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Biden's Looks To Clarify "Minor Incursion" Comments; Much- Needed Water Shipments Headed To Tonga; German Inquiry Finds Inaction On Child Sexual Abuse Claims; Report On Sexual Abuse In German Diocese Faults Former Pope; Austria Makes COVID Vaccination Mandatory In EU first; China COVID Policy Impacting Cathay Pacific Airline, Crew; Sudanese Judges, U.S. Denounce Crackdown On Anti-Coup Protesters; Teen Pilot Zara Rutherford Becomes Youngest Woman To Fly The World Solo. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired January 21, 2022 - 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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[01:01:31]
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: The White House says the president of Russia is on notice. Official striking affirm tone following U.S. President Joe Biden's remarks on a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, the long road to recovery with communications partially restored and, A, being deployed from around the world, Tonga begins to rebuild.
And with Guinness World Records under her belt, Zara Rutherford is the youngest woman to fly the world solo. The teens remarkable feat coming up.
Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from around the world, I appreciate your company. I'm Michael Holmes and This is CNN NEWSROOM. Thanks for being with us.
Now, the U.S. and Russia are giving diplomacy another chance in the hopes of avoiding an all-out war between Russia and Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet in just a few hours in Geneva Switzerland. America's top diplomat will have to clarify President Biden's comments about a minor incursion into Ukraine bringing unless forceful response. Here's our President tried to clean that up on Thursday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: But to me no doubt at all that if Putin makes this choice, Russia will pay a heavy price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: With 10s of 1000s of Russian troops massed on its border, Ukraine's leaders say the U.S. must do more to stop a potential invasion. CNN's Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward is on the ground in Kyiv, but we begin with our Kylie Atwood at the U.S. State Department.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIDEN: If any, any assembled Russian units move across Ukrainian border, that is an invasion.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Biden cleaning up his comments from Wednesday suggesting there may not be hard hitting consequences for Russia, if they undertake in a minor incursion into Ukraine instead of a full-blown invasion.
BIDEN: They will be met with severe and coordinated economic response that I've discussed in detail with our allies as well as laid out very clearly for President Putin.
ATWOOD: Coming after he said this just a day before.
BIDEN: One thing if it's a minor incursion, and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do, et cetera.
ATWOOD: The initial comments left Ukrainian officials stunned, believing Biden gave President Putin the greenlight to enter Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelensky saying, "There are no minor incursions and small nations just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones." Top Biden administration officials have been scrambling to clean up the comments.
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: If any Russian military forces move across the Ukrainian border and commit new acts of aggression against Ukraine that will be met with a swift, severe united response from the United States and our allies and partners.
ATWOOD: Secretary of State Tony Blinken wasn't alone. America's European allies also tried to present a united front to intimidate Russia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: NATO allies are ready to respond.
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Being no doubt that if Russia were to make any kind of incursion into Ukraine of any on any scale, whatever, I think that that would be a disaster.
ANNALENA BAERBOCK, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translation): Any further aggressive attitude on the part of Russia would have grave consequences.
[01:05:06]
ATWOOD: All this as Russia bolsters its arsenal for a possible invasion, bringing combat helicopters closer to Ukraine this week and using their intelligence services to recruit Ukrainian traders to prepare a takeover of Ukraine's government. The U.S. now sanctioning current and former Ukrainian officials, the Treasury says are, "engaged in Russian government directed influence activities to destabilize Ukraine." But the Kremlin saying another call between President Biden and Putin would, "be welcomed."
Meanwhile, President Biden saying he expects Russia to invade.
BIDEN: My guess is he will move in.
ATWOOD: Now, sources tell CNN the Biden administration moved to give approval to three Baltic States this week to provide us made weaponry to Ukraine. Now, that is one move to ensure that if Russia does go forward with this invasion into Ukraine, that it will be a bloody war for Russia and all of this, the actions that Biden administration is taking this week, coupled with the discussions about President Biden's remark come ahead of a meeting between Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Foreign Minister Lavrov of Russia that take place on Friday in Geneva. Kylie Atwood, CNN, the State Department.
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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A Ukrainian official has told CNN that "if Biden wants to avert an invasion, America needs to do more." A lot of people here still very spooked by President Biden's comments yesterday that seemed to indicate that in the case of a small incursion, that Russia might not pay such a heavy price. And despite the efforts of the White House to kind of row those comments back and offer more clarity about the strength of response to Russian aggression. People here still voicing some concerns.
This Ukrainian official telling CNN that essentially the U.S. needs to take a more aggressive stance that they would like to see immediate sanctions against Russia, and that they are also desperate for the U.S. to really ratchet up heavy sophisticated weaponry support to the Ukrainian military.
We do know, as a side note, the U.S. confirmed today the transfer of American weapons from Ukraine's Baltic neighbors to hear in Ukraine, but certainly we haven't seen this kind of public rebuke for quite some time, even from Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. He took to Twitter today to say in response to President Biden's comments yesterday, "We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations, just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones. I say this as the president of a great power."
That kind of language. That kind of public rebuke from a Ukrainian president to a sitting U.S. president is incredibly rare. And I think it really goes to show you just how uneasy the government was made here by those comments yesterday, despite the efforts today to offer more clarity.
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HOLMES: Joining me now from New York is Michel Wallerstein. He's a former policy maker and Non-Resident Senior Fellow in foreign policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Great to have you on for this issue. I want to ask you about what you see geographically Russia's positioning, you got Russian and Belarusian military exercise in Belarus. So really, you've got Russians in Crimea to the south, in the Donbass to the east, Belarus to the north, and of course, Russia itself, almost surrounding Ukraine. What's your read?
MITCHEL WALLERSTEIN, CHICAGO COUNCIL ON GLOBAL AFFAIRS: Well, I think there's two possible assessments here. One is that they are positioning troops, as you alluded to, to launch a full-scale invasion from three different directions. As you said, particularly with these Belarusian exercises, they have forces now in the north, they have many troops aligned along the eastern border, and then the separatist forces in the Donbass. And, of course, they could also bring in additional forces from Crimea. The other explanation is that this is just part of an elaborate bluff, which is intended to extract political concessions from the Ukrainian government and potentially from the U.S. and NATO.
HOLMES: You know, the signs on the ground, certainly point for preparation, at least for invasion or movement of some kind. But do you think it could also be what some might call coercive diplomacy? Do you think Putin actually wants to be in Ukraine or further into Ukraine? Or is this more about stopping NATO expansion, defining a red line on that a buffer?
WALLERSTEIN: Well, certainly the latter without question. He has been increasingly vocal about his concern that the NATO was encroaching on what the Russians called the near abroad, which is the buffer zone that they've had since the time of the Czars. But it could also be that he sees a closing window politically and militarily to take back Ukraine. He's made no secret of the fact that he wants to reestablish as much of the old Soviet Empire as possible.
[01:10:27]
And with Ukraine drifting towards the west, he may feel that he has little time left in which to accomplish this.
HOLMES: Right.
WALLERSTEIN: And particularly with the U.S. politically in disarray at the moment, he may see this as the ideal opportunity.
HOLMES: Yeah, there's no doubt, of course, Russia could successfully invade Ukraine in a purely military sense. But I'm wondering what -- how successful you think a Russian invasion would be longer term, they would be a massive insurgency, invading is one thing, holding ground for any length of time is another against the hostile population, is Russia learned at great cost in Afghanistan, right?
WALLERSTEIN: Precisely. And I think you would see very similar situation here. I think the Ukraine forces are already anticipating that they might have to resort to an insurgency and would, or a seeking to acquire weapons that would aid them in that regard. So, this could become a very bloody process for the Russians. And just as was the case of Afghanistan, when the bodies start coming back and in body bags, it creates all sorts of negative fallout for the regime. HOLMES: Yeah. The U.S. of course, Secretary of State meeting with Russia's Lavrov on Friday, what might the Russians accept that the U.S., the West is willing to offer? What might an off ramp to all of this look like?
WALLERSTEIN: Well, the problem is that the demands that were put forward by Putin are to a large degree completely unacceptable. They're non-starters, because they would undermine the very basis of NATO. The only off ramp that seems plausible, to me at least is that they could agree to restart negotiations on the various arms control processes that almost all of which have now been abandoned. These were all part of the Helsinki process, the conventional -- the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. It led to the INF Treaty, which is the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty. It led to the conventional forces in Europe treaty and a number of others. Almost all of them have now fallen by the wayside.
HOLMES: Fascinating analysis, Mitchel Wallerstein, thank you so much, I really appreciate it.
WALLERSTEIN: My pleasure. Thank you.
HOLMES: Shipments of desperately needed water are on their way to Tonga, following that catastrophic volcano eruption, and we're getting new video by the way from that aircraft from New Zealand arriving in Tonga, surveying the damage before landing at the newly reopened airport.
Polluted water sources across the Pacific nation causing significant shortages and raising fears of potential disease outbreaks. Well, now two Japanese cargo planes loaded with bottled water. Well, they're heading to Tonga as well. And so is a New Zealand ship carrying a water desalination plant, also an Australian naval ship carrying other relief supplies.
Meanwhile, international phone service has partially come back online, Blake Essig, following all of this for us from Tokyo six days now since that volcanic eruption and tsunami, how are the recovery efforts coming along?
BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Michael, there's still a lot we don't know. But with each passing day, we're starting to get a clearer picture of the damage done as a result of that massive volcanic eruption and tsunami.
Now, this is what it looks like right now on Tonga's main island of Tongatapu. You can see fallen trees, homes destroyed, agriculture ruined and ash simply everywhere. Although the main communication lines for the island nation are still weeks away from being restored, international call service has been partially restored for Tonga's main island and one other island. The service is very, very limited can only support about 400 calls at the same time. So, Tonga telecommunications company says that customers might have to try to call several times before actually getting through and making a connection. The company says that they hope to restore all basic cell phone service within the coming days, but full internet restoration is still likely weeks away. That's obviously good news that some of these people are able to start communicating. But Tonga is made up of more than 170 islands, roughly 100,000 people living in those are -- in that country. But only on about 36 of those islands. So, while a majority of the population lives on the islands where cell phone service was partially restored, there are 10s of 1000s of people still unable to communicate with the outside world, Michael.
[01:15:14]
HOLMES: All right, Blake, we'll leave it there. Thanks so much, Blake Essig there in Tokyo for us.
Well, one survivor in Tonga now has a badge of honor. The nickname Aqua Man that he received on social media. Listen to this, he was swept out to sea by the tsunami wave that followed that eruption on Saturday night. He's partially disabled and has difficulty walking. But despite that, he managed to swim more than seven kilometers and reach dry land 27 hours later. He says he was pulled underwater multiple times. He went to a couple of different islands on his way to the main island. And he said he wasn't even sure he would ever make it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISALA FOLAU, TONGAN TSUNAMI SURVIVOR (through translation): When I was in the water, I remember going underwater eight times, my legs are disabled, and my legs don't function as well. So, I told myself the next time I come up, I can't handle it. That's it. So, the ninth time I went under and came up, I grabbed the log. And that's what kept me going.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And for more, we're joined now by Lord Fakafanua, who is the speaker of Tonga's legislative assemblies, joining me from Auckland, New Zealand. Thank you so much for doing so. First of all, what kind of aid has been arriving at? And importantly, what does Tonga still need in terms of things like water, food, and so on?
LORD FAKAFANUA, SPEAKER, TONGA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY: So, the aid that's arriving right now is water and also satellite equipment to help establish better communications with the islands. We also have, you know, essential needs that you need at a natural disaster, tents and equipment and, you know, support for those who have been displaced because of the tsunami and the volcanic eruption.
HOLMES: Yeah, I want -- I'm curious what damage has been done to the local economy, agriculture and so on by the tsunami, but also then the ash for crops were a major part of Tonga's economy, right? What is the level of damage in that regard? And the impacts both economically and in terms of feeding the local population?
FAKAFANUA: So, agriculture is a major export from Tonga, and we also survived through subsistence farming. The ashfall has been what reportedly, I heard through emails from farmers quite devastating and very sad to hear plants dying, that has an impact on food security. And the long-term effects of the ashfall and its effects on agriculture has yet to be seen, but it's something that we were finding very disturbing. And I'm sure that the government would take care of the farmers and I hear that the Prime Minister's we are sure that they will be taken care of, but it's something that we're looking very closely at the devastation to agriculture.
HOLMES: Yeah, yeah. A major part of the economy, but also, as we said, feeding that people. Tongans are very resilient people. How are they reacting, the mood, the determination? Is there a sense of optimism yet?
FAKAFANUA: There is a sense of optimism, there's a sense of cleanup and recovery. People are out on the streets, sweeping volunteering their time to clear the runway so that it was planes can land and bring support and humanitarian aid. Right now, the places most severely affected where there are no building standing currently cordoned off. The government is still surveying the extent of the damage. People are trying to move on. Right now, they need water and food is not access to the water that we collect on the roof because of the ash fall, contaminating the water source and tanks. Right now, people are just trying to get by and get back to work. Banking services are very limited. I hear there's only one atm operating. And we're lucky that did you sell which is currently on the ground and some other telcos like TCC, the local one has established limited comms. So, things are slowly getting back to normal, but I believe it will take some time.
HOLMES: A major, major challenges. I'm curious, you know, we're talking to you in Auckland, because of those communications issues. When you hear from people, when they walk around. They look at their island. What do they see? I mean, I'm curious what sort of things you hear from them visually they tell you that they're seeing?
FAKAFANUA: So visually, Tonga, which is you can picture the picturesque tropical island with coconuts, green and turquoise waters. Right now, it's the exact opposite. We have ashfall everywhere, and it's gray in contrast to the normal island that we love. So, people are trying to clean that up and I've been informed by my wife that I've been lucky enough to be in touch with recently that the ashes as a consistency of fine sand.
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HOLMES: It is a major challenge but as I say the Tongan people are incredibly resilient and hopefully it'll be not long before it's back to that, that beautiful, idyllic paradise that it is. Lord Fakafanua, thank you so much.
FAKAFANUA: Thank you very much.
HOLMES: The Peruvian President is declaring a climate emergency after a massive oil spill caused by the same underwater volcanic eruption. Officials say about 6000 barrels spilled into the sea last week after a ship was struck by waves triggered by that eruption. Teams are still trying to contain the oil. The President calls it the quote most worrying ecological disaster on the Peruvian coast in recent times, adding that Peru cannot shy away from responsibilities.
Much more still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM including a new report that says a former Pope failed to take action on claims of sexual abuse when he was Archbishop in Munich, Germany.
And later, one European country now mandating vaccines for those over 18, could more countries in the region follow suit. We'll be right back.
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HOLMES: A report from German investigators finds that former Pope Benedict the 16th failed to act on claims of child abuse when he was Archbishop of Munich. The inquiry was conducted by a local law firm and looked at allegations going back decades, hundreds of victims were found, and a few cases were reported while the pope Ammeter was Munich's Archbishop, then known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN PUSCH, LAWYER, WESTPFAHL SPILKER WASTL (through translation): In a total of four cases, we have come to the conclusion that then Archbishop Cardinal Ratzinger can be accused of misconduct in cases of sexual abuse. Two of these cases concern acts of abuse committed during his tenure and sanctioned by the state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Benedict XVI stepped down as Pope in 2013. His tenure overshadowed by a growing scandal over allegations of sexual abuse of minors. CNN Vatican Correspondent Delia Gallagher with more on the report and the response so far.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is a massive report running more than 1800 pages covering about a 75-year time period from 1945 to 2019 looking at cases of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich, it was just released on Thursday afternoon, and the initial responses from the Vatican and from Pope Emeritus Benedict say they need time to read it and look into the findings.
Cardinal Marks who is the current Archbishop of Marx is also implicated in the report for mishandling two cases of sexual abuse during his tenure. He is a close advisor to Pope Francis. He also gave a brief statement to the press on Thursday saying he wouldn't be time to read the report. And he will be holding a press conference next Thursday to discuss it.
[01:25:16]
This report was commissioned by the Catholic Church in Munich, it was part of their historical reckoning, part of their way of holding themselves accountable for what happened in the past. Reports like this have been going on in diocese throughout the world, as part of the Catholic Church's effort at transparency. This report, of course, all the more important because it does include the years in which the Pope Emeritus was Archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982. So, now it is up to the Vatican to respond to these findings. We'll see what they have to say in the coming days. Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.
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HOLMES: Father Edward Beck is a CNN Religion Commentator. He joins me now from New York. Good to see you, Father. So, this report clearly rejects Benedict's long-standing denials on all of this, it accuses him of misconduct and his handling of cases, it pretty stunning accusations, how damaging is this for him?
REV. EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGION COMMENTATOR: Well, I think it's damaging and that it's questioning his honesty. I think we have to remember that he was Archbishop, and the buck stops with him. So, if he knew about these cases, and certainly didn't do due diligence, then he needs to take the heat for that. And it's justified, it's warranted. I do think, though, that there are dozen of pages, of answers that he gave to this law firm. Remember, he's 94 years old. And they're asking him to recall stuff from 40 years ago, and more. So, I think you have to give a little leeway that he's dealt with scores of cases when he was Archbishop. Is it possible that maybe he didn't recall the specifics of some of these cases, and he didn't know exactly that these people were in ministry? So, I think my question is, is perhaps Benedict telling the truth? But this report is saying something else. No, you have it wrong, Pope Benedict, that you should have done more, and you didn't know more. And I think that remains to be seen with the answers that Benedict will give about the report.
HOLMES: Yeah. Because I mean, essentially, the investigators, they literally say pretty much they didn't believe his denials. Apart from any liability, does it threaten to sally the reputation of the former pontiff?
BECK: Well, I think certainly remember, though, he was the first pope to really address the abuse scandal in the church. He was preceded by Pope John Paul II, who did very little. And then Benedict was the first one to meet with victims. He was the first one to apologize. He threw hundreds of abusive priests out of the church. That was the first time. So, I think we can forget that part of his legacy was dealing with this issue.
Now, will this solely that? Certainly, it might I mean, if he knew about these four cases, and did nothing about them, and allow these priests to stay in ministry, then you have to say, well, his judgment was faulty at the time. But I think in retrospect, you have to say when he was pope, and he had the power to do something about this. He did.
HOLMES: Yeah. It was the church itself, as you pointed out that that commission, this report, so what does it do now about the findings?
BECK: Well, again, the Archdiocese now is going to respond next week to the report. Again, it's 1000-page report. So, the only time to digest it, Pope Benedict himself has just gotten the report today. So, he's going to be reading it. The Archdiocese of Munich, the Archbishop there and the legalities there will be reading the report, they will have some response, the Vatican will also have a response. So, I think we need to take some time to digest the report and to see what is the response now from the Archdiocese, from Pope Benedict, and from the Vatican? Because it's a lot of stuff to sort through. And there's a lot of detail to it. I think we don't know yet what that response is going to be?
HOLMES: Yeah, we, quite right, we do not. I'm almost out of time, I want to ask you about Cardinal Marx, the current Archbishop of Munich, a close advisor to Pope Francis, and he tried to resign last year. But the Pope Francis wouldn't accept it. Perhaps what's next for him?
BECK: Well, again, in light of this report, he too is implicated as having let abusive priests remain in ministry in a few instances. So, with this new information, will he again submit a resignation? He submitted the resignation last time because the fact that his archdiocese was implicated not doing due diligence, not him personally. But now with this new report, he seems to be implicated personally. So, will this again affect him wanting to submit his resignation again? Will Francis accept it? We just don't know. We'll have to see. But he has been very apologetic about the church's response in the midst of the abuse crisis Cardinal Marx' has, and I think we're going to have to wait to see what his response is. We just simply don't know yet.
[01:30:29]
HOLMES: Yeah, a lot more yet to come. Father Edward Beck, really appreciate it. Good to see you.
BECK: You too, Michael. Thank you.
HOLMES: Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, Hong Kong's hometown airline falling on hard times due to China's zero COVID policy. We'll take a look at the stress that's putting on employees.
Also, still to come at this year's Winter Olympics security concerns are soaring and it's not just due to COVID. We'll have that and more when we come back.
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HOLMES: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Austria is now the first EU country to make COVID vaccinations mandatory for almost all adults. Those who refuse the shots will face initial fines of almost $700. The new law goes into effect on February the first. Al Goodman reports.
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AL GOODMAN, JOURNALIST (on camera): Austria's COVID-19 vaccine mandate approved by parliament applies to all residents 18 and over but there are some exceptions, such as for pregnant women, or people who've recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months, but for others, the fines for not getting the shots would start in mid-March and could reach $4,000 a year.
The government says the mandate aims to prevent new lockdowns and reduce COVID-19 impact on the health system. Parliament approves the new law by a wide margin. Just as Austria is seeing its highest daily case count since the start of the pandemic and with about 72 percent of the population fully vaccinated. Not everyone is on board.
Thousands protested in the Austrian capital of Vienna last Saturday against this vaccine mandate. But to encourage support, the government will start a new national lottery and promises free tickets to everyone who gets shots. Austrians move is part of a debate in Europe over mandatory vaccinations.
Germany is also considering them or applying more restrictions to the unvaccinated. France has just done that requiring people to show proof of vaccination to get into a restaurant or bar. But France is also easing some restrictions, ending the outdoor mask mandate and in February allowing outdoor sports stadiums and indoor arenas to have full capacity crowds. I'll Goodman CNN, Madrid.
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[01:35:04]
HOLMES: Hong Kong zero COVID policy crashing the city's flagship airline in the face of strict border controls and mandatory quarantine. Cathay Pacific has had to slim down its flight schedule and it is taking a toll on its employees as well. For more on this, I'm joined by CNN Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Fill us in, Kristie.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Hong Kong used to be a major logistics and aviation hub. But in the last two years, Hong Kong has been largely cut off from both China and the rest of the world.
So the city's flagship airline Cathay Pacific and especially its pilots have been feeling the pain.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
STOUT (voice-over): The gleaming aviation hub that drew pilots from all over the world. Hong Kong is now locked in one of the toughest quarantine regimes on the planet. And some pilots at Cathay Pacific airlines are breaking point.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It just seems like an ever downward spiral of (INAUDIBLE) business and just despair.
STOUT: Speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals. This pilots is Hong Kong's quarantine rules are damaging his well being.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For weeks on end of just eating hotel room food, no fresh air. There's no real way to get exercise and you sort of sit around a lot, I find your health really suffers. STOUT: Like most airlines, Cathay has been hit hard by the pandemic, but the challenges it faces as a Hong Kong based carrier are among the toughest around. Hong Kong pursues a zero COVID policy with strict quarantines. All Cathy flight crew are fully vaccinated. But pilots tell CNN that the airline has a strict policy for those travelling to countries deemed as high risk like the US and UK.
To stop those flights, Cathay runs what they call closed loop flights on a voluntary basis.
(on camera): Cathay pilots tell CNN they involve five weeks can find a hotel rooms, the first three weeks they fly, they're confined to hotels during layovers and the last two weeks they're in Hong Kong hotel quarantine. The process is so grueling, the company has set up emotional support groups.
(voice-over): And weighing on all crew the risk of ending up at a government run quarantine camp with their families if someone tests positive for COVID. Cathay is also under fire for sparking a fifth wave of infection after two crew members broke self-isolation rules spurring Hong Kong's top leader to threaten Cathay with legal action.
PATRICK HEALY, CEO, CATHAY PACIFIC: We have apologized publicly.
STOUT: The airline apologized and fired the staff involved. Without naming the airline, Hong Kong police arrested and charged two former flight attendants for allegedly breaking COVID-19 rules. Cathay confirmed the arrests to CNN. As a city tightens restrictions on Omicron outbreak, Cathay has cut more flights with passenger flights slashed to 2 percent of pre-pandemic levels this month.
HEALY: And I salute you for your service to the community.
STOUT: In a message to staff company Chairman Patrick Healy thank them for their sacrifices. He also said he was acutely aware that a small number of our crew have brought the company into disrepute by breaking self-isolation rules. Despite the turmoil and let's say the airline's prospects remain positive.
BRENDAN SOBIE, INDEPENDENT AVIATION ANALYST: They're still in relatively good shape financially compared to other airlines in Asia, as well as other airlines that are based in Hong Kong.
STOUT: After working at Cathay in Hong Kong for over 10 years, this pilot plans to leave by the end of the year. He says flying a plane at a time of zero-COVID could turn into a safety issue. In response, the company emphasized how it supports its staff, while adding pilots who wish to withdraw from the closed loop roster pattern can do so without prejudice at any time.
In another era, Cathay promised an experience for its passengers to arrive in better shape. It's a message the iconic airline and its pilots deed now more than ever.
(END VIDEO TAPE) STOUT: You know, the pilot who spoke to us anonymously also told me when he found out he got the job over 10 years ago he was absolutely elated. He felt like in his words he got into the Ivy League. You know, Cathay Pacific was once known as a premier employer. And now it is just struggling with the challenge of zero-COVID. The steep flight cuts for both passenger flights as well as air cargo and rising frustration and its staff members. But Cathay Pacific is not alone.
Across the industry those exposed to Hong Kong are feeling the pain. Back in November, FedEx announced that it would close its crew base in Hong Kong. Air Mail to countries like the UK have been suspended and a number of international airlines like Air Canada, British Airways and Swiss Air, they have suspended their flights into Hong Kong because of zero COVID. Back to you.
HOLMES: Incredible levels of disruption. Kristie, thanks. Kristie Lu Stout there, well. And news out the International Olympic Committee says COVID has already been detected among the approximately 1,800 People who have arrived in Beijing so far for the Winter Games.
Were told the positivity rate in that group is about 1.5 percent, but that no infections have occurred within the so called closed loop which includes 11 village and venues.
[01:40:08]
Meanwhile, dedicated lanes only for Olympic staff and athletes are now being used to keep new COVID cases from spreading to the Chinese public. Another 23 locally transmitted infections were reported on Thursday, five of them in the capital. CNN's David Culver reports from Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Travelling into Beijing may prove to be a tougher race than an Olympic competition. These winter games taking place in a capital city that increasingly feels like a fortress, China determined to keep out any new cases of COVID 19 starting at the airport.
(on camera): This is the terminal that's going to be used by athletes, some of the Olympic personnel and media arriving into Beijing. They've got a wall up that keeps the general population away from everyone who's part of the Olympic arrivals.
(voice-over): Those coming in required to download this official app to monitor their health inputting their information starting 14 days before arriving in Beijing. While health surveillance and strict contact tracing is part of life for everyone living in China, it's making visitors uneasy. Cybersecurity researchers warn the app has serious encryption flaws, potentially compromising personal health data. China dismisses concerns but Team USA and athletes from other countries are being advised to bring disposable burner phones instead of their personal ones.
From the airport athletes and personnel will be taken into what organizers call the closed loop system, not one giant bubble so much as multiple bubbles connected by dedicated shuttles. Within the capital city, there are several hotels and venues plus the Olympic village that are only for credentialed participants.
(on camera): The dedicated transport buses will be bringing the athletes the personnel the media through these gates, but for those of us who are residents outside, this is as close as we can get.
(voice-over): Then there are the mountain venues on the outskirts of Beijing connected by a high speed train and highways, all of them newly built for the Winter Games so as to maintain the separation. Even the rail cars are divided, and the closed loop buses given specially marked lanes.
(on camera): It is so strict that officials have told residents if they see one of the vehicles that's part of the Olympic convoys get into a crash to stay away. They've actually got a specialized unit of medics to respond to those incidents. It's all to keep the virus from potentially spreading.
(voice-over): It also helps keep visiting journalists from leaving the capital city to other regions like Xinjiang or Tibet to explore controversial topics. With the world's attention the Olympics allows China to showcase its perceived superiority in containing the virus, especially compared with countries like the US but this will in many ways also be a tale of two cities, one curated for the Olympic arrivals and pre-selected groups of spectators. Another that is the real Beijing.
Though some local Beijing residents are now in a bubble of their own. Communities lockdown after recent cases surfaced in the city outside the Olympic boundaries, a mounting challenge for a country that's trying to keep COVID out and yet still stage a global sporting spectacle to wow the world. David Culver, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HOLMES: The British singer Adele is postponing her upcoming Las Vegas residency due to COVID among the crew. The multiple Grammy Award winner has -- was set to begin a series of shows this weekend at Caesar's Palace. Adele says her show isn't ready after half her crew came down with COVID.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADELE, GRAMMY WINNING SINGER: I'm so sorry but my show ain't ready. We've tried absolutely everything that we can to put it together in time and for it to be good enough for you but we've been absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and COVID.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Tickets for the shows went on sale last month. Caesars reported record breaking sales. Adele says the dates will be rescheduled. Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM. More than a dozen people are dead after an horrific explosion how a traffic accident pretty much level the whole town. We'll be right back.
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[1:46:40]
HOLMES: Dozens of judges in Sudan are speaking out about ongoing violence against pro-democracy protesters. More than 70 people have been reported killed since last October's military coup. Tear gas broke up a protest march in the capital on Thursday, two days after seven people died in the unrest.
U.S. diplomats say American aid to the impoverished nation will not resume until a civilian led government is in place.
And at least 29 people have been killed during a stampede in Liberia and with others in critical condition, it's feared that number will rise. I want to show you the scene now outside the hospital earlier, the tragedy unfolding during a church gathering near Monrovia. There are reports that robbers had rushed the crowd causing the crush of people.
The government has declared three days of national mourning one survivor explaining what she endured.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SALAMARTU HOLLIS, STAMPEDE SURVIVOR (through translator): Because of the crowd, I told my big sister, I said I'm feeling bad. Let's go home. Me and my sister were coming. And as soon as we reached the gate, that's when we saw a big crowd. People pushing each other, falling down. That's when I told my sister let's go back but we couldn't. They'd already closed the gate. By then we were outside, couldn't go back inside and people died. People were stepping on my back, my chest. I fainted and by the time I came to I was in the hospital.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: An investigation into the deadly incident is now underway. And at least 17 people have died dozens more injured after a huge explosion in western Ghana on Thursday. Official say it happened when a truck carrying explosives for mining operations collided with a motorcycle. CNN's Stephanie Busari with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN DIGITAL SUPERVISING EDITOR, AFRICA (on camera): Multiple people were killed in a huge explosion Thursday in western Ghana when a motorcycle collided with a vehicle carrying explosives, according to police. The explosives were being delivered to nearby Chirano gold mines the company set.
The blast appear to have completely leveled Apiate, a small town in western Ghana. CNN spoke to an eyewitness who works in the area and who heard the explosion. Kwadwo Bempah said nearly every building there had collapsed, trapping people and animals under rubble.
Bempah said he and other locals turn good Samaritans and ferried the injured to hospital. He said there were dead people all around, including young children. It's a real tragedy for Ghana, Bempah said. Police said most of the victims have been rescued and admitted to various hospitals and clinics. But no more details were given on their condition or the number of casualties. Ghana has witnessed a series of gas explosions in recent years, with one of the worst blasts killing more than 150 people in the capital, Accra in 2015. Stephanie Busari, CNN, Lagos.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HOLMES: A teenage pilot breaking records after the break we'll meet the young adventurer who just finished a record breaking solo trip around the world. We'll be right back.
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[01:51:43]
HOLMES: Welcome back, the United Arab Emirates is releasing more information about Mondays missile strikes on its capital. The Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack that hit fuel infrastructure in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has never acknowledged to the allegations that they conducted strikes on the Emirates in the past but this time, it's a very different story. Sam Kiley explains.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The United Arab Emirates has come out with an unusual statement in line with their enemies in the Yemen. The Houthi rebels who on Monday killed three people here, one Pakistani and two Indians and injured another eight in some kind of airstrikes.
Now at the time Houthi is claimed to have conducted airstrikes using ballistic missiles, using drones and using cruise missiles. This has now been confirmed as having taken place by none other than the Emirates ambassador to Washington, DC, Yousef Al Otaiba, this highly influential diplomat, one of the leading figures in Emirati foreign policy is expected alongside his counterpart, Ambassador at the United Nations to take this information to the United Nations and require action against the Houthi rebels.
They've also asked the United States to re-designate the Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization not withstanding the fact that the Saudi led coalition conducted airstrikes in retaliation for the attacks on Abu Dhabi, killing at least 12 people according to the Houthis, and according to the Houthis, among them women and children.
But the use of ballistic missiles the use of cruise missiles against the target, this far from Yemen will be worrying analysts both here and in Saudi Arabia. They have in the past used Iranian type technology to strike a long distances into Saudi Arabia using a very large missiles of the type, often referred to as Scud type missiles. If a similar missile was fired, or several of them was fired at the Emirates, it appears according to Mr. Al Otaiba, that some were intercepted. But there still seems to be consensus here in the Arab Emirates, that those are weapons that got through that cause the actual damage here were probably drones.
But the site that was targeted to the south of the city a very large, refined oil distribution center. In other words, a distribution center where highly inflammable products like a petrol and diesel were being distributed is seen as a very deliberate attack, not just on infrastructure, potentially to cause a much bigger, more catastrophic loss of life are driven entirely by the Houthis. Sam Kiley, CNN in Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HOLMES: Greece now has some new French made fighter jets. They're all part of a multibillion dollar overhaul of Greece's military. Six Rafale jets arrived on Wednesday, the first of 24 aircraft Athens is buying in a $3.4 billion deal. Greece aims to modernize its armed forces amid a long simmering dispute over energy resources with Turkey.
[01:55:04]
And a young Belgian British woman is not even out of her teens but she just accomplished a feat no one her age has ever done. What's more, it gave her a unique bird's eye view of the planet. CNN's Hala Gorani reports the aerial adventure was full of challenges.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
HALA GORANIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Safe landing in Belgium and into the record books. This is 19-year-old Zara Rutherford setting a new world record the youngest woman to fly solo around the world. Her journey has taken her to more than 30 different countries across five continents, travelling over 50,000 kilometers and all on her own in this tiny plane.
ZARA RUTHERFORD, TEENAGED PILOT AND RECORD HOLDER: It's pretty small plane. I'll show you some of the wings and the back.
GORANI: It is one of the fastest ultralight aircraft in the world, and especially adapted for this trip. Zara took soff five months ago in Belgium. And her trip has been anything but straightforward.
RUTHERFORD: Mentally was a huge challenge, especially flying over for example, Siberia where it's just extremely remote and very cold so minus degrees Celsius and if the engine quits then I am hours from rescue and I don't know how long I can survive.
GORANI: She was stuck in the far east of Russia, writing out bad weather for 41 days in temperatures as low as minus 34 degrees Celsius. Her entire plane had to be deiced before takeoff.
Typhoons forced route changes over the Philippines and heavy smog was almost too much over India.
All the while she navigated both physical and political landscapes.
RUTHERFORD: Right now I am flying to South Korea. So Russia to South Korea, North Korea is over that way. I'm not allowed to get too close to it because they don't like small airplanes flying around.
GORANI: And not to mention doing all of this in the middle of a global pandemic. But she has made it.
RUTHERFORD: At first I just wanted to go on his big adventure, but I never thought it'd be possible growing up. I just know I thought it was too expensive, too dangerous, too difficult. And then I was finishing school and I thought actually, this is the perfect time to do something crazy and fly around the world.
GORANI: For the woman who's been flying for as long as she can remember, this is just the beginning. For Zara Rutherford who dreams of becoming an astronaut, even the sky is not the limit. Hala Gorani, CNN.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HOLMES: Good for her and thank you for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at HolmesCNN. Do stick around, next up another RT. Lynda Kinkade with more news.
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[02:00:03]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to have you is joining us from all around the world. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, I'm and Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us. Just ahead, false to clarify. Joe Biden tries to clean up comments on how the U.S. will respond to a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
And surveying the damage, officials of finally getting a better sense of the utter destruction in Tonga as aid begins to trickle in.
And later this is no ordinary landing. Meet the pilot who just broke two world records and she's only 19 years old.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta, This is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: Well, it's just past 8:00 a.m. in Geneva, Switzerland where two of the world's top diplomats are hoping they can ease the simmering tensions between Ukraine and Russia.
