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Russia is Outraged Over Ukrainian Strikes; U.S. Political Stalemate as Republicans Fail to Elect a House Speaker; Global Football Legend Pele Dies at the Age of 82 from Colon Cancer; Thousands Mourn as Pope Benedict XVI Lies in State; Damar Hamlin is Still in Critical Condition; IMF Chief Predicts Recession for One Third of World Economy. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired January 04, 2023 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I am Rosemary Church. Just ahead here on "CNN Newsroom," anger intensifies in Moscow as Ukraine claims another devastating hit on Russian troops.
A House divided. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy repeatedly falls short but holds out hope in his bid for U.S. House speaker.
And mourners gathered for their final chance to pay respects to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. We are live in Rome with the latest.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Ukrainian military leaders are promising more attacks on Russian targets as they say that they are getting better at identifying the enemy's relocations. The latest is the strike on the town of Chulakivka in the Kherson region, which Ukraine says killed or wounded 500 Russian troops.
Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry says Ukraine was able to target military barracks in the Donetsk region because soldiers there were using their cellphones. Moscow says that 89 people were killed in that attack, but Ukraine puts the death toll in the hundreds.
Ukraine also claims it destroyed an ammunition warehouse in a strategic hub in the eastern Luhansk region. Local officials say they watched Russian forces moving in weapons and vehicles for two weeks before they struck.
Let us go live now to London and CNN's Clare Sebastian. Good morning to you, Clare. So, what more are you learning about Ukraine's attacks on Russian forces in both Chulakivka and Makiivka?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These are two attacks, Rosemary, which appear to have happened a day apart, which reveal potentially a similar strategy of hitting locations where a lot of troops and a lot of equipment were concentrated. But they are different in the sense that when it comes to the attack in Makiivka, Russia is admitting a death toll. It has increased the death toll to now 89.
Ukraine, meanwhile, had claimed that 400 Russian soldiers were killed and around 300 wounded. They now say that they are clarifying that. We don't know exactly what the numbers are as of yet. It seems that perhaps the rubble is still being picked over in that region.
But very unusual one for Russia to admit that any of its soldiers were killed. And second thing, Ukraine to claim responsibility for a major strike, it does not tend to do that.
When it comes to Chulakivka that is in the Kherson region, the Russian-occupied territory, just across the river from Kherson, retreated from in November, Russia is not saying anything about this. The only information we have now comes from Ukrainian side where they say around 500 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded.
So, two episodes that revealed perhaps the Ukrainian strategy to try to break the deadlock on these frontlines, but the information flow around them is quite different at this point.
CHURCH: And Clare, meantime, Russia continues to spread disinformation, including the accusation that Ukraine plans to detonate a dirty bomb at its own territory. You look into what this reveals about Russia's tactics. What did you find?
SEBASTIAN: Yeah, we find that information or even disinformation, Rosemary, as a very powerful weapon in this war. I think we can see it with events today as to how the information is being controlled around these two Ukrainian strikes.
Russia has employed disinformation throughout the war. We've seen it with claims, for example, that they are de-Nazifying Ukraine with their assertion that that atrocities committed in Bucha was staged by the west.
One of the most striking episodes that rose their accusation that Ukraine is planning to build a dirty bomb on its own territory to frame Russia, this has been reasserted again in recent weeks by the defense minister. So, we took a look at how this disinformation unfolded and what exactly is a dirty bomb.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): No one has ever successfully detonated a dirty bomb. So, to help us understand Russia's accusations and the myths, David Butler, a retired British army officer and expert in radiological weapons, has agreed to do a basic demonstration.
DAVID BUTLER, RADIOLOGICAL SPECIALIST, RETIRED BRITISH ARMY OFFICER AND EXPERT IN RADIOLOGICAL WEAPONS: Ready?
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Butler used regular explosives here to disperse a kilo of plain flour. The dirty bomb would also use regular explosives to disperse a radioactive substance. Very different, though, from a nuclear bomb, which creates a complex chain reaction by splitting atoms.
[03:05:03]
SEBASTIAN (On camera): So, David, it is pretty windy condition today, but what does this teach us about how a radioactive substance could spread from a dirty bomb?
BUTLER: The main aim of a dirty bomb is to spread as much radiated shrapnel and radiated dust particles as far as you can go. So, the flour here demonstrates what would be left around the actual site (ph) of the explosion, but it is the radioactive footprint on the ground that causes the long-term effect.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): It is very simple. We even know where they are manufacturing it.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Russia's accusation Ukraine was allegedly planning to detonate a dirty bomb on its own territory to frame Russia seems to come out of the blue, or did it?
First came state media reports citing trusted sources, then on schedule weekend phone calls by the Russian defense minister to other nuclear armed powers. Well-produced graphics followed detailing the alleged sites where a dirty bomb could be built, even the exact radioactive isotopes to be used.
HAMISH DE BRETTON-GORDON, CHEMICAL AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS EXPERT: Looks as though it has been planned in great detail over many weeks, if not months. This is straight out of the Russian playbook in Syria. The Russians and the Syrians would suggest that the rebel forces are about to create a chemical attack, and it was absolutely the Syrian regime that were doing it.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): While inspectors from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog have now visited the sites in Ukraine that Russia named and found nothing suspicious, that has not allayed fears in the west that Russia could still use this as a pretext to escalate, especially after recent losses and retreats. One area of major concern, according to experts, is the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia controls.
BUTLER: One of the aftereffects of a dirty bomb is people breathing in the hazard and the radiated particles.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): While the physical impact of a dirty bomb depends on the amount of radioactive substance used, the power of the explosives and the weather, there is one guaranteed effect, fear.
This was Moscow in 1995. Chechen rebels buried a radioactive parcel at a popular park. Russian authorities rushed to reassure the public it posed no threat.
(On camera): Is there an element, do you think, that they have launched this now very elaborate accusation against Ukraine of a dirty bomb because it is something that has previously been associated with terror groups?
DE BRETTON-GORDON: Certainly, the Russia propaganda and disinformation campaign is in full flow and trying to depict the Ukrainians as Nazis and terrorists is absolutely what Putin is trying to do.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The psychological impact of this carefully- chosen accusation in itself a powerful weapon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SEBASTIAN: So, we heard again, as I said, in late December from the Russian defense minister, who accused the west of ignoring Ukraine's nuclear blackmail, I think the fear is still in the west, is that when you hear this accusation from Russia, this is just another element of Russia's nuclear blackmail. Rosemary?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: All right, Clare Sebastian, many thanks, joining us live from London.
And back here in the U.S., on Capitol Hill, a growing feud within the Republican Party is threatening to overshadow its new majority in the House. On Tuesday, a band of conservative hardliners blocked Kevin McCarthy from securing the 218 votes needed to become speaker of the House. That is after three rounds of voting.
It is the first time in 100 years that the House has failed to elect a speaker on the first ballot, making this a historic humiliation for McCarthy.
During Tuesday's voting, McCarthy's opponents nominated Jim Jordan of Ohio to be speaker of the House during the second and third ballot, but Jordan says he doesn't want the job and is backing McCarthy. Meantime, McCarthy vows to keep fighting for the speaker will and has no plans to step aside.
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KEVIN MCCARTHY, MINORITY LEADER OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: (INAUDIBLE) with the battle. I just -- we're not that far away. We only need 11 more votes to win. So, I think from the whole perspective, we've talked to everybody, it's not that far away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The House will reconvene in the coming hours and continue voting until someone is elected speaker, because until then, members of the 118th Congress can't be sworn in or conduct business.
CNN's Melanie Zanona has more now from Capitol Hill.
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MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: House Republicans are at a stalemate over who their next speaker is going to be and there is no end in sight after Kevin McCarthy failed to get the votes for the speakership. After three rounds of voting, they motioned to adjourn, and each camp went into their separate corner.
So, Kevin McCarthy started working the phones. He is trying to negotiate. He is trying to still get the 218 votes. He is also meeting with some of his supporters. They were trying to plot a path forward.
[03:09:58]
ZANONA: He also emerged from his office and told reporters there is no scenario in which he is dropping out. So, clearly, the pro-McCarthy group is digging in with McCarthy leading the charge over there.
But at the same time, I am told that the opposition is also trying to grow their ranks. A GOP lawmaker who voted for McCarthy received a phone call from one of the so-called "never Kevin" Republicans trying to get this member to change their vote.
And so, it is a sign that the opposition is now feeling emboldened and that they are also digging in. And this was one of the potential drawbacks of allowing members to go home for the night. So, the opposition now has a chance to grow.
Kevin McCarthy is still trying to get the votes. They will reconvene on Wednesday at noon to try this all over again. But as of right now, barring a major development, there is no obvious resolution or path forward for Kevin McCarthy.
Melanie Zanona, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Now, he will rest those words from the son of football superstar Pele whose funeral was held on Tuesday after a 24-hour wake and several days of national mourning in Brazil. Pele died of multiple organ failure last week after a battle with colon cancer.
Stefano Pozzebon reports on the funeral procession in Santos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST (voice-over): For a man who was compared to God (ph) himself while still alive, a single day of mourning would have never been enough. Pele's final farewell took two days and saw more than 200,000 people pay their respects.
In the closing hours of the public wake, even the president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, came to console a distraught widow. Soon later, Pele's casket was carried in a funeral cortege around the city of Santos. For those old enough to have seen him play, he had already reached immortality.
UNKNOWN (through translator): Nothing you will write will ever match the greatness of Pele, our king. This is the funeral of a man, but the king will always be here. POZZEBON (voice-over): On the streets where his casket will later pass, the crowds are addressed different gods, some the holy father, others Pele himself, but everybody felt the passing of history.
(On camera): The most emotional moment, however, was when Pele's casket, carried by a firetruck just behind my back, arrived in front of the house where his mother still lives to this day.
You can see the family garnering together, gathering on the rooftop of the house to say goodbye to a brother, to a son, to a father.
(Voice-over): Relatives and friends gathered on the terrace. Pele's own sister bidding him farewell. After a final prayer, the greatest football player of all time was finally laid to rest, in a private ceremony, only for the family and far away from the cameras.
From now on, Pele will always be at a short distance from the football ground he graced with his magic. The banners with his name already taken from the stance. The king's memory forever in heart of the city.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Santos, Brazil.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: The third and final day of public viewing is now underway at the Vatican, where Pope Benedict XVI is lying in state. He died on New Year's Eve. The Vatican says thousands of people have paid their respects and filed past his body inside St. Peter's Basilica. The former pontiff's funeral will take place tomorrow with Pope Francis leading the mass.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen joins us now from Rome with more. So, Fred, what is the mood there as so many people line up to pay their final respects? And, of course, what is expected on Thursday, when the funeral gets underway?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Rosemary. I was actually inside St. Peter's yesterday and I saw those people filed past the body of Pope Benedict XVI. I can tell you, it was really a humbling sight. There is a lot of people who showed up yesterday and the day before. On the first day, it is about 60,000. The second day, about 75,000. So, certainly, a lot of people coming here to pay their final respects.
And if we look at right now, you know, one of the things that we've had as a theme over the past couple of days since Pope Benedict passed away is that, of course, he has been at the center of many other things that have been going on here in the Vatican.
Right now, you have the general audience by Pope Francis, a regular event, but he also in this general audience praised Pope Benedict XVI and asked for those who are here to pray for Pope Benedict XVI.
[03:15:02] PLEITGEN: So, certainly, it's something that right now really is engulfing the Catholic church as they're getting ready for those funeral processions that are going to take place tomorrow. And around this time tomorrow is exactly when that liturgy is already going to be well underway.
The casket, the coffin, is going to be sealed tonight in a special right. That's also going to be overseen by Pope Francis himself. And then tomorrow, obviously, the big ceremony where a lot of head of state, head of government are going to come, that is also going to be overseen by Pope Francis as well.
Big delegations coming here from Italy but also from Germany. Of course, Pope Benedict XVI was a German citizen, born in Bavaria. And essentially, the German president coming, the German chancellor, and all the heads of Germany's constitutional body. So, really, that is going to be a big faction. But a lot of other heads of states, other leaders are going to be coming here as well.
Pope Benedict XVI will be laid to rest in the tombs of the pope. He is going to go into the space that beforehand was occupied by John Paul II before he was declared a saint. Certainly, this is going to be a big ceremony that's going to take place tomorrow.
But we also always have to keep in mind, Rosemary, covering this for a very long time, it's going to be a lot smaller than when John Paul II passed away, and that was the specific wish of Pope Benedict XVI. He wanted a fairly humble ceremony as far as that is possible in a large world-spanning body like the Catholic church, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yeah, absolutely. Fred Pleitgen joining us live from Rome, many thanks.
And still to come, a family member of NFL player Damar Hamlin is sharing new details about his condition after his frightening collapse during Monday night football.
Plus, growing global economic concerns as the head of the IMF warns that a tough year lies ahead. We'll have details for you after the break.
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CHURCH: Well, the uncle of NFL player Damar Hamlin, who collapsed during Monday night football, says his nephew had to be resuscitated twice, once on the field and again at the hospital. We are told he is still sedated, in critical condition. His uncle says Hamlin is flipped over, on his stomach, in the hospital to help with the blood on his lungs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DORRIAN GLENN, DAMAR HAMLIN'S UNCLE: He sustained some -- some damage to his lungs and they're working to -- to try to -- to try to remedy that. They've got him on a ventilator to help with the breathing, too, just to take some of the strain off his lungs, so they can heal and recuperate. So, it's just a sad situation all the way around.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN's Adrienne Broaddus explains what happened on the field and how the sports world is reacting.
[03:20:02]
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ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (VOICE-OVER): A growing tribute outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
UNKNOWN: He's going to pull through, you know. That's what we're here praying for, you know. And he's a strong man. So, he's doing his job, you know. We just got to do our job and pray for him.
BROADDUS (voice-over): And his fans come to pray for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
RODNEY MCLEOD, JR., SAFETY, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: What we saw last night was something that we've never seen before. In my 11 years in NFL, I never experienced anything like that.
BROADDUS (voice-over): The sports world and the nation stunned.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): This is the last thing that you want to see.
BROADDUS (voice-over): The 24-year-old collapsing on the field, suffering from a cardiac arrest, moments after getting up, following a hard tackle in Monday night's game between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
The team trainers and medical personnel treating him within seconds, and performing CPR on the field. An ambulance rushing on to the field to take him to the hospital.
DONTE STALLWORTH, FORMER NLF PLAYER: Half the players on the field are crying. The Bengals players are crying. To see the players' reaction, even though we couldn't see what was going on, that to me told the story of everything that was happening on the field.
BROADDUS (voice-over): On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills tweeting, Damar Hamlin spent last night in the intensive care unit and remains there today in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Almost certainly, what happened to Mr. Hamlin is something called commotio cordis, which is basically a cardiac arrest caused by, you know, sharp blow to the chest at precisely the wrong moment.
BROADDUS (voice-over): As the news spread, so did reactions across the sports world and beyond.
STALLWORTH: Sometimes, we forget the human side that these players are actually human beings and they have families.
BROADDUS (voice-over): His family releasing a statement Tuesday, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support, saying -- quote -- "We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words, and donations from fans around the country."
JORDON ROONEY, DAMAR HAMLIN'S FRIEND AND MARKETING REP: I am excited for him to bounce back from this because Damar is someone who -- he will -- he will use things like this adversity and make sure he inspires plenty of other people along the way.
BROADDUS (on camera): Meanwhile, almost everyone knows what it's like to wait. We've all been in the waiting rooms. And as Damar remains here at the Cincinnati hospital behind me, his family is waiting for good news and hoping their loved one will walk out of those hospital doors the same.
Adrienne Broaddus, CNN, Cincinnati.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And there has been an outpouring of support for Hamlin from beyond the world of sports. And here is just one example. The famous Niagara Falls just north of Buffalo was lit up in blue earlier, which is one of the Buffalo Bills' colors.
We are just a few days into the new year and already, there is growing concern about the global economy and which countries might be hit by recession.
In the U.S., Moody's analytics is predicting a slow session, and that is when growth comes to a near stop, but a downturn is narrowly avoided. But their chief economist made clear the economy is set for a difficult 2023. And here is the IMF chief's assessment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND: For most of the world economy, this is going to be a tough year, tougher than the year we leave behind. Why? Because the three big economies, U.S., E.U, China are all slowing down simultaneously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The IMF's managing director also says Europe has been hit hard by the war in Ukraine with half of the European Union expected to be in recession.
And China's autonomy was weakened dramatically last year due to its strict zero-COVID policy. The deceleration there is expected to have a dire global impact.
But for more on all of this, we want to bring in Ryan Patel in Los Angeles. He's a senior fellow at the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. Good to have you with us.
RYAN PATEL, SENIOR FELLOW, DRUCKER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY: Thanks, Rosemary.
CHURCH: So, at the start of 2023, a warning from the head of the International Monetary Fund that the global economy faces a tough year ahead due to the U.S., Europe, and China experiencing slowing economies, and she said one-third of the world's economy is expected to be in recession in 2023. So, how bad can we expect that recession to be and which countries will be hit the hardest?
PATEL: Well, first, I don't want to start the happy new year this way, talking about bad news. Let me tell you the good news first and we'll get to the bad news.
The good news is she actually is the IMF chief, isn't going out on a limb. It's not something new that we haven't seen. It's going to -- you know, one-third of the world's economies are going to recession. It's a ripple effect, right? This is an economic spillover, right?
[03:24:58]
PATEL: When you think of the China and the U.S., you know, and the E.U., especially the U.S. starting to recover and China starting to recover as well, there is going to be a lag effect in certain regions. So, I'm not saying that that's good news, but we understand it is going to happen.
As for the bad news, there is this ripple effect, Rosemary, and you're going to see countries like Sri Lanka that we are seeing already facing other phases, and maybe Indonesia and Southeast Asia that was really dependent on China, you know, as they just opened up.
There is an effect and an impact when it comes to exports and imports, especially in that region. They're going to see an impact beyond that. And also, you can't forget the interest rate of all the central banks going on. It takes time. So, there's going to be more pain with some these other countries that have not built the resources in facing it.
CHURCH: Yeah, and terrifying for those countries, of course. And Ryan, China abruptly dumped out of its zero-COVID policy at the end of the year. Now, it appears to be just trying to ignore the surge in COVID cases and instead focusing on getting its economy back on track. What are the likely consequences of that approach and what impact could it have globally?
PATEL: Well, that's a great question. I mean, you've seen each country having to handle this, right, differently. Cannot be the same. China, as you mentioned, you know, I kind of feel like you did not really have much of a choice but to open not just from an internal pressure, as we've seen, but also from the external pressure, when we think of companies like Apple and Tesla and their disruptions, their hardware, you know, China's ability to import and export in other countries.
They needed to also bring goods into the country as well and get the consumer spending, which is really key here for China, is to kind of implement and get moving their middle class to start spending so that they can continue to get that growth back to where they wanted to see. As you know, they did not hit their growth numbers by even a couple percentage. They were off by a lot. Going into this year, they need to kind of rebound. To do that, they have to be open.
CHURCH: Right. And Ryan, in 2022, of course, we all experienced high inflation, interest rate hikes, and mounting recession fears. And now that 2023 is here, what highs and lows can we expect in the first quarter? When do you think we'll see a global economic recovery?
PATEL: Well, you know, I think the fed is going to increase at the next meeting again. I think they are going to continue to be aggressive, at least in the first week (ph) to see where we are at. You know, are we going to see -- I believe, I hope, I guess, by the middle of the summer, we kind of have -- we go through the first two quarters of this painful (INAUDIBLE). And hopefully, there's a soft landing.
But, you know, your job growth in the U.S. is going to have to slow down. Jobs are -- that's why inflation is going up. And we're going to see that. There is that pain that is going to come. And I'm hoping that there is a recovery a little quicker that can occur.
And we hope, again, best-case scenario, quarter-three, quarter-four, that the global recovery starts to come. But Rosemary, I want to be realistic to the audience. A lot of things and a lot of variables have to hit (INAUDIBLE). It is not impossible. There's a lot of opportunity.
At the same time, a lot of countries build resiliency in it. There's going to be way that have to be nibbled across companies as well. So, I think there's some good that comes out of this, but there's also a lot of challenges that we cannot ignore. There's more to face.
CHURCH: All right, we will see what happens. Ryan Patel, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
The disgraced founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX pleaded not guilty to all charges in a U.S. federal court on Tuesday. Sam Bankman- Fried is facing multiple charges of wire fraud and conspiracy for his role in what one prosecutor calls -- quote -- "a fraud of epic proportions."
Prosecutors allege he used customer funds to make investments at other companies, donate to political campaigns, and cover loans made by a related hedge fund. His trial is set to begin on October 2nd.
Beijing hits back. The county is trying to restrict travel over its COVID surge. A live report from the Chinese capital coming up.
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CHURCH: For nearly three years, people living in China were subjected to some of the strictest COVID rules on the planet. But now that the government's ended its zero COVID policy, triggering a surge in new cases, it says travel restrictions from other countries are excessive.
Its foreign ministry calling them unacceptable as the E.U. considers joining countries already requiring tests from Chinese travelers. So, for the latest, we want to turn to CNN's Steven Jiang. He joins us live from Beijing. Good to see you, Steven. So, what did China expect the rest the world would do in response to surging COVID cases resulting from Beijing's abrupt end to its zero COVID policy?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yeah, Rosemary. It's pretty ironic. They are now accusing others of overreacting considering they had maintained some of the world's most draconian zero COVID policies, including those measures targeting international arrivals for some three years. Actually, some of those measures are not going to completely end until this coming Sunday on January 8th.
Now, here's the thing. Some outside analysts and experts say those new China specific measures are now going to be constructive or effective, given the transmissibility of this virus and the lack of proof so far that a new variant or subvariant has emerged from the latest China wave of cases.
But the Chinese really have no one but themselves to blame because of their lack of transparency despite their repeated denial. Even some Chinese experts have acknowledged in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, some 70 or even 80 percent of the population having infected. That's millions of people in just two cities.
But their official data when it comes to tallies of not only of people who have been infected, but especially death. And these numbers remain ridiculously low, simply do not match the reality. And that's why the WHO has really requested a behind closed door meetings with the Chinese experts and trying to get more data and more clarity on the true picture on the ground.
But from my vantage point, it's really a tale of two realities. On one hand, medical facilities across the country from fever clinics, ICU's, continue to be overwhelmed by people seeking treatment and medication, especially the most vulnerable segment of the population, senior citizens with underlying conditions. And bodies also piling up in crematories in major cities nationwide. But on the other hand, we are seeing crowds and traffic congestions returning to major cities involving younger folks who have recovered from their infection. So, flocking back to their office buildings, but also to shopping malls and tourist destinations.
That's the side of the story the government, state media are trying to highlight while downplaying and sometimes ignoring the other more grim side of the story. But the biggest wave right now, of course, is the migration of millions of Chinese during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.
It's really good to be the first time in almost three years this is happening on this scale. And this is likely to bring the virus from cities to the rural areas with a very fragile health care system likely with devastating consequences, Rosemary. CHURCH: Yeah, that is a major concern. Steven Jiang joining us live
from Beijing. Many thanks. And for more on this, Yun Sun joins me now. She is the director of the China Program at the Stimson Center. Thank you so much for talking with us.
YUN SUN, CHINA PROGRAM DIRECTOR, STIMNSON CENTER: Thank you for having me.
[03:35:00]
CHURCH: So, China kept its zero COVID policy in place far beyond what most other nations thought was wise. And now that Beijing has dropped major restrictions, most citizens who have never been exposed to the virus are now of course getting infected, resulting in cases surging across the country. Where do you see this lack of preparation for mass infections going? And what impact will this likely have on Xi Jinping's leadership, and of course, his legitimacy?
SUN: Well, that's a great question. Where is this going? What the Chinese government is counting on is that the infection will spread very quick and most of the population will be infected and by the end of February, they will have achieved herd immunity. That's what they're aiming for. And then by spring, from the beginning of spring, which in China is March 1st, and the hope is that everyone will be back to work and likely will be back to normal.
And it seems they have seen the experience. It worked on New York City and the experience of London reopening. They see this chaos as having repeated itself in most of the countries and cities that had to reopen in the end. So, they take this as a matter of fact. But the problem and the challenge that people do raise is that while maybe reopening is seen admirable, but should the Chinese government have been better prepared for the reopening.
There is a shortage, for example, of ibuprofen in China. And suddenly, ibuprofen became the most popular medication that people are heatedly seeking after. So, should the government have done a better job in terms of preparing the population about how to protect themselves or how to where to get the medication, and also to increase its medical resources in order to deal with the fallout after the reopening. It seems those are the questions that are being raised.
CHURCH: Yeah, and they're important questions. SO, does this signal that China now plans to focus on its economy and simply let the virus work its way through the population? That seems to be what you're saying here.
SUN: That apparently, obviously, is what the Chinese government is doing. Because we know that China has endured a significant economic slowdown this year because of the massive and frequent lockdowns across the country. So, for the first time, China's growth rate for this year -- for 2022, the prediction is somewhere around 3.3 to 3.5 percent, which is the slowest since 1979, which is unprecedented in the Chinese history of reform of opening up.
So, it seems the government does realize that zero COVID policy is not sustainable as the economic consequences are so tremendous, that they have to change their policy.
CHURCH: Yeah, and of course the rest of the world is saying not so fast, putting the brakes on Beijing's efforts to return to normal by preventing travelers from China entering some other nations, unless those passengers of course can show proof of a negative COVID test. What was China thinking would happen once it just suddenly drop zero COVID policy and try to go normal?
SUN: I think there are a couple factors. I don't think that they had anticipated the infection rate would be so high and so quickly. Like within days, the infection rate, for example in Beijing, was rumored to be as high as 80 percent or 90 percent of the population. And in Shanghai, the rumor is that the infection rate is already 70 to 80 percent. I think that is something the government was not anticipating.
And also at the same time, it seems they were also not anticipating that the result of COVID would be severe because from what they have observed from the United States, from other countries, they observed that all of these countries have already opened up and it seems that people were doing fine, unless you had severe pre-existing conditions, you should be able to survive.
But what they did not prepare themselves and prepare the Chinese population for is that COVID is not a big (ph) cold. And in fact, COVID could have severe consequences for vulnerable populations. So, again, this goes back to the question of the government's competence in terms of preparing itself and preparing the Chinese people for the consequences of the reopening, which was apparently not sufficient. And it was not a very good job done.
CHURCH: All right. Yun Sun, thank you so much for your analysis and for joining us. Many thanks.
SUN: Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: And still to come, a Rohingya refugee describes her harrowing journey at sea, spending more than a month in a broken down boat with almost nothing to eat or drink.
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CHURCH: We are now hearing from one of the Rohingya Muslims who spent more than a month drifting at sea in a broken down boat with no food, water, or medicine. In all, about 200 refugees fled their camps in Bangladesh in late November in search of a better life. More than two dozen did not survive. CNN's Paula Hancocks has our report. And a warning, some of the images you are about to see are graphic.
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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Despair and misery, etched on every single face. One by one, they collapse. Emaciated bodies clutching small children, others motionless, seemingly unconscious on an Indonesian beach. They are the Rohingya refugees left to drift on a boat on the open sea, forgotten and ignored. A human tragedy that keeps repeating itself. Hatemon Nesa (ph) and her five-year-old daughter, Umme Salima (ph), were among the 174 to reach Aceh province after one month surviving on just three day's supply of food and water. She is almost unrecognizable.
(On camera): What happened when you got on the boat?
She tells me there is no food, no medicine, no water for all of those days. Only when it rain can we drink rainwater. A few days into the journey, she says the engine broke down. They were stranded in the Andaman Sea. Hatemon Nesa (ph) remembers watching a baby girl die after drinking salt water.
She says the boat driver jumped overboard in desperation for thirst and hunger and died, leaving his desperate human cargo to drift helplessly, hoping for rescue. On December 18th, more than three week after setting sail, Hatemon Nesa's (ph) brother back in Bangladesh managed to contact the boat trying to organize a rescue from a local boat in Indonesia.
TEXT: We are dying here. We haven't eaten anything for 8-10 days. We are starving. Three people have died.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Hatemon Nesa (ph) says I thought I would die. I thought I would die on that boat. The United Nations refugee agency says 26 people died before the boat was rescued by Indonesian fishermen and local authorities. The agency says several countries turned a blind eye.
BABAR BALOCH, ASIA PACIFIC SPOKESPERSON, UNHCR: We at UNCHR were reaching out from state to state in the region, wherever we are getting reports that this was either close to one country or another. No one acted on those requests and appeals.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Stateless and persecuted, these Rohingya refugees have known little peace, having fled once for their lives five years ago in Myanmar after a brutal campaign of killing and arson by the military. To Bangladesh (inaudible) sprawling refugee camp Cox's Bazar, with little hope of a life, just survivor.
MUHAMMAD TAHER, ROHINGYA REFUGEE: In Bangladesh, our life was difficult. We were banned from going out to look for work. The children could not go to school.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): This year threatens to become one of the most deadly for the Rohingya in the Southeast Asian water. UNHCR says at least three boats were rescued in December, one by the Sri Lankan Navy, two ended up Indonesia.
[03:45:01]
But one boat carrying 180 people has not been heard from since the beginning of December. Its passengers feared lost.
BALOCH: These are literally death traps that once you get into those, you end up losing your life. And this is done by the merciless human smugglers and traffickers who don't care about human life.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): For Hatemon Nesa (ph), it cost around $1,000 for a false promise of a seven-day trip to Malaysia. A price so high, she had to leave her seven-year-old daughter behind with her mother in Bangladesh assuming she would join later.
They must bring my other daughter to me, she says. My heart is burning for her. All I ever wanted was to get an education for my children. She now faces the torment of living apart from one child while dealing with the trauma of another. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Tom Andrews is the U.N. special rapporteur on Myanmar and he joins me now from Fairfax, Virginia. Thank you so much for being with us.
TOM ANDREWS, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON MYNAMAR: Rosemary, thank you for having me.
CHURCH: Now, we just saw Paula Hancocks' report on the Rohingya refugee who survived a month at sea, highlighting of course the desperation felt by many Rohingya that they would rather risk life and limb to find a better life, than to stay in some of these places that they've been put. What is your reaction to that story and of course, others like it?
ANDREWS: Well. it's really -- it's not surprising. Just think about this. People were ripped from their homes, 700,000 Rohingya being forced from their homes, due to genocidal attacks led by the very person who commands the military junta of Myanmar right now, putting yourself in the largest refugee camp in the world, nearly 1 million people.
I mean, it's just a horrible, horrible situation that people are facing. And it's -- and it's the despair. You talk to people and the despair, the mental health strain of just from where they've been, to the crisis they are in right now, security, lack of education, lack of opportunities for jobs and earning a basic living.
But then the uncertainty about the future. When are they going to be able to go home? And of course, no one, no one can see that in the stars right now, given conditions in Myanmar. So, it's a very bleak, very desperate situation. And so, it's understandable that people would take desperate measures, facing a very, very desperate, desperate situation.
CHURCH: And as you were speaking with us, we were taking images there, some aerial shots as well as these that are going to air right now, of the current situation for those million or so Rohingya refugees still living in camps at Cox's Bazar. Let's go a little deeper into what their day-to-day life is like there.
ANDREWS: Well, I was there about a year ago and I met with many people. And one of the concerns and looking at reports since I've returned, security, safety is a very big concern. People are terrified of violence, of gang violence, of organizing militia attacking human rights defenders and camp leaders.
So, there is a basic security question that people are facing, and fear, daily fear. But then there is the problem of education. You know, there are -- half of the people who are living, Rohingya living in those camps in Cox's Bazar are under 18 years of age -- 100,000, more than 100,000 have no access to education whatsoever. And those that have education opportunities, they are very limited.
So, you're in a situation in which you are fearful for the health and safety of yourself and your family, your children are not able to get perhaps any education whatsoever. And then the opportunity to earn a living, to develop a skill, to create some hope that you can provide for your family, those are very limited indeed. So, all these factors combined to a very desperate situation.
And then of course, Rosemary, the problem of humanitarian aid. We've got an economic crisis worldwide. We've got other crises, as you well know around the world. And so, the pressure on international support for places like Bangladesh, which is not by the way, a country well- equipped to confront this kind of a crisis. Support for Bangladesh, support for humanitarian aid for those people living those camps is limited. And projections are not encouraging going forward.
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CHURCH: So, Tom, talk to us about what the international community needs to be doing right now to help these Rohingya refugees who are facing such dire circumstances right now? It's so bleak.
ANDREWS: Well, you know, first and foremost, Rosemary, really, you have to start with where this all began and what's driving all of this. And that's the crisis in Myanmar. You talk to just about anyone living in those camps in Bangladesh, and they will tell you more than anything else, they want to go home. They were driven there because they were the victims of a genocide.
They want to go home back to their villages, and regain some kind of normalcy in their home village. So, it's critically important that we do not lose sight of the source of this crisis. And ultimately, the solution to this crisis is not in Bangladesh, but it's in Myanmar.
So, you just have a multitude of problems, one building on top of the other, each being driven by this despair that people are feeling in their own personal lives. Lack of hope to where their future is heading. And all rooted in this great injustice of being the victims of a genocide in Myanmar and wanting desperately, desperately to one day go home.
CHURCH: Yeah. Let's hope we see more support coming. Tom Andrews, U.N. special rapporteur on Myanmar. Thank you as always for joining us.
ANDREWS: Rosemary, thank you. Thanks for having me. Always a pleasure.
CHURCH: There are growing warnings about a new wave of violence in the Middle East after a far-right Israeli politician visited a holy site sacred to both Jews and Muslims. Journalist Elliott Gotkine has more now from Jerusalem.
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Itamar Ben-Gvir's morning walkabout took place less than a week after he was sworn in as national security minister in Israel's new government. And although the fire brand visit to the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, passed off without incident, it drew swift condemnation from home and abroad.
The Palestinian authority called it an unprecedented provocation and a serious threat. The Jordanians said it was a flagrant an unacceptable violation of international law. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that runs Gaza warned the said with setting the region on fire.
Even Yair Lapid, until last week, Israel's prime minister warned that it would lead to violence, but will endangers id only to violent age or human life. No sign of that so far. Ben-Gvir who has convictions for supporting terrorism and inciting anti-Arab racism, said the Temple Mount is open to everyone. And if Hamas thinks that if it threatens me, it will deter me. Let them understand that times have changed.
Now, under the so-called status quo agreement, Jews are allowed to visit the compound at certain times, but are not allowed to pray there. Ben-Gvir has in the past, at least, advocated for a lifting of the ban. The new government though, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says there will be no change. Elliott Gotkine, CNN, Jerusalem.
CHURCH: And still to come, the calendar says it's the middle of winter for Europe. So, why are we seeing a record-breaking heat wave? The details next.
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CHURCH: Unseasonably warm temperatures this week have taken some of the pressure off of Europe's energy crisis. But it's alarming climatologists. Just four days into the New Year, and Europe has already broken a number of heat records for the month of January. On Monday, one town in the Czech Republic reached a balmy 19 degrees celsius, or 67 fahrenheit. That's one of at least eight European countries which have set new records for their warmest January day ever. Meteorologist Britley Ritz joins us now. So, Britley, what is going on here and how long will this last?
BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I know. It feels like an early spring day, Rosemary. A massive area of high pressure has set up over central Europe, and here we are almost double what we should be in the means of temperature. New January national records across the board. Areas highlighted in red indicating that. (Inaudible), 12.6 degrees. Germany, record breaking warmth here by the way, in just three days. We have hit 980 plus records broken in the Ukraine as well.
Kyiv hit 13.2 degrees. Current temperatures as of this time, this morning, in Milan, 7 degrees, same as Frankfurt. And London, 13. For tomorrow afternoon, we can expect temperatures in Milan at 12 degrees and Frankfurt, at 11 degrees Berlin, expect a high of nine. There is that area of high pressure I was talking about, spinning up that southerly wind, cranking up the temperatures making it feel much warmer now.
Temperatures are all relative, keep that in mind, but it makes a difference in the type of freeze (ph). Typically, we're supposed to be getting snow this time of year. Right now, that's happening in the higher elevations, it's much cooler, higher aloft. But at the surface, we're now getting rain for quite a few of us.
That next front will slide through. Yes, it brings rain instead of snow. But it also drops our temperatures down too. Not by much, however. Milan, we talked about a high of 12. Typically, we're around six degrees. We are still above average. Friday and Saturday, with a high of nine degrees even though we're cooling it down.
And here's something very shocking. Thursday, four degrees below zero for Moscow. But look as we roll into the weekend, with that cold front moving through, Moscow we have temperatures at least 20 below, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Wow, what a difference. Britley Ritz, many thanks. And thank you for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo, next.
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