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Croatia Hit by 6.4 Magnitude Earthquake; NHS Chief: Britain "Back in the Eye of the Storm"; Interview with Maria Van Kerkhove of the WHO on Wuhan Study Showing COVID-19 Infection Rate 10X Higher than Reported; House Votes Yes for COVID Relief, Senate Vote Due; Biden Calls Out Key Agencies Hampering the Transition; Russia Threatens to Jail Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny; Argentinian President Supports Legal Abortion Measure. Aired 10- 11a ET
Aired December 29, 2020 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): this is CNN breaking news.
HALA GORANI, CNN HOST (voice-over): Hello, everyone, and welcome. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. I want to bring you some breaking news straightaway, I`m
Hala Gorani.
We`re following breaking news out of Croatia, which was just hit by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. It is the largest earthquake to hit Croatia this
year, with the epicenter southeast of the capital, Zagreb.
We`re getting some information regarding the time that this earthquake struck at around 12:20 pm local time. Yesterday, a smaller earthquake
caused damage in the same area. Now we don`t know the full extent of the damage today yet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI (voice-over): But take a look at these images that we`re getting out of the area that was affected by this earthquake, showing rubble and
collapsed buildings. Hrvoje Kresic is a reporter with the CNN affiliate N1 in Croatia, who will join in the next hour. Right now, let`s take a listen
to the latest from Zagreb.
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HRVOJE KRESIC, CNN AFFILIATE N1 CORRESPONDENT: One life has been lost, a girl aged 12 in Petrinja which is a city that was most hardly (sic) hit
with earthquake, both yesterday and today. She, unfortunately, died. And there are other casualties. It`s still too early to say whether there will
be any further casualties, any more.
There are some casualty in Zagreb as well but minor casualties. But the damage to the buildings in the intercity is huge. Petrinja is one of the
poorest cities in Croatia. It was heavily hit during the homeland four (ph) 30 years ago in Croatia. And, unfortunately, some scars and
underdevelopment from the time remained.
There are many old buildings, buildings that are built over 100 years ago, still in the Austro-Hungarian empire. And these buildings have been most
hardly (sic) hit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right. There are some historic buildings potentially damaged by this quake. Cyril Vanier is following events from Paris.
So a 6.3, 6.4 magnitude that hit just a few hours, 44 kilometers southeast of Zagreb.
What more can you tell us?
CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hala, the USGS, United States Geological Survey, has this recorded as a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. To put
that in perspective, says it is the strongest earthquake to hit Croatia since the advent of modern seismic measuring instruments.
Now it hit in the central region of Croatia, just 3 kilometers from the town of Petrinja, 20,000 to 30,000 population in the town of Petrinja. You
heard what our reporter from affiliate N1 on the ground said, one loss of life to be deplored at this stage.
But you and I both know, unfortunately and sadly, how this thing goes with earthquakes, is that it takes a few hours for the full extent of the
damage, including loss of life, to be revealed because you need emergency services to go through the rubble.
That is what is happening right now. The prime minister tweeted that all national resources were being mobilized and that includes help from the
military. So they are focusing on the flashpoint town of Petrinja right now, removing the rubble, finding victims, any potential victims.
The priority right now, Hala, of course, is saving lives.
GORANI: Yes, absolutely. Cyril, we will get back to you when we have more information.
This earthquake striking around midday in Croatia. Of course, with COVID and people asked to remain in their homes, likely many people were indoors
when this 6.4 magnitude tremor hit, affecting mainly the town of Petrinja, about 44 kilometers from Zagreb. We will have more information on this
earthquake as we get it.
Let`s turn our attention now to COVID and the head of the U.K.`s National Health Service is warning that the nation is back in the eye of the storm.
Now this pandemic has been really ravaging many parts of the world since the beginning of 2020. And here in the U.K., the country has just recorded
more daily new cases of COVID-19 than ever before.
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GORANI: In a single 24-hour period, 41,000 people were infected on Monday. Hospitalizations in the U.K. also nearing record highs. The NHS says more
than 20,000 coronavirus patients are being treated right now and many hospitals are reaching capacity.
This is despite the ever-growing restrictions across the U.K. The situation there is exemplifying why we must resist complacency, obviously, even as
vaccines start to be distributed. Restrictions are still needed until those vaccines can be made available to everyone or to a very large percent of
the population.
That hope is inching closer to fruition. We`re waiting to hear from U.K. regulators on another vaccine; this is not the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine but
the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. Approval of this one is expected as soon as today. CNN`s Salma Abdelaziz joins me with more.
So we are all waiting with bated breath for approval of this second vaccine here in the U.K.
What are you hearing, Salma, as to when this might happen?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: Hala, it really is well and truly a tale of two cities. On the one hand, you have this excitement around the Oxford
AstraZeneca vaccine developed right here in the U.K., homegrown by Oxford University, a lot of national pride around it.
We hear it could come anytime this week and be rolled out as early as January 4th in the first two weeks we could see up to 2 million people
vaccinated according to reports with this Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.
But then there is the other side of this, there is the other side of this tale of two cities and that is a country that is being plagued by COVID-19.
As you mentioned, unprecedented infection rates, more patients in hospital with coronavirus than ever before.
And the chief of the National Health Service, the NHS, really ringing the alarm. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON STEVENS, NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE: Let`s face it, this has probably been the toughest year that most of us can remember. That`s certainly true
across the health service, where we`ve been responding to the worst pandemic in a century.
And now, of course, again, we`re back in the eye of the storm with this second wave of coronavirus sweeping Europe and, indeed, this country. So by
late spring, we think that, with vaccine supply continuing to come on- stream, we will have been able to offer all vulnerable people across this country this COVID vaccination.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: "Back in the eye of the storm," very concerning words there. Now you basically have the doctors, the medical workers, the nurses that
have been on the front line since spring who have lost some of their own, who have been overwhelmed essentially begging, pleading with the population
to please follow the restrictions; otherwise, hospitals are teetering on the edge. They could reach overcapacity next year.
We are expecting more restrictions to be rolled out tomorrow in more areas. A lot of the spike is due to a variant of COVID-19 that`s prevalent in
London and parts of southeast England the government says is more transmissible. But more rules won`t help, Hala, unless people follow them.
GORANI: Absolutely. Salma Abdelaziz, thank you very much, live in London.
And we`ve got some shocking numbers from the city where COVID-19 first emerged, Wuhan, China. This is the total number of COVID cases confirmed by
authorities in the city, more than 50,000 as of Sunday.
This is the result of a new study by China`s CDC, which suggests almost 10 times as many people may have been infected in the city -- not 50,000,
500,000. The researchers analyzed data to work out how many people would have antibodies.
The Chinese CDC said the study was conducted a month after the country moved to contain the first wave.
Meantime, data from a Russian official is suggesting that its COVID death toll is also much higher than the official tally. It currently stands at
around 55,000 people. But the Russian statistics agency says there have been an extra 230,000 more deaths overall in Russia compared to the same
period last year.
Russia`s deputy prime minister blames the virus. So our calculations would put the actual death toll at 186,000, which makes it the third highest in
the world, in Russia.
This new data just confirms what we`ve been reporting this whole time, that the situation is far worse than the numbers suggest and certainly than the
numbers originally suggested.
While new vaccines are providing hope, until they`re widely distributed, governments are using restrictions to protect people, from banning foreign
travelers to locking down highly infected regions.
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GORANI: I want to bring in Maria Van Kerkhove. She is the COVID-19 technical lead for the World Health Organization. She joins me now live
from Geneva.
What do you make of all of these numbers?
This pandemic is now a year old; governments have done what they can, in some cases, to try to prevent the spread. Yet in a country like the United
Kingdom, we`re seeing more hospitalizations today than at the peak in April.
Why?
MARIA VAN KERKHOVE, COVID-19 TECHNICAL LEAD, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Yes, I mean, I think you`ve highlighted it. It has been an absolutely
devastating year and we have certainly unrecognized a number of cases across the world. And we know that from epidemiology studies which you just
highlighted, a recent study from China.
But there are more than 300 sero-epi studies that have been done all over the world, showing us that there are more people that have been infected
than are detected by surveillance efforts.
And that is -- that is understandable because it`s very difficult to detect all of these cases. So we`re certainly unrecognizing cases and the death
toll is probably far higher than what has actually been reported.
But it means that we really need to adhere and to put in this comprehensive approach that many countries have been put in place. The hope that I see,
Hala, is that many countries have brought transmission under control. And they continue to keep transmission under control, using the steps that have
been outlined by WHO and been implemented all over the world.
This is very, very difficult but this virus can be controlled, including the new variants that are being detected in the U.K. and also a separate
variant detected in South Africa.
GORANI: We know that the virus can be controlled but it is not being controlled in many cases. I mean, the U.K. figures are just one example of
this, that we`re seeing more hospitalizations now than we were in April.
Is it just about people not necessarily adhering to some of the restrictions that the governments are putting in place around the world?
VAN KERKHOVE: I think this is a big part of it. You know, it`s one thing to have measures put in place; it`s another thing entirely to have people
adhere to it. I think there are different reasons why people around the world are not adhering to it. We don`t want to place blame.
But they need to be enabled to do so. Asking people to stay home, in many situations, in many high-income countries, this is a luxury that we have
the ability to do. But in many parts of the world that is incredibly difficult, where people make day wages and have to feed their families.
But the holiday period right now across the North America, across Europe, many people have come together in celebrations of holidays. And there will
be a devastating impact of that coming into the next couple of months.
And I think the situation will likely get worse before it gets better. But it`s about all of us taking decisions every single day about limiting our
own exposure.
And I am fortunate enough in my family -- and many people are in this situation -- they can restrict contact with other families. We really need
to adhere to that for the time being, especially as vaccines are coming online. It`s going to take time for vaccines to actually reach the world,
reach those that are most in need.
And all of us have to play our part in minimizing the opportunities for this virus to spread.
GORANI: And let`s hope that this AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine also comes online sooner rather than later. We`re expecting authorities in the United
Kingdom, hopefully, to greenlight that one.
Let me ask you a question about this variant because we know viruses mutate, that this is something that viruses do. But this variant is said to
be a lot more contagious and transmissible.
Do we know how much more transmissible it is?
It`s been now detected in other countries outside the U.K., in France and South Korea and elsewhere.
VAN KERKHOVE: Yes, so authorities in the United Kingdom have estimated that the increase in transmissibility is an increase in the reproduction
number, which means the amount of people that, if I were infected, how many people I would infect, increases from 1.1 to about 1.5 or 1.7.
That`s not good because that`s in the presence of some controls. But it doesn`t mean that it`s not controllable. It just means we have to work that
much harder.
The measures that are in place, the restrictions of movement, the hand hygiene, the mask wearing, the avoiding crowded spaces, the opening of
windows, all of that needs to be adhered to. That will contain the virus, that will control the virus.
And I think that`s an important message to get across. An increase in transmissibility is not good but it doesn`t mean that we`re doomed.
GORANI: Yes, no, hopefully not. Yes, it just sounds like, from everything you`re saying, really it`s the vaccine, it`s the massive vaccination that
is going to get us all out of this collective nightmare.
The numbers in China we saw a lot higher than initially reported. At the beginning of pandemic, the WHO praised China for its transparency, for how
it handled the pandemic.
Was that a mistake in hindsight?
VAN KERKHOVE: Well, what we did was China is look at what China was doing to control the outbreak in their country.
[10:15:00]
VAN KERKHOVE: Looking at the measures that were put in place. I was part of the team that traveled to China in February and met with officials in
several different cities, from communities to hospitals to individuals, and looking at the measures that they put in place.
They showed us how it was able to be controlled, not only in Wuhan, where there were some very restrictive measures, but also in other cities across
the world. The comprehensive approach that is put in place around the world has been used by a number of countries.
And they have also shown us that they are able to control it. Vaccines and vaccination, more importantly, vaccination, is one tool that will help us
end this pandemic. But it`s not the only one. The measures that we have, that everybody can do at an individual level, will also end this pandemic.
Those have to be in place in addition to the vaccine.
GORANI: But just jumping in on China, though, they were not at all transparent with their numbers. I mean, I guess my question to you is, it
seems as though, maybe even deliberately, those numbers were misreported.
Do you think the WHO in the beginning should have been perhaps a little more skeptical?
VAN KERKHOVE: Well, we`re always skeptical with all of our member states when they`re reporting information on clusters and outbreaks. And we go
back and we ask them all many, many, many more questions constantly.
The numbers that you report on the sero-epidemiology, we have seen across a number of countries. There are unrecognized cases that are not detected
through surveillance efforts and, especially, in the beginning of a pandemic, you focus on your severe cases. These are the cases that show up
in hospital.
This is true for every outbreak that I`ve been involved in over the last 15-20 years. So you always miss cases that are on the more mild end of the
spectrum and some of that is to be expected.
As testing increases in China, as it increased across the world, countries were able to detect individuals with more mild infection and those with
asymptomatic infection. So the numbers change. The sero-epidemiology studies show us that -- all of them have shown us that we are not
recognizing between 5-10 times as many cases that may be out there.
But it depends on the sampling strategy of the country, the testing capacity of the country. But we do push back always on countries when we
are on our missions and when we are studying new emerging pathogens that arise anywhere.
GORANI: Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization, thank you for joining us today. We appreciate your time. Have a great new year.
VAN KERKHOVE: Thanks for having me.
GORANI: You are on CNN. We are coming to you live from London. A lot more ahead, including hospitals under strain. The United States facing a new,
unwanted coronavirus record as the country`s vaccination program gets off to a sputtering start. We will bring you that story coming up.
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GORANI: Well, as we`ve been discussing, coronavirus vaccines are rolling out across the world. But in the United States, it is slow going still.
Health officials there hoped to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of the year.
With just a few days to go, the actual number right now barely tops 2 million. All while the situation grows increasingly dire, COVID-19
hospitalizations hit a new high Monday, topping 121,000 people in the hospital.
Doctors in some overwhelmed areas are warning that they will have to begin rationing care, potentially leaving them to make life-or-death decisions.
Now the pandemic has put a huge financial strain on tens of millions of Americans and that`s playing out in Washington, with drama ahead in the
Senate after two high-stakes votes in the House, one of them overriding a presidential veto, the other approving president Donald Trump`s wishes to
more than triple the amount in stimulus payments many Americans would receive.
Suzanne Malveaux joins me to sort all of this out for us.
We had some Republicans joining Democrats to override the president`s veto on one of those bills, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Hala, it really is incredible to see this, some bipartisanship but also some strange and rare alliances
taking place as there is a flurry of activity here on Capitol Hill during the holidays.
On the one hand, you have House Democrats, who just passed yesterday that $2,000 direct COVID relief aid as the president had been called for. And
then you have House Republicans breaking with Trump regarding the veto of a defense funding bill.
All of this while we wait, in about 90 minutes or so, we will see what happens on the Senate side, whether either one of these agenda items are
pushed through and how the president reacts.
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MALVEAUX (voice-over): The House passing two key votes, overriding Trump`s veto of a defense bill and passing a measure to increase stimulus checks to
$2,000 for eligible Americans.
The new stimulus receiving overwhelming support among Democrats and 44 House Republicans voted in favor of this measure, allowing the bill to
narrowly pass with a two-thirds majority.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I voted for that increase. I think we are in a unique time where people need the money.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): The fate of the new relief payments in the Senate is unclear, despite a boost from the president.
Trump tweeting his support for a vote overnight, "Give the people $2,000, not $600. They have suffered enough."
It`s putting Senate Republicans in a tight spot.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA), CHAIR, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: The same Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans that thought we have plenty of money
for a $2.2 trillion tax cut for wealthy families or large corporations, now seem to say we can`t afford to help these families in need during the worst
pandemic in a century.
I expect Mitch McConnell to try to fight it.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): Two leading Republican senators have said they would support it, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio.
The House also issued a stunning rebuke, overwhelmingly voting to override the president`s veto of the Defense Authorization Act. The final vote was
322-87 in favor of the override, with 109 House Republicans voting against the president.
REP. MAC THORNBERRY (R), RANKING MEMBER, ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: It`s the exact same bill. Not a comma has changed. The world is watching to see
what we will do. Whether we can tune out other differences and still come together to support the men and women of the military and American national
security.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): The president initially vetoed the bill over objections to a provision renaming military bases honoring Confederate
military leaders and his demand for the removal of legal protections for social media companies.
REP. ADAM SMITH (D-WA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: There is literally no reason to veto this bill for the reasons that the president did and
certainly no reason for us not to uphold what we did in passing this bill.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): Senator Bernie Sanders says he will hold up this vote, writing in a tweet, "I`m going to object until we get a vote on
legislation to provide a $2,000 direct payment to the working class."
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes, we do need to get $2,000 out to every working class individual in this country.
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MALVEAUX: And, Hala, there is fierce criticism from the president; as well as demanding loyalty from Republicans, especially the leadership. Just
within the last hour or so, these tweets coming from the president, not calling names but saying the Republican leadership only wants the path of
least resistance.
"Our leaders, not me, of course, are pathetic," he says. "We need new energetic Republican leadership as of the legislation regarding defense
funding."
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MALVEAUX: "If it were to pass as it is into law and the overrides, the veto," he says of that vote, "it would be disgraceful, an act of cowardice
and total submission with weak people to big tech."
So you can imagine and see what is playing out here, as Republicans are making decisions about where their voters stand, where they stand and, of
course, where they stand with the president-- Hala.
GORANI: All right. Suzanne Malveaux, thanks very much.
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GORANI: All right. Well, President-Elect Joe Biden got his last week and, today, the U.S. Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris is expected to get her
first dose of the coronavirus vaccine this hour.
As I mentioned, Joe Biden got his last week. And I believe we have some live images coming to us from the United Medical Center in Washington,
D.C., where this is expected to happen.
By the way, the Vice President-Elect`s husband as well will be receiving his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
There is the chair and there is the whole medical setup around the chair. And we will bring you that when it happens live.
It`s important for elected officials and officials in general to broadcast these images in the United States -- and around the world, for that matter
-- because there has been some concern in some quarters that perhaps this vaccine would create some side effects. There were some reports of very
isolated cases of allergic reactions to the vaccine.
So it`s important obviously to broadcast these images and show that this vaccine and others like it will be safe to take and will protect people
from this horrific illness.
Now doctors, as I mentioned, recommend two jabs, three weeks apart, in order for this vaccine to be fully functional and fully protective.
On Monday, Joe Biden denounced the lack of cooperation that his team is getting from the Trump administration. He said it was irresponsible.
He said Trump appointees in the Department of Defense and Office of Management and Budget are putting up roadblocks and that his team is not
getting the information that it needs to be ready to take over the government in just three weeks` time.
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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: My team needs a clear picture of our force posture around the world and our operations to deter
our enemies.
We need full visibility into the budget planning underway at the Defense Department and other agencies in order to avoid any window of confusion or
catch-up that our adversaries may try to exploit.
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GORANI: Well, let`s bring in CNN`s Joe Johns, who is in Wilmington, Delaware, with more on that.
What impact will this have on the transition, the fact that the Biden team is saying that the Trump administration is not giving them the information
that they need or the cooperation they feel they should be getting at this point?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, the fear, Hala, is that there`s going to be a lag time for the Biden administration to catch
up on all the information they need to know.
And they also need to know where the smoke bombs are buried over at OMB. That`s probably the new information since I talked to you 24 hours ago.
We knew that there was an issue at the Department of Defense and concern that briefings weren`t being held between Biden`s review teams and the
people who are now in charge of the Pentagon.
There`s particular concern about that because of the cyber attack against the United States. The Biden people didn`t feel that they were getting all
the information that they needed.
Well, now there`s also an additional issue that Biden raised. And part of it in that sound bite was about over at the Office of Management and Budget
in Washington, D.C., where, frankly, all the priorities are set for spending of taxpayer dollars, not just at the Defense Department but across
the government.
And concern that, if they are not getting enough information there, they`re not going to know where they need to tweak, what they need to do to change
things in order to suit Joe Biden`s interests and his hopes for turning around some of the biggest problems in the government.
A huge problem for them; also concerns, quite frankly, privately expressed that the Trump people have been trying to sabotage the beginning, at least
the first 100 days of Joe Biden`s administration -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. Joe Johns in Wilmington, Delaware.
[10:30:00]
GORANI: Thanks very much.
Next hour we will be talking about the foreign policy challenges facing Joe Biden. The Biden team has criticized many times, long criticized the Trump
administration`s approach to shunning or exiting international organizations, among other things. So we will be talking with Josh Rogin of
"The Washington Post" about that.
Up next, from Russia with no love. None, just an ultimatum to its most vocal critic. We are live in Moscow after the break.
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GORANI: Welcome back.
A warning for the Kremlin`s most famous critic: return to Russia immediately or face prison time when you do come home.
Alexei Navalny remains in Germany, where he was airlifted in August after nearly dying of Novichok poisoning. Moscow`s ultimatum refers to a
suspended sentence from several years ago.
Navalny says the case was politically motivated. CNN`s Fred Pleitgen is standing by for us in Moscow.
Well, that`s not much of a -- much of a choice Navalny has here: either come back or be jailed when you come back.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes and, in fact, he has already missed the deadline to come back so certainly he could
be in very real danger of being arrested almost immediately when he comes back.
The Russian authorities told him he has to be here or he would have had to be here at 9:00 am this morning for a hearing from the Russian federal
penal service on that case which you just mentioned.
Essentially, what they can do now and what they`ve said that they might do now is they can file with the courts here to have that sentence turned from
a suspended jail sentence into a real jail sentence, about 3.5 years.
And that could mean that then, if he comes back here, that he could be arrested immediately. The interesting thing about it is we actually asked
the Kremlin about this earlier today.
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Vladimir Putin, he said, look, of course, Alexei Navalny can come back here anytime that he wants because he is a
Russian citizen. But he also then added that he believes that the federal penal service here in Russia is simply doing its job.
It certainly seems as though the threat is very real. If you judge from what Alexei Navalny has been posting over the past couple of hours, he
obviously believes that this is the authorities here, trying to get back at him, first and foremost, after that Bellingcat and CNN investigation showed
large parts of a plot to poison and try to assassinate Alexei Navalny, showing the members of the FSB, the intelligence service, who were
allegedly behind that plot and Alexei Navalny also being able to reach one of the agents who was allegedly behind that plot and duped that agent into
admitting parts of it.
[10:35:00]
PLEITGEN: Alexei Navalny believes that Vladimir Putin is very angry and is trying to get back at him. What we always have to say is that the Kremlin
continues to deny any sort of involvement in the plot to try to poison and kill Alexei Navalny.
But I think what you`re saying is absolutely right, Alexei Navalny has, in the past, always said he wants to return to Russia, he believes that he has
to return to Russia to continue his work here. We can wait and see whether or not he now changes his mind, Hala.
GORANI: So have we heard from him?
Do we know if he still plans on returning, even what the Kremlin has said?
PLEITGEN: Well, he hasn`t said whether or not he still plans on returning but he certainly hasn`t said that he doesn`t plan on returning.
Over the past couple of weeks, since he has sort of been out of a coma, since he`s been doing a little bit better and is recovering in Germany, he
has said that he wants to return. He certainly hasn`t changed that yet.
On Instagram, late last night, he came out and said -- he said, "Like I said, somewhere there is Vladimir Putin in his bunker, stomping and
yelling, `Why didn`t he die? And if he didn`t die, then he is twice guilty and now we will jail him.`"
So certainly Alexei Navalny obviously believes that Vladimir Putin is pretty angry at him and wants to get back at him. But it still is unclear
whether or not he will return to this country.
But it is actually quite interesting, if you look at what the federal penal service was saying in their press release earlier, they said they believe
that Alexei Navalny has recovered from that Novichok poisoning and there is there is no reason why he couldn`t attend that hearing.
The reason they justify that is there was a publication, "The Lancet," of course, a well-known medical publication, that detailed the Novichok
poisoning, detailed how Alexei was treated in that hospital in Germany, how they got him out of the coma and back on his feet.
They are using that article to say "The Lancet" said he recovered so he should be able to attend the hearing. Obviously we know he is still very
much recovering there in Germany.
GORANI: Fred Pleitgen, thank you very much.
In a few hours, Argentina could become the largest country in Latin America to legalize abortion. The country`s president supports the measure and the
lower house has already approved a bill, allowing women to end a pregnancy up to the 14th week.
The issue has divided the country, as you can see from some of these protests that are live --
Are these live?
They are not.
But these happened not too long ago. The influence of the Catholic Church has made most abortions illegal across the region. Matt Rivers has more on
why this measure might be different.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Women`s rights supporters in Argentina proudly wave their green scarves, hug each other and cheer in
jubilation as the conservative country is one step away from legalizing abortion.
The lower house of congress passed a landmark bill two weeks ago and now many are waiting as the senate debates the issue. If the law passes,
Argentina would become one of the few countries in Latin America to legalize abortion.
The chamber of deputies of Argentina approved the legislation with 132 members in favor and 117 against. Now the bill faces an even tougher vote
in the senate.
Abortion in Argentina is only legal in cases of rape or if the woman`s life is in danger. But activists argue that even in those situations, women
don`t receive proper care.
According to Amnesty International, since 1983, more than 3,000 women have died in Argentina as a result of unsafe abortions. The new law would allow
a woman to terminate her pregnancy up to the 14th week in all cases.
It`s an historic move for the predominantly Roman Catholic country with strong opinions both for and against the procedure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: : No, no, I`m not in favor of abortion. The 14th week or whatever, it doesn`t seem right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: : I`m in favor of this legislation. I think it`s correct that each person can choose what to do with their body.
RIVERS: Not surprisingly, Argentina native, Pope Francis is opposed to the bill, upholding catholic doctrine forbidding abortion.
He has been outspoken about the legislation, writing a letter to Argentinian anti-abortion activists, quote, the problem of abortion is not
primarily a question of religion but of human ethics, first and foremost of any religious denomination.
Passing the law is also about President Alberto Fernandez fulfilling a campaign to make abortions legal so women don`t resort to risky back room
procedures.
ALBERTO FERNANDEZ, ARGENTINE PRESIDENT (through translator): The first of them is to legalize voluntary pregnancy interruptions and guarantees that
the health system allow their realization under sanitary conditions that ensure their health and their life.
[10:40:00]
RIVERS (voice-over): Argentina lawmakers also took up the issue back in 2018 after intense debate and rallies on both sides, that bill passed in
the House but was struck down in the senate.
If the current bill becomes law, it could pave the way for a wider shift in similar laws throughout the region as calls for greater reproductive rights
for women ring louder. As we wait to see what the senate decides, it is an emotional time for many women and it is a defining moment in history of
Argentina -- Matt Rivers, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, this historic vote is being taken in the birthplace of Pope Francis, as Matt was reporting there, and Pope Francis has lobbied strongly
against it, unsurprisingly. Diego Laje is in Buenos Aires, awaiting that Senate decision.
When can we expect this, Diego?
DIEGO LAJE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Hala. We can expect this decision probably in the very early hours of tomorrow. Mind you, right now, I`m on
the green side, the pro-abortion side. Many of the people behind me right now, playing songs, celebrating, in an anticipation that, of course, we
should say the vote could go either way.
The 72 senators have not all of them declared which way they`re going to vote. Anyway, the green side, the pro-abortion side behind me, has seen
many people spend last night here already in a vigil, asking the senators to please, please, especially those who have not made their vote public,
please vote for the proposal for abortion.
Another thing we have to keep in mind is that, to my right, there is a very strong crowd, control and security, a number of measures separating the
blues, the anti-abortion, from the greens, the pro-abortions here.
Right now on this side, if you want to go to the other side, you have to walk over a kilometer, just around a very big number of security posts and,
of course, measures of all kinds. They`re trying to keep this as peaceful as possible.
And up to this moment, it has been more an atmosphere of joy and celebration and, of course, we have seen no aggression or acts of violence,
at least for now. But this will be a very, very long day. We have a long debate ahead of us and then a very, very -- a vote in the very late hours
of tonight or maybe very early tomorrow, Hala.
GORANI: And in Argentina, what is the legal -- can you -- is there any way a woman can get an abortion, under what circumstances currently?
LAJE: You can get an abortion under very specific circumstances. They can be medical or they can be a case of rape. In those circumstances you can
get an abortion. There are some legal alternatives to proceed with this.
But especially the pro-abortion activists have cited many cases, in which judges have interfered or even decreed injunctions to stop them. Some
judges in Argentina tend to lean very much towards the Catholic anti- abortion decision.
And this is what activists -- activists are always quoting. That`s why they insist so much with this bill, they want to make abortion completely legal
and, of course, completely open to everybody without any procedures that could potentially be interrupted by the law.
Additionally, there is another part of this bill that is important to bear in mind, this is that doctors can be conscientious objectors to abortion.
And this new bill would regulate that and, of course, require clinics and hospitals to have doctors that will actually perform such a procedure and
would not stall the event in case.
Of course, we`re close to the deadline to the week until the abortion can be carried out, which is week 14, according to this bill. And that would,
of course, derail the process.
So what they`re looking for in this bill is not only the authorization, the legal right to exercise it but also a number of provisions that will ensure
that abortion can be legally practiced and there is staff and resources available for it, Hala.
GORANI: All right. Diego live in Buenos Aires. Thanks very much.
Diego there saying we expect potentially the result of the senate vote legalizing abortion up to 14 weeks in the early hours of tomorrow. We will
keep our eye on that.
Let`s go back to Washington there, where Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, are expected to get their first COVID-19 vaccination jab.
[10:45:00]
GORANI: Everything is ready for it. You can see the nurse or the doctor there with the face mask and the face shield, waiting for the Vice
President-Elect and her husband to sit on the chair there and get their vaccine.
This is the first of two jabs, of course. This is the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, which requires two jabs three weeks apart. The room, I understand,
has gone quiet, which means that perhaps we can expect the Vice President- Elect to make an appearance any moment now. We will bring you that live.
We will take a quick break in the meantime and we will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Their first COVID-19 vaccination jab. Everything is ready for it. You can see the -- the -- the nurse or the doctor there with the face mask
and the face shield waiting for the Vice President-elect and her husband to sit on the chair there and get there vaccine.
This is the first of two jabs, of course. This is the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which requires two jabs three weeks apart. The room, I
understand, has gone quite which means that perhaps we can expect the vice president-elect to make an appearance any moment now and we`ll bring you
that live.
We`ll take a quick break in the meantime and we`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VANIER (voice-over): Saffron, chili, turmeric, cumin; spices are the touch stone of all Indian food. And the Chandni Chowk (ph) market in
Delhi, India`s capital territory might be the best place to find them.
A stone`s throw from Delhi`s majestic red fort, this 350 year old labyrinth of stalls is home to the biggest spice market in Asia. There are less
visitors since the pandemic but many who still appreciate the market from afar, including Delhi born chef, Kuldeep Negi.
KULDEEP NEGI, CHEF DE CUISINE: Once you go into the market you feel spices. From some places it will be like nutmeg, (inaudible), cinnamon;
you feel it. So I wanted to bring that feeling to the fine dining restaurant.
VANIER (voice-over): In his renowned restaurant in Singapore, Negi implores a range of Northern Indian cooking styles, all learned while
growing up in Delhi.
NEGI: Delhi the prism soul (ph) of India. That`s while I`m able to learn different kind of cuisine, different kind of methods.
All the spices are the base of union cooking. Some spices go good with chicken, some go good with fish, some with the lamb.
VANIER (voice-over): And some with seafood such as Negi`s 10 door (ph) prawns. In land locked Delhi, prawns aren`t widely available. But Negi
wants to celebrate the distinctive smoky flavors of Chandi Chowk`s 10 doors (ph) with the ingredients available in his new home. Whatever the canvas,
blending the spices is a precise art.
NEGI: And then I add saffron, a side of turmeric, curry chili powder and my own blended spices, which is made from earl strider (ph) (inaudible).
And then I grill it into the lard (ph) (inaudible), which is a clay pot.
You know and then you`re going to bite that, you`ll feel it the powder that is -- the freshness of the powders, especially for those kind of .
VANIER (voice-over): When he`s not busy cooking up the next batch, Negi is teaching his junior chefs how to get the spices just right.
NEGI: (Inaudible) if you put water it will overpower the dish.
Tradition is, in my terms, I feel is very important. People are changing these days to find and they are modifying it in cuisine. But some people
need to keep their traditions going on.
VANIER (voice-over): Keeping traditions going and creating something new, it`s a fine balance, one Negi hopes you can feel in every bite.
Cyril Vanier, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, this pandemic has cast a light on a fast growing problem in Europe among other places, food poverty. Even before the pandemic hit,
tens of millions of Europeans faced the daily struggle of affording to buy meat, fish, or vegetables needed for a healthy meal.
Healthy food is expensive. COVID has exacerbated the hardship and placed increasing importance on the role of food banks. But on a continent that
prides itself on providing social welfare, a rich continent, food banks are under strain leaving this largely voluntary groups to look for a way
forward.
Jacques Vandenschrik is the president of the European Food Banks Federation and he joins me today via Skype from Belgium. Talk to us about the
numbers, how many people Europe wide are now turning to food banks because the pandemic has placed economic strain on them and their families?
JACQUES VANDENSCHRIK, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN FOOD BANKS FEDERATION: Good afternoon, Hana. Today, I think that the food banks are providing food
assistance to more or less 13 million people in Europe.
Obviously there are more than that who are actually in a food insecurity but we are not the only one to provide aid and not everyone is actually
getting it tighter, which is a pity, obviously. We -- we offer .
(CROSSTALK)
GORANI: One of the statistics I read -- sorry to jump in there was a bit of delay but -- but you could confirm this, 925 percent and 925 surge in
demand for food assistance at the start of the pandemic in Europe. That is absolutely huge.
VANDENSCHRIK: No, I think -- I don`t know where you -- the number is coming from but I think as an average the increase of food demand is 30
percent in Europe and we have actually met that. I must say that the food banks in Europe and elsewhere in the world have demonstrated their ability
to react quite extraordinarily to the demands and to the emergencies such as those that had been generated by the COVID pandemic.
So it has been a huge challenge for us but we have, I think, demonstrated that we are -- we are a good partner in the specific field.
GORANI: Now these are some of the figures that have been reported in the press and by journalist and perhaps they -- they are -- are region specific
or city specific in some areas that were hardest hit. Who are the people newly effected. I mean if you`ve observed Europe wide a 30 percent
increase, who are the people who now need food assistance and who didn`t before?
VANDENSCHRIK: All right. Many of those -- those who have been affected by COVID are -- not so much those who have had the infection themselves but
whom the businesses has actually been disrupted by the pandemic.
[10:55:00]
And it`s always the same situation where you have people who are on the verge of falling into poverty. If you diminish somehow their income, they
will actually fall into poverty.
So there -- it`s mainly a population that is on the verge of being deprived but who can in normal situation can make ends meet but they -- but if you
take a little bit away from them even if they still have an employment benefit but this is not the same thing a salary, then they will fall into
poverty. And obviously we are there to assist.
GORANI: What countries are -- are most effected and why across Europe?
VANDENSCHRIK: Well, I think the COVID situation has affected, as everybody knows, mainly the very countries but also the smaller ones. And on the
eastern part of Europe the impact is even greater because the base line is different because the level of food insecurity was already high in those
countries as opposed to the western part of Europe.
GORANI: All right. Thank you very much, Jacques Vandenschrik, is the European Food Banks Federation head joining us live from Belgium.
Obviously people who hear these and listen and watch these interviews all want to know how to help. I guess your recommendation would be to go to
your local food bank and ask how -- how can you help. What -- what can ordinary people do?
VANDENSCHRIK: Well, ordinary people can either provide help in terms of volunteering. Most of the work done by the food banks are done by
volunteers. And they -- they can do that. Obviously we need also financial support in order to -- to sustain the logistic costs that we are
faced with the lack; cold rooms and refrigerated tracks and things of that nature.
So any -- anything that is available will help and will be welcome. But the most important thing is that what we have, I believe, experienced in
this period is in this very difficult period of the pandemic is that human solidarity into human relationship is of most important and that`s where
food aid is so important because food aid doe -- given as a gift to a person who is in despair, it doesn`t come along as a food pass.
It is also the human contact to human warmth that will accompany the food. And that is as important as the good.
GORANI: Absolutely. And knowing that people care is so important. Jacques Vandenschrik, thank you very much.
Tributes are being paid to Pierre Cardin. He was one of the all time legends of fashion who helped revolutionize the business side of the
industry. He lived a long life. He was 98-years-old. Nina dos Santos takes a look back at a ground breaking carrier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the 1950s bubble dress to boxer shorts bearing his name, Pierre Cardin left his mark on the
fashion world like few others.
Born in Italy in 1922, Cardin grew up in France and studied architecture in Paris after World War II. In 1946 he got his big break, a job at Christian
Dior who at the time of its famous new look.
But the relationship didn`t last long with Cardin going it alone just four years later. In the 1960s as man explored the outer limits of the earth,
he pioneered space age chic designer wear before embracing the mod (ph) look a decade later with sleeveless jackets for men.
PIERRE CARDIN, FASHION DESIGNER (through translator): I think it`s funny; women show their legs and so I`ll show men with muscular arms.
DOS SANTOS (voice-over): But it was Cardin`s signature, not his clothes that made most of the money.
CARDIN (through translator): Since I had the possibility .
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: All right, let`s take you to Washington where Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is about to take a seat there to get her first dose of a
coronavirus vaccine. Unclear if it`s the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech but let`s watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VP-ELECT: Yes, that`s all correct.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s all correct.
HARRIS: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wonderful.
HARRIS: OK. OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would it be OK if I administered?
HARRIS: Yes, of course. Of course. Thank you. I`m looking forward to it. OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So I will first sanitize your arm and then I will administer the vaccine.
HARRIS: OK, got it.
How are you doing today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m doing well. How are you?
HARRIS: You`ve been busy, huh?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, ma`am.
HARRIS: It`s good to be here at United Medical Center. You guys do such good work here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
HARRIS: OK. Let`s do it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. Ready?
HARRIS: I`m ready.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible).
HARRIS: That was easy. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible).
HARRIS: I barely felt it. I barely felt it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Awesome. (Inaudible).
[11:00:00]
END
