Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
U.K., EU Reach Deal In Bid to Resolve Northern Ireland Trade Issue; Yellen In Surprise Visit To Kyiv To Reaffirm U.S. Economic Aid To Ukraine; Hong Kong To Lift COVID Mask Mandate On Wednesday; US Energy Department Theory Of COVID Originating. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired February 28, 2023 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:05]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, welcome to our viewers watching us from all around the world. Ahead this hour on CNN Newsroom. Brexit end game, the last unresolved issue from the UK divorce from the EU appears to have been solved with a system of green lanes and red lanes.
As crude and spring offensive ramps up unusually warm temperatures have turned Ukraine's eastern front into a muddy quagmire.
And COVID origin story the sequel, a new intelligence report in the United States backseat lab leak theory, notably though with low confidence.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: For more than three years, one of the most difficult and contentious issues within Brexit was left unresolved. Until now it seems the UK and the EU have agreed on how trade will be conducted in Northern Ireland.
European Commission President acknowledged the lingering tension and so the new agreement to be known as the Winter Framework will allow both sides to make the most of their partnership. This new deal replaces the much despised Northern Ireland protocol, which was negotiated by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to prevent a hard border separating the Republic of Ireland on the EU side and Northern Ireland on the UK side.
Under the Windsor Framework, trade will flow freely via green and red lanes. Goods from Britain destined for Northern Ireland will travel in a green lane subject to far fewer checks and less paperwork. Well products from the UK heading for export to the European Union and the Republic of Ireland will take the red light and normal checks and inspections.
The British Prime Minister says he hopes the decisive breakthrough will resolve years of dispute over post Brexit trade.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RISHI SUNAK, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Today's agreement delivers smooth flowing trade within the whole United Kingdom protects Northern Ireland's place in our union and safeguard sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland.
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: This new framework will allow us to begin a new chapter. It provides for long lasting solutions that both of us are confident will work for all people and businesses in Northern Ireland.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The Windsor Framework though, is not a done deal yet. UK conservatives and leaders of Northern Ireland must decide if this agreement works for them. CNN's Nic Robertson explains those deliberations could take a while.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (on camera): So a big political moment for the British Prime Minister resetting and improving relations with the European Union has been congratulations, coming from Dutch, Belgian, Swedish Prime Minister saying that this is a positive step forward.
Perhaps the real test, though for the British Prime Minister is going to be does his own party support it. And do politicians in Northern Ireland support it. Sunak has saw this as an improvement on the trade relations between mainland UK and Northern Ireland their real passions here, still about Brexit.
And what the Prime Minister is saying is that people in Northern Ireland will be able to get the same products that the people in mainland UK can get that the controls, that customs controls between mainland UK and Northern Ireland will improve that there will be a red channel and a green channel, a green channel for goods only going from mainland UK to Northern Ireland, a red channel for goods going from mainland UK through Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland, the European Union. He said that was an improvement.
And he also said that there'll be something called the storm on break. And this is a message to Unionists, the Democratic Unionist Party, that if they have concerns that they've expressed about too much EU legislation, the influence of the European Court of Justice over laws in Northern Ireland and there's a mechanism to stop that but the prime minister said that he wanted and understood that the politicians in Northern Ireland should take their time to consider the detail.
SUNAK: I also want to speak directly to the Unionist community. I understand and have listened to your frustrations and concerns. It is clearly in the interests of the people and those of us who are passionate about the cause of unionism for power sharing to return. Of course, parties will want to consider the agreement in detail a process that will need time and care. ROBERTSON: But in a clear indication this is not already plain sailing for the prime minister. The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Jeffrey Donaldson said that already he thinks that that's leaves areas open, where the EU still does have influence over laws in Northern Ireland.
JEFFREY DONALDSON, LEADER OF DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST PARTY: In broad terms, it is clear that significant progress has been secured across a number of areas was also recognizing that there remain key issues of concern.
[01:05:06]
There can be no disguising the fact for example, that in some sectors of our economy in Northern Ireland, EU law remains applicable, where necessary, we stand ready to engage with the government in order to seek further clarification, reworking or changes required.
ROBERTSON: So, Donaldson, there saying his party is going to take some time to consider it. The other principal political parties in Northern Ireland also saying the same that they will consider this over the coming days not quite clear how long that will take. But that will be the real acid test of whether the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has got this right. Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Ukrainian military officials say a near constant Russian attack on the eastern city of Bakhmut appears to be the main focus of their spring offensive. Non-stop attacks have seen Russian forces gradually advance but warm weather has brought an early thorny East. Social media video showing soldiers dealing with thick mud and flooding on parts of the front lines. Some roads around Bakhmut appear to be impossible.
To the West, eats least two rescue workers were killed during a drone attack. Ukraine says it destroyed 11 other drones launched by Russia, including nine in the airspace around the capital Kyiv. All this as one Ukrainian commander says he spoke to the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, but they need to strengthen Ukraine's air defense system as well as the need for F-16 fighter jets. That sentiment shared by Ukraine's President.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We need the aviation component of air defense modern combat aircraft to protect the entire territory of our country from Russian terror. Air defense is complete only when it is backed by aviation, modern aviation. Our pilots together with our anti-aircraft gunners, together with all the warriors and specialists of our air forces are already doing a great job. But we will be able to fully protect the sky when the aviation taboo in relations with our partners is lifted.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: Another strong show of support for Ukraine with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen traveling to Cuba and a surprise visit. Once there she stressed that international aid to the country is now more vital than ever. Yellen met with President Zelenskyy to discuss U.S. economic assistance, as well as efforts to impose severe sanctions on Russia. CNN's Melissa Bell spoke exclusively with Yellen and the Ukrainian capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: Even the people, you can see all that they have suffered.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The optics have been the message from the President himself to the Secretary of State and now to the Treasury Secretary, unwavering American support delivered in person to Kyiv.
ZELENSKYY: Thank you so much.
BELL: From a divided and testy G20 in Bangalore, where she chastised the Russian delegation, Janet Yellen came to see for herself, the impact so far of about $50 billion of American aid to Ukraine.
BELL (on camera): The comments you made to the Russian officials in India, do you get a sense of Moscow's listening?
YELLEN: I think they are listening. I think that we have imposed very serious costs on them. And they hear from not only the United States, but a large coalition, many allies, the moral outrage that we feel and they see our determination to make them pay your price.
BELL (voiceover): On the Treasury secretary's tour, and invincibility point where warmth and power are provided, when neither are available. Here, Ukrainian shelter even as allies try to punish Moscow.
YELLEN: We depriving them of the inputs that they need to replace the military equipment that they have lost to have a modern society and to support their defense establishment there for their current war needs. They're turning to suppliers of last resort like Iran and North Korea.
BELL (on camera): U.S. administration believes that China may be considering delivering lethal aid to Russia. What would the consequences be for Beijing?
YELLEN: We have been extremely clear that we will not tolerate systematic violations by any country of the sanctions that we've put in place that are intended to deprive Russia have access to military equipment to wage this war. And we've been very clear with the Chinese government and have made clear to Chinese firms and financial institutions that the consequences of violating those sanctions would be very severe.
[01:10:09]
BELL (voiceover): As the war enters its second year and with an American election year beginning to loom, there are questions about how long the West's unwavering support can last.
YELLEN: So I think there is broad support among our allies. Many members of Congress have been to Kyiv to visit and see firsthand design seeing today, the heroism of the Ukrainians, and I think all of us are inspired by that, and we'll be ready to support it for as long as it takes.
BELL: So for now, a further pledge of the support that's allowed Ukraine to come this far. Melissa Bell, CNN, Kyiv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The Kremlin says it's monitoring with concern developments in Moldova's breakaway regions. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov alleges that tensions in Transnistria has been provoked externally and warned of possible provocations from Kyiv and European countries.
Moldova's president has accused Russia of using saboteurs to stroke unrest, stoke unrest, military and political turmoil. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also warned of Russia's attempts to destabilize Moldova.
Israeli officials say and Israeli American was killed in a terrorist attack in the West Bank. The latest deadly shooting happened on a highway outside the West Bank city of Jericho Monday, a day after Israeli settlers carried out attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Officials say at least one Palestinian man died. Many others were injured and several homes and businesses were set on fire. And official from the Israeli military says they consider the violence quote, actions of terror. Here's a Palestinian girl describing what it was like when the building she was in came under attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The settlers attacked and broke them. We moved down to the floor. We started his sound from outside the house. I moved to the windows in our room, but they were shooting so I moved down to the floor. Then they broke the windows. My mother moved us to a corner because there was no safe place. They broke all the windows while we were inside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Authorities believed the attacks will revenge for two Israeli brothers who were killed earlier that day. On Monday, both men were mourned by thousands at a funeral in Jerusalem.
The violence of the West Bank is one of many crises Israeli prime minister is struggling to address. CNN's Hadas Gold reports on Benjamin Netanyahu has a growing list of challenges.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Benjamin Netanyahu is the most experienced Prime Minister in Israeli history, but he's facing unprecedented multifaceted battles on nearly every front.
Tensions and violence between Israelis and Palestinians at a 20-year high. On Sunday, the occupied West Bank burned. Two Israeli brothers shot point blank killed while sitting in traffic and what officials say was a terrorist attack.
Then in what's been deemed revenge attacks by Israeli settlers, a Palestinian man shot and killed. Houses and cars burned. Just hours after Israeli and Palestinian officials met in a summit in Jordan meant to calm tensions. A joint communique pledging to take steps to restore calm, seeking a just and lasting peace.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu is far right wing coalition partners seemingly dismissing the summit in Jordan. Netanyahu biographer Anshel Pfeffer says and much of the controversy around Netanyahu is thanks to these governing partners.
ANSHEL PFEFFER, NETANYAHU'S BIOGRAPHER: I think this is the least Netanyahu has ever been in control as a prime minister. He's not basically -- he's not running his government. His government is being run by the coalition partners who have him over a barrel.
GOLD: Meanwhile, for eight weeks in a row, tens of thousands of Israelis have been taking to the streets to protest against Netanyahu's planned massive judicial reforms. The most sweeping of these changes would give the Israeli parliament the power to overturn Supreme Court decisions. Many critics arguing it's part of a ploy to help Netanyahu out of his ongoing corruption trials, something he denies.
And Netanyahu faces increasing international pressure from allies, notably the United States, which has criticized not only settlement expansion and some of Israel's actions in the occupied West Bank, but also a rare presidential incursion into internal Israeli politics. President Biden urging a consensus be reached on the judicial reforms.
PFEFFER: We've never had this kind of differences between Jerusalem and Washington. It's always been over the Palestinian issue. It's been over the Iran issue. It's never been about the way the Israeli government is legislating on a Democratic agenda.
GOLD: Looming ahead in the calendar the highly sensitive period of overlapping Muslim and Jewish holidays of Ramadan and Passover threatening to set Jerusalem aflame as well.
[01:15:05]
Yet another battlefront for Netanyahu, Israel's ultimate survivor for now. Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Still to come on CNN Newsroom, a new U.S. intelligence report on the origins of COVID as well escaping but not exactly surprising reaction from Beijing.
Also ahead, the human tragedy of a migrant shipwreck on the Mediterranean is now being politicized. We'll have a report from Italy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: After 959 long days of mandatory mask mandate in Hong Kong is set to end. From Wednesday, $1,000 fines for not wearing a mask outdoors, indoors or on public transport will no longer be enforced. In December, Hong Kong ended most pandemic restrictions as well as COVID testing for arriving travelers.
At the time chief executive John Lee said the move stems from confidence in the vaccination rate, as well as the level of natural immunity within the local population.
The U.S. Department of Energy's new conclusion about the origins of COVID-19 is making a few waves. Multiple sources in the intelligence community tells CNN the notion of a Chinese lab leak kicks out here the pandemic is still the minority opinion in Washington. It comes as at least three sources say China's Center for Disease Control in Wuhan was studying code variants at the time of the initial outbreak. But the Biden administration maintained there is no official opinion on the matter at least so far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, NBC COORIDATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: There is not a consensus right now in the U.S. government about exactly how COVID started. There is just not an intelligence community consensus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: With more details, here's CNN"s Brian Todd reporting in from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The mysteries surrounding the origins of the virus that's killed nearly 7 million people worldwide growing deeper. The U.S. Department of Energy in a newly updated classified intelligence report says the COVID 19 pandemic likely started from an accidental leak from a lab in Wuhan, China.
But at the same time sources tell CNN, the Energy Department said in that report that it has, quote, low confidence in that conclusion. Our intelligence analyst Beth Sanner says what that really means is the Energy Department thinks the virus came from that lab, but admits it could be wrong.
BETH SANNER, FMR. DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR U.S. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Low confidence means that they have such fragmentary and inconclusive evidence. They don't have a lot of corroboration of reporting. They don't have anybody in the lab itself saying it's definitely happened. It adds up to looking like that, but they can't say definitively it is.
TODD: And this latest report only adds to the divide within the U.S. government over whether the virus began with a lab leak or was started more naturally. Many in the scientific community believe a large outdoor wet market in Wuhan is the most likely place where the virus started jumping from animals to humans.
[01:20:00]
DR. PETER HOTEZ, DEAN, NATIONAL SCHOOL FO TROPICAL MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLGE OF MEDICINE: For me the scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports natural origins. We know where the first cases of COVID-19 appeared in this pandemic, and they're all clustered around a specific seafood market in Wuhan.
TODD: The Chinese government also firing back at the idea that the virus came from a lab leak.
MAO NING, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: The relevant party should stop stir frying the argument of laboratory leak, stop vilifying China and stop politicizing the issue of origin tracing.
TODD: But analysts say the Chinese government's actions are a big part of why this mystery lingers.
HOTEZ: The problem is the Chinese are not being transparent. They're not allowing the full outbreak investigation. They destroyed the wet market after the virus emerged there. So it's going to get harder and harder to trace.
TODD: Also muddying the picture, some Republicans in Congress believe American funding for that Chinese lab money from the National Institutes of Health could be tied to Coronavirus experiments at the lab.
MICHAEL MCCAUL, U.S. HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: We need to stop using NIH dollars in experiments in Wuhan at this lab, and I think the people involved in this should be held accountable for what they did.
TODD: Some Republicans have blamed Dr. Anthony Fauci for spearheading the funding of the Chinese lab. Fauci has said this.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE: Maybe there's a lab leak, but it's not with the viruses that the NIH was funding. That's almost certain that that's the case.
TODD (on camera): Despite the ongoing intelligence debate over the origins of COVID-19, the U.S. intelligence agencies do have a consensus that as of right now, they don't believe there's evidence that the corona virus that causes COVID-19 was created deliberately as part of a Chinese biological weapons program. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE) VAUSE: Jamie Metzl was a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and served on the National Security Council during the Clinton Administration. Jamie, good to see you.
JAMIE METZL, SENIOR FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Nice to see you, John.
VAUSE: OK, so this -- this has to do with what you've been saying for a very long time, your theories and your thoughts about the origin of this coronavirus. Here's a sample of how the story has been covered over the past 24 hours from CNN assessment, COVID-19 leaked from Chinese lab is a minority view within us intel community. The lab leaked theory was a victim of left wing cultural says the National Review. The Wall Street Journal which first broke the story, White House there's no consensus on COVID origin.
And before this information was uncovered, the U.S. intelligence community had a theory they believe that the two hypotheses are plausible, natural exposure to an infected animal at a laboratory associated incident.
What is notable though is that when the other agencies saw the new information, none of them changed their conclusion within the intelligence community. So ask me this, is there any benefit from this new revelation, this new information doesn't bring any clarity to where the virus actually came from?
METZL: There's a benefit, it brings a little bit more information. In my view, it continues the process from the early days where everybody for some reason seems to know without evidence, it came from the market to increasing acceptance that it may very well have come from the lab.
The Department of Energy oversees the U.S. national laboratories like Lawrence Livermore National Lab. They have in their employment some of the top scientists in the world. So it's very significant that the Department of Energy has shifted its view from it's a jump ball to it probably comes from the lab. But this is not completely transformative.
And that's why we need a comprehensive investigation into pandemic origins, including a bipartisan national COVID-19 committee. We'd stronger investigation at the international level through the World Health Organization, because it's really important to get to the bottom of how this crisis began so that we can be better able to prevent future ones.
VAUSE: And getting to the bottom of how this all began requires cooperation from China that might want to go through part of what Mao Ning spokesperson for the foreign ministry said in Beijing on Monday. China has always actively supported and participated in global science based origin tracing. Really? Since when.
She goes on explaining why the lab leak theory is very unlikely. It is an authoritative scientific conclusion, no, it's not, Drawn by joint experts from China and the World Health Organization on the basis of field visits to relevant laboratories in Wuhan. Those visits were directed a controlled every step of the way by those ever present government minders.
She goes on, an in-depth exchanges with relevant scientific researchers. They would never like to speak in private to anyone from that WHO delegation.
You know, this constant reference to the joint report between China and the World Health Organization, you know, that research -- What are you going to call it, it was a glorified dog and pony show and in moments like this because Beijing this chance to say nothing to hide. We've all been -- we've gone through this old rule that we've done everything we possibly can. That's the harm that was done by that trip.
METZL: Well, I agree. I feel like whatever it's called the Washington Nationals that trip that used to trip the -- team that used to travel around with the Harlem Globetrotters. So the Harlem Globetrotters could dribble around and show up.
[01:25:00]
I agree with everything that you just said, John, that joint study process controlled by the Chinese government was an absolute sham. On February 9, 2021, there was a press conference in Wuhan. It was really one of the absolute low points of international public health, where this small group of independent experts basically parroted Chinese propaganda points.
But to the great credit of the World Health Organization and Dr. Tedros Adhanom, the Director General two days later, he essentially rejected that the statements that were made in Wuhan on February 9, and said, All hypotheses are on the table. And that's why the World Health Organization abolished that joint study process and created a new entity, the Scientific Advisory Group on the investigating the origins of novel pathogens, SAGO, that is now trying at least to do more.
But you're exactly right, at least that little voice over your shoulder was exactly right. China is doing everything possible to prevent any meaningful investigation into pandemic origins.
VAUSE: I want you listen to the State Department spokesperson on what the State Department would like China to do. Here's Ned Price.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMETN SPOKESPERSON: We would wish to see from the PRC, a greater degree of responsibility, a greater acknowledgment that it's in the interest of the Chinese people, yes, to better understand the origins of COVID-19. But it's in the interest of people around the world to understand the origins of COVID-19.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yes, that's going to happen.
METZL: John. John. John, can it can I do like a yawn? VAUSE: Yes.
METZL: It was like a little yawn emoji here. Like that was very nice. It's very polite. Here's what we need to be saying. This is an absolute outrage that China is preventing any comprehensive and unfettered investigation into COVID-19 origins is an absolute insult to the 15 million people who have died from this avoidable pandemic and their families. It puts us and future generations at unnecessary risk for the good of China and for the good of the world. Everyone must demand the kind of investigation that is absolutely required. And we have to have a process to learn the lessons of our failures to build a safer future for everyone.
VAUSE: Well said, I believe with that. Jamie Metzl, thank you so much. Good to see you.
METZL: Thanks. Nice to see you, my friend.
VAUSE: A stunning admission from Rupert Murdoch about Fox News, the billionaire owner has admitted his anchors endorsed the false narrative of a stolen election in 2020. And that admission could be in big trouble for the network.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:30:10]
VAUSE: Welcome back everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
The death toll now stands at 63 after a wooden ship containing migrant broke apart on the rocks off the coast of Italy over the weekend. Among the dead are women and children. More than two dozens of the victims are Pakistani nationals.
That country's prime minister describing the news as deeply concerning. A local Italian politician says international action is needed, especially once the reporters and the rescuers leave the area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONIO CERASCO, MAYOR OF CUTRO: Even if the Italian government is dealing with the problem, what we miss is a joint action with other countries. This can't be left to the local authorities of a little town like ours. You will be gone tomorrow but we will remember this forever, because we witnessed it while other people will easily forget about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Italian politics have been shaped for years by the debate over what to do with migrants crossing the Mediterranean.
As CNN's Ben Wedeman reports, Sunday's tragedy has drawn a response from Rome and the Vatican.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The tide brings in wreckage of a boat, the wreckage of more lives lost in the Mediterranean.
Among the dead to wash up on this lonely Calabrian beach, an eight- month-old infant. The 20 meter long wooden boat reportedly took to sea from Turkey Thursday with perhaps as many as 250 people on board coming from, among other places Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Syria.
Fishermen Luciano Vincenzo was one of the first on the scene before dawn.
"When we arrived, we found ten dead," he said. "And as dawn broke, we found more and more."
Only around 80 people survived the shipwreck. The rest perhaps, well over 100, either dead or missing.
"This type of tragedy should have been avoided," said the governor of Calabria, Roberto Occhiuto. Sunday, Pope Francis told the faithful in St. Peter's Square, "I pray for each of them, for the missing and for the other migrants who survived." But thoughts and prayers won't save lives.
Since 2014, more than 20,000 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean -- escaping war, famine, repression, chaos, and hopelessness. Increasingly Europe, including Italy, is taking a hard line on those in the global south fleeing their native lands.
In a statement, Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed what she called her "profound pain" at the disaster. But Meloni rode to power on an anti-immigrant platform. And last week, the Italian parliament approved new laws making it ever more difficult for volunteer groups to carry out rescues at sea.
What Europe can do for those in need has been made vividly clear by its embrace of millions of Ukrainian refugees. An embrace that doesn't extend to those braving deadly voyages such as these to reach Europe's shores.
Ben Wedeman, CNN -- Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: A former Nigerian president has accused his country's electoral commission of corruption, now calling for a fresh vote in polling places disrupted by violence where officials failed to show up on Saturday.
As results are slowly tabulated, complaints of voting irregularities continue to grow. Many polling stations are yet to upload their results more than 24 hours after polls closed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHRISTOPHER OBUM, VOTER: Some of us stayed awake until the late in the night voting. And waited to see the result out, even rain was trying to shower and we were still there because we wanted to express our franchise. Why should at the end of everything we are now getting disappointed that the result we got is not what is being announced?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The vote for president in Africa's largest democracy is expected to be the closest in Nigeria's history.
We have more now from CNN's Larry Madowo, reporting in from Lagos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Nigerian election now coming in for strong criticism from multiple quarters -- voters, opposition parties, observer groups and most extraordinarily, former president Olusegun Obasanjo. He says the election process was corrupted and is recommending a repeat in parts of the country where the election did not take place, where ballot boxes were destroyed, where there was violence or technology failed.
[01:34:52]
MADOWO: Huge sums of money were spent on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System or BEVAS and also on an electronic transmission system to the National Coalition Center.
But these technologies appear to have failed. The scale is unknown at this time but President Obasanjo says it's time for a repeat.
GEN. OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, FORMER NIGERIAN PRESIDENT: We have devolved (ph). And some of us have been manipulated or rendered inactive, such results must be declared void and inadmissible for election declaration.
MADOWO: There have also been some positive statements from some of the other groups, like from the African Union, from ECOWAS, that is the west African regional body, and from the Commonwealth Observer group. They mentioned that the election was on schedule and largely peaceful.
But some strong words of criticism from the European Union Observer mission that pointed out that this election lacked efficient planning and transparency during critical stages of the electoral process. And this has led to a huge hit in the credibility of the independent National Electoral Commission.
But even more criticism from the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute in their reports, preliminary at this stage. It says that the election fell well short of Nigerian citizens' reasonable expectations and it points out logistical challenges and multiple incidents of political violence overshadowing the electoral process and impeding a substantial number of voters from participating. These are just plenary statements at this time, but they are in lockstep with the complaints we've been hearing from voters across the nation who just feel disenfranchised by a process that they feel was not well managed by the INEC, that the electoral body. How much of it was incompetence and how much of it was deliberate voter suppression is hard to tell at this time.
Larry Madowo, CNN -- Lagos.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The executive chairman of NewsCorp, parent of Fox News has admitted some of his anchors knowingly endorsed the false narrative about the 2020 presidential election being stolen. Rupert Murdoch's remarks were made in a deposition taken by Dominion Voting Systems which is suing Fox News for $1.6 billion in damages.
During his testimony, Murdoch denied that the right-wing network on the whole promoted one-term President Donald Trump's false claims. Murdoch said quote, "I would've liked us to be stronger in denouncing it in hindsight."
He went on to describe some of Trump's election lies as BS and as damaging. Murdoch also said he could've stopped the former Trump campaign lawyers who alleged election fraud from appearing on Fox programs and adding, "I could've but I didn't."
One of the leading constitutional law experts in the U.S. says Fox could be in serious trouble. CNN asked Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe about the significance of Murdoch's testimony.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURENCE TRIBE, HARVARD LAW PROFESSOR: His regrets really don't make up for the lie. And it is a severe blow not only to Fox News and the Fox Corporation and all of the talking heads who, behind the scenes, but now on record are saying we know that we are lying but it helps our bottom line.
What it does to all of them is expose them as liars for profit, and what that means is enormously significant, quite apart from the $1.6 billion or more that I expect Fox News will have to pay to Dominion.
Quite apart from that, it will change the national conversation. It's not going to be easy for any of these folks to say to people, you know, we admitted on this lie. We made suckers of all of you, and now listen to us.
A lot of people who bought into the lie are going to think twice. I think that is going to change the national conversation going forward. And that may be more important even than driving something like Fox News into bankruptcy.
The most important thing is resurrecting the belief in truth on the part of a lot of people who had been willing to accept the big lie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Fox News issued this statement Monday. "Dominion's lawsuit has always been more about what will generate headlines than what can withstand legal and factual scrutiny."
Fox went on to say its hosts' (INAUDIBLE) claims about election fraud have been taken out of context and the network should not be held liable.
A court in Hong Kong has reportedly denied bail to four family members charged in gruesome killing of model Abby Chao -- Choi, sorry. Her husband and former in-laws appeared in court Monday, a day after police identified parts of her dismembered body.
Details now from CNN's Kristie Lu Stout, and a warning, her report contains disturbing content.
[01:39:46]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A fashion model and mother brutally murdered in Hong Kong in a case that is sending shockwaves through the usually safe city.
28-year-old Abby Choi was a well-known social media influencer with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram who, just weeks ago, appeared on the digital cover of a luxury magazine. She was reported missing on Wednesday.
On Friday, police say pieces of her body were found in a refrigerator in the northern Ta Kwu (ph) district of Hong Kong. They also found a meat slicer and an electric saw. And later, police discovered a head, ribs and hair in a soup pot.
ALAN CHUNG, HK POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: There's a skull with hair, ok. And as I said unfortunately there is a hole on the right side rear on the skull. The pathologists believes that should be the fatal attack on the victim.
STOUT: Police arrested Abby Choi's ex-husband on suspicion of murder on Saturday. Police said they caught him at a pier on the city's Lantau Island.
Reuters reports that Choi's ex-husband Alex Kwong appeared here at the Kowloon City magistrate's court on Monday. Along with his father and brother they're all accused of murder. Now Kwong's mother also appeared in court. She's accused of obstruction in the case. All four were denied bail.
Over the weekend, authorities launched a massive search operation to track down the rest of the model's remains. They deployed more than 100 police officers, including an abseil (ph) team and divers to search a cemetery and nearby catch water in the area of (INAUDIBLE). They are still looking for several body parts. A gruesome murder of this young woman in the spotlight who leaves
behind four children, including two from the ex-husband who is now in custody.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN -- Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Just ahead on CNN: Riddle me this, how does China plan to reduce carbon emissions in less than seven years while right now approving two new coal fired power plants on average each week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: On one hand, China talks about reducing use of fossil fuels, working towards reducing carbon emissions while at the same time a new report says last year, Beijing approved the highest number of new coal-fired power plants since 2015.
China's carbon emissions have tripled in the past three decades. Although leader Xi Jinping has declared the country would become carbon neutral by 2060, experts say the government just is not doing enough.
Joining me this hour from New York is David Sandalow, the director of the U.S.-China program at Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy. Welcome to the program.
DAVID SANDALOW, DIRECTOR, U.S.-CHINA PROGRAM, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CENTER ON GLOBAL ENERGY POLICY: John, thanks for having me.
VAUSE: Ok. So, there was a time when China was building on average a new coal=fired power plant once a week. Now it's government approval for coal plants are averaging twice a week.
[01:44:58]
VAUSE: And not only that. The speed at which these projects progress through permitting, to construction in 2022 was extraordinary according to this report with many projects driving up gaining permits, obtaining financing, and breaking ground apparently in a matter of months.
So what sort of nullifying effect does this have on efforts being done everywhere else around the world in terms of going green and trying to reduce emissions?
SANDALOW: It is not good news for the planet. We need to be retiring coal plants not building new coal plants. And these are going up at a pace that is not consistent with the goals that were set by the world in Paris in 2015 when the Paris Agreement was signed including by China.
Now, if there is any comfort here, it is that they're only building these things so far they're not actually burning lots of coal in them.
But once those plants are built the risk is that they're going to be burning a lot of coal and that's very troublesome.
VAUSE: Yes, and a wait, there is more. This form Yale Environment 360. A total of 247 gigawatts of coal power is now in planning or development nearly six times Germany's entire coal-fired capacity. China has also proposed additional new coal plants that, if built, will generate 73 gigawatts of power, more than five times the almost 14 gigawatts proposed in the rest of the world combined.
This does beg the question though, because, obviously, once they build, they'll start using it fairly soon. How do they plan to keep their commitment to reducing carbon emissions seven years from now?
SANDALOW: Well, you know, Chinese policy in this area is a study in contrast. On the one hand, they are building, you know, incredible amounts of new coal-fired power plants. That is very dangerous for the climate.
On the other hand, they are also building an enormous amount of solar power, an enormous amount of wind power. We have led the world every year in solar and wind power. And, by the way, about half of the electric vehicles in the world are there in China.
So, what Chinese energy planners will tell you is that these coal plants are going to be used when solar and wind isn't used. That is when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing, that's when they'll use these coal plans. That's what they say.
The concern is that once these coal plants are built they're going to be used a lot of the time.
VAUSE: Right. So what is actually behind this building frenzy at the moment? What's driving all of this?
SANDALOW: I think it's a couple of things. One of them was what I just mentioned. They're building lots of solar power. But they know the sun doesn't always shine, a lot of wind -- the wind doesn't always blow and so they need the backup power.
Beyond that, this is partly recovery from the economic problem associated with the pandemic. Building coal plants like this creates jobs. And then there is just a lot of momentum in the Chinese system behind this.
The Chinese have always used lots of coal. They have cheap and abundant coal. So around the country, provincial officials are just used to building these things getting promotion based upon the economic growth associated with it.
VAUSE: What I don't understand, last time I checked, China is located on the same planet as everyone else, right? They're affected the same way like the rest of us by, you know, the impact of global warming. So isn't there a realization within, you know, the top levels of government there that, you know, this is not a good thing? SANDALOW: There is very much so. And in fact, China, you know, last
summer had the worst heat wave in its history, an extraordinary heat wave that some meteorologists called it the worst heat wave that had ever been experienced anywhere.
And the Chinese government states strong goals in this area and interestingly, there are no known climate deniers in the Chinese government. That's just not part of the political dialogue in China as it is to some extent in the United States of America.
But I think what we are seeing with the reports that you are talking about today is that when there are other priorities often climate change loses out in the policy process.
VAUSE: Yes. And unfortunately, we're at a point where climate change is -- it has to be a priority. We can't deal with it another day because the time is coming up.
But David, thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate your time.
SANDALOW: Thanks for having me, John.
VAUSE: A powerful new aftershock has collapsed buildings in southern Turkey, killing at least one person. Hurting more than 100 others. The 5.6 magnitude quake hit on Monday, three weeks to the day after a massive Turkey-Syria quake earlier this month.
That quake and its aftershocks have killed more than 50,000 people, left thousands of more homeless. Beyond the incredible cost of lives lost, there is now a sense of what this earthquake has caused in damage to bricks and mortar.
The World Bank believes the quake cost more than $34 billion dollars in damages just in Turkey. That figure equivalent to 4 percent of the country's 2021 GDP. And according to the World Bank, more than a million people have been made homeless.
Turkey's emergency management agency reports nearly 300 tent cities, more than 10,000 containers have been set up for survivors just to find a place to sleep.
CNN's Nada Bashir has more from Hatay Province.
[01:49:57]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CRP: Amid the rubble in Antakya, there is quiet. Buildings teetering on the edge of collapse. The air thick with gusts as excavators comb through the destruction. There are no more survivors to be rescued. Only bodies to be recovered.
For the living, life has changed forever. And all that remains is the trauma of the earthquake.
"The moment the earthquake happened, our electricity was cut off. It started to rain and hail fell from the sky" Menita (ph) tells me.
"I pray no one ever has to witness such moments. Homes cracked and collapsed in front of us."
This family has lost everything. Three generations, now housed in the small tent in the nearby city of (INAUDIBLE). They are among the hundreds of thousands of people displaced across southeast Turkey with camps like this, expanding each day.
Every effort is made to provide families with a semblance of normality. Hot meals, medical care and even psychological counseling are provided at this humanitarian hub.
But there are also many smaller camps with little in the way of infrastructure or even shelter.
73-year-old Kahar Estradjawi (ph) tells me that he has not only lost his home but he has lost loved ones too. Now, his family is living on the street.
Many of the families still waiting for a tent at this camp are Syrian, already made refugees by a cruel war at home.
Now, some say they feel they are being sidelined in favor of Turkish families.
"They have given tents to the Turkish families here. But still no tents for us," Arwa says. "Each day we wait but they say the Turkish families come first. Aren't we all one? Aren't we all brothers and sisters? This earthquake affected all of us."
Her sister in law, Danya, says that the they, along with their young children have spent every day and every night on the streets since the earthquake struck.
Accounts like this have been shared with us by numerous Syrian families here in a Skandalon (ph). Though authorities and volunteers alike have told us that no distinction is made between Turkish citizens and Syrian refugees.
The hope for many now living in tents is that this will all be temporary. But aid workers tell us that these camps could be in place for years and the threats of yet another earthquake still hangs over this already shattered population.
Nada Bashir, CNN -- in Hatay Province, Turkey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Iran's foreign minister has blamed terrorists for violence which erupted amid nationwide protests, following the death of Mahsa Amini. Speaking at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday he said media outlets in the U.S. and the U.K. are to blame for instigating the violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HOSSEN AMIR ABDOLLAHIAN, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The peaceful assemblies that took place in my country following this sad death of Mahsa Amini, manifested the Iranian (INAUDIBLE) of solidarity for a fellow young Iranian woman.
However, these (INAUDIBLE) assemblies turned violent following the malice interference by some terrorist elements.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Iran was rocked by anti government protests after Mahsa Amini died during detention while she was being held by the morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly.
The Iranian government is accused of arresting thousands of protesters and executing many others following these demonstrations.
Still ahead here on CNN, the White House is setting a deadline to ban TikTok from government issued devices. We'll have the details in a moment.
[01:54:08]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: The Canadian government is banning TikTok from all official electronic devices over cyber security concerns. A review of the app (INAUDIBLE) level of risk to privacy and security.
The U.S. and the European Union have announced similar restrictions on the Chinese owned app over fears that TikTok could be forced to shared user data with the Chinese government.
Meantime, the White House has now told federal agencies they have 30 days to ban the app from all U.S. government issued devices.
(INAUDIBLE) of TikTok calls the U.S. ban little more than political theater.
A student assessment program used in countries around the world is embracing an artificial intelligence tool that has been banned in many schools over fears of cheating.
The International Baccalaureate says it will allow students to use ChatGPT in their essays as long as they clearly attribute the content generated by the chatbot.
The organization says AI technology is becoming a part of everyone's lives and should be used as a supplemental tool like calculators and spellcheckers. Good for them.
Elon Musk has now reclaimed the title of richest person in the world. Good for him. That's according to Bloomberg. Musk regained the title Monday after a rally in Tesla stocks. Musk had been unseated from his richest title by Bernard Arnault in December of last year, the CEO of French luxury brand LVMH. When markets closed Monday, Musk is worth about $187 billion, edging
out Arnault who is worth only about $185 billion. What's a billion dollars between friends?
That's it for this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause.
My friend and colleague Rosemary Church picks up after a very short break. You're watching CNN.
See you back here again tomorrow.
[01:57:17]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
