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Israeli Cabinet To Vote On Ceasefire With Hamas After Delay; L.A. Wildfire Evacuees Scramble To Find Sleep In Shelters, Hotels And Even Cars; Over Half A Million "TikTok Refugees" Flock To China's RedNote; Majority Of Americans expect Trump To Do A "Good Job" As President; Most Of Trump's Cabinet Picks Expect To Be Confirmed. U.N. 600 Aid Trucks Per Day into Gaza is Only a Start; Starmer Pledges to Work on Security Guarantees for Ukraine; Russia, Iran Set to Sign New Partnership Agreement; Trump's Threat to Return Panama Canal to U.S. Control; Starship Spacecraft Disintegrates Minutes after Launch; U.S. TikTok Users Flock to RedNote App as Ban Nears. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired January 17, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[01:00:23]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: The Gaza ceasefire deal officially signed in Doha, not yet seen in Jerusalem. Hello, I'm John Vause. Ahead here on CNN Newsroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR: All systems are go right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Israel's government now set to vote on the agreement Saturday, possibly postponing the start of the deal until Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lost everything. It's not just us, it's everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Before the wildfires, Los Angeles was facing a dramatic shortage of housing. What was a frustrating search is now a desperate scramble to find somewhere to live.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is so much better than TikTok.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And bracing for when the TikTok might stop many users fleeing to other Chinese apps ahead of a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
UNDIENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: In the past few hours, the Gaza ceasefire for hostages deal became an official agreement of sorts with signatures from officials from Israel, Hamas, U.S. and Qatar. But there remains at least two more procedural hurdles to come.
Israel's prime minister delayed a security cabinet vote until Friday, blaming last minute demands from Hamas, an accusation Hamas denies. Benjamin Netanyahu has called a meeting of his security cabinet for sometime in the next two hours.
If the deal is approved, then next comes the full government vote on Saturday. That delay could see the actual cease fire start a day late on Monday. Not Sunday as initially planned.
Well, families of the Israeli hostages being held in Gaza have kept up the pressure on lawmakers to approve the deal. And that's because some of the government's far right strongly oppose it.
National Security Minister and anti-Arab bigot Itamar Ben-Gvir is threatening to pull his party out of the ruling coalition if the deal is approved. And that could see the collapse of the Netanyahu government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ITAMAR BEN GVIR, ISRAELI NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER (through translator): If this reckless deal is approved and implemented, the Jewish Power Party will give the resignation letter to the prime minister. The Jewish Power Party will not be a part of the government and will withdraw from it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Meanwhile, Gaza's Civil Defense says nearly 90 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded by Israeli strikes since the cease fire was announced. The Israeli military says it hit 50, approximately 50 terror targets across the Palestinian territory.
Live now is CNN's Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi with very latest. If we look at these votes, Paula, the one on the security cabinet, the one in the full government, are these seem to be procedural matters? Are the numbers there or could there still be some stumbling blocks along the way?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, at this point there is an assumption that the vote will go through in the security cabinet in the coming hours this Friday and then potentially Saturday evening for the full cabinet after the Jewish Sabbath.
Now, we, as you mentioned, there are far right elements of his coalition, the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who are threatening to leave if this deal goes ahead. There is some serious opposition to this ceasefire hostage deal on the far right of the political spectrum in Israel.
But potentially at this point, they don't have the numbers to be able to scupper the vote itself. Now, of course, if they start to leave the coalition, that could be a different matter because they do have enough to potentially collapse the government.
But then you have one opposition leader, Yair Lapid, who is certainly no fan of Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that he will be the safety net, he will step in with his party to make sure this deal goes through. So it is -- it's fairly complicated. The internal Israeli political system we're looking at.
But what we're also looking at is whether or not this does delay the start of the cease fire. Now, we have seen in the past that there has been at least a 24 hour period for those in opposition to this deal to be able to petition the Supreme Court.
It's not clear whether that would still have to be a 24-hour petition because that could potentially delay the cease fire start something which certainly people in Gaza desperately do not want to the families of the hostages that would be released do not want.
From the U.S. side, they're still confident that this is going ahead as expected. We heard from the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, saying that it's not surprising that in negotiations that have been this challenging, there are going to be loose ends to tie up.
[01:05:00]
So he considers this a loose end. We heard from one senior administration official as well, saying that they're still on the right path, that the deal's done and agreed and this is just a formal approval procedure. So as far as the Biden administration is concerned, this happens on Sunday evening. We'll have to see about the technicalities within the Israeli political system. John?
VAUSE: Paula, thank you. Paula Hancock's life for us in Abu Dhabi. We'll go to Jerusalem now. Yaakov Katz, a senior columnist at the Jerusalem Post and a fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. It's been a while. It's good to see you, Yaakov.
YAAKOV KATZ, SENIOR COLUMNIST, JERUSALEM POST: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: So we just heard a short time ago that threat from the far right P.M. to the prime minister that if he goes through with this deal, he'll bring down the government. Here's, I guess, the counterweight. In a tweet from opposition leader Yair Lapid, he wrote this. I say to Benjamin Netanyahu, don't be afraid or intimidated. You will get every safety net you need to make the hostage deal. This is more important than any disagreement we've ever had.
Obviously, there's been some negotiations and a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. Is that support from Lapid? Is that enough to get the deal approved? But what about Netanyahu's political future? What happens to him? KATZ: Well, that's a lot to unpack because, John, if the, if Ben-Gvir
pulls out, Netanyahu still has the votes within his coalition that can survive and continue to function. The big problem will be in the cabinet. Even with the Ben-Gvir party voting against the deal, even if the Smutrich, the finance minister party votes against the deal as they said they would, he still has enough ministers in the full government when it goes to that for a vote on Saturday to get the deal across the threshold and get it approved.
But if both of those parties fall out, Israel goes to an election and then what is under threat is the second phase of the deal. Because at day 16 of the 42-day ceasefire, Israel and Hamas are supposed to once again convene, sit down and begin negotiating the second phase.
Let's remember, Israel's only getting 33 hostages in this 42-day period. Three are going to come on the first day of the ceasefire. That looks like it's going to be on Monday now, then every week another batch until we finally get to the end of the 42 days, a full 33, but there's still about 65 who are being held in Gaza. If there's no government in place, they can't negotiate that deal. And that's where Yair Lapid's offer is coming in on the table.
It's saying to Netanyahu, we will come into the government essentially. We will make sure that you stay on as Prime Minister, even though we have great differences. So we can finalize the complete release of all the hostages. And after that, you know, then all is fair in politics.
VAUSE: Nothing is ever straightforward or simple in Israeli politics. And that it's a great explanation of what we can expect. I want you to listen to U.S. National Security spokesperson John Kruse Kirby on the status of the deal. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRBY: All the parameters have been agreed to. We've ironed out these last bit of details that needed to be flattened out and fixed. We believe we're on a good path here to start implementation by the end of the weekend. So all systems are go right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: He's talking about phase one and phase one only, right? Phase two, as you said, it's still up for grabs. There's no agreement there. So in many ways is this ceasefire like Schrodinger's cat, not one deal, but two. For the Israeli government, it seems it's a pause in the fighting with the expectation the war could resume in six weeks. To Hamas, it's a roadmap to a permanent truce.
KATZ: I mean, this is exactly the flaw with this deal. But I think that Israel would have liked John to be able to make a deal that we get all of the hostages in one batch and there is a ceasefire. Hamas, they're not stupid. They understand and this is their leverage. Their joker card is having these hostages in captivity. And that is how they're able to continue to survive and continue to hold on in Gaza. So they're not going to release all of them. And as a result, Israel
had to agree to a multiphase deal. So it gets 33 in these 42 days. When the 16-day rings and Israel begins those negotiations, hopefully it's able to reach a second agreement that will start on day, I guess 43. Then those hostages will hopefully come back.
But in the interim, there's always the possibility that this whole deal falls AP Hamas does something, Israel responds, the ceasefire crumbles and then we're back at where we are right now, back in full military operations, more strikes and still hostages being held in Gaza.
So, the families of the hostages, they are right, in essence by saying the big problem is that, yes, we're getting back 33 that's amazing. Every life being saved is incredible. It's a whole world. But what about the remaining 60 plus who will still be in Gaza? There's no assurance that Israel's going to get them back.
VAUSE: There are myriad reasons why this ceasefire is happening now, but I guess one of them is because Israel is now in a much stronger position militarily and in security terms compared to before October 7th.
[01:10:06]
But then on the other side, what about diplomatically? Before October 7, you know, Saudi Arabia was close to normalizing relations. There was a big step towards diplomatic recognition across the region, I guess. Has this last 15 months, has it been a tactical win but maybe a long term strategic failure?
KATZ: Well, it's a great question, John, and I think it really will be a test of this government's ability to essentially leverage and propel the military achievements and accomplishments it's had on the battlefield, not just against Hamas in dismantling that terrorist group's military capabilities, but Hezbollah and Lebanon, which has been degraded in an unprecedented way. Iran, which is exposed and vulnerable in ways we could not have imagined. And of course, Bashar al Assad's regime toppled in Syria.
So the region, when you look at it collectively, is definitely militarily a potentially safer place. But you are right. What do you do with those military accomplishments? You have to use them for a process. And that could be either with the Saudis, but I think it would also have to be potentially with the Palestinians. We don't want to be locked in this cycle of violence and conflict forever.
VAUSE: Yaakov Katz in Jerusalem. Thank you, sir. It's good to see you.
KATZ: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: Counting the days towards Donald Trump's second inauguration and he's seeing some of the most positive ratings of his political career. A new CNN poll shows most Americans, 56 percent are expecting him to do a good job, up a couple of points from last month. Majority approval also 55 percent of how Trump's presidential transition has been handled.
As for where the country will be four years from now, 52 percent believe better, 47 percent say worse. Trump's favorable ratings are stronger now compared to his first term, but still lagging behind other recent presidents when they began their time in office.
Thursday's confirmation hearings for Donald Trump's Cabinet picks put the focus on his domestic and economic agendas. His nominees fast faced a third day of hard questions from some lawmakers, mostly Democrats, but most are expected to be confirmed. CNN's Manu Raju reports now from Capitol Hill.
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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Republican leaders are confident that Donald Trump will get most, if not all of his picks confirmed to fill out his Cabinet. And this in the aftermath of a number of confirmation hearings, both on Thursday, Wednesday, really, all throughout the week as GOP leaders prep for getting some of those confirmed, including on the first day when Donald Trump takes office on Monday. That's when we expect there to be a vote in the House and the Senate Armed Services Committee for Pete Hegseth is picked to be Defense Secretary, perhaps the most controversial of his picks.
Hegseth, though, seems to be on a path to confirmation after Republican senators started to fall in line in the aftermath of despite of all the concerns about these allegations of misconduct conduct, his allegations of sexual assault. Hegseth has denied all of this.
Democrats went after him at his confirmation hearing earlier this week, but it was not enough to dissuade GOP senators, including one senator, a freshman senator John Curtis, who is seen as a potential swing vote, but indicated to me that he is on board despite these allegations.
These issues of personal misconduct for Pete Hegseth, it seemed like that did not was not an overriding concern for you. Is that fair?
JOHN CURTIS, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: I had to balance right between giving the president deference, giving my own standards, right, and what happened and what didn't happen. And I think it's fair to say because of the length of the time of my decision, that I took all of those things into consideration. As you know, there was a lack of people willing to step forward to actually validate those.
RAJU: Now a number of other Trump picks are on the glide path to be confirmed. Expect Marco Rubio to be the first, if not one of the first, if not the first nominee to be confirmed next week. The Secretary of State pick, but also some other ones. Treasury secretary nominee expected to be nominee Scott Bessent, was on Capitol Hill on Thursday. He's expected to be confirmed potentially with some bipartisan support as well.
Even Pam Bondi, who had a controversial and contentious at times confirmation hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats. She is expected to be confirmed as attorney general maybe not next week or maybe the week after as Republicans are indicating that they will fall in line. One person to watch though is Tulsi Gabbard, the director of National Intelligence pick.
She is someone who has taken views that have conflicted with some of the more hawkish views of GOP members like the former Republican leader Mitch McConnell. He -- I asked him on Thursday whether he was willing to get behind Tulsi Gabbard. He indicated that he is not ready yet to make announcement and he would in the coming days.
One of the big questions will he fall in line behind Tulsi Gabbard or RFK Jr. for Health and Human Services Department?
[01:15:05]
Another question mark as those confirmation hearings are yet to be set, but the Trump team is hoping that they will be confirmed in just a matter of weeks. Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: More than a week into the fire emergency in Southern California and some residents allowed to return to what's left of their homes. Others still have to wait. More on that in a moment.
Also, come aboard for a ride on the Super Scooper, working overtime to douse the flames and the hotspots. More on that after a break.
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VAUSE: The Los Angeles County Medical examiner now reports 27 people have died as a direct result of the Palisades and Eaton fires. Sheriff says another 31 people remain unaccounted for. Favorable weather has helped firefighters contain most of the outbreaks forecast as though a warning of strong dangerous winds again in the next week.
Investigators are also continuing to work to determine what caused the fires, but they say that could still take weeks. Meantime, some evacuees are returning to their communities. CNN's Marybel Gonzalez has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This historically destructive Palisades Fire nearly a quarter contained as of midday with fire crews making ground. Three other blazes now between half and total containment as monitored by Cal Fire. Not as contained rising frustrations among many fire victims One into their devastated communities.
CHIEF ANTHONY MARRONE, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: The repopulation of residents in the evacuation order areas will not occur for at least one more week for the areas that are deemed safe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The U.S. EPA has been tasked by FEMA to conduct phase one household hazardous materials removal in the burn footprints. We are beginning this work today.
GONZALEZ (voice-over): Some have made it back to the ashes of their homes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just gone. Everything is just gone.
GONZALEZ (voice-over): This Altadena family, like so many others scrambling to find affordable temporary housing.
KEVIN PAZMINO, LOST ALTADENA HOME TO FIRES: These rentals literally cost twice as more than my mortgage. What?
GONZALEZ (voice-over): Airbnb and a number of large hotel chains in the region are now offering displaced residents low or no charge accommodations. California's governor signed an executive order allowing mobile and manufactured homes and RVs to be used as housing outside of designated mobile and RV parks during rebuilding. A potential path forward for those left with nothing but hope.
PAZMINO: It's going to be OK. You know mommy and daddy did it once. We can do it again.
GONZALEZ: In Altadena, I'm Marybel Gonzalez reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Power winds are allowing more planes and helicopters to fight the fires and bring hotspots under control. CNN's Demetrius Pipkin has an up close look at the so called Super Scoopers.
[01:20:05]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAM DAVIS, CEO, BRIDGER AEROSPACE: These CL215Ts hold 1412 gallons of water. They can fill their tanks in roughly 10 to 12 seconds on an open body of water. They're reinforced holes to hit the water at roughly 100 miles an hour to fill those tanks.
DEMETRIUS PIPKIN, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): These CL215Ts or CL415EAFs are among the fleet of planes fighting fires now in California. These so called Super Scoopers built specifically for aerial firefighting, and they're designed to pound fires over and over with water, replenishing their massive tanks while still in motion.
DAVIS: They can continuously scoop and drop water for roughly four to five hours on a tank of fuel. And so they can drop a few hundred thousand gallons of water a day per scooper, depending on how far the water we can go, you know, hundreds of miles into the backcountry to fight fires where you just can't get to in a matter of minutes.
PIPKIN (voice-over): Montana based company Bridger Aerospace gave CNN a tour inside one of their firefighting aircrafts currently in Southern California battling the most destructive wildfires in the area's history. TIM WOELK, CAPTAIN: So when we come inside, people will see it for the
first time. They'll often say, oh, there's so much room inside. And what they need to remember is that the airplane was designed around these water tanks. This is all 6 tons of water right here. And this is what the airplane was designed around. And this is exactly how much airplane it takes to move that.
Something prominent here is the life raft. You have to remember we are a boat. We're equipped as such with life rafts, jackets, anchors, lines, all the usual boat pieces as well.
DAVIS: Bridger is the largest private owner operator of scoopers in the world. We have six of the 10 here in the U.S. we can and have operated. In Canada's they have a lot of provincial fleets there and there are a lot based in Europe in In the U.S. they never have been in. California specifically, I think with all the publicity, we're getting a lot of interest as people see what they can do, you know, scooping water off the ocean and in kind of tight places.
PIPKIN (voice-over): Company reps say their mission is to provide aerial support to firefighters on the ground with the hope that the Super Scoopers become a more accessible tool across the U.S. against an increasing number of wildfires.
DAVIS: We're looking for kind of that unmet need and something that we think is best positioned for that. Having the opportunity to show what we're capable of and put these things to the test has been very critical.
PIPKIN (voiceover): And as multiple fires continue to rage on in the Los Angeles area, the Super Scoopers have become a welcome sight to residents and firefighters alike.
DAVIS: If this happened in July or August, it would still be catastrophic and unprecedented. We've never seen this in a heavily populated area like LA. To have it happen in January is just absolutely shocking. A wake up call, I think to us, to the whole country. That fire season isn't really a thing anymore. It's year round and the devastation is just terrible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Well, some of the biggest names in show business are coming to the aid of fire victims. Taylor Swift announced on Instagram she's donating an undisclosed amount of money to relief organizations. Pop star says the fire has devastated so many families now faced with the most challenging times of their lives.
Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga are among the musical acts scheduled to perform in concerts at two different venues January 30th. The Fire Aid benefit will also feature the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Katy Perry, Pink, Gwen Stefan, Stephanie and Jodi Mitchell, as well as Rod Stewart.
Still ahead, once the cease fire takes hold, next comes a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Also, that's what they expect. Aid workers say it's nowhere near enough. Senior U.N. official joins me after the break.
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[01:26:10]
VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN Newsroom. For more than 2 million people in Gaza, the ceasefire agreement at the very least should bring a reprieve from the relentless Israeli airstrikes and military offensive across the Palestinian territory. Just not yet.
In the days since news broke that a deal was done, Israeli strikes have killed at least 86 people, among them 23 children. More than 250 have been wounded, according to Gaza's Civil Defense.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has more now on the hope and devastation over the past 24 hours in Gaza. But first, a warning. Her report contains some disturbing images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Joy and relief with the announcement of a deal. Finally, the moment they've been longing for. We want to go back home. We just want to go back to school and learn, she says. This is the most amazing day. At least that's what it seemed. But the bombs didn't stop.
Shortly after the agreement was reached on Wednesday, another round of Israeli strikes. The military says it's still going after Hamas targets. It brought those same horrific scenes the world has watched on repeat for 15 bloody months. The ceasefire is set to begin on Sunday. And so many in Gaza fear the days before that will only bring more horror.
And when the guns do fall silent, if they do, it will be the start of a new, difficult and painful chapter for those who survived the bombs, the bullets, the siege and starvation as they begin to pick up, the pieces of life's left shatter beyond recognition. Homes gone and loved ones who didn't live to see this day.
I don't know how I'll go back to Gaza City to continue living without my children, Ahmed says. I dreamt of the day of going back with them by my side playing. They were gone in the blink of an eye.
Halla was 4, Ahmad 2. Killed in an Israeli strike in the first month of the war. Two of nearly 18,000 Palestinian children killed. A ceasefire only means the killing will stop, their mother says, and she will finally have the chance to grieve. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Live now the news (INAUDIBLE) in central Gaza and Sam Rose, acting Director of UNWRA affairs in Gaza and Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator. Sam, thanks for being with us.
SAM ROSE, ACTING DIRECTOR, UNRWA AFFAIRS IN GAZA: Thanks for having me on.
VAUSE: OK, so the plan right now is for hundreds of aid trucks to start rolling across the border into Gaza once that ceasefire begins. I want you to listen to one of your colleagues from the World Health Organization on some of the obstacles ahead that they think they'll face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK PEEPERKORN, W.H.O. REPRESENTATIVE FOR OCCUPIED PALESTINE TERRITORY: What is critical, though, is the significant security and the political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza are removed.
So we need a rapid, unhindered and safe access and expedited flow way into and across Gaza.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: What challenges are you expecting specifically the next couple of days? And in particular, I'm just curious, is there enough left of a road network which can accommodate hundreds of trucks every day?
ROSE: Thanks. Look, first of all, I'd echo the comments from the colleague from WHO from the start of this war, it's been a massively difficult supply chain operation. The basics, the things that we normally take for granted. Those elements that are obligations under parties to the conflict to facilitate, i.e., entry of aid, have been systematically hindered and constrained. That situation has been compounded by breakdowns in law and order on the ground, criminality, and, as you say, the destruction to the road network here.
[01:30:05]
Now, look, the challenges we face are going to face are manifold.
First of all, there's an issue of volume -- bringing those volume of commodities into Gaza. It's something we were able to do before the Rafah operation happened in May. So we have the capacity.
It's just something that we've not done for several months, and we don't know yet the precise details of how this will work at the crossing point.
But the aid is there on the borders. 4,000 trucks of aid is out there. Two-thirds of all food aid waiting outside Gaza belongs to UNRWA. And we stand ready to bring that aid in.
Many of our warehouses have been inaccessible for several months, but we're working to prepare to get them ready. We have the distribution networks. We have the staff on the ground.
We will be doing this also at the same time as many hundreds of thousands of people we anticipate will be on the move. People who, for over a year now, have not been able to go back to Gaza City.
The final concern I'd flag is just around concerns about law-and-order issues on the ground. And often in these circumstances, when the conflict finishes, we see an uptick in law-and-order and criminality on the ground.
That is a concern, something we're looking into and monitoring very closely.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Just looking at the numbers here, you say there's 4,000 trucks waiting to roll, initially 600 aid trucks will be allowed in or, you know, across the border.
So do you have any idea over what period of time you'd expect to see the number of trucks to increase? Ultimately, how many trucks are needed every day to meet even a basic level of assistance.
ROSE: The flow of aid has to increase from the first day. That is -- is part of the success of the continued progress of the ceasefire, that sufficient aid gets in. So we have to get that up and rolling from day one.
We've done it before. We were able to do it before the conflict. If trucks are able to come and go safely from those crossing points, this is both in the south of Gaza but also in the north, then we can do what we can do.
The supplies of aid have been so paltry over the past several months that, in a way, any increase will be -- will be -- will be -- will be a success. But we need to get in as much as possible.
We don't just need aid, though. People need more than aid. We need fuel to flow. We need spare parts. We need supplies that hospitals can get back up and running, that electricity plants can get back up and running, that we can provide water through pipes rather than trucks.
There's all sorts of things that need to happen beyond the supply of aid. But that's -- that's the first part.
And one more important thing that we need to highlight is a major, major concern we have of unexploded ordnance. Given the intensity and the duration of the conflicts here, we fear large amounts of unexploded ordnance. And many people, particularly children at risk. So we're ramping up our risk awareness programs in this area as well.
VAUSE: Just very quickly, if history is any judge, what often happens in conflicts like this is that the Israeli military offensive will ramp up right until the last minute when the ceasefire is implemented.
I think we're seeing that happen now. Has that been your experience? Is that what you're seeing on the ground? And are you expecting, you know, this last-minute ramp up by the Israelis? And how are you preparing for that?
ROSE: Yes, I mean, look, it's a horrible, horrible tragedy when this happens. It appears we're seeing it here. We saw it in Lebanon a couple of months ago. We've seen it in previous conflicts in Gaza. But it's not just a feature of this conflict. Let's be reminded by the 2,800 people who died on the day of the armistice in 1918. Before that 11:00 armistice.
So we are -- we are increasing our security awareness. We're providing alerts. We're ready to respond to those who are hit, and we're calling on all parties to halt this -- this escalation.
There is so much at stake here, and we need to be preparing. We need to be getting ready rather than meting out these last-minute tit for tat on attacks.
VAUSE: Sam Rose, it's been a long 15 months. Let's hope this is the end of it. And thank you for being with us, sir.
ROSE: Thank you.
VAUSE: Well, protesters critical of U.S. support for Israel interrupted Secretary of State Antony Blinken's final news conference on Thursday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Being on the receiving end, sometimes that's not always the most comfortable thing, not always the most enjoyable thing, but it is the most necessary thing in our democracy.
[01:34:51]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- in Gaza were on the receiving end of your bombs. Why did you keep them --
(CROSSTALKING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- when we had a deal?
BLINKEN: I'm happy to address questions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- had a deal. Everyone in this room knows we had a deal, Tony, and you kept the bombs flowing.
BLINKEN: I'm happy to address questions when we get a chance. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- based order on the mantle of your commitment to Zion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you want to finish --
BLINKEN: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did you allow my friends to be massacred? Why did you allow --
BLINKEN: I'm happy to address your questions when we get to questions. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: Just a few minutes later, he was interrupted by another protester who was escorted from the room after calling Blinken a criminal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was sitting here quietly and now I'm being manhandled by two or three people.
You pontificate about a free press. You pontificate about a free press.
You're hurting me. You are hurting me. You are hurting me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And Blinken was defensive when asked by CNN if he would have changed how the Biden administration handled the war and if he regretted not being firmer on redlines on humanitarian aid and civilian harm.
The outgoing top diplomat argued the U.S. had to consider the complicated dynamics of the parties involved, and said all these questions, quote, "are the right ones to ask and they'll be asked for a long time", end quote.
The United Kingdom and Ukraine have signed a 100-year long agreement focusing on maritime security, technology, especially drones, healthcare and other areas.
The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer traveled to Kyiv Thursday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The long-term deal comes days before the Trump administration takes office, amid expectations of a major shift in U.S. policy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We must look at how this war could end, the practical ways to get a just and lasting peace. We agree that it must be a peace that guarantees your security, your independence and your right to choose your own future.
We will work with you and with all of our allies on steps that would be robust enough to guarantee Ukraine's security, guarantee any possible peace and deter any future aggression.
That conversation will continue in the months ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Both leaders visited an exhibition of military drones. Mr. Zelenskyy says Ukraine plans to double production of some drones, partly with Britain's help.
And Russia's drones of choice are the deadly Iranian-designed Shaheds, and they've been a key part of Russia's arsenal in this war. Moscow ramped up production after a 2022 deal with Tehran, and now Iran's president is meeting with Vladimir Putin in the Russian capital today expected to sign a new partnership agreement.
More details now from CNN's Clare Sebastian.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was March last year, then six months later. satellite images revealing breakneck expansion at a drone factory in southern Russia, a facility set up two years ago to produce Iranian designed Shahed attack drones.
JON ALTERMAN, DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST PROGRAM, CSIS: Building a drone factory in Russia for the Russians, was an almost unimaginable step forward, both for the Iranians and for the Russians.
This admission from the Russians that they need that kind of help, the willingness of the Iranians to do that kind of overseas expansion --
SEBASTIAN: That deal with Iran has shaped Russia's attritional war. A CNN investigation from December found production rates at the factory in Tatarstan more than doubled last year.
And Russia has stepped up attacks. Over 11,000 Shahed or Shahed-type drones were fired at Ukraine last year, according to a CNN tally. That's more than four times the previous year's total.
Iran has consistently denied providing weapons for Russia's war. And yet by the time Putin and Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, met in October, there was talk of something even deadlier.
BLINKEN: The provision by Iran of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine.
SEBASTIAN: This Russian cargo ship, suspected by the U.S. of transporting those ballistic missiles across the Caspian Sea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is definitely a significant escalation.
SEBASTIAN: Though no evidence has yet emerged of their alleged deployment, the revelation helped persuade Ukraine's allies to let Kyiv use western long-range missiles on Russian soil.
The incoming Trump administration wants to engage with Russia.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Putin wants to meet. He said that even publicly.
SEBASTIAN: While at the same time cracking down on Iran.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the United States, a policy of maximum pressure must be reinstated.
[01:39:46]
ALTERMAN: I think there's a lot of wisdom in driving a wedge between Russia and Iran for all kinds of reasons. Whether the Trump administration is going to do that, I don't know. SEBASTIAN: How dangerous has this partnership been, and could it be going forward when it comes to this war?
ALTERMAN: The Iranians certainly have some worrying capabilities. The Russians certainly have demonstrated a willingness to use worrying capabilities. And so it seems to me that the danger is quite real.
SEBASTIAN: Clare Sebastian, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Fact checking -- here it comes -- some of Donald Trump's claims on the Panama Canal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the canal charge U.S. ships more than others?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Oh, and there's so much more. After the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Wow. China reporting better than expected economic growth ahead of fresh tariffs from U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump. The National Bureau of Statistics says gross domestic product grew by 5.4 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. Growth came in at 5 percent for the full year. Much of the momentum coming from exports, which propelled the country's trade surplus to a record high, just under $1 trillion last year. But that's also because they're importing less, because the economy is slowing down. The government also launched an economic stimulus package in September.
Canadian foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly says Donald Trump's tariff threats must be taken seriously. The U.S. president-elect has vowed to impose a 25 percent levy on all goods imported from Canada.
Speaking to CNN's Jim Sciutto, Joly promised that Canada wouldn't take them lying down. And if Donald Trump were to go ahead with tariffs, her country would respond in kind.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELANIE JOLY, CANADIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We have the USMCA, which was, according to President Trump himself, the best deal ever signed by the American administration.
We believe it was a win-win. We believe that we're able to create jobs together. And we know that we have to continue to fight inflation.
At the same time, we will continue to make sure that we fight back if there is a threat and everything is on the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: She described the tariffs as an existential threat to Canada.
Well, Donald Trump also demanding that Panama hand back the Panama Canal to the U.S. During his senate confirmation hearing, Trump's choice for secretary of State Marco Rubio, said Chinas influence over the canal may have violated an agreement over who should control the waterway.
But as CNN's Phil Mattingly reports, Trump's obsession with Panama goes back decades.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: This is the Panama Canal, a 51-mile corridor linking the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Its creation helped the United States become a global superpower.
Most people don't get access to this. But what you're standing on top of right now, it's a modern marvel. It is an engineering miracle.
[01:44:46]
MATTINGLY: Only twice in the history of the Panama Canal has transit actually stopped. It's that invaluable to world trade, to the world economy, to geopolitics in general.
It also underscores why any president, President-Elect Trump being one of them, cares so deeply about its operations.
Now, Trump's interest in the Panama Canal, it makes a lot of sense. It's 4 percent of global shipping. That's what comes through here on an annual basis. 40 percent of U.S. containers come through this waterway.
But what people here unequivocally do not understand is why, after 25 years of smooth operations under Panama's control, all of a sudden, Trump is threatening to take it back and refusing to rule out using military force to do so.
TRUMP: The Panama Canal is a disgrace.
MATTINGLY: He's railed against how the canal is being run and China's growing influence around the waterway.
TRUMP: They charge more for our ships than they charge for ships of other countries. They charge more for our navy than they charge for navies of other countries. They laugh at us because they think we're stupid. But we're not stupid anymore.
China's at both ends of the Panama Canal. China is running the Panama Canal.
MATTINGLY: I asked the man who was in charge of the canal for seven years, Jorge Luis Quijano, about those claims.
Does the canal charge U.S. ships more than others?
JORGE LUIS QUIJANO, FORMER PANAMA CANAL ADMINISTRATOR: No.
MATTINGLY: Does the canal charge the U.S. Navy more than others?
QUIJANO: No.
MATTINGLY: Are there Chinese troops operating in the canal?
QUIJANO: No.
MATTINGLY: Does Beijing or the Chinese Communist Party operate the canal?
QUIJANO: Definitely no.
MATTINGLY: Trump's current Panama fixation has left officials here perplexed and frustrated, but also cognizant of the former real estate magnate's roots in the country, long before his turn to politics.
TRUMP: Well, my interest in Panama really began when we had the Miss Universe contest in Panama, which I own. I own the Miss Universe, and it was one of the most successful contests we've ever had.
MATTINGLY: Not all of his business dealings in Panama have been a success.
There's a complicating factor for Panamanian officials trying to figure out what the president-elect actually wants here.
And that starts right here, because this building, this building is the tallest building in Central America. And it is a building that used to be known as the Trump International Tower and Hotel, also home of the Trump Ocean Club.
Now it is neither.
The gleaming 70-floor resort marked Trump's first international hotel venture, a massive project, mired by mountains of litigation and confrontation that led to the removal of Trump's name from the property, halfway through his first term in the White House.
As for Trump's attack on the terrible deal that set in motion the U.S. handover of the canal and its surrounding zone to Panama, that's rooted in an even longer standing preoccupation.
TRUMP: Jimmy Carter gave the Panama Canal away for nothing -- zero. In other words, they said, we want the canal. He said, oh, ok. Even though we spent the equivalent of many billions of dollars to build it.
MATTINGY: Now, Trump is calling for Panama to reduce the tolls and rates U.S. ships pay to transit the canal, or else.
ILYA ESPINO DE MAROTTA, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR OF THE CANAL: That was one of our dredges working on it. MATTINGLY: I put that to Ilya Espino de Marotta, deputy administrator of the canal.
You know, one of the things that you hear from people in the United States is just all Trump wants is you just cut the rates a little bit for U.S. ships or make some adjustments there just for U.S. ships.
Is that a plausible option?
DE MAROTTA: It's not a possible option.
MATTINGLY: Why not?
DE MAROTTA: Because of the treaties.
MATTINGLY The same treaties Trump rails against mandate equal treatment of all vessels. No U.S. carve-outs.
Trump has also ignored that the canal today is far bigger than the one handed over by the United States.
There was an expansion.
DE MAROTTA: Yes.
MATTINGLY: The U.S. government played what role in the expanded version?
DE MAROTTA: Ok. As far as -- financially, none.
MATTINGLY: More than half of the revenue that comes in from the Panama Canal doesn't come in through the one that the United States was integral in building. It comes in through the expansion.
DE MAROTTA: That's right.
This is the Atlantic side.
MATTINGLY: Marotta led the massive $5.2 billion project, which dramatically expanded the size of cargo ships that can traverse the canal.
So when President-Elect Trump says he's taking -- he wants to take the canal back, do you guys get to keep the one you did?
QUIJANO: No, no, no. We get -- we get to keep everything.
MATTINGLY: Phil Mattingly, at the Panama Canal, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: As the clock ticks down towards TikTok's ban in the U.S., some users have already moved on -- bye-bye TikTok. Another social media app which has even closer ties to the Chinese government. We'll tell you which one and all about the censorship in just a moment.
[01:49:35]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: SpaceX chief Elon Musk says a propellant leak is the likely cause for the Starship spacecraft to disintegrate just moments after launch. Images show burning fragments falling from the sky, briefly delaying commercial airline flights above Florida.
No one was aboard the spacecraft, which was set to deploy mock satellites. SpaceX managed to capture the reusable super heavy booster between two extended arms and a tower off the Texas coast, just basically where it took off from.
More now from CNN's Kristin Fisher.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE ANALYST: This was SpaceX's Starship's seventh flight test, and at first, everything looked great.
Starship is composed of two parts -- the super heavy booster on the bottom and the Starship rocket on top.
The booster is what everybody was watching this time around, because it's the thing that was going to land back on the launch pad that it lifted off from, and it performed beautifully. They were able to catch it with those giant chopstick mechanical arms.
But then about four minutes after that happened, the Starship, the top part of the rocket, experienced some kind of anomaly. You started seeing some of the engines going out, and then there was most likely, as you can see from those pieces of debris scattering as it reentered the earth's atmosphere, some kind of explosion.
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, he said it was some kind of oxygen fuel leak, but it's something that SpaceX is going to investigate. And now, almost certainly the FAA is going to have to launch its own mishap investigation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The Starship spacecraft was supposed to lap the earth once before splashing down in the Indian Ocean.
Well, in just three days now, a U.S. ban on TikTok is set to take effect, leaving many of the 170 million users hoping for a last-minute reprieve from the U.S. Supreme Court.
But many are already signing up for another China based social media app, this one called RedNote. And for the first time, they're experiencing Chinese-style censorship.
And CNN's Will Ripley has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. Who else is here from TikTok?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, we're from Texas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're from Texas. Thank you for welcoming us to the app.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do not trust TikTok will ever embrace American values.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: With TikTok's future hanging by a thread, a huge surge of users are flooding a surprise alternative.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is so much better than TikTok.
RIPLEY: RedNote, the English name for Xiaohongshu (ph), meaning Little Red Book, drawing comparisons to a collection of Mao Zedong's quotes, small enough to carry around.
RedNote is a Chinese Communist government-monitored social media platform, now topping Apple's U.S. Appstore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome TikTok refugees.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: RedNote is not Instagram.
RIPLEY: Many say they came here out of spite.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I refuse to support Facebook, Meta, especially Elon Musk and X.
RIPLEY: And they're making unexpected cross-cultural connections.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey there, fellow TikTok refugee here. And I just wanted to say I have no idea how to speak Chinese.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today I would like to teach you some Chinese.
RIPLEY: Some users searching for international romance or the perfect Chinese name.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me help you to pick one that suits you.
RIPLEY: One post even recreates famous Chinese and Russian propaganda posters. Just days ago, this may have seemed unthinkable.
HEATHER ROBERTS, REDNOTE APP USER: I was scared that TikTok was going to go away, so I wanted to find an alternative.
RIPLEY: Heather Roberts from Texas says TikTok refugees like her are desperate to find a new platform, a new social media fix.
[01:54:51]
ROBERTS: I haven't been on RedNote for very long. I've only been on there for maybe three days and I found myself like, wow, this is -- this is very addicting. I'd probably say it's a little bit more addicting than TikTok.
RIPLEY: And addicting algorithm, exactly what app developers want. Experts say there are risks when it comes to the rise of another Chinese app.
Just like TikTok, RedNote collects huge amounts of user data. China's laws require companies to share that data with the government, but only if requested.
Heavy censorship is already affecting American users, some getting their first taste of China's tightly-controlled Internet. Users say posts on topics deemed sensitive by Chinese authorities are being deleted, including LGBTQ plus issues and even a popular Japanese anime.
Other posts face backlash, flooded with negative or offensive comments. Some new users report racist questions, including whether it's ok to use the N word.
Let's say that TikTok goes away and a lot of Americans flood into these Chinese apps. Is that a win for Beijing?
MY YANG, CHINA TECH ANALYST: I think it really depends on Beijing's view on how much they need to be in control of the narrative.
RIPLEY: As the U.S. Supreme Court and incoming Trump administration debate TikTok's fate, the rise of RedNote raises new questions and concerns about Americans embracing yet another platform under Chinese government control.
Right now, RedNote is recruiting people with excellent English language skills, saying that they'll be responsible for back-end data processing and analysis.
Now, since Tuesday, we've made several attempts by email and by phone to try to contact RedNote. So far, we've not received a response. We want to know how they plan to handle this U.S. user data, specifically.
China's national security laws are pretty clear, though. When you download any Chinese app, your data could be handed over to the authorities if requested.
Now, China's ministry of foreign affairs was asked about this on Wednesday, and they say that they've always supported and encouraged strengthening people to people and cross-cultural exchanges.
But experts are wondering how long they're going to allow this type of interaction on this social media platform to continue.
Will Ripley, CNN -- Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: And thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause.
Please stay with us. Kim Brunhuber takes over after a very short break.
Have a great weekend.
[01:57:13]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
