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U.S. Makes Another Shift On Weapons For Ukraine; Israel's P.M. Offers $5M To Anyone Returning A Hostage; U.S. Envoy Points To Progress In Achieving Ceasefire; Kyiv Honors Soldiers, Civilians Killed in 1,000 Days of War; Sweden, Finland Distribute Booklets on Surviving War; U.S. Says Undersea Cable Damage Not Believed to Be Sabotage; COP29 Conference in Its Final Day Sin Azerbaijan; Jaguar Reveals New Logo as It Moves Into New Era; Delta Unveils New Food Option for First Class Passengers. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired November 20, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:24]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead. The Biden administration makes another major policy shift on weapons for Ukraine.

Donald Trump's picks for his second term stir more controversy as he taps T.V.'s Dr. Oz to run Medicare and Medicaid.

And Benjamin Netanyahu's latest plan to get Israeli hostages home, offering a five million reward for every captive brought back alive.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, the Biden administration is making another major change to its policy, sending anti-personnel mines to Ukraine for the first time since Russia's invasion. Two officials say the U.S. intends for Kyiv to deploy the mines for defensive purposes only in eastern Ukraine, where Russian forces have made slow but steady progress. That decision comes days after the White House approved the use of longer-range weapons by Ukraine to strike inside Russian territory.

Moscow says Kyiv fired U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles at a weapons arsenal in the Bryansk region on Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would not confirm the attack, but said now that his military has long range capabilities, it will use them. In apparent response, Vladimir Putin updated Russia's nuclear doctrine. The Kremlin says Russia now has the right to use nuclear weapons in response to conventional attacks.

More now from CNN's Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgin in Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Ukraine not wasting any time striking deep into Russian territory using U.S.-supplied ATACMS surface-to-surface missiles only days after getting the go ahead from the Biden administration, the U.S. confirms. Ukraine's president koi when asked about the strikes. We now have attack him and we will use them, he said.

Moscow up in arms claiming Ukraine-targeted military installations in Southwestern Russia overnight, the foreign minister ripping into the Biden administration.

The fact that ATACMS were used repeatedly tonight in the Briansk region is of course, a signal that they want escalation. And it's impossible to use these high-tech missiles without the Americans and Putin has spoken about this many times. And now, Putin has reacted.

Breaking news on Kremlin-controlled T.V. after the Russian president signed an order changing the country's nuclear doctrine. The use of Western missiles for strikes into the strategic depths of Russia means direct involvement of NATO in the war, the host says. And now Moscow's hands are untied. Among the changes, the Russians now consider attacks by non-nuclear nations, like Ukraine, with the help of nuclear nations, like the U.S., worthy of a nuclear response, at least on paper.

PLEITGEN (on camera): The spokesman for the Kremlin says the reason why the Russians decided to update their nuclear doctrine is so potential adversaries of Russia know that retaliation will be inevitable if Russia is attacked.

PLEITGEN (text): We're with American channel CNN. Can we?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): OK?

PLEITGEN (text): This morning, your president Vladimir Putin signed an update to Russia's nuclear doctrine. What do you think about it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): What is there to think about? What kind of response can there be? Only this kind.

PLEITGEN (text): He has greatly expanded the possibility of using nuclear weapons. Do you think this is a good idea?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): What should our president do? He has to think of something. We need to scare someone.

PLEITGEN (on camera): Do you think that the threat of the use of nuclear weapons has increased now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think they will do it. It sounds like mad people. No, they are not mad people. They are very clever, not mad.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Russia's move to change its nuclear posture comes exactly on the 1,000th day of the war in Ukraine, as the U.S. is trying to help keep the badly outgunned Ukrainians in the fight, now allowing Kyiv to -- the most powerful weapons they've been given.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And we're keeping an eye on developments in Kyiv where the U. S. Embassy is closed. Authorities say they have received specific information about a potential significant air attack today. The U.S. is asking its citizens in the capital to prepare to take shelter.

[02:05:08]

Ukraine's president claims the North Korean troop deployment to Russia could grow beyond 100,000. Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not provide any more details. Already, South Korean officials say Pyongyang has sent close to 11,000 troops to Russia, with some actually on the battlefield. Authorities in Seoul say North Korea has also shipped weapons for use in Ukraine, including self-propelled howitzers and multiple rocket launchers. President Zelensky addressed the issue in a video call with European lawmakers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: Putin has brought 11,000 North Korean troops to Ukraine's borders. This contingent may grow to 100,000. While some European leaders think about, you know, some elections or something like this at Ukraine's expense, Putin is focused on winning this war. He will not stop on his own. The more time he has, the worse the conditions become.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Mike Valerio is live this hour in Seoul. He joins us now from South Korea. So, Mike, we are seeing this deepening and troubling partnership between Russia and North Korea. What more can you tell us about this?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Rosemary, we're going to start with what President Zelensky said. Up to 100, 000 troops coming from North Korea. To put that in perspective for everybody at home, North Korea has a fighting force of just over a million men. So, to think about 100,000 North Korean troops potentially being ready to fight in Russia's war against Ukraine, that's about a tenth of North Korea's fighting force being prepared or being sent over far, far away from North Korea.

What would that do, potentially, to the stability of the regime? It's certainly, on that level, a fascinating and disturbing train of thought. Now, as for the new details that came out from Seoul just a few hours ago, we're talking about South Korea's spy agency, Rosemary. It has helped to answer the question of what exactly is happening with the North Korean troops. And what is North Korea doing to make Russia's war fight easier for Russia? So, with the troops, according to the spy agency here in Seoul, we now know that these North Korean special forces service members are engaging in training in two ways. First of all, tactics of how to deal with modern warfare, and second of all, drone response. Why both of those things are important is because even though we have this fighting force of north of a million people, they're still, Rosemary, coming from this hermit nation, where they do not have experience evading drones, dealing with drones.

Dealing with militaries from the modern world. We also know the firepower that North Korea, according to South Korea's National Intelligence Service, is being delivered to the battle lines. We're talking about 170mm self-propelled guns and 240-millimeter multiple rocket launchers. And when we think about what those pieces of artillery look like, we're talking about long range artillery, we're talking about big pieces of artillery that you would usually see in military parades in Pyongyang or Red Square in Moscow. So significant ways that North Korea is helping out.

Finally, Rosemary. We want to end on the spy agency in Seoul. They were asked, what about these videos that we have seen on TikTok, YouTube, et cetera purporting to show North Koreans surrendering already? Well, the spy agency said the jury is still out on whether or not those videos are legitimate. And when we news gather here in Seoul, talk to former generals on the American and South Korean side, they're saying that these Special Forces service members from north of the DMZ, they are the least likely to surrender.

So, it is uncertain whether these videos are authentic, but many people are saying it's doubtful. So, new details. We're keeping our eye on this situation, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Appreciate that live report from Mike Valero in Seoul.

Israel's Prime Minister is making a lucrative offer to anyone in Gaza who's willing to return a hostage. During a visit to central Gaza on Tuesday, Benjamin Netanyahu promised potential rescuers millions of dollars, as well as safe passage out of the territory for that person and their family. And he issued this warning to the captives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translator): I want to say to those who are holding our hostages, whoever dares to harm our hostages, his blood is on his head. We will pursue you and we will get you.

I also say to those who want to get out of this maze. Whoever brings us a hostage, we will find a safe way for them and their family to get out.

[02:10:02]

We will also give a reward of $5 million for each hostage returned. You choose. The choice is yours but the result will be the same. We will bring them all back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: About 100 hostages from the October 7th attacks remain in Gaza and it's believed dozens of them are dead. The mother of one hostage slammed the Prime Minister's payment plan, accusing him of offering money to Hamas. She also said bribes to the captors would put the hostages at further risk.

Meanwhile, the push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appears to be gaining momentum. U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut on Tuesday for talks with the Lebanese prime minister and foreign minister, and he indicated an agreement was within reach. Hochstein said, we have a real opportunity to bring conflict to an end. The window is now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMOS HOCHSTEIN, U.S. ENVOY: We have continued to narrow the gaps through the discussions over the last few weeks. And specifically, today, we continued to significantly narrow the gaps. So the meeting was very constructive and very helpful. This is a moment of decision making. I'm here in Beirut to facilitate that decision, but it's ultimately the decision of the parties to reach a conclusion to this conflict. It is now within our grasp.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: According to a Lebanese official, the U.S.-backed proposal calls for a 60-day halting of hostilities. And it would require Israeli ground forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon. But an Israeli source cast doubt on the likelihood of an imminent deal, saying Israel won't sign on unless it retains the right to strike Hezbollah targets in the event of a ceasefire violation.

Donald Trump has been busy announcing several more cabinet picks and other positions on Tuesday. He's chosen Dr. Mehmet Oz, a surgeon and T.V. personality, to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz lost the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania in 2022. Trump also named Linda McMahon to be the next Secretary of Education. She's been the co-chair of his transition team and formerly led the Small Business Administration in Trump's first term.

McMahon also is a former T.V. personality from her time with World Wrestling Entertainment. The President elect has also revealed his pick for Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. He is the other co- chair of Trump's transition team and is CEO of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald. Lutnick had previously been a contender for Treasury Secretary, a position that remains open for now, but perhaps not for long as CNN's Kristen Holmes reports.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump's transition team could announce a nominee for Treasury Secretary as early as Wednesday. I'm told by two sources who say they are meeting tomorrow on Wednesday to discuss the slate of candidates. This had been held up. This is probably the biggest position that is left to announce. It had been held up because co-chair of the transition Howard Lutnick had essentially inserted himself into the race against hedge fund manager Scott Bessent which really upended the entire thing.

Now, on Tuesday, Howard Lutnick was named Secretary of Commerce, taking him effectively out of the running. However, there are still several candidates, as Donald Trump had expanded the field in recent days. All of them have met with Donald Trump and the transition team and I am told no decisions have been made, however, again, they are hoping to get this out as quickly as possible, specifically given that so many of Donald Trump's policies on day one that he has said are related to the economy.

So, we'll see if they're able to make that goal of Wednesday night. They are obviously trying to tick through a number of these cabinet positions as we inch through this transition process. Kristen Holmes, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

CHURCH: Michael Genovese is a political analyst and president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University. And he joins me now from Los Angeles. Welcome, good to have you with us.

MICHAEL GENOVESE, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY: Thank you so much. So, let's start with new appointments made by President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday. First to Wall Street banker Howard Lutnick tapped for Commerce Secretary. Lutnick actually wanted, but did not get the top spot of Treasury Secretary. That position has been proving a bit of a challenge for Trump to fill, although we are hearing that that may happen in the coming hours.

But what is your reaction to Lutnick being tapped for Secretary of Commerce but overlooked for Treasury?

[02:15:04]

GENOVESE: Well, you know, Treasury was the -- was the gold standard and Lutnick was so intent on getting it that people around Trump say that he overplayed his hand. There was nothing subtle about it. He was -- he was really doing the hard sell. I think that's probably bothersome, if not offensive to Trump. And so, he found him a hotspot, but he didn't give him the toy that he most wanted.

CHURCH: So, he pretty much moved him out of the way, presumably, for that announcement, which we will wait for, of course. And Donald Trump also named T.V. celebrity and surgeon Dr. Oz to head up Medicare and Medicaid services. That's for 160 million Americans. Is he the right person for the job?

GENOVESE: Well, you know, he is a doctor. He's a medical doctor. So, he has that qualification. He ran for the Senate with the backing and hot backing by Donald Trump. So, he's in Trump's orbit. And he's loyal to Donald Trump. And one of the things we found in the appointment process now is that fawning loyalty is the first requirement. If you want to get into the Trump cabinet or in a top position.

The second one is you have to be good on television. And Dr. Oz is great on television. And so, you -- Donald Trump wants people who will defend him and defend him well on television.

CHURCH: And Trump tapped Linda McMahon as his education secretary. Your thoughts on her credentials for that task at hand?

GENOVESE: A businesswoman, a lot of experience, very close to Trump, close to the world of wrestling where Donald Trump is seems to be parking himself these days in sort of his rush to manhood. And so, that was not a surprise. She's one of the people that Trump really sort of warmed up to very, very early.

CHURCH: Michael Genovese, always a pleasure to chat with you. Many thanks.

GENOVESE: Thank you so much.

CHURCH: Out of all of Trump's cabinet nominations so far, Matt Gaetz remains the most controversial. The former congressman picked up -- picked by Trump to head the Justice Department was the subject of a House ethics investigation into multiple allegations, including having sex with a minor. He has denied the accusations when Trump was asked on Tuesday if he would reconsider choosing Gaetz, he had a simple answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, are you reconsidering the nomination of Matt Gaetz?

DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENTIAL-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But things may get worse for Gaetz in the days ahead. Lawyers involved in a civil lawsuit brought by a friend of Gaetz were notified that someone gained unauthorized access to confidential documents stored online, including the deposition of a woman who says she had sex with Gaetz when she was 17. The Ethics Committee is set to meet in the coming hours to discuss their final report, which has not been released.

Prosecutors in New York have agreed to postpone sentencing in Donald Trump's hush money trial. That gives the parties time to litigate Trump's expected motion to dismiss the case. In a letter, however, the district attorney's office wrote that the judge should not dismiss Trump's conviction. It also notes there likely would be a four-year pause in sentencing until the After Trump's term in office is complete.

Jurors found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

The victim of a shocking mass rape case in France is blasting her accused abusers. What she says about them and when a verdict could come in the case. That's next on CNN.

Plus, media tycoon Jimmy Lai testifies at his own national security trial. We are live in Hong Kong with the latest.

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[02:20:58]

CHURCH: Jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai is testifying at his own national security trial in Hong Kong. It's a high stakes court battle that could see him spend the rest of his life behind bars. The pro- democracy activist was arrested nearly four years ago amid Beijing's deepening crackdown on dissent. In his defense, Lai told the court he had always opposed violence during the anti-government protests of 2019.

Hong Kong officials argue that Lai's actions jeopardize China's national sovereignty and security. And CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is following developments from Hong Kong. She joins us now live. Good to see you, Kristie. So, this is, of course, a significant day in the national security trial of Jimmy Lai and, of course, a measure of press freedom in Hong Kong. Walk us through his first day of testimony, if you would.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary. This is indeed a significant day. We're standing outside the courtroom where the jail media mogul here in Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai, is speaking for the first time in his national security trial. Jimmy Lai is also a high-profile pro-democracy figure and China critic. He has pleaded not guilty to several charges, including sedition and colluding with foreign forces.

Serious charges that, if convicted, could send him to prison for life. Now, outside the court earlier today, we saw about 100 people line up to have a chance to sit inside the courtroom, braving the rain to do so. Also, security has been tight this day. At the moment, it's safe to say that there's more police outside the courtroom than members of the press. And we also witnessed how police officers were picking certain individuals out of the line outside of the courtroom to question them and to search them.

Now inside the courtroom, we saw and we heard from Jimmy Lai. He is now 77 years old. He appeared calm. He waved to supporters in the courtroom, family members as well. And calmly he said that he's always opposed violence. He said that any advocacy of independence for Hong Kong is, quote, in his words, "crazy." And he also talked about the reasons why he founded his media empire, saying that the more information you have, the more you're in the know, the more you're free.

Here's more about Jimmy Lai.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT (voice-over): As a father figure to Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, Jimmy Lai has been on a collision course with the Chinese authorities for years, but he never let that faze him.

JIMMY LAI, FOUNDER, APPLE DAILY: I think it's a good idea anytime, any situation that you are in to fight for your freedom. Because without freedom, you have nothing left.

STOUT (voice-over): Last year, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called him, "one of the most notorious anti-China elements bent on destabilizing Hong Kong." The former media mogul finally getting his day in court on Wednesday, taking the stand in his high-profile trial, which began nearly a year ago. He faces a possible life sentence for multiple counts of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security along with a separate charge of sedition.

And for 77-year-old lie, life would most likely mean life. He has already been in custody for nearly four years. His arrest after sweeping national security laws imposed by Beijing, which China said restored stability to Hong Kong after months of anti-government protests in 2019.

At that time, Lai had lobbied foreign governments to apply pressure on China. But as lawyers denied that happened after the new laws came into effect. In 2020, Lai was marched out of the offices of Apple Daily, the pro-democracy newspaper, which he founded. Today, most of Hong Kong's political opposition have either fled the territory or are in prison like Lai who, after a lifetime of speaking up for democratic freedoms, may be getting his final chance to speak publicly before spending the rest of his days behind bars.

[02:25:03]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Jimmy Lai's relationship with American politicians also coming up during questioning this and bars. Jimmy Lai's relationship with American politicians also coming up during questioning this afternoon, including interactions he's had with the former U.S. House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, with Mike Pompeo, the former U.S. Secretary of State. With then U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, with former National Security Advisor John Bolton, the list goes on.

But Jimmy Lai pointed out, even though he had contact with many of Trump's aides, he never directly talked with then president, now President-elect Donald Trump himself. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Yes. Thanks to Kristie Lu Stout with that report from Hong Kong.

Well, closing arguments will begin today in the trial of a French man accused of organizing the mass rape of his drugged wife over the course of a decade. The victim spoke in court on Tuesday, condemning the "cowardice of the dozens of men on trial for raping her." And Melissa Bell has more.

MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Gisele Pelicot, the 71-year-old French woman, who is believed to be the victim of dozens of rapes organized by her husband over the course of a decade using chemical sedation, has spoken for the third time to the court since her trial began. A trial that could have happened behind closed doors and that she instead decided to have play out publicly. For the third time she spoke, speaking of the cowardice of the men involved, many of them sitting in court before her, her husband Dominique Pelicot has recognized his guilt and his actions but most of the 50 men also being judged in the case have denied any involvement in rape. Gisele Pelicot spoke to them in court. Saying that rape was rape. And at what point did anyone walk into a bedroom and find someone unconscious without then leaving and reporting it to the police?

Two of the couple's sons also spoke to the courts on Monday, urging the court to find a guilty verdict for Dominique Pelicot and to punish him severely. That verdict expected around the 20th of December.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

CHURCH: Still to come. A closer look at how two and a half years of war has reshaped Ukraine's landscape and changed the lives of Ukrainians.

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CHURCH: Ukraine's capital city marked a thousand days of war on Tuesday. Kyiv war museum held a candlelight vigil at the base of Ukraine's famous motherland statue to mourn the thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who have lost their lives. The U.N.'s human rights office says more than 12,000 civilians, including nearly 700 children have been killed since Russia's invasion in February 2022.

[02:30:09]

Since Russia's invasion more than two and a half years ago, Ukraine does not look the same, of course, as it used to. Homes, neighborhoods, villages, entire cities have been wiped off the map. And satellite images give us a clear view of what's been lost.

CNN's Nathan Hodge shows us the destruction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATHAN HODGE, CNN SENIOR ROW EDITOR (voice-over): Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has now lasted for over 1,000 days, and it has quite literally altered the country's landscape. While Ukraine has recaptured around half the territory Russia took in 2022, Russia still holds more than 20 percent of Ukraine, including many cities and towns were shattered by Russian firepower.

This map shows some of the cities that have been leveled by Russia's grinding war of attrition, and before and after images show just how destructive Russian President Vladimir Putin's campaign has been.

Mariupol, a coastal city on the Azov Sea, was one of the first objectives for Russian forces looking to establish a land bridge between the occupied regions of the Donbas and the Crimean Peninsula annexed in 2014. After a nearly three-month siege, the city and its sprawling Azovstal Steel Works fell to the Russians. Since its capture, the Russian government has tried to showcase its partial reconstruction. Ukrainian officials believe that more than 20,000 civilians died during the siege.

In May last year, Russian forces claim control of the eastern city of Bakhmut. After more than 200 days of fighting, once celebrated for its sparkling wine stored in a massive underground complex and its salt export, Bakhmut became synonymous with the horrific number of lives the Russians were willing to expend to capture the symbolic prize.

The fighting has also turned smaller cities into abandoned ghost towns, such as Mar'inka and Vovchans'k. Putin justified the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by saying he intended to protect the largely Russian-speaking population in the country's east. But in effect, his so-called special military operation has nearly erased many of these cities from the map.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Nathan Hodge with that report. Sweden and Finland have updated guidance for their citizens on how to survive in the event of a war. It comes as NATO allies bolster defense measures amid Russia's war in Ukraine. Millions of booklets are being distributed to households and an online version is available as well. Survival tips include advice on stockpiling bottled water, sanitary products, and growing edible food stuffs at home. The Swedish brochure was first published during World War II.

Well, U.S. officials now believe there was no sabotage after two underwater internet cables were cut in the Baltic Sea. An early assessment finds the damage was likely caused by a passing vessel's anchor, and there appears to be no indications of deliberate activity by Russia or any other nation. Earlier European officials like the German defense minister, were pointing to sabotage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS PISTORIUS, GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): Nobody believes that these cables were accidentally cut, and I also don't care to believe inversions that there were anchors that accidentally caused the damage of these cables. So we have to conclude without knowing exactly who did it, that it was a hybrid action. And we must also assume without knowing it, of course, that it is sabotage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Weeks ago, the U.S. had warned Russia was likely to target critical undersea infrastructure. Undersea cables are responsible for more than 95 percent of the world's internet traffic, making them a target that is harder to defend under the ocean.

Joe Biden has wrapped up what is expected to be his final summit as U.S. president, with remarks on climate change. As the G20 wound down in Rio de Janeiro, the U.S. announced a new $325 million investment in World Bank clean energy projects. U.S. officials say that money will be safely deposited before Donald Trump takes office in January. Left unsaid the obvious reality that U.S. climate policy will change drastically next year.

In his final speech to G20 leaders, President Biden left them with this warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: History is watching us. History is watching. I urge us to keep faith and keep going. This is the single greatest existential threat to humanity, if we do not deal with climate change. Our children, our great grandchildren, our great-great grandchildren, their future is going to be determined by what we do in the next four to six years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Mr. Biden also told world leaders that they've made remarkable progress together on clean energy, but there's still so much more to do.

[02:35:00]

And Joe Biden's anxiety regarding the climate crisis amid a looming Trump presidency is being echoed at the COP29 Summit in Azerbaijan. The conference is now in its final days and leaders are looking to ensure an international plan to tackle global warming before Donald Trump returns to office.

Joining me now from COP29 in Baku is Henna Hundal. She is the National Coordinator of Climate Live USA, and this is her fourth COP conference. Appreciate you joining us.

HENNA HUNDAL, NATIONAL COORDINATOR, CLIMATE LIVE USA: Thank you very much for having me. I appreciate it.

CHURCH: Absolutely. So, what progress has been made so far at this COP29 Conference in terms of climate mitigation and adaptation, and what all do you expect will be achieved by week's end?

HUNDAL: Yeah, so this COP is being billed as the finance cop where the central overarching goal is to catalyze the flow of funds from the developing world and the private sector to -- sorry, from the developed world and the private sector to the developing world. And there are several ways to do that. And I'll briefly highlight three key ways that this COP is trying to achieve that aim.

So there's something called the New Collective Quantified Goal where the ambition is to create this overarching comprehensive financial framework to transition us away from the $100 billion climate finance goal of yesteryear to potentially $1 trillion per year by 2030 of climate finance and even $1.3 trillion by 2035. Those are huge numbers. It sounds ambitious. It is ambitious.

We also have the Loss In Damage Fund, which wants to provide specific funding for developing countries to deal with extreme weather disasters that are really, you know, causing so much devastation. And then finally, we're looking at international carbon market, so allowing the big polluters and big emitters to be able to trade carbon offsets in order to be able to try to lower overall emissions.

So there are pros and cons to all of these different strategies, but overall, climate finance is the focus of the day. CHURCH: And what was your initial response to opening remarks to this Climate Conference on November 12th when the host President Ilham Aliyev said oil and gas are a gift of the God? And what impact and influence did he have on the overall direction of the COP29 Conference?

HUNDAL: Yeah, you know, I think it's really interesting because if you look at the final text in all the COP Conferences and these documents are available online, you see two key phrases. You see developing countries and developed countries. Those are the lexicons used in the final text. And I think that kind of alludes to a potential dichotomy in the interests, ambitions, wishes, and visions for the different parties that are coming to the table.

You have these big emitters, you have these economies that are really driven centrally around fossil fuel emissions, and then you also have developing countries, for example, Pacific Island developing nations, who are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, have had negligible contributions to emissions, but are feeling the impacts of climate change so acutely. And so, it can be quite challenging because you have almost 198 parties having to come together to agree on a final consensus.

And I think, you know, sometimes there can be frustration, understandably from the public perspective when they feel like there's kind of a glacial rate of progress. But, it's sort of reflective I think of the structure sometimes.

CHURCH: All right. Henna Hundal, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

HUNDAL: Thank you. Appreciate it.

CHURCH: And we'll be right back.

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[02:40:38]

CHURCH: Automaker Jaguar has unveiled its brand new logo for the electric vehicle age. This, if you remember, was the sport car company's old logo complete with a leaping Jaguar, and this is their new one with an entirely different font. Jaguar says it is part of a corporate reset as the company looks to transform itself into an ultra-luxury, fully-electric brand.

Jaguar also released a new concept film as part of the rebrand, the only thing missing, cars. The video prompted some confusion on social media with none other than Elon Musk asking, "Do you sell cars?"

Well, Delta Airlines first-class passengers will soon have a new menu item and it is fast food. The airline announced a partnership with Shake Shack to serve the chain's cheeseburgers on some long-distance U.S. flights beginning in December. The burger won't come with a side of fries, but passengers will get chips, salad, and a brownie. Delta is not the first airline to partner with a burger chain. In the 1990s, United Airlines once served McDonald's Happy Meals.

I want to thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is up next. Then I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more "CNN Newsroom." Do stick around.

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