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Ukrainian Officials Criticize U.S. Embassy Drawdown; Moscow Taps Into Tension Over U.S. Diplomatic Drawdown; Report: Birthday Parties Held For U.K. Prime Minister Amid Lockdown; Burkina Faso's Army Ousts President And Seizes Power; UAE And U.S. Intercept Missiles Launched By Houthis. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired January 25, 2022 - 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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[00:01:07]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, no signs of de- escalation. As Vladimir Putin continues with his troop buildup on Ukraine's border, the U.S. puts thousands of troops on high alert and NATO bolsters its military presence to the East to defend against Russian aggression.

For the British Prime Minister, a lenient (PH) country under pandemic lockdown, the lesson it seems, is you can't have your birthday cake and eat it too.

And with the Omicron variant spreading rapidly around the world, the WHO says there's now a chance to stabilize the pandemic. But is this just another false dawn seen from the rearview mirror after turning a corner on the way to a place called game changer?

Hello everyone, I'm John Vause and wherever you are around the world, thank you for joining us.

We begin this hour with the latest in the growing crisis over Ukraine, with Russia's troop buildup on the border showing no sign of slowing down. Right now, 100,000 Russian troops amass in the region. Moscow has also sent additional troops to hold joint military drills with Belarus, which also borders Ukraine.

And the Russian defense ministry announced earlier this week, naval exercises will take place in the coming days in the Black Sea. The U.S. has now placed thousands of troops on high alert to support NATO's rapid Response Force also known as NRF.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN KIRBY, PRESS SECRETARY, PENTAGON: In the event of NATO's activation of the NRF or deteriorating security environment, the United States would be in a position to rapidly deploy additional brigade combat teams, logistics, medical, aviation, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, transportation and additional capabilities into Europe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The Pentagon says Russia is not deescalating, it's actually sending more troops to the region. NATO bolstering its military presence in Eastern Europe, sending fighter jets and warships to the region, placing troops on standby.

With a huge military surge, NATO and White House officials have made it clear a Russian invasion of Ukraine will be met with NATO and U.S. supplied weapons but no troops.

Over the weekend, a second shipment from the U.S. of lethal security assistance, including ammunition arrived in the Ukrainian capital.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: We are considering to further enhance our presence in Eastern part of the Alliance. This could include the deployment of additional NATO battle groups.

These deployments are proportionate and in line with our international commitments. And they reinforce European security for all of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: CNN has reporters across the region. In a moment, we'll hear from CNN, Nick Robertson in Moscow, but we begin with CNN's Chief International Correspondent Clarrisa Ward reporting in from Kyiv.

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CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Ukraine was very upset last week that they thought President Biden wasn't taking this threat seriously enough when he sort of accidentally said that potentially a minor incursion wouldn't bring about the same sort of swift and robust response that a full on invasion would.

But now, Ukrainian officials are concerned and upset for a different reason. They're very upset about the fact that the U.S. has decided to withdraw families of yet embassy personnel and also allow for any non- essential embassy personnel to also leave Ukraine because of the mounting threat. They believe that that's contributing to an atmosphere of panic.

We have heard from the President, we have heard from the Prime Minister, we have heard from the Foreign Minister, really trying to assure other countries that there's no need to follow suit, that this is essentially an overly cautious reaction. And in fact, we even heard from one, the National Security Director

and Defense Counsel, he said: Today, we see no reason to make allegations of a full-scale invasion against our country. This cannot even be done physically.

[00:05:06]

WARD: So, basically, saying that it's not even possible for Russia to fully invade Ukraine. The question becomes really, is it at this stage that Ukrainian officials believe firmly that the U.S. is overplaying the threat now? Or is it sort of the reverse that Ukraine is trying to underplay the threat somewhat, because they're concerned about the effect that it's having on people here that it might lead to panic, that it might increase anxiety, that it might deter foreign investment. And difficult to know from here and Kyiv where exactly the truth lies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (on camera): Well, Russian officials really seem to be picking up on these growing tensions between Ukrainian authorities in the United States about a diplomatic drawdown.

Maria Zakharova the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman saying on her telegram channel, comparing and contrasting what a defense council official in Ukraine has said that they see no evidence essentially of an eminent full scale Russian invasion, comparing and contrasting that with a Pentagon spokesman who said he sees no evidence of a Russian de-escalation.

The spokeswoman goes on to say that the United States is intending to undermine the morale of the Ukrainians here and going on essentially to taunt U.S. politicians saying they don't care for their mothers, do they -- can you really expect them to care for the mothers in Ukraine?

So, Russia trying to exploit that growing tension, if you will, that exists. And at the same time as well, the Kremlin spokesman blaming the -- blaming the United States, blaming NATO for what he calls informational, hysteria, false information about a lot of what is happening in Ukraine, but also pointing to the Ukrainian government has been responsible for growing tensions along the line of control between the pro-Russian backed separatists in the East of Ukraine in Donbass, the Ukrainian forces say it's the Ukrainian forces there who are building up their military hardware and threatening the Donbass area.

So, the Kremlin pointing to that as a growing point of tension, Ukrainian forces they essentially say to blame for the rising tensions.

Nick Robertson, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: Steven Pifer is a fellow -- a research fellow at Stanford University Center for International Security and Cooperation. He's also a 25 year plus veteran of the U.S. State Department, including two years as the ambassador to Ukraine. Ambassador, thank you for being with us.

STEVEN PIFER, WILLIAM J. PERRY FELLOW, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: Good evening.

VAUSE: OK, so here's the U.S. president after meeting with allies for more than an hour via video link on Monday, listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I had a very, very, very good meeting. Totally unanimity with all the European leaders.

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VAUSE: And there is similar sentiment too from the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, who in a tweet, said it was a great meeting, adding there was agreement that any further aggression by Russia against Ukraine will have severe costs.

OK, so just to be clear right now, despite the 8,000 U.S. troops on standby, despite the talk of deployment of additional NATO forces to the East, there is still only the threat of unprecedented financial sanctions if Russian troops cross into Ukraine. That's the only deterrent on the table right now for that eventuality, correct?

PIFER: Well, I guess I would say two other deterrence. One is, of course, you've already mentioned the sanctions, which my understanding is that they will be far more punitive than what had been imposed on Russia to date.

If we're now at say three, on a one to 10 scale, there's a lot of room left to impose pain on Russia with sanctions.

But I think there are two other deterrence. One is the West has said it would increase military assistance to Ukraine if the Russians invade. And you already see that assistance beginning to flow.

For example, last week, British C-17s were flying light and armored weapons into Kyiv. And the other deterrent is the Russians don't like NATO military presence on NATO's Eastern flank. While NATO is saying if you go into Ukraine, we will have no choice. We will need to assure our allies in the Eastern flank and you will see those NATO forces increase.

VAUSE: OK, with regard to the Russian presence on Ukraine's border, the Pentagon spokesman John Kirby was asked specifically about that on Monday, here's his response, listen to this?

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KIRBY: Yes, it's gotten bigger. Absolutely. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you give us details?

KIRBY: They continue to add battalion tactical groups to the Western -- to their western border, to the border with Ukraine. And in Belarus as well, the numbers there are increasing.

So, they have not only shown no signs of deescalating, but they are in fact adding more force capability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So, at this point, if the U.S. the NATO, we're hoping that, you know, the third of these Armageddon, like financial sanctions, combined with I guess the military aid to Ukraine and NATO forces to the East, would give Putin pause, that hasn't happened. Has Putin factored in the cost of the sanctions for example, does that equation include, you know, a lesson unified response by NATO allies?

[00:10:07]

PIFER: Well, at this point, Vladimir Putin may not yet have decided what he wants to do, when that is why it's important for the West to be making very clear that the Western response would be very strong, it would be unified, and it would include very painful consequences for the Russians.

Now, at the end of the day, Moscow have to sort of tote up and look at those costs, versus what it hopes to gain in terms of political objectives.

I also think we should remember that the main costs will be imposed by the Ukrainian military if the Russian goes in. The Russian military may prevail, but the Ukrainians will make them pay a price.

And well, I believe the Russian public Putin's constituency, they like somebody out there who's talking tough and standing up to NATO. I'm not sure if that is sustained if the price of that policy begins to be significant number of Russian military casualties.

VAUSE: And in an opinion piece from the New York Times Fiona Hill who served as an advisor on Russia to three U.S. presidents has this warning, she writes: This time Mr. Putin's aim is bigger than closing NATO's open door to Ukraine and taking more territory. He wants to evict the United States from Europe, as he might put it, goodbye, America, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

She goes on to argue the response so far from the U.S. and NATO has been too narrowly focused. Putin is moving pieces around the world, it's all connected to one another, which means the response needs to be much more global in scope, does she have a point?

PIFER: Well, I think, you know, you need to look at the ways to push back in a maximum way on Russia. But in terms what the United States has been doing in Europe, with NATO and with the European Union, and our European allies and partners that are, of course, going to be focused on Europe. Again, I think the Biden administration has done a fairly good job. There have been very intense consultations coordination. And so, I expect if the Russian military goes into Ukraine, you're going to see a fairly unified Western response. And it will be one that the Russians will not like.

VAUSE: There's some talk from Boris Johnson saying this could be a new version of Chechnya for the Russians. I guess we'll see what happens.

Ambassador Pifer thank you so much for being with us.

PIFER: Thank you.

VAUSE: Well, more parties, more problems. The drip drip drip just continues for the Prime Minister -- the British Prime Minister in party gate (PH). Boris Johnson, now accused of attending not one, but two parties celebrating his own birthday at Downing Street when the country was under its first COVID lockdown.

His office denies breaking any rules, but these new allegations come just days before the results of an official investigation into these pandemic gatherings.

CNN's Bianca Nobilo has details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing more allegations of yet more parties held in Downing Street while the country was under a strict lockdown.

This time, two parties reportedly happened on Boris Johnson's birthday the 19th of June 2020. According to CNN affiliate ITN, there was one attended by as many as 30 people held in the Cabinet Office in the afternoon of June 19th, not long after 2:00 p.m. And another that evening, which was hosted at Johnson's residence and attended by family and friends.

A source who worked in Downing Street at the time independently confirmed to CNN that the gathering took place on that day, and that it was arranged by Johnson's wife who led the singing of Happy Birthday.

At that time in England, you were not allowed to gather indoors and the rule of six applied outdoors that a maximum of six people were allowed to meet.

But Downing Street denies that any rules were breached by that evening's gathering. They say this is totally untrue. In line with the rules at the time, the Prime Minister hosted a small number of family members outside that evening.

The beleaguered Prime Minister is already one of the subjects of the Sue Gray investigation to determine whether or not COVID rules were broken in Downing Street during lockdown.

And rumors and reports continue to swirl about the amount of letters received by the highly influential 1922 backbench Committee in the House of Commons, which if the threshold is met, has the power to force a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson and potentially, end his premiership.

Bianca Nobilo, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: With us now from Los Angeles, British journalist and author Sandro Monetti. Sandra, good to see you.

SANDRO MONETTI, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR: Well, I hope Boris enjoyed that birthday cake. It's probably the most expensive slice he's ever had, because it could cost him his job.

VAUSE: Well, we'll get into that. So, you know, according to a statement from Downing Street, a group of staff working in number 10 that they gathered briefly in the Cabinet Room, just briefly, after a meeting to wish the Prime Minister a happy birthday, there was a cake. He was there for less than 10 minutes.

But even then, admission seems to be a problem in itself. Given the rules and recommendations at the time according to The Guardian newspaper, throughout the pandemic singing near others was cautioned against owing to fears it could aid the spread of the virus. Gatherings were permitted for up to six people outdoors, not permitted indoors.

And if this was the only time the rules and the guidelines had been bent or broken, there may be some sympathy or forgiveness. But clearly, this is not a one off.

So, to your point, how does Johnson survive this scandal?

[00:15:11]

MONETTI: Well, think of all the bereaved families who couldn't gather to sing a hymn in memory of the loved ones they've lost to COVID, how are they going to feel when the Prime Minister is allowed to have numerous people sing Happy Birthday to him? It seems like an awful sense of hypocrisy at play here.

And I think maybe leaders in other countries could survive this but this is Britain, where there's such a sense of fair play following the rules. And when the British public tend to hear, do as I do, not -- do as I say, not do as I do, you know, he could have written his own death warrant with that decision.

VAUSE: The leader of the Labour opposition had a very succinct summary of how this political crisis has unfolded for Boris Johnson, listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH LABOR PARTY LEADER: He started by saying there were no parties, and all the rules were followed. Then he said are there were parties I just found out and I'm furious. Then, there was evidence that he attended the party and he said, I didn't realize that was a party.

Then, last week, he was on the fourth defense, which was nobody told me it was against the rules. And now, these allegations mean that all of that can't possibly be true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: It seems to drip drip drip, which is the most damaging part here. At this point, is it too late, you know, for a mea culpa for a full admission, a public apology?

MONETTI: No one knows what's in Sue Gray's report. But I think we can pretty much guarantee that Boris Johnson is guilty of very bad judgment and certainly a P.R. own goal.

I think it is perhaps too late for an apology. Because, you know, it's always best if you just face these things up and tell the truth. You know, if you say I made an honest mistake, people will generally forgive you or there is a way back.

When you try and fudge it and say things like, well, I didn't realize it was a -- it was a party. And then, more things come out. As you said, the drip, drip drip. What will the excuse be this time? It's getting too late for an apology unless the upcoming report completely exonerates him. You know, he might be writing a resignation letter to the British public.

VAUSE: Yes, around the same time all this happened, a little 7-year- old girl wrote to the Prime Minister telling her about canceling her birthday party because he asked everyone to stay at home and she was willing to do it to keep everybody safe.

And you know, the Prime Minister wrote her back. And he also tweeted out his response. I think Josephine sets a great example to us all by postponing her birthday party until we have sent the coronavirus packing. Together we can beat this. In the meantime, let's all wish her happy birthday twice, whilst washing our hands.

This is sort of just another example of what seems to be total cynicism by this prime minister. And what is now a total lack of credibility moving forward.

MONETTI: Maybe 7-year-old Josephine should be running the country, she seems to have the right idea and understand the importance of sticking to the rules.

You know, John, this could be the first time in political history where a prime minister is brought down by a letter to a 7-year-old girl.

VAUSE: So, essentially, what we're looking at here in a timeframe where the report coming out this week, and then what happens next?

MONETTI: Well, then, Boris Johnson will have to answer to the House and he said when he was under fire last week and the Prime Minister's questions, let's wait for the report. And then, I will be happy to give full answers.

And yes, Sue Gray, the senior civil servant who was reportedly aware of this birthday party has been investigating all these lockdown gatherings at Downing Street. We're just days away, sometime this week from the announcement.

Then, Boris will have to face the music so to speak, and we'll see what happens but if I was a betting man, I'd start to taking odds on the next prime minister.

VAUSE: Can't have your birthday cake and eat it too it seems. Sandro, thank you.

Well, Burkina Faso's army has detained the president, overthrown the government but many actually welcome this coup.

When we come back, why people fill the streets to celebrate, that's in a moment.

Also, the World Health Organization says there's absolutely light at the end of the tunnel in this coronavirus pandemic. But what will it take to get there? That's coming up.

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[00:21:40]

VAUSE: The military has seized power in Burkina Faso dissolving the government, detaining the president in a military coup. Army leaders are told CNN they're holding Roch Kabore in an undisclosed safely -- safe location after he signed his resignation.

CNN's Stephanie Busari reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN DIGITAL SUPERVISING EDITOR, AFRICA (on camera): Around a dozen soldiers appeared on Burkina Faso state T.V. to say that they were now in charge of this tiny West African nation. They announced that the government had been dissolved. They announced a curfew and that land and air borders were closed.

It's not clear where President Roch Kabore is. Although, he did post tweets from his verified Twitter account earlier. It's not clear if he was the one posting those tweets.

But the military are saying it is time for him to go, that he has not adequately handled the jihadist violence which is linked to Islamic State in Al-Qaeda and has ravaged this tiny country.

They say their colleagues -- they and their colleagues are the ones that are bore the brunt of these -- of this terrorism. And it must be said that the military takeover is popular on the streets of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.

Soon after the military announcement was made, residents and citizens took to the streets to cheer the military and honk their horns in support of the decision. This decision has been criticized by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS which call this a very grave act.

Stephanie Busari, CNN, Lagos.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: At least eight people have been killed during a stampede in an Africa Cup of Nations match in Cameroon. State media report the crash happened as fans arrived at Olembe stadium in Yaounde to watch a match between Cameroon and Comoros. At least 50 people were hurt.

The Confederation of African football which organizes the Cup of Nations is investigating and the Confederation's secretary general plans on visiting with the victims.

Combined forces from the UAE and the U.S. successfully intercepted two ballistic missiles on course where an airbase in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The attack was second of its kind in a week launched by Houthi militants from Yemen.

CNN's Sam Kiley has the latest now reporting from Abu Dhabi.

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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The Pentagon has confirmed that United States forces manning Patriot anti- missile missile batteries have been in action here in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi outside or around the Al Dhafra Air Base, an air base that's used by American and British forces in particular in combat missions around the Middle East.

Now, the Houthis have confirmed that they did indeed fire at least two ballistic missiles against this, a very important strategic air base and named it and significantly, by naming it as a potential target, the Pentagon have reinforced Houthi claims of accuracy.

On top of that, the Houthis have continued their warnings to expatriate businesses here, people living near potentially strategic sites to get out of town, part of their ongoing pressure, the Emiratis call it terrorizing pressure, demanding that the Houthis of Yemen get put back on the U.S. designated list of terrorists and this all following attempts by the Emiratis actually to withdraw from the quagmire of the Civil War in the Yemen.

[00:25:11]

KILEY: But that all came to a catastrophic head and disaster a week ago when three people were killed here in another missile or drone strike in the south of the city and eight others injured following that the Saudi led coalition which includes the Emirati struck back against the Houthi is in the Yemen court killing. It is alleged scores of civilians and now, we have this missile attempt here on the Emirati capital.

Now, the Pentagon said that the U.S. troops were in action alongside Emiratis. This has been confirmed by the Emiratis and indicates that clearly, that the Houthis whatever their suppliers of technology in Iran may want them to do, are hell bent on continuing and making good on their threats against the Emiratis.

Sam Kiley, CNN in Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Mainland China has once again sent warplanes into Taiwan's air defense zone, 13 on Monday, a day after Beijing sent nearly 40 warplanes, the largest incursion this year.

Experts believe it's likely a response to recent training drills the U.S. and Japanese Navy has conducted close to Taiwan.

Still to come, jets for pets, why COVID fears and the government's harsh containment methods leading to an exodus of pets from Hong Kong.

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

The World Health Organization is warning it's dangerous to assume the Omicron variant helped (PH) the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and asking nations to remain vigilant. Take a look at the new cases reported in the past week compared to the previous week.

Although, the situation is improving, the global chief of the WHO says conditions remain ideal for more variants. But here's what the organization's Europe director had to say, quite different what his boss said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. HANS HENRI KLUGE, REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR EUROPE, WHO: There's actually light at the end of the tunnel. Important that the pandemic is not over but there are three things coming together in European region. The first one is that once the Omicron variant will subside, there will be a large capital of immunity, be it central to the vaccine or due to infection.

The second is that winter seasonality will have a boost (PH), and a third one is that we know that the Omicron Variant is milder in the boosted individual.

[00:30:00]

Which means that for some weeks or months, there will be tranquility and the government and the people can prepare to get out of the acute phase.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Dr. Hans Kluge added that the Omicron variant may offer hope for stabilization and normalization. China, once again, using its iron first to contain growing COVID outbreaks with the Lunar New Year in the Beijing Winter Olympics coming up next week.

In the coming hours, the International Olympic Committee president is expected to attends events in Beijing within the closed loop system. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout, live for us this hour in Hong Kong. So, what's the latest on the outbreak, both inside and outside the Olympic closed loop system? What do we know?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John. COVID-19 cases are rising in Beijing, both inside the bubble and outside the bubble. In the last few hours, you've heard from the Beijing Olympic Committee, they reported that there are 50 new local cases of COVID-19 among Olympic personnel. 12 of those cases were detected at the border before they entered the bubble. This morning, we also heard from Beijing local health authorities who reported five new locally transmitted cases of the virus outside the bubble in the Chinese capital. This may be just a handful of cases, but this is zero-COVID China.

So, that means, mass testing. You have two million people in the Fengtai District of Beijing undergoing COVID-19 testing right now. It means snap lockdowns. You have 13 residential buildings in that Fengtai District that are sealed off.

The residents, they're not allowed to leave for 21 days. And it also means a very peculiar order that was issued by Beijing. Ordering all Beijing residents who have purchased fever or cold medicine in the last two weeks to undergo COVID-19 testing, presumably this is to prevent people from masking their COVID-19 symptoms. Those who failed to comply to this order would be punished. They would be barred from traveling and barred from going to public places or going to restaurants that would use the Beijing local health code app.

Already, there has been backlash on social media from China. We'll bring up one angry Weibo user who posted this, " I haven't been out for several months, but I bought Chinese medicine online and now my health app is not working." Another, again, Sina Weibo writes this, "I bought medicine 15 days ago. Now my health app is not working. My flight is tomorrow, I cannot go anywhere."

So, John, this test order, again, over cold medicine just underscores the level of control and surveillance in China during this time of zero-COVID. Back to you.

VAUSE: Yes. What can you say? Kristie, thank you. Kristie Lu Stout live for us in Hong Kong

Well, in Hong Kong, pet owners are worried after more than 2,500 small animals were called over COVID transmission fears. A growing number of their owners are now going to the extra mile to ensure their pets are safe. CNN's Ivan Watson explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Pets on private jets. This may sound like a ridiculous luxury. But charter flights for pets are a booming COVID pandemic business in Hong Kong. An international financial hub, that's increasingly cut itself off from the outside world. While trying to keep COVID cases here at zero.

OLGA RADLYNSKA, DIRECTOR, TOP STARS AIR: We have been overwhelmed with the amount of request to fly pets out of Hong Kong.

WATSON (on camera): Well, why do you think the demand is going up now?

RADLYNSKA: Because a lot of people are leaving and a lot of people need to move their pets.

WATSON (voiceover): Charter jet operators say due to government travel restrictions and temporary bans on dozens of airlines, there are almost no commercial flights available to transport pets. The most reliable alternative, private planes. Costing around $22,000 for a person and their dog to fly direct from Hong Kong to New York.

RADLYNSKA: People love their fur babies. So, we are here to help them.

WATSON (voiceover): The pressure on some pet owners mounted this month when Hong Kong authorities made a startling announcement. The city's top official blamed an outbreak of the COVID Delta variant on Hamsters.

WATSON (on camera): This isn't a joke. The Hong Kong government claims that hamsters imported from the Netherlands gave COVID to a pet shop worker at this store and they've since ordered the closure of every pet shop in the city that sold small animals. They've also called, killed more than 2,500 hamsters, white rats, rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs.

WATSON (voiceover): The authorities also told residents who bought hamsters on or after December 22nd to hand them over to be euthanized. Prompting scenes like this, where animal rights activists tried to intercept pet hamsters before they're handover to officials.

VANESSA BARRS, DIR. OF VETERINARY AFFAIRS, CITY UNIV. OF HONG KONG: Pet owner should not be worried about catching COVID from their animals.

WATSON (voiceover): Researcher and veterinarian, Vanessa Barrs, says the Hong Kong government overreacted.

BARRS: We know that, so far in the pandemic, there have been over 350 million cases of COVID reported in humans.

[00:35:00]

And of those 350 million cases that have been reported, there have been no confirmed cases of transmission of COVID from people's pets back to humans. WATSON (voiceover): After months, with almost no infections, the walls of Hong Kong's COVID fortress seem to be crumbling. In just 48 hours, more than 200 people tested positive for COVID at this Hong Kong housing estate. And this outbreak isn't being linked to hamsters. But animal rights activists saying some pet owners are still spooked.

KIM MCCOY, FOUND, HONG KONG ANIMAL LAW & PROTECTION ORG.: The concern really is, if it starts with hamsters, where does it go next? Will we see companion animals such as cats and dogs being grouped into this? And that's a really real fear that people have.

WATSON (voiceover): Olga Radlynska says, she's gotten a surge of inquiries from pet owners looking for seats on private planes in just the last week.

WATSON (on camera): What is the alternative if you're a pet owner and you want to leave the city?

RADLYNSKA: Give your pet up for adoption. A lot of people, they try to find new homes for their fur babies and it is devastating.

WATSON (voiceover): Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Coming up here, confession time for the former Pope Benedict, afternoon investigation reveal that he knew about abused children but failed to act when he was archbishop.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

A legal win for Julian Assange, with the court allowing him to continue his extradition fight to the U.S. UKs supreme court gave the WikiLeaks founder permission to try and appeal his case on Monday. Assange is accused of violating the espionage act when his website published classified documents in 2010. This decision now opens the door for the UK high court to take up the case, if it should decide that. Assange's fiancee called the ruling a victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STELLA MORIS, JULIAN ASSANGE'S FINACEE: What happened in court today was precisely what we wanted to happen. The supreme court has to decide whether it will hear the appeal. But make no mistake, we won today in court.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Assange's been in a British prison for almost three years after being kicked out of the Ecuadorian Embassy. If sent to the U.S. and convicted, he could face up to 175 years in prison.

Former Pope Benedict XVI has made a public confession of sorts. Changing his story about meeting a priest accused of sexual abuse. Notes from the meeting were released last week as part of an independent investigation. Benedict said he know -- had no recollection of attending the meeting. But now, his assistant says, yes, Benedict was there. And blames a clerical error for the misunderstanding. CNN's Delia Gallagher reports from Rome.

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Pope Benedict said on Monday that he was present at a 1980 meeting in Munich when he was archbishop which discussed the situation of a priest who was subsequently convicted for sexual abuse.

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And that the reason that his earlier statement to the German law firm investigating the situation had said that he was not present at that meeting was due to an error in the editing of his statement. He apologized for the mistake and he said that it was not due to bad faith.

Pope also said that at that meeting, what was discussed, was allowing this priest to come to Munich for psychological therapy. That there was no discussion of putting him back into active ministry. He says that he will give a fuller account of that situation of how the error occurred and indeed respond to the other three accusations of mishandling of sexual abuse while an archbishop. In a longer report, he asked for understanding while he reads through the nearly 1,900 pages of this German report.

This report was commissioned by the Archdiocese of Munich to look at 75 years of sexual abuse in Munich. It found not only that Benedict had mishandled four cases of sexual abuse, but also the current Archbishop of Munich Cardinal Marx had mishandled two cases of sexual abuse. Cardinal Marx is an adviser to Pope Francis, as well as a sitting archbishop. He says that he will be responding to the findings of this investigation on Thursday. Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.

VAUSE: Whereas over Ukraine and the U.S. federal reserve plans to increase interest rates at keeping investors cautious. There are sharp declines across the Asian markets at this hour. See Nikkei down by about two percent, Hong Kong down by just over one-and-a-half percent. Similar situation for Shanghai. And in Seoul, the Kospi, down by almost three percent there.

On Wall Street, stocks made a very stark comeback after ending in -- almost in the red. But something in the last couple of hours or so, they surged back into positive territory. All three industries, at the end of the day, in positive territory.

Joe Biden, no stranger to expletive being caught on a hot mic. When his vice president, you may recall, he used colorful language to describe how big of a deal the Affordable Care Act was. On Monday, Fox News reporter, Peter Doocy, well, he had a question for Joe Biden as he was leaving the East room.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS REPORTER: Will you take questions on inflation then?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, all.

DOOCY: Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms?

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: That's a great asset, more inflation. Would a stupid son of a bitch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Sources, President Biden called Doocy and apologized. It's not uncommon for politicians to use harsh language, especially with reporters, Donald Trump made a point of insulting them to their face without hesitation or apology.

Thank you for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm John Vause. World Sport starts after the break. I'll see you again hopefully at the top of the hour.

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