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CNN International: Ukraine's Energy Company: "Significant Power Deficit" in the Grid; American Paul Whelan still Imprisoned in Russia; China Bracing for Rising COVID cases as it Relaxes Rules; Lockerbie Bombing Suspect: How did the U.S. get him; Bees in Danger after Hurricane Ian Destroyed Countless Hives. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired December 12, 2022 - 08:00   ET

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

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MAX FOSTER, CNNI HOST: Hello and welcome to CNN "Newsroom", I'm Max Foster in London. Just ahead, in Ukraine, many battling bitter cold or significant power outages are reported with live in Kyiv this hour. Also ahead the alleged bomb maker and the Lockerbie terror attack is now in U.S. custody. So how did they chuck him down more than three decades later? Plus, the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and the impact on Florida's e population what it could mean for our global food supply.

In Ukraine heavy artillery fire is being reported in the region that sits across the river from the Russian occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plants. A country's Defense Minister, meanwhile, says rain is restricting movement along the front lines but he vows Ukraine's counter offensive will resume once the ground freezes. Millions of people nationwide remain without power in the sub-zero temperatures.

Following further Russian strikes on energy infrastructure over the weekend. Ukraine's grid operator reports a "Significant Power Deficit". WNBA star Brittney Griner had a light basketball workout in Texas on Sunday and is doing really well her agent told ESPN but she's unsure of how to return to professional basketball. There's just days after Griner was released from a Russian prison in exchange for convicted arms dealer.

Griner is now recuperating at a medical facility in Texas. A U.S. official seen here with Griner says on the plane ride home Griner seemed healthy and full of energy. She was talkative, and he described her as intelligent, compassionate, humble and patriotic.

Griner's agent says the 32-year old may issue a statement sometime this week. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has been on the story from the start. He joins us now from Berlin. Fred, we're learning a bit more about a prisoner in German custody, that the Russians wanted to exchange with Paul Whelan. This is all linked up as Fred; just put it into context for us.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's absolutely linked up and it really is very complicated as well. Apparently, the U.S. obviously from the very get-go wanted both Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner released in the U.S. Senate they had put a substantial offer on the table. However, the spokesman for the National Security Council in the U.S. now says that the Russians wanted a man who's in German custody. His name is Vadim Crossett.

He's known here as the tear garden killer and that, of course, is something that the U.S. simply cannot fulfill. Now, the tear garden killer is someone who killed a man here in central Berlin. Someone who was not welcomed by the Russian security services a man who is a Georgian but had fought against Russia, in the Chechen wars.

And so the verdict in this case came to the conclusion that the murder was actually orchestrated by Russian intelligence services. This was in 2019, and two Russian diplomats were actually expelled by the Germans, because of this.

Now, we've learned in the past Max, from German sources, that there had been some inquiries made by the U.S. about by the Crossett, but it was never seen as something that was really a serious offer or a serious demand by the Russians, even that as well. And it certainly wasn't discussed on the top levels of the German government, but it does seem as though in the end.

That is what the Russian seem to have been demanding, and certainly not something that us believes that it can fulfill and we have heard from the National Security Council from John Kirby, with the spokesman for the National Security Council that the U.S. at some point came to the realization that Paul Whelan's case was treated completely different than that of Brittney Griner because of those espionage charges for which he was convicted for which he's serving time right now. In a place outside of Moscow and Mordovia, which is a very tough penal colony that is out there?

That the Russians were simply treating this completely different than Brittney Griner's case and then apparently made that demand for a spy who's serving a life sentence here in Germany for a convicted murderer who's serving a life sentence here in Germany. And that is simply something that the U.S. says it cannot and could never fulfill.

So the U.S. obviously saying it still wants to try and get Paul Whelan out. They say that they're further along or they know more about what the Russian demands are, but it certainly seems as though. This convicted killer who's in jail here in Germany seems to be a non- starter for now.

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FOSTER: OK, Fred, thank you. More now, our top story Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the Odessa region is one of the areas most impacted by the power outages right now. CNN's Will Ripley joins us live from the capital Kyiv and he's been speaking well to the Defense Minister.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Actually, we spoke to him in Odessa. We've just going to back within the last couple of hours, Max. And Oleksii Reznikov, the Defense Minister says that these strikes by kamikaze drones, the self-detonating Iran made drones are really wreaking havoc across the country. They plunged more than 1.5 million people into darkness, much of the Odessa region.

Except for critical infrastructure was in the dark on Saturday, they got the power back up and running for all but several 100,000 by Sunday, but still people are living with regular rolling blackouts across the country, even here in the capital Kyiv. And so I started by asking the Defense Minister, what they plan to do about this?

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RIPLEY (on camera): What's your best strategy to defend against these kamikaze drone attacks from Russia?

OLEKSII REZNIKOV, UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: Every day, we are trying to find the best solutions. They are targeting our infrastructure. They trying to ruin our energy supply, water supply, heat supply systems, because they cannot to have a success against armed forces of Ukraine. They try to fight in with the civilian population. That's why they trying to stop the energy or water to the houses, especially during this winter time.

RIPLEY (on camera): Have you been given an explanation why the patriot missile defense systems have not arrived yet?

REZNIKOV: It's a long discussion with our partners because it's a very sophisticated and expensive system. Today we have more than eight different systems and we got hammers and we have M 270. We have Mars we have LRU from France. So I think that patriot also will be in our battlefield but in the next stage.

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RIPLEY: Very interesting, Max that he is confident patriots will be here in Ukraine in what he calls the next stage. A stage that will likely involve Ukrainian counter offensive they're saying even though temperatures are plunging and the ground is starting to freeze over that will actually help because they can get heavy equipment moving around much faster once the ground is completely frozen over.

There was a new package of defense a just approved by the United States. In fact, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the U.S. President Joe Biden had a phone call where they talked about this package some $275 million, which is really a drop in the bucket when you look at the tens of billions in military aid. The United States has given Ukraine on the list including ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket systems.

There's artillery rounds, unmanned aerial defense systems, counter air defense capability, ambulances, medical equipment, generators, field equipment, but not on that list patriots. Also not on the list these controversial cluster munitions warheads that the Ukrainians have been asking for. Max, raising a lot of questions about whether that's the right weapon in the year almost 2023 given the high chance for civilian casualties when you use those cluster bombs. Of course, Russia has been dropping them a lot in this war.

FOSTER: OK, Will Ripley thanks for bringing that to us from Kyiv. This just in CNN will only a hotel in Kabul has just come under attack with civilians inside please see security forces are on the scene and an operation to clear the area is underway. Smoke was seen rising from the London hotel after blasts and gunfire were heard. According to a tweet from a Taliban spokesman is now over and all hotel guests were evacuated safely. He says three attackers were killed.

A top Chinese health official is warning that the COVID-19, Omicron variant is spreading quickly in the country. That's despite a recent decline in official case counts. The caution comes just as China's dismantling large parts of his repressive zero COVID policy. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has more from Hong Kong.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Residents across China are bracing for a surging cases as the country and wines from its tough, zero COVID policy. In Beijing many businesses are closed. Restaurants that are open or deserted and some of the biggest crowds seen have been outside pharmacies and COVID-19 testing booths.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's better to just protect yourselves, cover you and don't let the elderly go out too much that's all.

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STOUT: Residents are wary of an exit wave of a flare up in infection. One factor here is China's low vaccination rate, especially among the elderly for the most at risk over 80 age group. Only 40 percent have received booster shots as of December 1.

That's according to official data and another factor just not enough medical capacity in China. Look while the U.S. has at least 25 critical care beds per 100,000 people. That's according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation development. China has fewer than four for the same number.

Last Wednesday, China dropped most of its strict zero COVID curves following protests against the hardline policy. Mass testing has been rolled back and some people are allowed to quarantine at home.

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STOUT: And today China announced that it will eliminate one of its digital track and trace services. Now other systems so including its health QR code remain in place. China slowly let's go over its tough pandemic policy. One of its top disease experts is warning of a surge in cases.

In an interview with a state run Xinhua news agency at the weekend, Zhong Nanshan called for an intensified COVID-19 booster drive, especially as China's Spring Festival travel season nears he says this, "Preparations need to be beefed up. I suggest those planning to travel back home, get a booster shot so that even with COVID 19 infection they don't become seriously ill".

A drone that it that Omicron fatality rate is in line with the flu, effectively downplaying the risks of COVID-19 as restrictions slowly ease across China. Kristie Lu Stout CNN, Hong Kong.

FOSTER: Iran is executed a second person who was involved in the recent anti-government protests there. Iranian media reports Majidreza Rahnavard was hanged in public after he was convicted of killing two security officers with a knife. Four people were reported wounded in the attack last month.

Another protester from the 2022 demonstrations was hanged on Thursday. Amnesty International believes at least 17 Other Iranians could face execution in connection with the nationwide protests. Salma Abdulaziz following the story from London, and joins us now. Very public executions, this was a message as much as anything else.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Max, in the early hours of this morning, Iran hanged this protester. The second protester that we know of that has faced execution since the start of this popular uprising in September that hanging taking place in the Northeastern City of Mashhad. As you mentioned, this was public so potentially residents of that city could have seen the body of Majidreza Rahnavard this morning hanging after that public execution.

Now, as you mentioned, so my official news agency say that he was convicted of waging war against God. The allegation against him by Iran's authorities is that he stabbed to death two members of the Security Forces and wounded four others on November 17. Now I'm pointing out the date Max, because I want you to do the math with me here.

On November 17, according to Iranian authorities, this incident takes place less than a month later. He is hung publicly facing an execution and that's exactly what rights groups are going to point to. They're going to say these are speedy sham trials with very little due process. They are unfair, they are unjust, and they are simply just another tactic by Iran's government to silence dissent.

In fact, many demonstrators many protesters today already heralding this man as a hero as a sign of the bravery of those who've been taking out to the streets for almost three months now. Amnesty International in particular has been tracking these executions. They say Iran is pursuing the death penalty and 17 other cases 17 other individuals. Amnesty saying these are simply sham trials, just a tool of repression from Tehran.

FOSTER: Salma, thank you. Now it will not be a happy holiday for the U.S. Congress if they do not spend or get our spending bill passed by the end of the week. That's when the current funding expires and the government shuts down.

The White House is ramping up the pressure on lawmakers to get it done. The bill affects everything from pandemic funding to additional money for Ukraine and disaster relief funds. Lawmakers could pass a short term extension to avoid a shutdown though.

The World Cup pictures silent today but the semi-final matches are about to begin. Croatia gearing up to end Lionel Messi and Argentina's World Cup dreams Messi is trying to reach his first final since 2014. But Croatia is a tough competitor. They were the 2018 runners up.

Meanwhile, some cryptic comments from Cristiano Ronaldo about his future after the Portuguese team exited the tournament. The current free agents put on social media. The dream was beautiful whilst it lasted. Does that mean he's out now?

Well, there's much more to come this hour on the Qatar World Cup. CNN's "World Sport" will be live in about 15 minutes from now still to come on this program.

It is the deadliest terror attack on U.K. soil 1988 downing of a plane over Lockerbie in Scotland. Now the U.S. has a suspect in custody. But who is he and how did the Americans get him? We'll take a closer look next.

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FOSTER: Welcome back, now how did the U.S. Scottish town Lockerbie bombing suspects almost 34 years after the attack. A Libyan man is in U.S. custody accused of building the bomb that destroyed a passenger plane over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988. This was the scene as if you need reminding everyone on the plane died and many people on the ground as well.

And this is the suspect the last time we saw him was in Libya behind bars. We don't know quite how he got transferred into U.S. hands at the moment. But Lockerbie was the deadliest terror attack ever in the U.K. 270 people were killed.

A decades of painstaking detective work has been done ever since then, to try to get to this point to find a second suspect that has been suspect to start trial already. Nic Robertson was on duty when the story broke. He's still covering it now. Nic, just take us through the incredible friends at work that got us to this point.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well the forensic work was remarkable because the debris field was over about 845 square miles and in the depths of winter on the Scottish Borders straddling Scotland into England.

It was a tiny fragment of circuit board embedded in a piece of clothing that had been surrounding the Toshiba cassette radio player in which the explosives the bomb, the trigger that detonated the bomb were hiding in. And it was the discovery of that fragment in that clothing that kind of led back to these Libyan intelligence agents.

And interestingly, with this current suspect who's now in U.S. custody, the first suspect in this to be in U.S. custody Abu Agila Mohammad Masoud Kheir Al-Marimi. He goes by the court documents now by the name of Masoud. He was a Libyan Intelligence Agent for almost 40 years was responsible for bomb making, was detained in 2012, and questioned by Libyan law enforcement.

During that questioning, he said that he had provided the bomb and set the timer on it for 11 hours. That's what he said he was told to do. Eventually this information became the FBI got to know about it. And that's sort of the train of events here, Max.

FOSTER: Is some sort of deals gone down there hasn't it for them to receive them into their custody?

ROBERTSON: Yes, it looks like that. So yes, 2012 he gives this statement admitting some guilt here. What level of guilt not clear, but admitting guilt in and placing the bomb, making the bomb he was apparently the intelligence services top bomb maker?

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ROBERTSON: And he gives that statement in 2012, 2017 in the FBI get to know about it. 2020, the FBI get to interview the law enforcement officer who took that statement from Masoud. And he was asked; would he come and provide evidence in a trial of Masoud?

And he said, yes, if the Libyan government allows me. So it does appear that this has progressed forward and we don't know the details of it, but it does appear that it's progressed forward with the assistance of the Libyan government, because if this key witness, the law enforcement officer who took the testimony is to appear and make the case.

It is with the support of the Libyan government, so possibly the transfer of Masoud again with the support of the Libyan government, because he was in their custody but there's so many of the details here, Max. We're going to learn and of course, that's what's important for the family.

That McGraw he the other person who was convicted, went to jail release because he was dying of cancer, took his knowledge to the grave with him and there's a hope for the family, that there are details that Masoud will lay out that haven't been heard before. It's not clear that's going to happen of course, when he gets to court and is defending his alleged guilt.

FOSTER: OK, Nic, thank you. Now they pollinate our crops produce honey, and they play a critical role in our ecosystem. CNN's Bill Weir shows us how bees in Florida have been severely affected by hurricane Ian and what's being done to save them.

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FOSTER: Beekeepers are struggling to recover months after hurricane Ian rip through Central Florida. Thousands of bee colonies used to pollinate U.S. agriculture were destroyed in that storm, as Bill Weir reports.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now you going to get an - for bees.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WEIR (on camera): OK.

WEIR (voice over): I'm not usually in the habit of accepting a handful of stinging insects. But bee counsel has a 40-year professional relationship with honeybees.

WEIR (on camera): And you never rarely wear a veil or gloves or anything?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't really need to.

WEIR (voice over): And these days, they need all the love they can get. Hurricane Ian arrived at the worst possible time for this business. Just as beekeepers from around the country were set up to catch the autumn bloom of the Brazilian peppertree the storm down and crushed hundreds of thousands of hives killing countless millions of bees.

JEREMY HAM, OWNER/BEEKEEPER, OLD FLORIDA BEES: You have to come back right nothing left.

WEIR (on camera): You could actually see a water line where it came up to here.

WEIR (voice over): And because Ian blew away so much vegetation. Those that survived are starving.

HAM: Some of these bees have going to get three shots of feed and that's a gallon. So you're talking about 36 pounds of feed already and you can still go back after they suck the feed down and it looks like they never were fed at all.

WEIR (on camera): They're just starving.

HAM: They're just starving. Yes, it's nonstop. So it's just an added cost and you're just trying to do the best you have to make that tough decision of really is it worth the money. The financial costs to try to save it or do you just have to walk away and take your medicine.

WEIR (on camera): This is all bee food.

ANDREW WAGNER, MANN LAKE BEE AND AG SUPPLY: This will be used for liquid bee food.

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WEIR (voice over): At Mans lake bee and Ag Supply they're mixing sugar water as fast as they can and while some bee farmers filed for federal relief. The greater good charity is giving away a quarter ton of pollen substitute.

CASEY PAHOLSKI, SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER, GREATER GOOD CHARITIES: We have donated meals to food pantries for humans. We've donated animal supplies to animal shelters. And now we're donating this bee pollen substitute to these farmers here. WEIR (on camera): Can't forget the bottom of the food chain right.

PAHOLSKI: Yes can't forget what helps get all the other food to the table as well.

WEIR (voice over): But even if their bees recover, the whole business depends on the health of the almond crop in California now shrinking under mega drought.

WAGNER: If the drought takes out the almond crop in California that the whole beekeeping industry is going to be in trouble and there are no feral bees, there's no wild bees can't survive on their own.

WEIR (voice over): He explains the pesticides development and invasive pests have made it impossible for bees to survive without deliberate human care.

WAGNER: And if all the beekeepers released all of their bees, every beekeeper in the country, if they just released all their bees into the wild. We estimated about two to three years; the four bees would just collapse. These are the most important farmer. They're the most forgotten as well. And that's why we just need the entire public to really continue to get involved in bees and a little two bee hives makes a big impact.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They went totally underwater, somehow made it.

WEIR (voice over): In the meantime, all Kyiv can do is pick up the pieces and focus on the survivors. Like the hive, he found drowned inside a water meter box near Fort Myers Beach.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a different feeling and you have bees walking all over you

WEIR (on camera): It really is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And nobody's getting stung. Yes, they're doing their thing.

WEIR (on camera): Maybe they can sense we're rooting for him you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, and that's part of the thing you have to treat him with respect. When you get down to it the bees are the pillars to all agriculture ants. They're the pillars to our whole civilization.

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FOSTER: Bill Weir there reporting for us thank you 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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