bracing for a potential typhoon. The tropical storm gained strength in the Western Pacific.

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VAUSE: Officials in Haiti have been pleading for blood donations and other aid after a fuel tanker exploded Monday in the country's second largest city. At least 62 people were killed, many of whom were trying to collect gas directly from the truck when the blast happened.

CNN's Matt Rivers has the latest.

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MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, yet another tragedy that Haiti is now forced to deal with after a fuel tanker erupted in the northern city of Cap-Haitien. Dozens of people were killed as a result of this explosion, dozens more were injured.

The mayor of Cap-Haitien telling CNN he is urgently calling for people to donate blood because of so many people being in the hospital with such severe injuries.

What appeared to happen here according to the mayor, is that people were coming to this fuel tanker in Cap-Haitien because there was a leak and people were coming to collect fuel for themselves.

It's so unclear what caused this explosion, but it was massive. And it obviously had a huge impact on all the people that were around that tanker. It also had a big impact on the buildings that were around there.

We know at least 50 buildings according to the mayor were damaged as a result of this, many of which will have to be demolished according to the mayor because of the level of damage sustained by the flames and this explosion.

But I think it's very important here to add the context of what's happening in Haiti, there has been a crippling gasoline shortage, a fuel shortage going on for months in Haiti.

Remember, this is a country that cannot rely on a reliable electricity grid. And as a result, many many people use gas, use generators every day for basic things like running refrigerators, keeping things cold. All the way up to industries will use diesel generators to keep the lights on.

This shortage has crippled the country in a lot of ways and it's made many people desperate, desperate enough to go after a fuel tanker that was leaking fuel simply because many people are just desperate to get any fuel they can put in their generators that they rely on for so many different parts of their lives.

This explosion, a horrific consequence of what is a nationwide gas shortage that has affected so many people.

Matt Rivers CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The former leader of the Belarusian opposition is now facing 18 years behind bars for his role in rallying protesters against the President Alexander Lukashenko.

The popular blogger and activist was arrested shortly after his declared candidacy for presidency last year. A court in Belarus convicted him on charges of organizing mass riots and inciting social hatred.

His wife who is now the leader of the opposition from outside the country has been left outraged.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SVIATLANA TSIKHANOUSKAYA, BELARUS OPPOSITION LEADER (through translator): Year, 20 years or 100 years, it's not normal, it's illegal and it is not something one can tolerate.

And I will continue to defend the person I love who has become a leader for millions of Belarusians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Well, this verdict can be legally appealed, but only within 10 days.

Now, to a legal case involving Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre who is suing the Prince. Two federal judges have ruled that a secret 2009 settlement agreement between Giuffre and Epstein that may have also referenced Prince Andrew should be publicly released. The decision comes as the judges preside over lawsuits filed by Giuffre.

In October, attorneys for Prince Andrew asked for Giuffre's case against him to be dismissed, saying her suit violated the terms of the agreement.

Giuffre alleges she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with his friends, including Prince Andrew, when she was underage.

Prince Andrew continues to deny any wrongdoing.

The United Arab Emirates is suspending discussions with U.S. to acquire F-35 fighter jets, the UAE says technical requirements and sovereign operational restrictions were some of the reasons which led to this decision.

CNN Sam Kiley has more now, reporting from Abu Dhabi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): In yet another blow to Emirati American relations, which had already been a little bit strained over the Emirati policy of rapprochement (PH) with nearby Iran, the Emiratis have now announced that they're going to suspend negotiations over a $23 billion deal to buy F-35 stealth fighters from the United States.

[00:25:07]

KILEY: They are citing technical problems, sovereignty issues, and a cost benefit analysis. The real key there in their statement, though, is issues over sovereignty.

In other words, they do not feel comfortable with restrictions post purchase that the United States may wish to impose on their use of fighter jets that they've paid for.

It's also worth noting that just a few weeks ago, they struck a $19 billion deal with French arms manufacturers, the biggest deal between France and the Emirates and this is yet another sign that the Emiratis are going their own way, being very much more robust in what they perceive to be their own individual interests as a part of the Gulf nations rather than necessarily reflecting almost automatically American foreign policy.

They've already been reaching out diplomatically and in tech and economic terms to Iran with a recent announcement with a bit construction of a large solar farm using Emirati money in Iran.

This is something coming at a time when the Americans have been trying to talk about increasing sanctions against Tehran, in order to squeeze them back to the negotiating table to re-vivify the nuclear agreement that was supposed to suspend Iran's nuclear program. A nuclear weapons program, which was torn up effectively by the Trump administration.

The Biden administration is in lockstep on many other issues with the Emiratis but it is very clear here in the Emirates that they are forging their very much their own path.

Sam Kiley, CNN in Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Well, now the U.K. is the epicenter of the Omicron outbreak. It's lifting a travel ban on 11 African countries, a ban many experts said was next to useless, details in a moment.

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VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

The U.K. has removed 11 African countries from its COVID red list. The travel restrictions were imposed shortly after the Omicron variant was detected in Southern Africa, and many countries followed suit.

A lot of people in Africa claimed they were being penalized for being open and transparent by reporting the variant in the first place.

CNN's David McKenzie has more now reporting from Johannesburg.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): South African authorities are certainly welcoming the end to this red list when it comes to England. There was much anger and frustration over this soon after South African scientists identified this new variant.

Now, in a statement on Twitter they did welcome this, but then they said, again, that the unscientific travel ban had a devastating impact on business, travel and tourism, and families.

[00:30:12]

You can sense that frustration there, and certainly, officials are hoping that more countries end their restrictions.

Now, the first real-world study of this variant, suggesting that vaccines do have an impact in terms of stopping people from getting into hospital and severe disease.

But there is a drop off, significant, in terms of symptomatic disease when it comes to the Pfizer vaccine and Omicron.

And there is some sense in South Africa and the region that there is a milder disease associated with this variant. That was backed up again by the study. But the head of the World Health Organization had this to say.

TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, WHO DIRECTOR-GENERAL: Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if Omicron does cause less severe diseases, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems.

I need to be very clear. Vaccines alone will not get any country out of this crisis.

MCKENZIE: He said that things like masking and social distancing, and all the things we've become very familiar with during this pandemic, are still critical. And so, the vaccine distribution needs to remain equitable.

In the coming weeks and into the new year, we should get a better idea how this variant is affecting South Africa. Cases are certainly skyrocketing. At this stage, though, it doesn't get matched in the hospitals with a crush on those ICUs. But everyone warns we have to just wait to assess that fully.

David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Just over a month ago, South Korea lifted most pandemic restrictions. And ever since, infections and death have been slowly and steadily rising with now record numbers of infections and patients in ICUs.

For the very latest now, let's go to CNN's Kristie Lu Stout, live in Hong Kong.

And so essentially, they've now been confronted with the reality, which is that these new -- these restrictions which were lifted --

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

VAUSE: -- are now going to have to BE put back in place.

STOUT: Absolutely. You know, not that long ago, it seemed here in Asia that the pandemic was on the wane. But we are seeing a spike of infections in many parts of the region, especially in South Korea.

And South Korea, earlier today, we heard from health authorities. They have reported a record high number of new infections, as well as critical cases, especially among members of the elderly population, a very vulnerable group.

Now, the government has responded by ramping up its booster jab campaign, starting last Saturday. The interval dosage time between initial vaccinations, and the booster shot has been cut from four to five months, to 3 months.

And not only that, we're also learning that the South Korean government is planning to roll out a pilot program, involving artificial intelligence, facial recognition systems, and thousands of CCTV cameras to find, detect, and track people who are infected with COVID-19.

Now meanwhile, in Australia, New South Wales, this is the most populous state in Australia, as well as home to Sydney. It has reported its highest number of new cases in three months.

And as COVID-19 cases rise, in New South Wales, restrictions are being relaxed. In fact, QR codes are no longer required in certain businesses like supermarkets and shopping centers.

We also learned that masks are only required in the airport, or public transport, on airplanes, or among staff members who aren't vaccinated and work in indoor hospitality.

And on top of that, starting today, Australia is granting all fully vaccinated travelers from Japan and South Korea to enter the country without the need for quarantine. This, again, as South Korea has reported a record high number of critical cases, and new cases of COVID-19 -- John.

VAUSE: OK, so now we have the Omicron variant, which is also causing a lot of concern, and it's spreading across China.

STOUT: Yes.

VAUSE: So what do we know about that? STOUT: Yes. Well, we talked about this a little bit yesterday. There's

an update. Hong Kong has reported now eight cases of the Omicron variant, all detected at the border.

The first case detected in mainland China was found in Tianjin, at the border. A second case was later detected in the day in Guangzhou. And this involves a 67-year-old man who had touched down in Shanghai on November the 27th; was there in hotel quarantine for two weeks, tested multiple times for COVID-19, and then flew from Shanghai to Guangzhou, and that was where he tested positive for the Omicron variant.

So it begs the question, we are did he pick up the variant? Did he pick it up while overseas, or did he become infected with it inside China? I want you to listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[00:35:00]

JIN DONG-YAN, PROFESSOR OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: The chance that he got the virus in the quarantine hotel is pretty high.

The quarantine hotel still have some -- some facility to prevent the spreading. Most COVID cases, actually 85 percent of them do not spread to more than five people. So the risk is not very high.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, authorities in Hunan province in China have isolated and they have reported one close contact of that Guangzhou Omicron variant case. This was an individual who not only was on the same flight from Canada to Shanghai with the Omicron case but also shared the same quarantine hotel.

But still, a lot more details are needed to figure out just what's happening here, and just how far the variant has spread in China.

Back to you.

VAUSE: Kristie, thank you. Kristie Lu Stout, live for us with the very latest there in Hong Kong.

The United Nations sounding the alarm over a wave of extrajudicial killings under Taliban rule on Afghanistan. Dozens have been mostly carried out by the Taliban since they rescued power in August with a chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Between August and November, we received credible allegations of more than 100 killings of a former Afghan national security forces and others associated with the former government, with at least 82 of these killings attributed to the Taliban. In several cases, the bodies were publicly displayed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: As for the Taliban, their response saying there's no proof.

U.N. officials also say the country is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis, with women's rights curtailed, a disintegrating economy that has families facing severe poverty, and with that comes severe hunger. Well, scientists are painting a grim picture of how human-caused climate change is transforming the Arctic. The annual Arctic report card finds the region rapidly losing ice cover, turning the frozen tundra into an environment which is greener and browner than it was even a decade ago and is now a haven for beavers.

This past year was the 7th warmest on record in the Arctic, and scientists warn temperatures will only continue to rise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARA NULLIS, WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION: The arctic, as we keep saying, is one of the fastest warming parts of the world. It's warming more than twice as fast as the global average.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The report also found melting ice meant more commercial shipping in the region, bringing more trash, more noise which could affect how marine mammals communicate.

This just in, a tropical storm in the western Pacific has strengthened to a typhoon, likely to hit the Philippines in the coming. Let's go to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri meteorologist worth more.

Not exactly unexpected this time of year, but how strong is it?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, you know, it's strengthening very quickly. And that's the concern, John. We think peak intensity of this storm is currently equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane, so currently a minimal typhoon.

But we do expect it to strengthen and potentially reach that peak intensity right at landfall within the next 36 hours. That's the biggest concern with Rai. That is locally known as Odette, the name of the storm across the Philippines.

But again, internationally Rai is the given name. And you'll notice the system, not a very organized or very significant looking system on satellite imagery. But we know the model agreement pretty good. The wind shear loft very minimal so it's not going to break the system apart.

And the sea surface temperatures among the warmest on our planet. That's why we think the system, within the next 24 hours, as it approaches land here, with strengthen significantly, maybe getting up close to a Category 3 equivalent system as it makes landfall there across Northern Mindenao (ph) or the central Risaius (ph).

But notice this. Climatologically speaking, about eight, maybe nine storms make landfall across the Philippines every single year. We've had six of them make landfall, so this would be storm number seven making sure here in the next few hours.

And again, the concern is that that 120 kpr potentially strengthen to 175, maybe 179 kilometers per hour as it makes landfall Thursday afternoon.

We're watching areas of northern Mindenao (phh), very mountainous region. Of course, a lot of these areas have significant flooding, but also, the low lying landscapes of the 7,600 islands that make up the Philippines that make up the Philippines also. All of these going to be at risk here. Especially those areas that could be exposed to this kind of eastern birth.

We have the storm here, 1 to 2 meters high. That's the storm surge. Anytime you bring water above 2 meters, if you have any properties near the coast, they're going to see water work its way towards the community. Of course, decimating some of these regions.

So that's the concern moving forward. Rainfall amounts across some of these argues, John, could be as much as 250, maybe 300 millimeters in recent years have seen plenty of disruptive December storms.

So a lot of people on alert here.

VAUSE: Yes, thank you. Pedram Javaheri there with the very latest.

Well, Malt on the very of a major drug policy reform, becoming the first E.U. country to legalize cannabis. That's leading to a growing movement across Europe.

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VAUSE: Malta is set to become the first E.U. country where recreational use of cannabis will be legal.

There were celebrations on Tuesday when the bill passed Parliament. It now heads to the president, who is expected to sign it into law later this week.

And then, anyone 18 and over will be allowed to possess and cultivate, at home, a limited amount of the drug. The bill's sponsor say drug reform like this is way overdue.

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OWEN BONNICI, MALTESE MINISTER FOR EQUALITY, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION: First of all, it will stop us as far as the accumulation of people. For a lot of time have been criminalized when they are not criminals.

Secondly, we are going to give -- to curb the trafficking, and not the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), by making sure that people make use of and which now regulars have a safe and regular way from where they cannot obtain (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

HOLMES: Malta is at the forefront of efforts to legalize pot around Europe. And this movement is growing in Luxembourg, Italy, Germany.

Coming up, Sweden says it's developing the first commercially available personal flying car.

The jets in one takes off and lands vertically, with a top speed around 100 kilometers an hour. Supposedly, takes just a few minutes to learn how to fly.

It's also $92,000. The company says it's sold about 150 of them, mostly in the United States, and there's interest from all over the world.

But the vehicles are a long way from becoming mainstream and becoming anything that you could actually use in any kind of viable sense.

Good luck to them.

Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. WORLD SPORT starts after the break. And then I will see you, hopefully, at the top of the hour.

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