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Chinese Protesters Challenge Beijing And Zero COVID Policy; World Cup 2022; Week One Of Qatar World Cup, Upsets And Controversies; Russia's War On Ukraine. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired November 28, 2022 - 01:00   ET

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

[01:00:00]

LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of our viewers watching from around the world, I'm Laila Harrak. Ahead on CNN Newsroom --

(voice-over): Protests against China's strict COVID measures are spreading across the country, from Beijing to Shanghai, and cities in between with Chinese leader Xi Jinping facing unprecedented dissent. Plus, Ukraine is making progress and getting power back up even as Russia continues its war on the country. And another stunner at the World Cup with Morocco securing a sensational victory over heavyweight Belgium. We'll have the latest highlights from Qatar.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Laila Harrak.

HARRAK: We begin in China where protesters have gathered across the country in defiance of Beijing's unrelenting COVID-19 measures.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK (voice-over): This was Beijing on Sunday as large crowds came together to denounce zero COVID restrictions and call for political freedoms. But the government was quick to deploy police to control the growing crowds. Sunday night took a violent turn in Shanghai, with police holding back the crowd as they dragged people away and loaded them into vans. Anger against the government spread across the country after a deadly fire killed 10 people in Xinjiang Province on Thursday.

Well some believe zero COVID measures were the reason firefighters arrived too late to save the victims. While just hours ago Beijing reported a sixth consecutive day of record COVID infections, and that number isn't lost on protesters. They understand there needs to be preventative measures in place, but one a scale back of current policies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): I think we just need to identify the close contacts or semi-close context, those people who might be infected. This is just enough. We don't need this huge screening of the whole compound. It's not necessary to be so meticulous.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): In Shanghai a lot of people have already been detained not only last night, they did it for everybody, for all the people, for the delivery guys not to be locked in their apartments, for everybody to be able to receive medicines and food. We need to help these people. Free these people in Shanghai.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well Amnesty International is calling on the Chinese government to review its COVID policies and allow peaceful protesters to speak their minds. CNN's Selina Wang attended a rally in Beijing and has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So I'm in the middle of the protest that's happening in Beijing. It's just past 1:00 am. There's a crowd of mostly young people that have gathered here to protest the COVID measures in China. They've been chanting, "no to COVID test, yes to freedom." And this is happening in Taoyuan District.

This is where the center of the COVID outbreak is in Beijing, where they urge all residents to stay at home. So it's really unprecedented that we're seeing such a large crowd of people here. A lot of the folks as well, you can see they're holding these white pieces of paper. This is a symbol of anticensorship. And we also saw protests in Shanghai. We saw protesters also hold those white pieces of paper.

Now in this district as well, around here there are many foreign embassies, including the American Embassy over there, so notable that they chose this site for this protest. Now, this protest has been going on already for several hours. It's very late. You can see the policeman right now is telling me to move back a little bit. But there is a large police presence. They are actually on this whole row, a whole row of policemen.

But it is a peaceful protest so far, you could hear the cheering, the chanting. Cars are also driving by frequently they're honking in solidarity. The folks here don't look like they're going anywhere anytime soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Let's go next to CNN's Beijing Bureau chief Steven Jiang for the latest on the protests.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: It's extremely rare to see this kind of widespread protests across the country, something we really haven't seen for decades. It's also extraordinary to hear some of the demands from the protesters, which I think all began on Saturday night in Shanghai where a protester there shouting, chanting slogans really directly targeting that ruling Communist Party and its top leaders Xi Jinping.

[01:05:00] Up to that point, even the most vehement opponents of the so-called zero-COVID policy in this country had really been dancing around the issue blaming incompetent or overzealous local officials instead of really pointing the finger at the ultimate decision in this one party system. But the Shanghai protesters really challenging the legitimacy of the party and a strongman leader, which may explain why the police there deployed some of the harshest tactics we have seen in this country when it comes to their treatment of the protesters. Because one of the biggest fears on the government's part, of course, is to have this kind of message inspire others across the nation.

But that seems to be exactly what has happened since we have seen protesters in other cities in Chengdu, but also here in Beijing, shouting slogans that really touch on some fundamental aspects of the system. They, of course, say things like "no to COVID testing, yes to freedoms," but also they have chanted slogans like "no to dictatorship, yes to votes," and "no to being a slave and yes to being a citizen."

And it's notable that many of the protesters over the weekend having young people, including many students on university campuses across the country, perhaps not surprising because of what many of them, they have lived their entire college life in the past three years under some forms of lockdown. And also not to mention they are the group hit hardest by the economic slowdown brought by this policy. Even the official government figure in the summer showing that people aged between 16 and 24, their unemployment rate hitting a record breaking 20%, so this is really a segment of population that are feeling a growing sense of hopelessness and desperation. They have so laid away, almost nothing to lose. And that, of course, often translates into taken to the streets to make their voice voices heard.

So that's also why this is very disconcerting to the authorities. We have already seen signs of them trying to disperse the student crowds and to send them home basically by ending the semester early. Several universities here in Beijing have sent out notices to their students about transportation arrangements to take them to train stations or airports. Steven Jiang, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: While many protesters are daring to openly call for the removal of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, they could be her chanting "step down, Xi Jinping, step down communist party." CNN's Fareed Zakaria weighs in on why this is unusual.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: China has often allowed protests. People have the mistaken impression that they allowed no protest, or lots of protests to always on very specific local issues of food shortage or local corruption, you know, something like that. What is extraordinary about this one is that they are allowing protests in which people are talking more generally about Communist Party rule as you say no to COVID lockdowns, yes to freedom. There have even been some of those Shanghai protesters who have said, you know, Xi Jinping resign, things like that.

That is completely unusual. It is it is unprecedented. And for it to be happening in Shanghai, at Tsinghua University, the University that Xi Jinping went to when he got his chemical engineering degree in the '70s. That is what makes this quite unusual.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: And that was CNN's Fareed Zakaria.

It was another action and drama packed day in Qatar with four more group stage matches in the books at the World Cup. There was a matchup of two football powerhouses, and a few more upsets in what has been an unpredictable tournament so far. Don Riddell has the highlights.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: Spain and Germany have played out the first heavyweight clash of this World Cup tournament, and it was highly entertaining at Al Bayt Stadium here in Qatar. La Roca dominated possession and could have taken a first half lead when Dani Olmo unleashed a ferocious shot which was tipped onto the frame of the goal by Manuel Neuer.

After the break, Spain did get ahead thanks to the deftness of touches from substitute Alvaro Morata. Germany knew that they couldn't go out tonight, but they couldn't really afford to lose the game either. And their substitute Niclas Fullkrug savage to point with a brilliant finished seven minutes from time.

Elsewhere in Grooby (ph), Costa Rica recovered from their humiliating defeat by Spain earlier on beating Japan one-nil. They did so with their first shot on target in the tournament, and it was a beauty from Keysher Fuller. It means that Spain, top of the group, a point clear of both Japan and Costa Rica. Germany's point means that if they beat Costa Rica on Thursday and Spain aren't surprised by Japan, then the two European giants will go through.

This World Cup has produced some shock results and we got another in Group F when Morocco stunned the second ranked team Belgium. Abdelhamid Sabiri caught out the experienced goalie Thibaut Courtois with a tricky free kick, before the man of the match, Hakim Ziyech. He came out of retirement for this World Cup made the decisive goal for Zakaria Aboukhlal in injury time.

Elsewhere in the group, Canada surprised the 2018 finalist, Croatia, with a second minute goal from Alphonso Davies. That's their first ever World Cup goal. But their joy didn't last long, Croatia drew level through Andrej Kramaric, the first of his two goals, and they were ahead at the break thanks to Mario Leiva. A 4-1 win for Croatia means that Canada are the second team to be eliminated from the tournament. Belgium know they'll probably have to be Croatia on Thursday, if they want to stay in. Morocco, though, are well-placed to advance.

By Monday night, every team will have played two games and will have a much better sense of how Brazil's bid for a six world title is looking. They play Switzerland. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Well, the US State Department says it was not involved in US soccer's decision to alter the Iranian flag on his social media accounts. The team posted images of a flag without its emblem as a sign of solidarity with protesters in that country. US Soccer told CNN that change was a "one time graphic," and that the Iranian flag remained intact on the team's main website. Iranian state media say the US men's team should be kicked out of the World Cup for posting the image.

The United States and Iran will play each other in their final group stage match on Tuesday.

Let's bring in CNN sports analyst and USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan to break down all the action at the World Cup, and there's no shortage of controversies. She joins me now from Washington DC.

Christine, one week down, three more to go. Before I ask you for your impressions so far of the Cup, I want to get your take on the war of words that has erupted between Jurgen Klinsmann and the former US national team head coach and Iran manager Carlos Queiroz. Here is what Mr. Klinsmann said that sparked the outrage. And then I want to get your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JURGEN KLINSMANN, FORMER GERMAN FOOTBALLER: Yes, that's the culture. That's the way of doing it and that's why Carlos Queiroz, he fits really well in the Iranian national team. And that's he struggled in South America, he failed with Colombia to qualify, then he failed with Egypt to qualify as well, and then he went back right before the World Cup. Now -- and guided Iran where he worked already for a long, long time. So this is not by coincidence. This is all purposely.

CARLOS QUEIROZ, IRAN MANAGER: Let them play the game, let them play the game. This is what they want to do. And play for the people of Iran like the English they play for them people, like the Americans, they pray for them people. In a simple way, because players they are not the enemies of the supporters. They're not the enemies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Christine, what do you make of this exchange?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Klinsmann has said that he wants to talk to Queiroz and clear the air, and explain himself. I think that's a good thing for Klinsmann to do. Obviously, he's a FIFA official. He has been associated with the United States as the coach of the men's national team years ago. So, you know, when you're talking about the culture, and you are saying these disparaging remarks, it is going to get a lot of attention. This is going to be something that in the crucible of a World Cup explodes, everything is magnified. And this one, it didn't need a whole lot of magnification to begin with.

Well, a couple of thoughts. One is in the game of soccer and, of course football worldwide as it's known, there's a lot of gamesmanship. It's not just a run. There are a lot of games being played. In many ways, it is a great credit to those athletes, to those coaches for playing the game, for finding the angle, for doing all the things they try to win. So that's a worldwide issue. That's certainly something that I imagined Klinsmann will be bringing up and talking about. It doesn't seem to be just this one coach and just this one team.

And then, I think also when you're talking about the culture, and when you're talking about, you know, the Middle East, and you're a white man and from Europe, there's going to be overtones there too. And it's very understandable. People would be not be happy to look at -- to hear this and to see this being said about a certain "culture".

And so, incendiary remarks, amazing storylines for us in the media, but something that I think Klinsmann needs to clear up and it sounds like he's going to do that.

HARRAK: And, Christina, political undertones, also controversy, I should say, ahead of Tuesday's game between US and Iran involving the official US soccer Twitter account tweeting a picture of the Iranian flag?

BRENNAN: US and Iran involving the official US Soccer Twitter account tweeting a picture of the Iranian flag.

[01:15:08]

BRENNAN: That's correct. And this was the Iranian flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. And the United States said that it did that for -- in solidarity with the Iranian people, the protests that are going on. And, by the way, of course, we interpreted the Iranian team not singing its own national anthem before the first match, also to being a sign of support for the protesters. So it's not just the US in this case, the Iranians also did that and received a lot of praise for that.

HARRAK: Talking about high stakes, let's talk action on the pitch. Some unexpected shock results, could we see one of the underdog teams, and I say that with the utmost respect, win the Cup?

BRENNAN: You know, I mean, anything's possible, right? There's still a long way to go and so many options. I mean, France has already made it through to the round of 16, no surprise there. Canada's out. Qatar, the host nation is out. Other than that, almost, you know, it's like, there's so many possibilities.

The upsets I think are enticing. I know for US fans, some of them really adept at understanding the game of soccer and football worldwide, and men's football others not so much the United States. I think the upsets have been thrilling to the people I talk to here. That's a very alluring quality when there are teams and countries winning that you don't expect to win. But I also wonder if it might settle down a little bit. We saw Argentina, we've seen Germany get the draw with Spain and have a chance now to move on and have a pretty good draw actually in the round of 16, it looks like if they do make it that far. When you have Germany and Spain go, you know, as the meeting each other in group play as both World Cup champs from the past, you know, you know, that's as good as it can get in terms of the resume of those two great nations in terms of soccer.

But I'm wondering if we might not see now some of the "cream" rising to the top. But we'll see because then you've got Morocco. And, of course, you still have countries that have hopes of getting through and getting into the knockout stage who never, we never would have thought would be there. And isn't that the great thing about sports?

HARRAK: It is. It's a great thing about the World Cup. Thank you so much, Christine Brennan. Thank you for catching up with us.

BRENNAN: Thank you, Laila.

HARRAK: And we have even more World Cup action in the day ahead. Cameroon and Serbia will kick things off on Monday, both of them needing a win after losing their respective opening matches. Then South Korea and Ghana facing off with each team looking for its first victory of the tournament. And later world number one, Brazil, takes on Switzerland, followed by Portugal and Uruguay.

Still to come, Russian forces are ramping up their attacks in Ukraine's south and east while the Ukrainian government works to repair the country's battered energy system. Plus, a top US diplomat says sanctions against Russia are making a real difference in the war. Our exclusive interview ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:20:32]

HARRAK: Ukraine is reporting progress and its work to get the country's energy system up and running again, after weeks of Russian attacks targeting the country's infrastructure. Ukraine's prime minister says the energy system has now been stabilized at 80% of its normal capacity, with more than 1,000 experts working every day to repair the network.

Well since the start of the war in February, Russian attacks have damaged about 32,000 civilian targets and more than 700 critical infrastructure facilities, that's according to Ukraine's First Deputy Interior Minister who says only 3% of recorded attacks have been on military facilities. And Ukraine says more attacks on civilian targets are expected.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): We understand that the terrorists are planning new strikes. We know this for a fact. And as long as they have missiles, they unfortunately will not come down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: And Mr. Zelenskyy says more than 20 countries have shown their support for the grain from Ukraine initiative, which he says collected about $150 million during a summit over the weekend. CNN's Sam Kiley has the details from Zaporizhzhia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's no accident indeed the Ukrainian government is explicit in drawing a parallel between the weekend gathering, an international gathering remotely and in-person known as a Grain from Ukraine or Grain for Ukraine. And that is because it also marked, on Saturday, the 19th anniversary of the Holodomor. This is the systematic starvation of many millions of Ukrainians understanding Soviet Union, when the Ukrainian language, its history, music and culture was attempted to be obliterated, by any definition, should be described as a genocide against Ukraine committed by the Soviet Union under Stalin.

Now from the Ukrainian perspective, many of Stalin's techniques are now being repeated in this country with the forced deportation of Ukrainians from areas captured in Ukraine by Russia, into Russian territory, in violation of international law. And with the manipulation the Ukrainian say of the international grain markets.

As a consequence of the war here, the Ukrainian saying their product of grain this year down by about 44%, 30% reduction in exports since the mid summer. And that doesn't account for the total blockage on exports earlier in the year, which have driven up grain prices, particularly in drought and famine struck Eastern Central Africa.

Now the $150 million deal being agreed to or donations being greeted by the international community and efforts made by Ukraine to try and get its grain out and onto the international market, an act of defiance. And the international community recognizing that with statements coming from the German chancellor saying that food could never and should never be used as a weapon of war.

But meanwhile, we're seeing continued attacks on the ground here in the south of the country of personal city hitting at least 16 other smaller villages along the river there also being hit. In what is clearly an escalating campaign from Russia to try to dominate that part of the battle space and attack civilian targets. Whilst elsewhere in the east, in particular, along the eastern front, there has been very, very intense fighting with the Ukrainians admitting that in small areas, they've lost a little bit of ground. But this has been a back and forth, and brutal and bloody battle since effectively day one of this war. And it's definitely, according to Ukrainian, an area where the Russians are seeking to concentrate their forces. Sam Kiley, CNN in Zaporizhzhia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: In Russia, meanwhile, a feminist antiwar resistance movements along with mothers of Russian soldiers have launched a petition demanding the withdrawal of troops from Ukraine. It was introduced on Sunday, the same day Russia celebrated Mother's Day, and quickly gained 1,400 signatures. The petition says the group is united by one desire, to live in peace and not be afraid for their children's future.

Retired US astronaut Scott Kelly traveled to Ukraine to visit one hard hit city and meet with those affected by the ongoing war. Mr. Kelly who is an ambassador for Ukraine's United 24 fundraising platform visited the country's largest pediatric hospital in Kyiv, where he spoke with children and their parents. He also visited Irpin in the Kyiv Region, a city devastated by heavy shelling earlier this year.

[01:25:19]

The top American diplomat on sanctions policy says US sanctions on Russia have made a real difference on Moscow's war in Ukraine. Those comments come from Ambassador Jim O'Brien, who visited Odesa's main port this weekend to highlight President Zelenskyy's Grain from Ukraine Initiative. Mr. O'Brien spoke exclusively with CNN's Matthew Chance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM O'BRIEN, HEAD OF US STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF SANCTIONS COORDINATION: Before I arrived, the main sanctions program was put in place. And I think it's been very effective at what it's designed to do. It's intended to keep Russia and to deny Russia the resources it needs to carry out the war that it wanted. So this imperial project and quickly taking over Ukraine, and then being able to assert itself more broadly.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But it hasn't forced the Kremlin, has it, to change its policies, to change its behavior.

O'BRIEN: Well, I think, though, you do see a real difference. And most of this credit goes to the Ukrainians. I mean, their courage and ingenuity on the battlefield has been remarkable. But you seem the Kremlin keep changing what its stated aims are, right? It began with a full scale invasion of Ukraine, an effort to take the capital shifted to a sort of incremental improvement on the land that it had taken before the war. And now it's giving that territory back.

And so, these are real changes in Russian behavior. It's related partly to the sanctions, partly to export controls. They can't buy the kinds of inputs they need for their military to function.

CHANCE: Do you ultimately think that the sanctions regime that the United States is imposing on Russia and other countries are as well, will force the Kremlin to capitulate or force it to back down in this community?

O'BRIEN: I think, well, the most important thing is the courage of Ukrainians and the commitment they're showing on the battlefield. What we have said as a government is we are with Ukraine, from now until the end of this war until Ukraine succeeds. And that means support for the economy, which is also part of what we're doing here, to make sure that Ukraine is able to export enter in currency. It means support for humanitarian initiatives, and for the military. And sanctions are a piece of that, but there are only one piece of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Ahead on CNN, Taiwan's ruling party suffers its worst defeat in 36 years after Saturday's election. We'll have reaction and look ahead to what's next. Plus, Iran's use of brutal tactics against protesters, how witness accounts reveal security forces using sexual violence as a weapon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel shy talking about this. You can still see what the policeman did. Look here on my neck, it's purplish. That is why I'm covering it. He forced himself on me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:30:41]

HARRAK: Welcome back to all of our viewers around the world. I'm Laila Harrak and you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

In Taiwan we're (ph) gauging reaction and fallout to the ruling party's heavy losses in Saturdays midterm elections. Tsai Ing-wen resigned as the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party after the setback, but remains president until her term expires in 2024. Well, some analysts say her strategy to show defiance against Mainland China failed to pay off with voters.

Here's what she had to say about Saturday's results.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TSAI ING-WEN, TAIWANESE PRESIDENT (through translator): Although the central government has been very diligent at facing this kind of result, we have many things we have to think about deeply.

We were unable to break through the current makeup of focal politics. This shows that we have some ground to cover when it comes to running municipalities and regarding the expectations of the people.

It's not like the DPP has never failed before, fallen before. We will conduct thorough reviews. The more the people expect from us, the better we have to perform.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Let's bring in CNN's Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Kristie, good to see you. What does this crushing election defeat mean for the president of Taiwan? KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Laila, this was a devastating

election result for Tsai and her party. You know look, after this historic local election loss, the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, resigned as the leader of her party, the ruling DPP, or Democratic Progressive Party. But she will continue to serve as the president of Taiwan until the end of her term in early 2024.

But this was the worst showing in the history of the DPP. The ruling party of Taiwan only won about five municipalities, one fewer from the previous local election, and compare that to its main rival, the Kuomintang or KMT Party, they managed to win 13 municipalities, including the capital of Taiwan, Taipei.

We did hear from Tsai Ing-wen earlier. She was speaking from party headquarters as she addressed this crushing loss for her party. She said this quote, "The results failed our expectations. We humbly accept the results and accept the Taiwanese people's decision."

And we should emphasize that these were local elections. The officials who were elected do not have a direct say in China policy. And yet, Tsai Ing-wen as the leader of the DPP, the ruling party, she framed these local elections as an opportunity to stand up to and to show defiance to China, into an increasingly muscular Beijing.

That strategy failed to pan out. One analyst at Australian National University, a political scientist there whose name is Wen-Ti Sung pointed at this. Quote, "DPP's crushing defeat is not about China, but about DPP's own failure to set a positive agenda and maintain party unity. This was," he adds, "a self inflicted wound."

After the DPP's very poor performance, all eyes and the focus now shifts to 2024. That's in the parliamentary elections and the presidential elections will take place. Tsai Ing-wen will not be able to run again as she serves out her second and final term as president of Taiwan.

Back to you, Laila.

HARRAK: Thanks, Kristie. Kristie Lu Stout reporting live from Hong Kong.

Now to Mogadishu, Somalia where a hotel frequented by Somalian lawmakers came under attack. Police say al-Shabaab fighters stormed the Villa Rosa after a suicide bombing at the gate. The hotel is near the presidential palace, and the al-Qaeda linked al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Police have not released details on casualties yet.

The niece of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali al-Khamenei has been arrested. Her brother says Farideh Moradkhani was detained last week after she called on countries to cut ties with Tehran.

The brother Mahmoud, shared this video of his sister condemning the ruling theocracy led by their uncle.

[01:34:43]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FARIDEH MORADKHANI, NIECE OF AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI (through translator): Oh free people, be with us and support us so that your government stops supporting this murderous and child-killing regime. This regime is not even loyal to any of its own religious principles and does not know any laws or rules except force and maintaining power in any way possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Anti-government protests have rocked Iran for more than two months following the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by Iran's so called morality police. A U.N. reports from earlier this month says the crackdown on protesters has killed more than 300 people.

News of his niece's arrest comes after Iran's Supreme Leader praised paramilitary forces for their role in the deadly crackdown on protests. In a nationwide address, he called the protesters quote, "rioters and thugs".

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Iran's Supreme Leader making these comments during a meeting with members of the Basij these volunteer paramilitary force that is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Basij has been at the forefront of the regime's crackdown on the protest movement. Khamenei praised the Basij for confronting the thugs and rioters, the agents of foreign enemies, as he described them.

Many seeing this as the Supreme Leader giving the green light for this brutal crackdown to continue. This has been the regimes narrative from the start -- dismissing the grievances of the people, these protests, as a foreign plot by countries like the United States, Israel, the U.K. and others to try to destabilize the Islamic Republic.

And they would use this as a pretext to crack down on the protest. We heard from the United Nations human rights group on Thursday urging the Iranian regime to listen to its people, to address their grievances, saying that this narrative is a convenient one, a typical narrative of tyranny, as he described it. Saying that these old methods and the fortress mentality don't work anymore, that they need to listen to their people because this narrative is only aggravating the situation.

And this is exactly what we've been seeing happening over the past more than two months of these protests. The more they crackdown, the more people are killed, people arrested. This is only making people angrier, more defiant, and more determined to continue protesting, risking everything for regime change.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN -- Istanbul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: And witnesses tell CNN Iranian security forces are using sexual assault to crush and in some cases blackmail protesters. This includes both men and women.

CNN's Nima Elbagir has this exclusive report. We want to warn you it contains details of sexual violence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Over these mountains is Iran, a regime that has succeeded in cutting many of its people off from the outside world.

But disturbing stories detailing the authorities' brutal retribution, systematic sexual violence against anti-regime protesters, have begun leaking out.

We've come here to the Kurdish region of Iraq (ph) to try and find out more.

This is Hannah (ph), not her real name, a Kurdish Iranian woman recently smuggled out of Iran. She fears for her life.

After taking off and burning her head scarf on the streets, she was arrested and detained by Iranian intelligence officers.

HANNAH, KURDISH IRANIAN SMUGGLED OUT OF IRAN (through translation): They choose the women who were pretty and suited their appetites. Then the officer would take one of them from the cell to a smaller, private room. They would sexually assault them there.

ELBAGIR: Hannah isn't only an eyewitness. She also was violated.

HANNAH (through translation): I feel shy talking about this. You can still see what the policeman did. Look here, on my neck. It's purplish. That is why I'm covering it. He forced himself on me.

ELBAGIR: Then a fight broke out with another protester, drawing away Hannah's attacker. Hannah and others could hear screams and they believe a woman was raped in an interrogation room.

Hannah sketched out the police station as she remembers it. She estimates 70 to 80 men and women were together in a main hall that accessed four private interrogation rooms.

It was in these interrogation rooms, she says, that she was assaulted and others were raped.

CNN was able to locate the police station through Hannah's description, eyewitness corroboration, and geolocation using key landmarks. It's in the Islamabad neighborhood of Irmir (ph).

Based on this testimony and speaking to a number of sources, a pattern of repression comes into focus.

Police centers used as filtration points, moving protesters from one location to another, often families left not knowing where their loved ones are held.

[01:39:57]

ELBAGIR: One Iraq-based Kurdish militant opposition party, PAK, identified over 240 people who they believe are missing within this maze of detention centers.

Human rights organizations believe the number is higher, in the thousands.

Some of the victims as young as 14. Many are men supporting female protesters. Their punishment as severe as the women's.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): They brought four men over who had been beaten, screaming intensely in another cell.

And one of the men who was tortured was sent to the waiting room where I was. I asked him what all that screaming was about. He said, "They are raping the men."

ELBAGIR: Based on witness testimony, CNN traced the location to an Iranian army intelligence headquarters.

Voiced here by a translator, a 17-year-old boy sent CNN a voice note following his imprisonment. We are withholding his name and location for his safety.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): When a security guard heard me discussing the rape of the other inmates, he started torturing me all over again. They tortured, raped me from behind.

ELBAGIR: Even as authorities visited sexual violence on protesters, regime figures accused female protesters of prostitution, of quote, "wanting to be naked."

Of the incidents of sexual violence against protesters inside Iranian detention facilities, most occurred in the Kurdish majority areas to the West of Iran, home to a historically-oppressed minority.

Disturbingly, in some cases, the rapes were filmed and used to blackmail protesters into silence.

There has been a real escalation, where female protesters are, as you can see here, being openly assaulted, often sexually.

But the violence against women, like the protests, are not confined to the Kurdish areas. They're often focused on locations where the protests are most intense, like here in the capital, Tehran.

ELBAGIR: One of these stories is Armita Abbasi's, a typical 20-year- old on social media, sharing her love of animals. In social media posts appearing under her name, Abbasi, like many young women in Iran, criticized the regime openly after the protests began. Unlike most, she did it without anonymity.

It didn't take long for security forces to find and arrest her. Abbasi disappeared.

Soon after, whistleblowers began to post on various social media platforms, medics sharing eyewitness accounts of what had been done to Abbasi.

"First of all," they say, "there were a few plainclothesmen with her and they did not let her out of their sight. Even during a private medical examination, they were there."

"She was my patient. I went to her bedside. They had shaved her hair. She was scared and was trembling."

"When she first came in, they said it was rectal bleeding due to repeated rape. The plainclothesmen insisted that the doctor write that the rape was from prior to her arrest."

"And then after this issue was becoming obvious to all, they changed the entire scenario altogether."

The details of these leaks were confirmed to CNN by an insider at Imam Ali Hospital, where Abbasi was brought to be examined.

In a statement, the government said Abbasi was treated for "digestive problems." The medics who treated her said that was not true.

The Iranian regime denies the rape, accusing her of leading protests, an allegation which could see her face the death penalty.

At this usually busy border crossing between Iraq and Iran, it is deceptively quiet. Those who can cross tell us the noose is tightening on protesters.

Authorities have for decades used sexual torture against Iranians and it appears once more a familiar pattern. Sexual violence deployed to enforce an assertion of moral guardianship.

Nima Elbagir, CNN -- Iraqi-Kurdistan (ph).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: And CNN reached out to the Iranian government for comment, but have not heard back.

The death toll is rising as the search continues for survivors of a landslide on an island in Italy. Details after the break.

[01:44:32]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRAK: The death toll from a landslide on the Italian island of Ischia now stands at seven. A newborn is among the dead. Italy's prime minister has declared a state of emergency, and the arduous task of cleaning up the damage has begun.

Michael Holmes has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rescue teams search for missing people after disaster struck an island off the coast of Italy. Heavy rain resulted in a wave of mud and debris crashing through a small town on the island of Ischia, known as a popular tourist destination.

Local authorities confirmed the landslide caused the deaths of several residents, including a newborn. The disaster leaving buildings destroyed, cars overturned, and streets covered in mud.

LUCA CAN, FIREFIGHTER: some houses have been swept away by mud. And you can see it here, on the sea front. There are huge rocks. They have been transported by the landslide from the hill.

HOLMES: Volunteers joined forces with emergency services in the search and rescue efforts for those thought to be missing the wreckage. The operations are being challenged by difficult weather conditions as strong winds persist.

In a Sunday prayer, Pope Francis expressed his concern for those affected by the disaster.

POPE FRANCIS, PONTIFF, HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): I'm close to the population of the island of ischia, hit by flooding. I pray for the victims, for those who are suffering, and for all those who have come to the rescue.

HOLMES: The national government has declared a state of emergency, and released more than $2 million of aid and assistance to the island. More than 200 people have already been evacuated from the area, and crews are working to clean up leftover debris.

The true magnitude of the damage still being assessed as locals try to pick up what remains, and carry on.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: And it appears that could be more trouble for the region with a new storm system forecast in the Mediterranean on Monday. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has the very latest devastating scenes.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Laila, you know, when you see what played out here. You can certainly see exactly why things were as such with the amount of rainfall that we saw on Saturday afternoon and Saturday night here. Rainfall amounts that would typically be seen in the span of six weeks or so we've seen in a span of 24 hours. Of course, an area here that's very much conducive to landslides. It's elevated, terrain and we saw upwards of 200+ millimeters, 30 kms west of Naples.

This is where the island of Ischia is located. And you'll notice some of these higher observations again, the wettest time of year across this region even for those standards which are pretty impressive.

October, November, December are the three wettest months of the year. November, typically is the wettest time of year, but this particular event, brought with it again six weeks worth of rainfall in a span of 24 hours.

And any time you get such rainfall in this sort of a landscape where you've got elevated terrain, you know, that very quickly can soak into the soil, weigh down the soil and often result in landslides. And if you've got communities upstream or even homes downstream of where the landslide occurs, you're going to have unfortunately fatalities.

[01:49:56]

JAVAHERI: And often, we see this, especially across Italy, when it comes to earthquakes or even volcanic activity. And in this case heavy rainfall one of the players (ph) here in leading to landslide that we saw.

But the concern now is -- what other weather do we have ahead of us? Well, there is another disturbance on approach across the western Mediterranean. It is slated to move across this region in the next several days. It will increase the cloud cover, the gusty winds, the potential for wet weather. We do think the system will migrate south of this region and produce some of its heaviest rainfall south of this region as well.

So we're going to monitor this over the next several days, see the increase in cloud cover, and possibly see some moisture come in as early as Wednesday afternoon. Then, you'll notice -- Wednesday morning, I should say, you'll notice by the time we get to Friday and Saturday, additional threat here for wet weather persist.

So again, not unusual to see rainfall across this part of the world, this time of year. It is the amount of rainfall that we saw, Laila, in such as short time period, that led to all the issues and more rainfall could be in store.

HARRAK: Pedram Javaheri, thank you so much.

Heavy snow is blanketing parts of northern China in temperatures dropped by up to 16 degrees in some parts of the region. The cold front is interfering with transportation and agriculture. And over the past few days, crews have been deployed to clear the roads.

Still ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, you will meet China's first Formula 1 star. He is racing to fame so fast people are starting to recognize him everywhere he goes. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRAK: Now, to the race track where driver Zhou Guanyu makes a living doing the sort of thing that many people only dream about, traveling the world while racing in a fast car. He's also made history as the first Chinese driver to ever compete in Formula 1.

CNN's Marc Stewart reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As China's first ever F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu is fueled by speed and style. Just look at his race helmets and wardrobe.

We recently spent the day with him in Austin, Texas as he preps for the biggest F1 race in the U.S.

You like that?

ZHOU GUANYU, F1 RACER: It's not bad. You don't like that.

I would wear it daily it's pretty cool.

I think it's so cool that drivers (INAUDIBLE)

STEWART: Do people recognize you when you get out?

GUANYU: Yes. I mean it depends, where I am like the first time I'm in the U.S. But yes, when I'm in London it's quite easy. Yes I have to hide myself because they're a lot of Chinese people there.

STEWART: Zhou's road to racing began as a child living in China where he saw his first Grand Prix race in Shanghai.

ZHOU: Always cars, you know. When it was my birthday or something I asked my parents for getting me a little car that I can play around the sofa in my house and then, actually yes.

It will take the sofa like a few years because the whole leather will seem fully scratched because I was pushing there hard doing my own imagination of racing.

STEWART: Zhou's imagination prevailed even though there were no real Chinese racing role models. So he created a path of his own, moving at the age of 12 from Shanghai to Sheffield in the U.K. where pros learn to drive.

STEWART: Your parents are pretty supportive?

ZHOU: My mom was definitely the one who was a lot at the beginning, but then now she's like for me getting more mature everything is like easy for her now.

[01:54:59]

STEWART: This year, Zhou is living his dream, making his debut on the F1 circuit, driving for Alfa Romeo.

A fan of basketball, Zhou shares his racing number with that of his favorite player Kobe Bryant number 24. He also looks up to Yao Ming, the Chinese sensation often credited for making basketball popular in China.

ZHOU: Who knows maybe in ten years' time could be the same effect that's my end definitely.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: It's a great opportunity for Formula 1 to make inroads in China, and there's no doubt that it just takes one driver.

It just takes as we saw one NBA player with Yao Ming. It takes one Olympian with Eileen Gu. Just one and people can just go head over heels for that athlete.

STEWART: Zhou's career may take him back to where it all began, if COVID restrictions don't block the 2023 Grand Prix in Shanghai from moving forward.

ZHOU: There's a lot of people looking up to me and by making everyone at home very proud.

STEWART: A young driver whose journey around the tracks is now coming full circle.

Marc Stewart, CNN -- Austin, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Well, the Artemis 1 moon mission is rewriting the record books. NASA says the Orion spacecraft has surpassed the record set by the Apollo 13 mission when it comes to the distance traveled in a spacecraft designed to carry humans. On Monday, Orion will be more than 270,000 miles away from earth.

Well, it also continues to send back stunning images, including these close ups of the moon's surface. The Artemis program is laying the groundwork for humans to return to the moon in the next three years. And some day possibly Mars.

After a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Pride Parade has returned to Rio De Janeiro.

Brazil's LGBTQ+ community came out on Sunday to celebrate. A giant rainbow flag made its way along Rio's iconic Copacabana Beach where those celebrating were able to come together face to face in the streets after many months of virtual meet ups.

Thanks so much for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Laila Harrak. The news continues with my colleague Rosemary Church after the break.

Have a good one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:00:00]