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CNN International: China Changes Anti-COVID Policies On A National Level; Democrat Warnock Beats Republicans Walker In Georgia Runoff; With Warnock Win, Democrats Secure 51-49 Majority; Officials: Kherson And Russian-Occupied Donetsk Under Shelling; Germany Arrests 25 Suspected In Plot To Overthrow Government; Is This The End Of The Road For Cristiano Ronaldo?; CNN Witnesses Prisoner Swap Between Ukrainians & Russians; Zelenskyy Names Time's Person Of The Year. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired December 07, 2022 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Is this the end of the road for Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo as he watches the action from the sidelines? We'll explore what's next for the football superstar.

Three years into the pandemic, China is making sweeping changes to its strict coronavirus rules, largely backing away from its zero-COVID policies. Beijing says it's simply keeping pace with the times. Amongst the changes infected people with mild or no symptoms will now be allowed to quarantine at home. And people traveling from one region to another within the country won't need to be tested. Several cities had already begun to relax COVID rules. All of these following one of the biggest displays of public dissent since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012.

Ivan Watson tracking the changes from Hong Kong. Can we say now that zero-COVID is over, Ivan?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's not what the Chinese government is saying. They certainly -- they're not talking about zero-COVID right now, but they are talking about substantive changes and reducing the immense pressure that they have been putting on the Chinese people for months now.

You went through a list of some of these changes, for example, allowing asymptomatic COVID patients and patients with mild symptoms to quarantine at home instead of being locked up in these vast quarantine camps where there have been reports of terrible conditions, terrible sanitary conditions as well.

Take a listen to what more a senior official -- health official had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MI FENG, SPOKESPERSON, CHINA'S NATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION (through translation): Outside nursing homes, welfare homes, medical institutions, childcare institutions, primary and secondary schools and other special places, proof of negative nucleic acid results, health codes and travel codes will no longer be required. There will also be no more checks on people who move across regions. People will no longer be required to carry out COVID testing upon arrival at another city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now just to bring home what a big deal that is, I was speaking to a friend in Shanghai, who -- and asking about this cross regional travel, and she didn't know about this development and means that she'll be able to see her parents for the first time in months who live in another province. That has been very difficult, just travel around the country for months now.

So it gives you a sense of some of the burdens that people have been living under. Some of the reactions have been, well, there's some euphoria that you're seeing online. There is also some apprehension because the Chinese state media has been warning of the dangers of COVID-19 for months now saying it's this terrible, terrible thing.

So there is some anxiety from some people in China that, oh, now we could get it and this could be really dangerous. There's a run on over-the-counter medicines, for example, at some pharmacies right now. One of the rules that was presented was that pharmacies have to be able to sell things like cold and fever medicine, anti inflammatories, those were restricted under the previous harsh COVID rules. Now they should be sold easily.

As much as there is excitement, I think for some people and hopes that this could start to lift a moribund economy where you have high unemployment among the youth in China, there are also some realities coming. And that is that the Chinese population experts say, has very low immunity to COVID. And Omicron is spreading right now.

And one of the biggest concerns is that China has high vaccination rates, but very low vaccination rates among the elderly. For instance, only about 23 percent of Chinese citizens over the age of 80 are fully vaccinated. That's roughly 8.4 million very vulnerable, unvaccinated people.

And when you're talking about a country of 1.4 billion people, if there is a big wave of COVID cases, you could potentially see some epidemiologists are warning, some high numbers of deaths and real pressure on the health care systems. That is the other side potentially, of this coin as China starts to at last loosen up. Max?

FOSTER: Ivan, thank you.

Now voters in the U.S. state of Georgia just delivered Democrats a true majority in the U.S. Senate starting in January.

On Tuesday night, incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock beats Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a critical runoff race. It was the final chapter in what have been very disappointing midterm elections for Republicans. Warnock's win gives Senate Democrats an important edge in two more seats than Republicans. He told supporters his victory was about democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[08:05:07]

RAPHAEL WARNOCK, U.S. SENATE DEMOCRAT: It is my honor to out of the four most powerful words ever spoken in a democracy. The people have spoken.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let's bring in CNN Washington Correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty. Thank you so much for joining us. Just explain what this means they're not just to Georgia, but to the whole U.S.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Max. This is hugely consequential most notably, for Democrats on Capitol Hill. They are waking up this morning with essentially a little more breathing room. This is going to make a very real difference for them on Capitol Hill.

In the Senate, we saw their numbers go from a majority at 50-50, tie there with Vice President Kamala Harris been able to break the votes. So essentially 51 to 50. Now they're gaining up of seat, they're picking a seat, and that's just so much more valuable to them. Now, they have 51-49 majority. And that essentially gives them what many Democrats here are referring to as a cushion. They have a lot more leverage, a lot more breathing room going into this upcoming congressional session.

Now, how does that play out on the Hill in practical speaking? It plays out by them being able to fast track legislation by Democrats being able to get through the President's nominees and judges much quicker and it essentially takes away the power for one lone person, one lone senator to stand in the way of blocking legislation, and that essentially will make for Democrats it much easier.

And this also gives potentially Vice President Kamala Harris a little more time in her hands. She, over the last few years, has been coming up to Capitol Hill to cast those type breaking notes that Democrats needed for a lot of votes. So she likely will be freed up of that job. Although, we expect to see her occasionally up on Capitol Hill and put simply one Democrat close to the White House.

Wrapping up last night's election victory said it means a lot, it certainly means a lot for Democrats ability to get their legislation through. So the White House certainly celebrating, Biden calling Warnock last night to congratulate him and we will hear in just a matter of a few hours on Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaking out about the election results, Max, of course, with his cushion of a victory and newfound majority in the Senate.

FOSTER: Is this confirmation that this just wasn't a good run for the Republicans and that Donald Trump's authority in the party isn't what it once was?

SERFATY: Absolutely, that is exactly what the conversation has already shifted to in Washington today. A lot of Republicans essentially Monday morning quarterbacking saying we have to look at the quality of the candidates here. They look at the results from Georgia and every down ballot. Republican won, but -- excuse me, but that was not something that they were able to lock up in the Senate seat with Herschel Walker.

And that was, of course, a person who had a very close relationship with former President Donald Trump. That was his candidate that he put forward, much to the chagrin of many Republicans in the national party. And so I think they're going to be looking at it and say, we have to find quality candidates and again, it's one more candidate that Trump backed in midterms that lost. Max?

FOSTER: Sunlen Serfaty, thank you so much for your insight.

Now, just hours before Donald Trump's hand-picked candidate lost in that Georgia runoff, the Manhattan jury found two Trump Organization companies guilty on multiple charges of criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records, all part of what prosecutors called a 15- year scheme to avoid paying certain taxes. Mr. Trump and his family weren't charged in the case but the Trump organization could face a maximum fine of around $1.6 million. Trump organization attorneys say they will appeal.

Ukraine says Russia is resorting to cheap methods by using Iranian native drones. It comes as a Ukrainian military says it shut down 14 of those attack drones overnight. Meanwhile, there are reports the southern and eastern areas of the country including Russian-occupied Donetsk are under heavy shelling. The regional military official in Kherson says two civilians were killed. And a local official says the Zaporizhzhia region was hit with drones and missiles, injuring three people including a 15-year-old girl.

CNN's Will Ripley joins us now live in Kyiv with more on the drone part of this story. Will?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, drones are proving to be a really valuable tool in the arsenal of both the Russians and the Ukrainians, even though the Ukrainians are not publicly claiming responsibility for drone attacks inside Russian territory, including one at a strategic airbase just 500 miles from Moscow, their most brazen attack inside the country yet.

There is no doubt on the ground here in Kyiv that the Ukrainian combat drone program is developing. And in fact, U.S. officials are acknowledging that fact saying that the Ukrainians have been incredibly innovative in their development of these drones, even though the United States is not enabling or condoning this type of attack inside Russia.

[08:10:17]

In fact, frankly, sources say it makes the U.S. and its allies nervous because they don't want to see this conflict blow up more than it already has. They want to contain it. They want the Ukrainians to have the weapons that they need to push the Russians out of this country so that this war will come to an end.

Russians are also using drones not necessarily domestically produced, but in many cases, as you mentioned, Max, these Iranian drones. In fact, Russia is believed to have run out of their supply of Iranian attack drones. This is according to a Western official speaking to CNN, who also says that the Russians are anticipating a resupply of these drones which essentially fly to their target and kind of a kamikaze style attack. They blow up and they hit the target and cause, in many cases, very significant damage.

Meanwhile, the fighting on the frontlines continues. Russian-backed officials are claiming that at least four people are dead and 19 injured after the third day of Ukrainian shelling into Donetsk. CNN cannot independently verify this. But, of course, we know that not only from the Ukrainian side, but shelling from the Russian side has been happening for days now. And civilians are often caught up in the crossfire.

There were a number of civilian, apartment buildings and homes either damaged or destroyed. You're talking about 21 just in the latest round of shelling, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Will Ripley in Kyiv, thank you.

Later in the program, we'll have a report from the border between Russia and Ukraine where CNN spoke to Ukrainian soldiers who've just been released by Russia in a prisoner swap. That's coming up in about 15 minutes from now.

Now Germany has arrested 25 members and supporters of a far-right group suspected of plotting to overthrow the government. Police stage raids across the country Wednesday in what German media described as one of the country's largest actions against extremists. Prosecutors say members of the group called Reich Citizens movement, followed conspiracy myths, and QAnon ideology.

Let's bring in CNN's Nic Robertson for more on this developing story. He joins us from London. This was an attempted coup essentially.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It certainly seems to be that way. And the German authorities are still looking for another 27 members or associates or supporters of this group. The Interior Minister today said that more than 3,000 police were involved in what he called a dangerous operation, a dangerous mission across 11 different states within the country.

So the way that it's understood at the leadership level in Germany, this is a violent group ready for violent action. And if you look at the way even some of the forensic investigators in some of the video we have where arrest took place in Berlin, they're wearing flak jackets over their forensic suits.

And I think that certainly gives you the impression there that this could have been a violent takedown of the 25 that they've taken into custody already, 22 of them, I believe, to be members of this group. Three of them, I believe to be supporters of this group.

The Interior Minister described the group as having violent fantasies, and, you know, conspiracy ideologies. The way that it's been framed is very much like QAnon but in essence, this group Reichsburger is the German word for it, if you will, believe that the German state is illegitimate, and it appears as if they had an intent to overthrow it.

Now the investigations will reveal how close they were to trying to perpetrate any potential acts towards a violent coup. But at the moment, as you say, Max, this is being seen as the largest in recent history, scale operation of this type. 27 though, still members or associates of those groups that apparently on the run as best we know.

FOSTER: OK, Nic, thank you very much indeed for that.

Now, Cristiano Ronaldo is without doubt one of the biggest stars in football, but is he start fading? We'll take you to the World Cup in Doha for that story.

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[08:17:01]

FOSTER: Welcome back. Is this the end of the road for Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo? His team beat Switzerland in an astonishing 6-1 victory at the Qatar World Cup on Tuesday, but that wasn't down to the football superstar. He was dropped from the starting lineup, and in his place, a new Portuguese star was born. Let's take a closer look.

First of all, normally the attention ahead of the match is on the pitch. Here it is. All the cameras around Cristiani Ronaldo on the bench there singing the national anthem from the sidelines. Now, after that, there was a hattrick, an incredible hattrick from the guy that replaced him. He is Goncalo Ramos and he became an absolute superstar as a result.

As you can see from the newspapers, he is the big figure there. You have to try and find Cristiano Ronaldo mentioned from there, mentioned in a small image of him over there. It's completely unheard of in Portuguese football coverage and indeed World Football coverage.

Let's bring in World Sport's Alex Thomas for more on all of these, because it was an incredibly bold move by the manager to replace Ronaldo, but it paid off.

ALEX THOMAS, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, Fernando Santos is a veteran coach who's known Ronaldo pretty much his entire football career since coming into the limelight as a youngster at Sporting Lisbon, where he was spotted by Manchester United and Alex Ferguson, and went on to become a superstar at round Madrid. You've a second spell at United that went horribly wrong.

We've seen the full circle of Ronaldo's career now being dropped from an international game for the first time since 2004, Max. And the revelation was not only Goncalo Ramos, the youngster who came on and scored the first hattrick in the knockout stage of a World Cup since 1990. And the first time Portugal had scored more than two goals in any knockout match since 1966.

But it was also what it told us about Ronaldo's career, that extraordinary still image you showed us a few moments ago. Of all the photographers gathered around him as he wore the yellow babe of those substitutes on the bench waiting to come on. He didn't get on the pitch later, but didn't have much impact. The match already won.

And in such incredible style 6-1, not just a thumping of Switzerland when in recent gains between the two countries that had been quite close, but also suddenly completely reinventing how we view Portugal's chances of actually winning the World Cup. Here we are two and a half weeks in, Max. And after 32 teams started the events, we're down to just eight. The quarterfinals set to get underway this weekend.

FOSTER: It was expected to be his last World Cup, wasn't it? Is this, you know, are we going to see him often in the rest of the World Cup, and what happens to him after?

THOMAS: I mean, never say never. He's 37 and in incredible shape, and he keeps himself so fit and so well-conditioned. It's hard to tell when the end of his career might come. But we know that he's already left Manchester United after his club career went rapidly downhill this season. His returned to the club nowhere near as glorious as his first spell at Manchester United.

[08:20:03]

And now when he sees this youngster score this wonderful hattrick and all the headlines taken away, he could do one or two things, he could soak, or he could continue as an inspirational captain behind the scenes really leading, becoming a cheerleader for his teammates as they try and lift the trophy at Qatar, and then think about where he goes from there.

FOSTER: And what about Ramos? I mean, it's a huge spotlight he's now under, arguably the best game, wasn't it, over the entire tournament so far. He's the star of it.

THOMAS: Yes, an overnight sensation. I mean, not dissimilar to England football fans. Remember how Jimmy Greaves was the star of that England team going into their only World Cup triumph back in 1966. And ended up someone called Geoff Hurst, who's now saw (ph) Geoff Hurst in this country who scored a hattrick in the final.

So, you know, superstars can be made overnight at a World Cup and suddenly be hugely in demand. And as a lot of them have come out of Qatar 2022. The actual on the pitch getting so exciting now, Max, that actually some of those controversies that leaked into the tournaments are now starting to fade away.

FOSTER: Yes, it's been handled well, hasn't it, the actual football and that's what everyone's kind of agreed on at this point. Alex, thank you very much indeed. Now Morocco made history of the World Cup. As the first Arab nation to make the quarterfinals in the World Cup. Their fans, you can see, absolutely ecstatic and lots of them as well over there. This comes after they beat Spain in the round of 16. It was a scoreless tie but Morocco won on penalties on Saturday. They will take on Portugal.

I will be covering all the action coming up in about two -- well after the show on World Sports. Now coming up, Time magazine has revealed its 2022 Person of the Year. We'll tell you who Time thinks had the greatest impact on global events after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: More than nine months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there is some good news amid all the fighting. Dozens of soldiers on both sides are going home and CNN was there when it happened. Will Ripley has this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY (voice-over): At an undisclosed location near the Russian border, two buses arrive with 60 Ukrainian soldiers. Prisoners of War just released in a POW swap with Russia. Two women, 58 men, their first minutes of freedom.

This marine tells me about his four-year-old daughter. It's so emotional, he says. I can't wait to tell her I love her and that I've missed her so much. Some are parents, others, grandparents, most, defenders of Mariupol, the southern Ukrainian port city that fell to the Russians in May.

All of us from Mariupol worry so much, he says. We lost the city. We couldn't fight them off. We don't know how people will react to us.

They'll get a hero's welcome, of course. As we go inside, they each get a cell phone. The first time they've called their families in months.

[08:25:01]

How's mom, how's dad, he asks. Are they alive? Their bodies bear the scars of months of captivity.

We didn't have any medical treatment, he says. It's been eight days since he's had a shower.

(on-camera): A lot of these guys have physical injuries, scars, but the emotional scars, the mental scars from this kind of hellish ordeal are going to take even longer to heal.

(voice-over): One of the two rescued women, a radio intelligence operator, describes months of psychological torture, lies that half of Ukraine was now part of Russia, brainwashing, forced to read Russian poetry, sing Russian songs, pledge loyalty to Mother Russia.

I wondered when will this be over, she says. (on-camera): And now you're here.

(voice-over): Sorry for my tears.

For this former POW, there are no tears left. Her six-year-old daughter is still in occupied Mariupol. She has no way to contact her or her husband, a sailor. They surrendered on the same day.

(on-camera): How does it feel to be out and know that your husband still there, still in Russia?

I worry so much about him, she says. They torture men much more than women. She's not ready to talk about how she was physically treated. She like everyone here just wants to see family, wants to go home. For most, from devastated and occupied Mariupol, going home is not an option.

Will Ripley CNN, near the Russian-Ukrainian border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Time Magazine has named its 2022 Person of the Year and it has chosen Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the spirit of Ukraine. Magazine is recognizing his leadership during the war with Russia and the resiliency Ukraine has shown. Now the announcement was made on Twitter with a picture of the front cover as you can see.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London. World Sport with Alex Thomas is up next.

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