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Russia-Ukraine Tensions; Party-Gate Report Looms; Firing More Missiles. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired January 27, 2022 - 02:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM and I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead. Diplomatic talks and letters sent to Russia to try and prevent an invasion of Ukraine. What will Vladimir Putin do now that the halls in his court. Boris Johnson grill by M.P.s but refusing to resign as the official party gate report could be released any moment.
Plus, Kim Jong on fires off more missiles. His sixth weapons test so far this month.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the balls in Russia's court after the U.S. delivered a written response to Moscow's concerns about Ukraine. Blinken and NATO agree there's plenty of room for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. But Ukraine shall be allowed to decide if it wants to join the Western alliance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We make clear that there are core principles that we are committed to uphold and defend, including Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity and the right of states to choose their own security arrangements and alliances.
The document is with them and the balls in their court. We'll see what we do, as I've said repeatedly, whether they choose the path of diplomacy and dialogue, whether they decide to renew aggression against Ukraine, we're prepared either way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Russia's military buildup on the border with Ukraine has the U.S. and its allies discussing more troop deployments to Eastern Europe. Sources tell CNN, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary could each get about 1000 personnel similar to forward battle groups stationed in the Baltic States and Poland. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian official says his country is willing to negotiate around the clock to prevent war.
Talks with Russia taking place in Paris ended with both sides supporting the idea of an unconditional permanent ceasefire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDRIY YERMAK, UKRAINIAN NEGOTIATOR (through translator): I think that the main result is that all the Normandy members support a sustainable ceasefire, which has to be active without any conditions.
DMITRY KOZAK, RUSSIAN NEGOTIATOR (through translator): The ceasefire should be observed unconditionally, and the agreement that was signed on July 22nd, 2020 should be executed in word and in spirit by both sides of this agreement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Secretary of State Blinken is once again asking Americans to leave Ukraine for their own safety. CNN's Sam Kiley spoke with the top American diplomat in Kiev about the situation.
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now that the U.S. and NATO have put their written submissions into the Kremlin on where they stand in terms of the long-term prospect of Ukraine to join NATO, which will be a decision for NATO and Ukraine and not for Russia. And indeed, the wider landscape of the security apparatus for Western Europe involving NATO and non-NATO countries.
All eyes are going to be on Vladimir Putin as to what his next move is. Now trying to affect his next move is very much the business of the U.S. charge d'affaires here in Kiev.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTINA KVIEN, U.S. CHARGE D'AFFAIRES IN UKRAINE: in 2021. We have delivered more assistance, over $650 million worth of assistance on the security side than we have in any year since 2014. And those deliveries that that we saw last night will continue.
KILEY: And what sort of equipment is being delivered?
KVIEN: So last night, we had 300 javelins, we had 800 bunker busting missiles, and we had 250,000 rounds of ammunition. So the sorts of things that we're providing to Ukraine in these deliveries are things they can use immediately. They can be deployed right away to the border areas and be ready to help Ukraine defend itself in the event of a Russian incursion.
Ukrainians will fight. Ukrainians love their country, they're patriotic, they will stand, they will fight. And the Russians will not have any easy time of it. And I would say while they're fighting the United States and our European allies will assist.
KILEY: (INAUDVIBLE) him want to go down in history as the man who reexpanded Russian territory. He could brush off some sanctions surely.
KVIEN: Well, the sanctions that we're talking about are very severe and will have a very, very heavy financial price on Russia's economy. But there are other things as well. First of all, Russia will be an international pariah, frankly, and if that's where they want to go, then I don't think it's a very nice place to be. And ultimately if your place in history is making yourself and your country a pariah, a global pariah, I do I don't think that's necessarily a legacy would want to leave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:05:03]
KILEY: Now emerging as a pariah state may not worry Vladimir Putin, he may indeed focus on much longer term goals on the whole idea of expanding Russian glory back into some previous era. Sam Kiley, CNN, in Kiev.
CHURCH: So let's get more now on the peace talks in Paris. CNN's Melissa Bell joins us now live. So Melissa, what is the latest on all of this?
MELLISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think there are two things there is all of that build up that you've been talking about a moment ago, that Sam Kiley has been talking about. The troops along the Ukrainian border position there by Russia these last few weeks, the extra troops sent to NATO's eastern flank, in response to that the wider negotiations about the status of Ukraine and whether or not it might one day join NATO.
And then there is, of course, that front line that has existed since 2014 with more or less tension along it. I think, the position of the French here in trying to revive these Normandy Format talks in bringing back the negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France yesterday here in Paris was to try and focus once again on that frontline in the hope of engaging Russia.
We'd heard from the Elysee sources these last few days ahead of the meeting, saying that their point was twofold. First of all, to test Putin's willingness to reengage in negotiations. On that front, they believe that the talk succeeded, they show that getting all the parties together worked, then their second point had said Elysee's sources ahead of the meeting was to hope that they could arrange amongst themselves for humanitarian aid to get through to those eastern parts of Ukraine, in the hope that if things settle down and peace were insured and the ceasefire respected, that they could then move on to negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and EOSC about the status of Donbass.
That thorny question that has not been resolved since 2014. Now, on those -- on that second point, the talks didn't get very far, they ran way over time, Rosemary, much longer than they had been intended to run, but at least on the idea that Russia is willing to sit down at a table and negotiate and on the fact that all four parties agree that the ceasefire should be respected, the French are touting this as a -- as a success.
Now, the next phase is that these the same format of talks will happen again in two weeks time. In Berlin, although for the time being and this is something of a failure. There is no agreement, no possibility, no hint for the time being that that leader level talks might happen. That is what the French had hoped for the time being. There is no sign on all that. So all eyes now on Emmanuel Macron's talk.
His phone call with Vladimir Putin to try and see what might come out of that. The French President has been clear that he is going to try and find out more from Vladimir Putin about his intentions in those recent maneuvers, in that piling up, that massing of troops along Ukraine's border to try and figure out more about what he intends to do, Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right. We'll see what comes out of that. Cool. Melissa Bell joining us live from Paris. Many thanks.
Retired U.S. General Wesley Clark is a CNN Military Analyst and former NATO supreme allied commander. He joins me now from Little Rock in Arkansas. Thank you so much, sir, for being with us.
WESLEY CLARK, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Thank you.
CHURCH: So right now diplomacy, defense and deterrence are all paths being pursued feverishly amid fears of an imminent invasion of Ukraine by Russia. So now we wait to hear back from President Vladimir Putin after the U.S. delivered a written response to Russia's demand saying what the U.S. and its allies are willing to make concessions on. So how do you expect the Russian president to respond?
CLARK: Well, I hope that the Russian president is going to accept the minsk conditions that were discussed in Paris today. And the idea that both sides would implement a complete ceasefire and Russia would turn back control of the border to Ukraine. I doubt that's going to happen. And if it does, I doubt if it's enough to meet what Mr. Putin is asking for. So he's going to have to decide whether he wants to pull a trigger on military action. We hope he doesn't.
We think if he comes into Ukraine, he's going to have a very, very tough fight. We think a lot of Russian soldiers will die as a result. More than that, we think Russia will become branded as a rogue state. He will become an international war criminal. And it'll harm Russia and Russians for a generation. Why would you want to do this?
CHURCH: And General, in that written response to Russia's demands, the U.S. said it's not willing to talk about Ukraine joining NATO or negotiate on the sovereignty of Ukraine's borders, but it is willing to talk about broader arms control, U.S. missile placement in Europe, U.S. military exercises, and of course, a more stable relationship between the two countries. So would these concessions or could they be enough for Putin to avert going forward and invading Ukraine?
[02:10:03]
CLARK: Rosemary, one thing clear, they're not concessions. We're not conceding anything of Mr Putin's demands. what we're offering to Russia is diplomacy, and a discussion of the broader U.S. strategic Russian relationship. If that's of interest to him, fine. We're happy to talk. If it's about giving Russia a veto over the membership of NATO, absolutely not. If it's about holding NATO protection from countries in Eastern Europe, who are already members of NATO, absolutely not.
If it's about saying that Ukraine could never join NATO. No. So those were three -- basically, non-negotiable demands from Mr. Putin. And they certainly can't be agreed to by NATO.
CHURCH: So General, what is Putin's likely military end game here? And what's your assessment of U.S. and NATO military strategies so far, sending weapons to Ukraine and putting troops on high alert for possible deployment very soon to Eastern Europe, given the State Department says there's every indication that Russia will use military force against Ukraine by mid-February?
CLARK: Well, there certainly is every indication of that. But, you know, Mr. Putin is going to get as much as he can right now. And when he uses military force, I'm sure he's going to try to use it in the most efficient, effective way possible to meet his objectives. So the first thing he would like to do is install a Russian loving government in Kiev, by coup, by assassination, by parachuting in some -- by some false flag operation.
By seizing control of the media, by putting a media blackout in and saying that President Zelensky is decided to agree with him that Ukraine would never be in NATO. I - there's a myriad of ways he can obfuscate, confused and render a coherent defense more difficult. It's not limited into what he could do. The point is, though, that when he gets into contact with the Ukrainians, they've said they will fight.
There's every indication, they will fight, and they will fight hard. Russia couldn't have picked a worse enemy than Ukraine. They go on about Russian tactics. They know the strategies. They speak the language, most of them, they know exactly what could happen and are -- they will fight very hard for their independence.
CHURCH: And if all of that does happen, General, what is the response to the likely response from the U.S. and NATO?
CLARK: Well, I think you can be sure that the United States is going to -- and NATO are going to take actions. Now they've said they're going to put sanctions in. They said that we're going to reinforce our allies that are on the east, in the Baltics, let's say Romania, Bulgaria, maybe Slovakia, maybe Poland. Sure, those are things that are definitely going to happen. But Russia can't be sure what really might happen depending on how horrendous their assault is, depending on the outcry among the world.
Look, this is 2022, nations don't go back and recreate World War II or worse. And yet, that's precisely what Mr. Putin seems to be implying he's going to do. It's a horrendous war crime to attack a nation after Russia has guaranteed his political independence and written documents in 1994. Then to cross that border, to use military force or cyber to try to destroy, to attack a civilian population. This is against the Geneva Convention. These are war crimes.
Mr. Putin is going to become an international outlawed criminal when Mr. Milosevic did it in 1999. He ended up in The Hague.
CHURCH: General Wesley Clark, we thank you for your analysis. Appreciate it.
Well, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is rejecting calls for his resignation but he is facing plunging support in the polls and growing distrust from members of Parliament over a series of parties that allegedly violated lockdown rules. His future is in question as lawmakers wait for the results of an internal inquiry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH LABOUR PARTY LEADER: Does the Prime Minister really not understand the damage his behavior is doing to our country?
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Mr. Speaker, I hope that the Right Honourable gentleman understands that although the issue that he raises is important ,there is simply no way as he knows as a lawyer that I can comment on the investigation that he currently (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:15:03]
CHURCH: The leader of the Scottish National Party has already decided what he thinks should happen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IAN BLACKFORD, WESTMINSTER LEADER, SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY: For the Prime Minister, it's been one rule for everyone else, but not for him. He set the rules, but his administration, those that worked in his office, and of course, that's his home as well carried on party, he has lost that right to be Prime Minister as a consequence of his behavior. And we shouldn't be asking Tory M.P.s to remove him.
The Prime Minister actually should recognize the importance of honor and dignity and public life. And he should recognize that for him, this really should be over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: At least 10 parties were allegedly held at number 10 during lockdown from Garden Parties in May of 2020 to Christmas parties, to leaving celebrations in April of 2021 when the nation was mourning the death of Prince Philip and of course the Prime Minister's birthday parties. CNN Salma Abdelaziz reports for many, the parties at number 10 are bringing back memories of the sacrifices.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER (voice over): Spring 2020 about two months into England strict nationwide lockdown, the death toll mounting so quickly, mass graves are dug on the outskirts of London.
JOHNSON: To obey those rules --
ABDELAZIZ: The Prime Minister consistently urges the public to abide by COVID restrictions. May 15, this photo was snapped in the Downing Street garden. Johnson allegedly hosting a wine and cheese party for his team. Johnson's government has denied wrongdoing, claiming this was a work meeting. Bereaved mother, Emma Jones says it's hypocrisy.
EMMA JONES, 18-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER DIED MAY 15, 2020: The date just jumped out at me. So the 15th of May 2020, which is an incredibly sad day for us.
ABDELAZIZ: That day, her 18 year old daughter Ruby died of blood cancer at home.
JONES: After Ruby died, we opened up our front garden and invited people to come by, but they had to do it in their household bubbles.
ABDELAZIZ: Because funeral attendance was severely limited this is how loved one said goodbye to Ruby.
You made the sacrifice of not having a funeral for your daughter.
JONES: It was very, very hard. But we didn't begrudge that. But now to realize that the people who set the rules weren't following them is absolutely infuriating.
ABDELAZIZ: May 20th, 2020 police are out to enforce restrictions and break up illegal gatherings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to disperse this group and go about your business.
ABDELAZIZ:But in the Prime Minister's garden, a party is allegedly taking place after his top Secretary invited more than 100 staffers to make the most of the lovely weather and bring your own booze.
Johnson now admits to his attendance and has apologized but says he believed the BYOB event was a work function.
JOHNSON: Mr. Speaker, I want to apologize.
ABDELAZIZ: That spring, Olufemi Akinnola have followed the rules until his dying breath isolating at home. His son Lobby told us.
LOBBY AKINNOLA, LOST HIS FATHER TO COVID IN 2020: You have someone who is so dedicated to the people he loves. And then the Prime Minister just doesn't care.
ABDELAZIZ: In the fall of 2020 Lobby met the prime minister with other bereaved families to share his story of grief.
AKINNOLA: I don't think the man can maintain his position as Prime Minister because I think he's betrayed us or so deeply. ABDELAZIZ: For many, the accusation their government broke COVID rules to party is unforgivable. The inquiries into the alleged breaches first by the Cabinet Office, and now the police are set to make it unforgettable.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ: As you heard there and the feelings and emotion shared by both Lobby and Emma I think resonate across this country, Rosemary. Two-thirds of adults, nearly two-thirds of adults in this country want to see the Prime Minister resigned, but it's not going to be up to the public. It's going to be up to the Conservative Party, the Prime Minister's own party as to whether or not they push him out.
And that can be decided in the coming days, Rosemary, because there's two bits of information we're waiting on. First of all, a report written by a senior civil servants Sue Gray that's been looking into these allegations. You had that list of 10 alleged parties potentially even more for weeks now and we are waiting for that report any moment. And it's going to provide lawmakers, particularly Prime Minister Boris Johnson's own lawmakers with that detailed breakdown of who was there, what happened and most importantly, what did the Prime Minister know.
And then of course, there's that police probe as well that was only launched this week. So we expect that you In the coming days and weeks. But with more of these revelations coming it all comes down to that rebellion within his own party, will it grow, will it topple him, Rosemary.
[02:20:08]
CHURCH: Yes. A critical month for the Prime Minister indeed. Salma Abdelaziz joining us there live. Many thanks.
Well, Joey Jones is the former spokesperson for former Prime Minister Theresa May. He is senior counsel at Grayling. He joins us now. Thank you so much for being with us. So, Boris Johnson and his supporters clearly plan to fight this to the bitter end. But will their efforts be enough to save the Prime Minister do you think given the pressure that's building?
JOEY JONES, SENIOR COUNSEL, GRAYLING: Well, a lot, as your reporter said, will depend on the the findings of the report from Sue Gray, the senior civil servant which we've been waiting for for quite some time, and there's a lot of speculation that it could come out today or at the weekend. And that will show in black and white. And apparently she even has some photographs that were handed by officials within Downing Street that show the Prime Minister at some of these gatherings as well.
And of course, there is also a police investigation. Now I think that will take a lot longer. The Prime Minister's position is certainly very fragile, and he needs to try it extremely carefully over the coming days. I think that if I were advising or, you know, a supporter of Boris Johnson staying in power, I think the thing that we're probably concerned me most at the moment is he -- if feels as though he is somewhat detached from the reality that you heard so viscerally in that report of people who are very, very angry.
Supporters of the Prime Minister are basically saying that people need to get a grip, they need to get a sense of proportion. There are bigger things going on in the world as your -- as your viewers have been hearing about with President Putin and and Ukraine. But that doesn't really respond to the level of anger and the hurt that comes back so powerfully when people feel that the Prime Minister and his colleagues were flouting the rules that they follow.
CHURCH: Yes. That's so important because as we await the release of that internal inquiry into the series of alleged Downing Street parties Boris Johnson is defending his record in Parliament, rejecting calls for his resignation but he's also feeling this intense pressure from the public for his blatant hypocrisy attending boozy parties while Britain complied with this lockdown rules. And as we -- as we just saw it in our report there, a lot of people have suffered and suffered gravely, as a result of this.
So it's so in their faces. How will voters likely respond if the Tories decided then to stick by the Prime Minister?
JONES: Well, with our all local elections coming up in May, and I think that everybody has priced in the fact that if Boris Johnson is still Prime Minister at that time, then the conservatives will face a very uncomfortable poll, but the next general election is not due until 2024. And Boris Johnson has shown in the past that his ability to bounce back from periods of difficulty, but certainly he's never faced as challenging a time as he does right now.
And I think that really -- I mean, he's relying on one of two potential mechanisms that would allow Conservative M.P.s to keep him in power. One is loyalty. Well, to be honest, Boris Johnson himself has never really shown loyalty to those close to him, when he's got into trouble he's always looked for somebody else to carry the can. So I don't think he can count on loyalty. Instead, he's relying basically on political calculation, that he's shown himself to be an electoral force and a winner for the Conservative Party.
And that -- and that pragmatically, his M.P.s will think that he can do it again. But the polls at the moment, don't tell that story. And that's why it's such a precarious position in which he finds himself.
CHURCH: Of course, Boris Johnson's troubles don't end there. Do they link to government e-mail suggest he authorized an animal evacuation from Kabul, Afghanistan? Last year -- last year, he denies he authorized that airlift, but there's clearly a concerted effort within his own party and government to embarrass him. He has some enemies and their effort here. The intention presumably is to force his resignation. What is going on?
JONES: I think he will undoubtedly feel under siege at the moment because as you say, there are documents being leaked left right and center from -- within the the Foreign Office and and indeed from within Downing Street itself. You'll remember that a lot of this was kicked off after somebody leaked a video of a sort of run through practice briefing session that is then spokesperson was doing where she joked to the Lego strapping about parties in Downing Street.
She carried the candle, she resigned. I think the reason that he will be feeling so uncomfortable is because within Downing Street plainly, people feel under pressure. People know that the likelihood is that some individuals are going to lose their jobs after the Sue Gray report comes back.
[02:25:07]
JONES: And I don't think -- I think one can understand why they're striking out and trying to -- and they probably don't feel if the Prime Minister is going to stick by them. Why should they stick by him? So, I don't think it would be any surprise at all, where more leaks and more documents to emerge in the coming days.
CHURCH: Yes. And of course, as we speak, we still await the release of that internal document. Thank you so much, Joey Jones for talking with us. Appreciate it.
Well, Prince Andrew's legal team has asked for a jury trial and the civil sex abuse lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre is also formally denying her accusations in a new court filing. Giuffre alleges Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with his friends including Prince Andrew, and that Andrew was aware she was underage in the U.S. at the time. A judge in New York denied the Prince's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit about two weeks ago.
Soon after that decision, Buckingham Palace announced that he had been stripped of his military titles and charities.
Well, North Korea has apparently conducted more ballistic missile tests. It is the sixth time this month that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has defied U.N. prohibitions on such trials. I will have a live report for you in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: We are following a developing story out of Ukraine. The Interior Ministry says at least five people have been killed in a town in Eastern Ukraine after a National Guard service member open fire at a manufacturing plant. That service member is now said to be on the run. The motion for the shooting is unknown at the moment. We will of course continue to follow this story and bring you the latest developments as they come into us.
Well, North Korea is again ratcheting up tensions in the Korean peninsula with its second missile test this week. South Korea's military believes to short range ballistic missiles were fired early Thursday from Hamhung on the East Coast and landed in the ocean. It appeared to be the sixth missile test by Pyongyang this year. And CNN's Will Ripley joins us now live from Taiwan to talk more on this.
Good to see you, Will. So what more are you learning about these latest missile launches?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So in some ways, Rosemary, this is a continuing pattern that we're seeing from Kim Jong-un. Although this is the kind of missile testing binge, six missile tests so far this this month. We haven't seen this in a couple of years. It's like 2019. It could be one of North Korea's busiest months for ballistic missile launches ever. And they're demonstrating a wide range of capabilities here if you look at what they are testing starting with today, those two short-range ballistic missiles.
[02:30:00]
Two days ago, it was cruise missiles into the sea tactical guided missiles, which is another word for short-range ballistics. And then, earlier this month, they fired a short-range ballistic from a rail car just to mix things up.
But on January 5th and 11th, they claimed they tested hypersonic missiles, which travel, you know, 10 times or more the speed of sound. They fly up on a conventional ballistic missile base. But then, faster than the speed of sound. But then the warheads, either conventional or nuclear, have a hypersonic glide vessel, which allows the warhead to make an unexpected turn making it very difficult from our existing missile defense systems that the United States in places like in Japan. And to protect its own borders, they could be obsolete against these kinds of hypersonic weapons. And experts says, that's exactly the kind of power in strength that North Korea is trying to project right now.
CHURCH: All right. We'll --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DUYEON KIM, ADJUNCT SENIOR FELLOW AT THE CENTER FOR A NEW AMERICAN SECURITY: North Korea is aiming for the types of weapons that can evade U.S. missile defenses, make it harder for the United States to detect, to try to target to try to hit if it wanted to.
MELISSA HANHAM, SANDFORD UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND COOPERATION: North Korea has been making really very powerful threats for a decade after decade, but they are now reaching a technical capability where they can make those threats real.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: And North Korea is barred by international law from testing long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, and they've had a self-imposed moratorium on such tests since 2017. These tests, so far, this month do not fall into that category even though they do go against United Nations' rules against North Korea launching these sorts of things.
North Korea hasn't had a nuclear test in a number of years. But Kim Jong-un is signaling, Rosemary, that that could change. Saying that North Korea will evaluate restarting all temporarily suspended activities. The biggest, of course, most provocative thing that he could do is conduct a nuclear weapons test. And a lot of people are wondering if he is signaling this and he's accelerating his testing just about a week before the Beijing Winter Olympics, what could happen during the games?
Would North Korea really try to get the world's attentions, get the world talking? Would they be so bold to do that during the Olympics to their biggest benefactor and neighbor China? We're just going to have to wait and see, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yes. China would not be happy. Will Ripley joining us live there. Many thanks.
And still to come, parents in India say that school closures are doing real damage to their children's education. And now, they're turning up the pressure on officials to get kids back into the classroom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:35:00]
CHURCH: The World Health Organization is reporting the highest number of new COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. A record 21 million infections were recorded around the world this past week. The U.S. reported than most new cases followed by France, India, and Italy. But the global pace of new infections is slowing, and some regions are saying cases trending down.
As a result, several countries say they soon be easing coronavirus restrictions. England is returning to plan A as regulations on face coverings and COVID passes change today. Denmark will lift all its COVID-19 rules on February 1st. The nation's prime minister says the virus is no longer a socially critical sickness. Danish officials say the country has high levels of immunity due to higher vaccination rates and previous infections.
Austria says it will end its lockdown for all unvaccinated people as hospitalizations there continue to stabilize, that goes in effect on Monday. Meanwhile, German lawmakers are debating whether or not to make vaccines mandatory as cases reach record highs, about 75 percent of the population has received at least one dose.
In India, there's a push for schools in Delhi to reopen, classes have been held online through almost all of the pandemic with students missing hundreds of days of in-person learning. And now, some parents are stepping up a campaign to get children back in class.
Vedika Sud is live in New Delhi with more on the story.
Good to see you, Vedika.
So, I mean, all of the scientific data shows that as long as these kids are wearing masks and the teachers are vaccinated, why is there a problem getting them back into the classroom?
VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: That's exactly what parents in Delhi are also saying, at least a section of them who have handed over a memorandum to the deputy chief minister of Delhi on Wednesday, Rosemary, stating that it's high time that children get it back to school. According to these parents, the younger children haven't been in school for over 650 days ever since this pandemic broke out, while the older ones haven't been in school for almost 600 days. They're saying, this is leading to a lot of social issues, anxiety issues and mental health issues with their children.
Now, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority is meeting today decide on whether or not to lift existing COVID-19 restrictions in Delhi, which is home to India's capital. And long with that, it will also be taking a decision on whether or not for schools resume.
Now, what we have to remember is only 15 to 18, that's the age group that has been vaccinated currently in India. Those below 15 are yet to receive a single dose of COVID-19. We've been speaking to educationalists who say that staying out of school for so long can have catastrophic implications.
Here's what's one of the parents had to tell us when we spoke to them with their daughter being at home for almost 600 days ever since the pandemic broke out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUBITA GIDWAN, PARENT: It doesn't back learning. It's not the same as sitting in a classroom asking questions if you have to, learning from your peers. And the socioemotional part of it, I think, where just meeting friends, just feeling -- especially in a time like this, the anxiety that the children are facing, I think that (INAUDIBLE) more, we want a happy child, you want a child to develop overall. And I think that has been impacted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: After the meeting on Wednesday, the Delhi deputy chief minister has come out and agreed with these parents. He's put out a press note where he said that we agreed that children should be back to school as soon as possible. It's having an adverse effect on them mentally and physically. And they have said that in today's meeting, the Delhi chief minister, will go ahead and encourage for schools to be reopened. We are waiting for a decision to come out shortly. Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right. Vedika Sud joining us there live. Many thanks.
Well, rock star, Neil Young, demanded his music not be heard. Ahead on CNN Newsroom, why Spotify has pulled "Harvest Moon" and "Heart of Gold" from its playlist and what Joe Rogan has to do with it.
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[02:40:00]
CHURCH: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is widely expected to formally announce his retirement after 27 years on the bench. Breyer and U.S. President Joe Biden are scheduled to hold an event at the White House on Thursday. The White House learned last week of Breyer's intention to step down, but it doesn't become official until Breyer formally says so in a letter to the president. President Biden has promised to nominate a black woman to the Supreme Court. The White House on Wednesday said, the president has a short list of potential candidates.
The U.S. Federal Reserve chairman says he expects inflammation to ease over the course of this year. And for now, the fed is leaving interest rates unchanged. But with a strong labor market and rates currently near zero, the first of several expected break heights is coming soon.
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JEROME POWELL, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: I would say that the committee is of a mind to raise the federal funds rate at the March meeting assuming that conditions are appropriate for doing so. I think there is quite a bit of room to raise interest rates without threatening the labor market.
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CHURCH: U.S. financial markets were not happy about the news. A rally earlier in the day, Wednesday, fizzled after the fed announcement. The Dow finished down a third of a percent. The NASDAQ was basically flat. And the S&P 500 finished down slightly.
Neil Young is so furious with the Spotify streaming service. The rockstar demanded it stop offering his songs such as "Heart of Gold" and "Rockin' in the Free World." And now, it's doing just that. The move follows Young's allegation that Spotify podcast host Joe Rogan is spreading fake information about vaccines, potentially causing death.
They can have Rogan or Young, not both, the legendary musician reportedly said. And Spotify apparently has chosen to stick with the "Joe Rogan Experience." It's most popular podcast globally last year. It says, it has pulled more than 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID during the pandemic. And says, it regrets Young's decision but hopes he will return soon.
And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. World Sport is up next. Then, I'll be back with more news from all around the world in about 15 minutes. You're watching CNN.
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