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New Protests Flare Despite Pledge To Ease Restrictions; NATO Pledges More Weapons And Aid To Fix Ukraine's Energy Grid; Videos Show Iranians Celebrating U.S. Win in World Cup; Twitter Rolls Back COVID Misinformation Policy; Kim Kardashian and Ye Finalize Divorce; Family Reunites with Missing Daughter after 51 years. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired November 30, 2022 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[01:00:22]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Paula Newton. Coming up on CNN Newsroom. Are the protests in China working? What's next and who Beijing might blame for the unrest.
Also ahead.
Honks of celebration are definitely in order for team USA but you wouldn't expect scenes like this from their rivals. Why some Iranians are cheering on the team that beat them and a lifetime in the making a daughter reunited with her parents 51 years after being kidnapped.
China's promise to ease up on some COVID restrictions hasn't been enough to keep protesters off the streets in a number of cities right across the country.
I mean, look at that. That was the scene in northeastern China as crowds pushed back COVID police in hazmat suits with those big white barricades.
Protesters in the southeast means meantime marched through the streets chanting lift the lockdowns. Police are also stopping people on the streets and on public transit, checking mobile phones and even calling people to find out if they're protesting.
Now all this comes is China's top health officials are pledging to ease some COVID restrictions to reduce the impact on people's daily lives. For one thing they say lockdown should be lifted as quickly as possible after outbreaks. Now people around the world are demonstrating in solidarity with the protesters in China. Some gathered outside the Chinese Consulate in Toronto, Canada on Sunday, students at Harvard University in Massachusetts held up placards reading freedom of speech and free China on Tuesday. And in Hong Kong demonstrators carry pieces of blank white paper to symbolize censorship. The White House says protesters in China should not be harmed or intimidated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL COMMS. COORDINATOR: We're watching this real closely and our expectations are that the people will be able to peacefully protest there in China these rules, these issues, these policies that that bother them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: And we go live now at Hong Kong where CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has been tracking the latest developments for that and, you know, Chinese officials have now addressed some of these complaints. But we are still seeing protests across a China. Why is that?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes including videos circulating online are showing fresh protests in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou as well as in two additional cities. I'm going to show you the videos that we've been monitoring and verifying for you here at CNN.
Fresh protests taking place Tuesday night in Guangzhou. As you can see there, hazmat security forces also bearing shields, bearing down on protesters in a district there. In other videos, we see protesters holding what appears to be empty water bottles as security forces and then the security forces responding and dispersing the crowds or tear gas.
We also have video from nearby Dongguan, which is a major manufacturing hub also in the south of the country. And in this video, it's taking place in a COVID-19 testing center. You hear the protesters, they are repeatedly chanting a mantra they're saying lift the lockdown, lift the lockdown, and also in Jinan, war protests taking place there. This is the capital of Shandong province in the east of the country.
Very, testy scenes between protesters, and again, this hazmat security forces there with the protesters taking barriers and attempting to use them to hurl them against the security forces.
As of today, and we want to show you the map now, this is an updated map. As of today, CNN was able to verify that there are 23 COVID related protests have taken place across 17 cities across China. The pressure is on for China and its authorities to find a way out of its punishing zero COVID policy.
And on Tuesday, we did hear from Chinese health officials attempted to address concerns especially regard still locked down we do have a statement from a senior official the CDC Cheng Youquan who said this quote, long-term closed off management will not only impact the general public's normal life, but also trigger anxiety and create difficulties in daily life. Such wrongful practices, he says, must be addressed and avoided, unquote.
[01:05:16]
Chinese officials on Tuesday, they also announced an action plan to roll out booster shots vaccinations for a very vulnerable portion of Chinese society for the elderly. That is, of course, a key hurdle for China to inch towards any form of reopening welcome news. But experts also pointed out that China needs better vaccines and China also needs a plan to figure out how to deliver more vaccinations were booster shots to the entire population in a timely way. Back to you, Paula.
NEWTON: Yes. And when you say timely, this is something that is going to take months if not longer to get sorted one way or the other. You know, you've also been tracking the economic fallout from all of this. What more do we know about the lockdown that's now been lifted at the site of the world's largest iPhone factory?
LU STOUT: Yes, we continue to keep an eye on the situation in Guangzhou, as you recall, just last week, we were reporting on the violent protests and the clashes taking place there between the Foxconn factory workers and between security forces there. It's just been announced the five-day lockdown has been lifted very welcome news for the manufacture of Foxconn. And of course for Apple is their output of iPhones and iPhone 14s have been affected last week.
Angry clashes there because the factory workers they had enough of the COVID controls. They also complain about sanitary conditions inside the factory. They were working inside a closed loop system. And they also were angry about pay. Now that the lockdown has been lifted, and Apple and Foxconn are now anticipating that they can make up for that production shortfall that they've lost over the last few weeks. Back to you.
NEWTON: Yes, extraordinary that workers there basically felt like they were in prison while at work when all that was going on. Kristie, really appreciate the update.
LU STOUT: Thank you.
NEWTON: NATO is pledging more help to repair Ukraine's energy infrastructure as Russia ramps up its attacks and a foreign ministers of the block are in Bucharest for two days of talks including discussions on providing more military aid to Kyiv.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister urged NATO to speed up those deliveries of weapons. NATO Secretary General meantime says the military aide is in fact making a huge difference on the battlefield every day. But Russian attacks on infrastructure amount to quote, energy blackmail.
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JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Russia is using brutal missile and drone attacks to leave Ukraine cold and dark this winter. President Putin is trying to weaponize winter to force Ukrainians to freeze or flee.
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NEWTON: Meantime Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces are trying to advance in several regions. Now these images show Ukraine's military firing rockets Tuesday amid the Russian attacks. A senior U.S. military official says Russia was firing unarmed cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine and that was to try and deplete the Ukrainian stock of air defenses. President Zelenskyy gave this update on the state of the fight.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The situation on the frontline is difficult. Despite extremely large losses, the occupiers are still trying to advance on the Donetsk region, gain a foothold in Luhansk region move into Kharkiv region. They are planning something in the South.
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NEWTON: With siren sent Ukrainian scrambling for bomb shelters earlier Tuesday. The shelling is constant in fact on the frontlines in the east and as Sam Kiley reports the winter weather growing colder every day and Ukraine is adding urgency to the NATO talks in Bucharest.
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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): With Ukrainian capacity to generate electricity down by 30 percent as a result of wave upon wave seven indeed, of these cruise missile attacks and drone missile attacks conducted by Russia against its critical national infrastructure.
In Bucharest and NATO foreign ministers in their now frequent meetings over how to help Ukraine have agreed that they will be providing more aid in terms of energy generating capability and other support in the civilian sense to help Ukraine sustain itself during a difficult winter, which is anticipated.
But on top of that, they're also saying they're going to continue to give Ukraine the aid that it is asking for or some of the aid it's asking for in terms of the ability to defend its airspace.
Mr. Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister said that they needed last time they make weapons, weapons, weapons this time he says we need weapons, weapons, weapons, faster, faster, faster. Where's it were his words, this time round. Now those three words really indicate how important it is for Ukraine's perspective not just because winter is deepening and it's going to get tougher and tougher to maintain the ability of the civilian population to endure the winter
but also because Russia is putting more pressure on the Eastern Front.
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They need -- the Ukrainians need to be able to defend their airspace in order to take the pressure off their ground troops to defend that Eastern Front just as the Russians are trying to reach well beyond the frontlines into the arteries of this country in order to try to strangle its ability to sustain a war. Sam Kiley, CNN in Zaporizhzhia.
(END VIDEO TAPE) NEWTON: Now for more on the winter weather in Ukraine, we want to bring in meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. And I mean, this is crucial, right, just in terms of how cold it will get and how they possibly fight on those frontlines.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, Paula, it's really interesting to when you look at how cold weather typically plays a role in wartime patterns. You look at how defenders typically, it favors them because it slows down the movement in snow in mud, in rain. All of this certainly moves and slows the movement across that region.
When you factor in 10 million people are in the dark you are without power, without source to heat that really makes this sort of a pattern that we're experiencing that much more dangerous. And of course, high pressure to the north, clockwise flow around it means winds and airflow is coming in from the northern reaches that are much, much colder.
So over the next couple of days, we expect these temperatures to far -- fall far below normal for early December, which is essentially going to set the stage here for another round of dangerously cold weather.
Notice the forecast lows in Kyiv, six below, three below in Kharkiv just towards the east there. So these temperatures running, but three to five degrees below seasonal averages and it just gets colder inside the next seven days.
I want to show you that divide here in temperatures because off towards the western half of Europe, milder temperatures are expected but work your way into Ukraine into portions of Russia. It is an entirely different story with temperatures here really free falling over the next couple of mornings in the afternoons. One below to three below. Typically these temperatures should be about a one below across areas of Sumy to the north.
Temps by this time next week are going to be as cold as four degrees below zero. With cold temperatures, you're talking about increasing the stress out were not only across the cardiovascular system. But of course a long term exposure to cold weather also reduces your ability to fight off any sort of infections. And that's why these sort of patterns lead to a lot of fatalities if they're long lived and unfortunately, it's just the beginning here with winter, still about three to four weeks away.
NEWTON: As you said we are only at the beginning of this. Pedram, thanks appreciate it.
Celebrations have broken out into Iran's Kurdistan province after Iran's World Cup football team lost to the US. That's right. Some Iranians that you see there are rooting against their own team. Now Tuesday's match was overshadowed by politics and the ruling theocracy is brutal crackdown on protesters has some cheering for the government back teams to lose. Meantime, this was the scene in Qatar. You see fans celebrating with the U.S. team in their hotel lobby after the game. The final score one nil and the Americans are now headed to the round of 16. For highlights of Tuesday's U.S.-Iran, we want to take you to Doha, and World Sports Don Riddell
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DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT (on camera): Team USA is marching on here at the World Cup in Qatar and this young American side will never forget the game that carried them through to the knockout rounds.
On Tuesday night, they beat Iran, one nil, thanks to a brilliant and courageous goal from their biggest star Christian Pulisic. He was hurt in the process and it was a slender win. But it was enough to ensure the USA finished second in Group B knocking Iran out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was awesome. We're resilient. We keep fighting. We don't give up. And we're moving on.
YUNUS MUSAH, MIDFIELDER, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: So happy. So happy. So relieved after that final whistle to be able to go through knowing that you're staying here. You're not going home yet. And getting to enjoy this amazing competition.
RIDDELL (voiceover): It was a night of high emotional at Al Thumama Stadium, a politically charged atmosphere played against the backdrop of the extraordinary anti-government protests, which have claimed the lives of hundreds of Iranian demonstrators on the other side of the Persian Gulf.
TYLER ADAMS, CAPTAIN, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: We support the people of Iran and obviously the players. You know, we understand, well, we obviously don't know exactly what they're going through, but we support them in all circumstances.
RIDDELL: The drama wasn't just confined to the pitch. There was tension between Iran's fans who were split between their support of the government and the uprising, which is now into a third month. Before the game began, one told CNN that he wanted his team to lose.
[01:15:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm passionate supporter of Iran. But today unfortunately, I can't be supported off national team because of the current situation going on. And the government trying to hijack the game and a sport and using as a platform to buy the credibility and show that everything is normal what's going on in Iran. Nothing's happened. Everybody happy they have a daily life. Fun.
RIDDELL (on camera): While some anti-regime supporters had wanted their team to lose, others had wanted them to win because Iran's continued involvement in this competition would have kept the international spotlight on the protests back home. Their emotions are so conflicted. Meanwhile, the United States march on to their first Knockout Game since 2014. It's a tough game next, but Netherlands on Saturday, back to you.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NEWTON: For more on today's World Cup action, I'm joined by CNN senior sports analyst Darren Lewis. He's an assistant editor, columnist and football writer for The Daily Mirror as well. Good to have you on board after what wasn't a very eventful night there in Qatar. And it seemed that the action on the pitch and not politics was what played out. And what did you make of the match and importantly of the result?
DARREN LEWIS, CNN SENIOR SPORT ANALYST: Well, the result very significant, Paula, because it showed just how far the U.S. Men's National Team is progressing. The second youngest squad in the entire competition, as Don was saying, and Gregg Berhalter their head coach asked about that, in the build up to the match and really talking about that discipline, the fortitude and the professionalism that they've been playing.
For me I think this is one of their best performances. It's the third time in four World Cups that they've reached a knockout stage. But this, as Don was saying, as possibly the most fractious. They were asked questions in press conferences, about human rights and politics and racism. And we saw earlier this week, the captain Tyler Adams asked about the U.S. and its record on racism. And he answered with a lot of class, he answered with a lot of clarity. And he was if you'd like a snapshot of the discipline and focus that runs throughout this Men's National Team.
NEWTON: Darren, I'm interested to get your take on this, the American team certainly has a lot to celebrate. And yet they must be relieved that at least for a time the political spotlight will be off of them. I mean, where do you stand on that? But if some people had said that, given what's going on that it wasn't fair that these young men basically had to represent the political thoughts of a nation?
LEWIS: Yes, I think that's absolutely right. I think they're there to play both managers. It has to be said, Carlos Queiroz, the Iran head coach tried incredibly hard to keep the focus on the football. But as Don was saying to you a second ago, it had been so hard to do that because of what we had been hearing from their homeland, certainly the Iranian players. And also because some of the players were quite keen to use their platform.
And we now know all of that we live in an era where high profile sportsmen, in a variety of sports want to be able to talk about the things that matter most to them, and the people watching and supporting them. That's why this performance from both sides because Iran played very well, indeed, it's so creditable.
NEWTON: Yes, and the development of sport, especially on the international stage, it's become so much more complex, as you say, because some of the players themselves want to bring these issues to the fore.
We have to talk about the Iranian players, right, and what's at stake for them now. Some of them are professional players, for sure. CNN had reported that some of their families, if not them, may face some intimidation or worse going back home.
You know, how do you interpret this, given the fact that these players did refuse in the first match to sing the national anthem, and yet their teams, some people, interpreted them to be operatives for the regime that somehow there was something wrong what they were doing, just by playing for their country?
LEWIS: Yes, that characterizes the issues around this entire picture because of their participation at first World Cup, because there has to be a distinction between the players and the regime. They've wanted to make that clear. They've spoken about wanting to make that clear. And there are a lot the vast majority of their fans at this tournament have been behind them. It is the regime that so many people and I've spoken to some of them outside stadia during this group stage.
And they've been very clear about the fact that they don't see the players as being culpable. It's the regime that they have an issue with, and they are prepared to use their voices. Some people, you know, Paula, had bought their ticket several months ago when the draw was made, and had changed their position because of the political situation and wanted to prioritize that rather than the football.
I think we know things will continue as far as Iran players are concerned they're not that concerned.
[01:20:03]
Some of them have said that they didn't want to speak during the group stage, but they would want to speak afterwards. But I didn't want to be compromised by it. Now they are free to speak and I'm sure they will use their voices even more.
NEWTON: Yes. And then the spotlight off of them now that they have been knocked out of the World Cup, but as you said, so many more issues, not just on the pitch, but off of it as well. Darren, thank you so much for your perspective.
LEWIS: Thank you, Paula. I really appreciate it.
NEWTON: So later this hour, we'll have much more on Team USA's victory over Iran in that World Cup and we'll take you to this TV watch party here in Atlanta, where American fan celebrated the team's success. Andy Scholes there having a good time. We'll bring it to you later.
Just ahead. More big changes for Twitter. How Elon Musk's latest move could affect the types of COVID information you see on the platform. And we'll take you inside a crypto mine and show you one company that says it's managed to turn a profit in the midst of a crypto winter.
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NEWTON: And you are looking at the U.S. Capitol and it is quiet now that lawmakers are scrambling to head off what could be a punishing and costly rail strike. The House is expected to take up legislation Wednesday after U.S. President Joe Biden asked Congress to step in. Now, he's trying to keep thousands of freight rail workers from walking off the job next week. A key sticking point for the workers lack of paid sick time that a rail stoppage could cost a billion dollars a week, trigger fuel supply shortages and spike prices. More now from CNN's Phil Mattingly.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: It's not an easy call but I think we have to do.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Behind President Biden's call for Congress to impose a labor agreement on rail unions a singular fear. Avoiding economic calamity a central focus is Biden huddled with the top four congressional leaders for the first time since the midterm elections.
With the clock ticking toward the December 9th deadline and the potential for crippling rail workers strike looming, Biden and congressional Democrats moving to undercut some of their closest political allies.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA) SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I don't like going against the ability of unions to strike. But weighing the equities, we must avoid a strike.
MATTINGLY: Set a short circuit the push by rank and file union members to secure a long sought after benefit, paid sick leave.
MICHAEL BALDWIN, PRESIDENT, BROTHERHOOD OF RAILROAD SIGNALMEN: This became a glaring issue during the pandemic when we had members who were forced by their employer or the railroads to stay home in quarantine without pay.
But really, it comes down to simple things like the flu for a day or two or a sick child and the ability to take a day or two paid when you have to deal with these issues that life brings that you have no control over it.
BIDEN: This agreement is a big win for America --
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MATTINGLY: A provision left on the cutting room floor of a sweeping agreement celebrated by Biden in the Rose Garden just three months ago. That deal driven by Labor Secretary Marty Wall secure pay raises and bonuses for workers and was signed off by union leadership subject to rank and file approval for the 12 unions rejected that plan.
JEREMY FERGUSON, PRESIDENT, SMART TRANSPORTATION DIVISION: Members aren't necessarily voting on the money issues. It's the quality of life and how they're treated with dignity and respect while they're at work.
MATTINGLY: Leaving Biden who has repeatedly said this.
BIDEN: because I intend design to be the most pro-union president, leading the most pro-Union Administration in American history.
MATTINGLY: And just a few hours after his meeting with congressional leaders touted his commitment to union workers during a trip to Michigan.
BIDEN: The middle class build America. And unions built the middle class.
MATTINGLY: To press full and secure, immediate action to save the broader economy, in spite of that very pledge.
PELOSI: We will act tomorrow morning, Wednesday, send the bill over the Senate. Hopefully with the biggest, strongest bipartisan vote. It is a compromise and it is what we must do.
MATTINGLY: Phil Mattingly, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NEWTON: The CEO of one of the largest banks in the United States, as the potential rail strike adds to uncertainty over the global economy. But Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan tells CNN he's hopeful a possible recession next year will be brief or mild. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN MOYNIHAN, CEO, BANK OF AMERICAN: Things like the rail strike or the war in Ukraine, and what happens in China with shutdowns, those are all sort of things that can really derail the economy. And everybody knows that we've been dealing with them for quite a period of time.
But if you look at the core economy, our team has a mild recession predicted the middle of 2023 and then coming back out of it later in 2023.
Now, that was predicted to happen this year, earlier this year. There was going to be a real slowdown, the Fed was going to raise rates and it's all pushed out largely because of one thing, which is U.S. consumer, who is spending money and we just got our spending from Thanksgiving to last Saturday, and it was up 3 percent of last year, which was up 23 percent over the year before, 20 percent of our where it was 19.
You see booking travel and things like that you see the consumers employed, you see them spending money, you see them having money in accounts, not means inflation has to be tackled by the Fed, but the consumer actually is both a buffer against that and also makes it difficult.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: OK, so given what he just said, all eyes will be again on the U.S. Federal Reserve Chair in just a few hours. Jerome Powell will discuss the economy and labor issues at a forum Wednesday. That could give insight into what the Fed is thinking about more rate hikes. Thursday, though it will be all about inflation. We'll get brand new numbers on what Americans are paying for goods and services. And then we get to Friday and its jobs Friday when unemployment figures for November will come out.
Now in another sign of Elon Musk's transformation of Twitter, the social media platform says it will no longer enforce its COVID-19 misinformation policy. Now that means Twitter will not apply labels or banned profiles posting incorrect facts about the disease. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan has more for us.
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DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Twitter's former head of site integrity, the person whose job it was to make sure that the company implemented its rules on things like hate speech, and viral COVID misinformation speaking out here today at a Knight Foundation Conference here in Florida, expressing a lot of concerns about the future of the platform, but the future of speech on the platform.
And what we have seen since Musk took over just a few weeks ago is the return of some banned accounts including that of course a former U.S. President Donald Trump. Musk has promised that more accounts that were banned in the past will be coming back.
And over the past 24 hours or so we've also learned that a long standing policy that Twitter had about COVID misinformation that banned wash, they viewed as dangerous misinformation about the virus in the vaccine, that that policy is no longer in place.
Now, Yoel Roth, the former head of Site Integrity who spoke here today. He quit the company a few weeks ago, and he essentially said that he was unable to work any longer in Musk's Twitter, asked by the technology journalist Kara Swisher who interviewed him here. What piece of advice he might have for the world's richest man. He said humility goes a really long way. Donie O'Sullivan, Coral Gables, Florida.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NEWTON: Now the crypto exchange BitFront is the industry's latest casualty. The company said it's shutting down because of the challenges in the crypto world but maintain the decision was not driven by the collapse of FTX which has shaken confidence in digital currencies worldwide.
[01:30:05]
Even so, some major crypto assets, you can see there, jumped on Tuesday. That means though that despite the turmoil, crypto mining in fact is still a hot prospect as Anna Stewart shows us in this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is what a cryptocurrency mine looks like. Just rows and rows of computers. In fact there are 116,000 here. As you can hear, it sounds pretty noisy. And I can tell you that it is really hot (INAUDIBLE) these machines. There's about a 30-degree centigrade difference though between here and here under one of the (INAUDIBLE) vents where you are getting the cold air from outside.
So you can feel the energy that's coming out of these. Lots of power as you can hear. One of the reasons crypto mining can be just so controversial.
That is why high check (ph) technology has set up shop here in the north of Sweden. Come take a look why.
Outside, some 500 meters along the River Lula is a hydrogen powered plant. A source of abundant, cheap and renewable energy.
JOHANNA THORNBLAD, HIVE BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGIES: This is the energy that is powering the Boden (ph) community and our data center that is located just nearby. So this is also one of the main reasons that HIVE has decided to bet on the Boden community.
STEWART: Given Europe is in an energy crisis, there will be people that say this is renewable energy. Should it be used for crypto money? Shouldn't it be used to power people's homes and industry? Keep lights on in hospitals. What do you say to that?
THORNBLAD: There are not enough inhabitants or companies to use all the energy that is available. So the community of Boden was inviting data centers to come, to use the renewable, stranded energy really.
STEWART: One crypto mining company, not just turning a profit in the midst of a crypto winter, but also trying to forge a greener future. There are near-term plans to turn the excess heat from the crypto mining something more fruitful.
THORNBLAD: In the spring, we're going to support a Swedish company called Alquira (ph). So they are building a huge, big greenhouse. Just at the back of our data center. So we will have tomatoes and cucumbers grown all year round in the very north of Sweden.
STEWART: Wow, that's incredible.
THORNBLAD: It's really incredible. You look at coin grown seeds (ph).
STEWART: It's like crypto cucumbers. Actually like cucumber.
Capture it and use it.
THORNBLAD: Absolutely.
STEWART: No wasted energy.
THORNBLAD: No wasted energy.
STEWART: Anna Stewart, CNN -- Boden, northern Sweden.
(END VIDEOTAPE) NEWTON: Still to come for us, Chinese health officials defend the controversial zero COVID policy but pledge to make changes. I will speak with the CNN correspondent who lived through the start of the pandemic in China to see if change is really possible.
Plus, fans in England have a lot to celebrate. A closer look at the World Cup action. That will be when we come back.
[01:33:17]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: More now on our top story this hour. Crowds filled streets in multiple cities in China Tuesday night, protesting Beijing unyielding COVID prevention measures.
In this video, residents can be heard chanting "lift he lockdown". And that was at a COVID testing.
Now top health officials in Beijing are pledging to reduce the impact of COVID restrictions though they're defending the zero COVID policy calling on the government to respond to quote, reasonable demand of the masses."
In the meantime, they'll focus on increasing COVID vaccination.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. FENG, SPOKESPERSON, CHINESE NATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION (through translator): We need to speed up the COVID 19 vaccination especially for the elderly. We hope that elderly could actively complete the vaccination as soon as possible to protect the health of themselves and their families.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: CNN's Ivan Watson now with more on the protests and the response from health officials.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: China's police state strikes back, flooding the streets of Beijing and Shanghai with police. An unmistakable show of force after a weekend of unprecedented protests in at least 15 cities across the country.
In the eastern city of Hangzhou Monday night, police arrest people in the central square and an eyewitness tells CNN, police searched people's phones on the Shanghai subway looking for apps that allow you to circumvent China's strict Internet censorship.
The Communist Party's domestic security committee ordering officials to resolutely strike hard against infiltration and sabotage activities by hospital forces as well as criminal activities that destabilize social order. No compromise for peaceful protesters to voice their opinion.
Meanwhile health officials striking a slightly softer tone, calling for shorter lockdowns in the Chinese government campaign to eradicate COVID-19.
CHENG YOUQUAN, CHINESE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (through translator): We need to minimize the inconvenience to the general public because of the anti COVID-19. As for the high risk regions, we must have rigorous control. But at the same time, we should spare no effort to provide services to meet people's basic living needs and medical needs.
A carrot and stick approach from different parts of the Chinese state after the biggest nationwide display of discontent, this title controlled country has seen in a generation.
Ivan Watson, CNN -- Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: We want to talk more about this with David Culver. He's a CNN correspondent. He was definitely our eyes and ears on the ground when the coronavirus first spoke in China and really for months and months afterwards.
He joins me now though from Los Angels. And David, so good to have your perspective on this.
You know, take us to what's going on with this crackdown on dissent right now. what other tactics are you hearing about and how do you experience when you've been living there before. I mean I cannot believe that they're actually taking people's cellphones and just trying to go through what they might be doing and having a good into them.
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And the sad thing is Paula, I can believe it. We experienced it. Either when we go on certain assignments and travel in. They would question what kind of video we had on our felon, sometimes they would ask us to delete it.
But to your point this is happening to every folks, not journalists on the ground there.
This is happening, the people are just sitting on the subway. People as they're headed out on the street being pulled aside by police. And then they think in many ways, the police that is, that they can approach this as though you would in trying to purge a hard tribe that you simply go through the, photo album. You delete every piece of evidence as you see it.
You can see it right there on the streets of Shanghai. And then perhaps it's forever out of the psyche of the people there. Well, it doesn't really work that way. I mean these are lived experiences that are ingrained on the minds of many in Shanghai and across the country right now because this is going well beyond just the financial hub.
[01:44:48]
CULVER: We know that this is playing out in cities like Hangzhou in Beijing. And it's something that really speaks to I think the overall urgency of the matter because people have been trying to share even amongst each other what's going on and that obviously has gotten yourself in trouble because it's linked to their colleagues that make them ultimately find where those individuals to so the question going forward will be how long they can continue this campaign to try their plate, as the technological evidence.
NEWTON: And beyond that purge though, they are still dealing at this hour with COVID, in terms of that the government response might look in the coming days. More of a capitulation, shall we say, to what people worse saying on the street?
I think what was so frustrating, never really kind of understood the endgame and all of it. And it seems to still be the case. Right?
As you look at the coming days, it is very likely that they are going to continue with the police presence. We've already started to see that. Our teams on the ground have reported that that they started to see just more and more police officers physically showing themselves.
Not to mention, you have the heavy surveillance infrastructure which is in place. So the cameras and the eyes that are always watching you.
But then what's interesting with China and how the government will handle certain things is that there are relief valves it seems. I saw this with for example Dr. Li Wen Young (ph) when he passed away. There was a rocking of what felt like potential toppling of the government even some would say, you know. It's not like there was an instability that was growing there.
And then it quieted down because it seemed in a strategic manner the government would allow certain valves to let off steam. Certain individuals and certain topics.
Now this is much more widespread than what we saw from Dr. Li Wen Young's passing. And it was certainly more widespread than what we saw with the original Shanghai lockdown in the spring. The one I lived through.
But it is something that no doubt is part of their strategy and playbook and something that they will put forward is to allow certain pockets to vent and then clamp down, and clamp down really hard.
NEWTON: Yes. And it's such an important point. I've learned from you, when you have said before that there are those release valves and that at times, you really see the government lean into those.
And yet I also want to ask you, what about Xi himself and how forcefully he has leaned into this zero COVID policy.
CULVER: Gosh, it is so personal for him, I mean this obviously goes all the way to the top or to the center as he would put it. Not only party being the core of humanity there but the center of the party, Xi Jinping himself.
And this is something that he has made a part of his really cornerstone campaign in entering this nearly unprecedented third term. And so he has stuck to it and state media has reiterated that it is scientific. That they stand by his approach in all of this.
And so to do a reverse course and kind of try to move away from zero COVID in any sort of immediate manner, seems highly unlikely. What we could see and this is what seems to be the more likely route, is that there will be some easing of certain restrictions in certain places.
And you're starting to see that be communicated in certain state media where they're saying for example in Beijing not to block buildings. They're saying not to lock down entire compounds like ours was. It's just one building for example has a positive case. So they are trying to show that there is perhaps an easing in some regards.
However Paula, one of the things that we know from Wuhan early on is that there will be a scapegoat in all of this. And it is likely going to be somebody at the local level or individuals at the local level who will be blamed for a lot of this.
And then the narrative will be manipulated onwards so that they can somehow feel like zero COVID is able to maintain itself and then eventually they'll have an off ramp when they feel like they can do so while still saving face.
NEWTON: Ok. We will leave it there for now David. But really good to get your perspective on a story that just continues day after day. Appreciate it.
CULVER: Sure.
NEWTON: Fans in England, oh the relief, celebrating their teams three nil win against Wales at the World Cup. England now stands at the top of Group B and will face off against Senegal on Sunday. Wales, they're heading home, ending their appearance at the tournament.
Now, more World Cup matches will kick off just in the coming hours here. Let's take a quick look. Group D plays first. France already clinched its spot in the next round. They play against Tunisia. And now the winner of Denmark in Australia meantime will likely advance to the knockout round.
Meantime, Group C, in short, it's a mess and still up for grabs. Argentina and Poland, led by Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski face off. Mexico and upstarts Saudi Arabia play in the other match.
[01:44:51]
NEWTON: But everyone, of course, still talking about the match between Iran and the United States.
CNN's Andy Scholes watched with a group of fans right here in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANDY SCHOLE, CNN WORLD SPORT: The party is on for Team USA. Fans here at (INAUDIBLE) in Atlanta after a huge win to move on to the round of 16. There were so many tense moments in this game.
The U.S., they tied Wales. Then they tied England. That was not going to cut it today. You had to beat Iran in order to move on.
And in the 38th minute, this place just went absolutely bonkers when Christian Pulisic came through with the huge goal to put in U.S. up 1 to 0.
And when they held on to win, this place again celebrated because the USA is moving on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was incredible. I thought we played the first half brilliantly. Towards the end, I was a little scared when we went defensive. But in the end it all worked out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So proud. So ready to go to the next round. I think we're going to kill it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The team is young, they are hungry, they don't stop. 90 minutes strong. We got through today, so happy. Unbelievable win for the USA. Let's go, baby all the way.
Netherlands, we are coming for you, baby.
SCHOLES: And as you can see, this win meaning so much for Team USA. They didn't make it to the World Cup last time around, so this celebration eight years in the making. Moving on to the round of 16 to play the Netherlands.
And the good news is we could do this all over again on Saturday.
In Atlanta, Andy Scholes -- CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Ok. Still ahead for us. Actor Will Smith opens up about the moment that he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars. And what drove him to do it. and the prince and princess of whales set for a And the and United States, prince and princes of Wales are set for a visit to the United States. What they plan to do while there in Boston. That's ahead.
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NEWTON: Kim Kardashian and Yes, formerly known as Kanye West have reached a divorce settlement nearly two years after filing to dissolve their marriage.
CNN obtained a draft of the agreement saying that Kardashian will get $200,000 a month in child support from her ex husband. The couple married in 2014. And share joint custody of their four children.
Kardashian was declared legally single in march ahead of an anti- Semitic tirade from Yales which cost him to love multiple yale which caused him to lose multiple brand partnerships.
Actor Will Smith is opening up about his infamous slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. Now, in a candid interview on Comedy Central for the "Daily Show" Smith expressed regret for happened and talk about the emotions he was feeling that night.
CNN'S Brian Todd has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Will Smith opening up about the Oscars incident for the first time in months.
WILL SMITH, ACTOR: I've been away. What have you all been doing?
TODD: Appearing on the "Daily Show" with Trevor Noah, his first late night interview since he slapped Chris Rock onstage in March.
[01:49:57]
SMITH: That was a horrific night as you can imagine. You know, there is many nuances and complexities to it, you know. But at the end of the day I just lost it.
TODD: Smith did not apologize for the slap as he did in the days immediately following the incident. But did express regret.
SMITH: That's not who I want to be.
I guess the thing that was most painful for me is I took my heart and made it hard for other people. You know? It's like, I understood the idea when they say hurt people hurt people.
TODD: Yes.
Smith explained the emotions and painful family history that had been simmering until that moment.
SMITH: You know, that was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time. It was a lot of things and it was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother, you know. All of that just bubbled up in that moment.
Smith recounted talking to his nine year old nephew later that night after the Oscars.
SMITH: Why did you hit that man Uncle Will? You know.
Why are you trying to Oprah me?
TODD: Smith says he is now concerned about the team that produced his new movie, "Emancipation".
I just hope that their work will be honored and their work will not be tainted based on you know, a horrific decision on my part.
TODD: But will the slap heard round the world overshadow Smith's body of work.
NISCHELLE TURNER, TELEVISION HOST: There is going to be, you know, a faction of people who just don't forgive him
But I think over all I think he majority of movie growers and I think the majority of the Sands will come back. We reached out to Chris Rocks' representative to see if Rock had any comment on Will Smith's interview with "Daily Show."
Rocks' camp didn't respond.
TODD: Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Prince William and his wife Catherine are heading to the United States. It will be their first visit to the States since becoming Prince and Princess of Wales. The royal couple will be traveling to Boston. Their primary focus will be awarding the Earth Shot Prize, which was founded by William in an effort to aid climate entrepreneurs.
But there will be other stops on the agenda, including a visit to a climate tech start-up, and the John F. Kennedy presidential library and museum.
Their visit comes just days before the release of a docuseries on Netflix from William's brother, Prince Harry. And weeks before the release the Duke of Sussex's memoirs in early January.
Still ahead for us, an emotional reunion 51 years in the making.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just could not believe it. I thought I would never see her again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: How a family finally found their daughter after a decades long search.
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NEWTON: Hawaii's governor has signed an emergency proclamation due to the eruption of the Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, which is spewing lava for the first time in almost 40 years. And the proclamation lets the government issue alerts and order evacuations when necessary. Four fissures in fact, have opened on Mauna Loa.
[01:54:46]
NEWTON: Now to an emotional reunion, more than five decades in the making. A family in Texas has now been reunited with their daughter who was allegedly kidnapped by her babysitter in 1971 when she was just a year old. CNN's Ed Lavandera has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Moments before Melissa Highsmith reunited with her parents, you could see the emotional excitement overwhelming her.
Highsmith's mother and father waited 51 years for this embrace.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just could not believe it. I thought I would never see her again.
JEFFRIE HIGHSMITH, FATHER: And they said Dad, she's alive. And I started crying. And after 51 years, it is so emotional.
LAVANDERA: Back in the early 1970s, Melissa Highsmith was 22 months old, her parents were separated at the time. Her mother, Alta (ph) put an ad in the newspaper looking for a babysitter to care for Melissa so she could work. Alta's roommate at the time handed off Melissa to the babysitter on the morning of August 23rd, 1971. The woman and Melissa never returned.
Melissa's disappearance made headlines in her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. Alta wrote an open letter asking the kidnapper to call her.
"I am begging you again for the return of my little girl. I've been going out of my mind with worry." The call never came.
But DNA testing did, decades later. Melissa's family submitted their DNA to 23andme and got the result a few weeks ago, with a match to one of Melissa's own children. The now 53-year-old confronted the woman she spent nearly her whole life believing was her own mother.
MELISSA HIGHSMITH, KIDNAPPED BY BABYSITTER: I asked her, is there anything that you need to tell me? And it was confirmed that she knew that I was Baby Melissa. So that just made it real.
LAVANDERA: Since the Highsmith family's reunion over Thanksgiving, Melissa has started reconnecting with her parents over old baby photos.
M. HIGHSMITH: It is good to see what I looked like when I was a baby.
LAVANDERA: And is meeting three sisters and a brother she never knew she had.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome back, sister, welcome to the family.
M. HIGHSMITH: My heart right now is just full and bursting with so much emotion.
LAVANDERA: It is unimaginable emotion. In an instant, Melissa's Highsmith's world changed. She had no idea her family had spent decades searching for her.
M. HIGHSMITH: It is overwhelming, but at the same time it is the most wonderful feeling in the world.
LAVANDERA: The Highsmith family says it is undergoing official DNA testing to fully confirm the biological connection. Meanwhile, the Fort Worth Police Department says it will investigate Melissa Highsmith kidnapping, but criminal charges are not likely. The statute of limitations expired on this case when Melissa was 38 years old.
Ed Lavandera, CNN -- Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And I want to thank you for watching. I am Paula Newton.
CNN NEWSROOM returns with Rosemary Church after a quick break.
[01:58:03]
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