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Business Leaders Says Europe Must Respond To Donald Trump's Threats; Mas Who Assassinated Japan's Shinzo Abe Gets Life In Prison; Trump to Address the World Economic Forum in Davos; European Allies Push Back on U.S. Pressure Over Greenland; Thousands in Greenland Protest Against Threat of Annexation; China Positions Itself as Stable Contrast to U.S. At Davos; Official Says Iran's Internet Access Being Restored Gradually; Trump Says It is Time to Look for New Leadership in Iran; Trump Considers Role in Venezuela for Opposition Leader; Australia Shuts Down Beaches After String of Shark Attacks; Prince Harry to Testify in Privacy Lawsuit; Royal Mail Debuts Concorde Anniversary Stamp Collection. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 21, 2026 - 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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[02:00:36]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS CHANNEL SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: How far are you willing to go to acquire Greenland?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You'll find out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Donald Trump heads to Davos with many of America's allies reassessing their relationship with the United States.

The U.S. Justice Department subpoenas multiple Minnesota officials, including the governor and mayor.

And later, warnings to stay out of the water. Australia shuts down dozens of beaches after several shark attacks within just 48 hours.

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

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Davos, Switzerland in about five hours or so, where he will address The World Economic Forum. His trip was delayed when Air Force One turned back to the U.S. shortly after takeoff because of what the White House called a minor electrical issue with the plane.

When he gets to Davos, President Trump will come face to face with world leaders pushing back on his threats to take Greenland, and here's what he said as he left the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: So, I'm going to Davos. I believe it will be very successful the trip. This will be an interesting trip. I have no idea what's going to happen, but you are well represented.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Sources tell CNN, European leaders are considering their options, hoping to provide something of an off ramp for Trump. They include an expanded U.S. military presence in Greenland, commercial and economic agreements and barring Chinese investment in the territory. President Trump is predicting he can work out a deal that's very good for everybody.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I've done more for NATO than anybody, and I see all this stuff, but NATO has to treat us fairly too. The big fear I have with NATO is we spend tremendous amounts of money with NATO, and I know we'll come to their rescue, but I just really do question whether or not they'll come to ours.

You know, I'm just -- I'm just asking, just saying, right? You remember during the debate, just saying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Other world leaders, though, appear united in the face of these geopolitical tensions, even as President Trump warns there's no turning back on his pursuit of Greenland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT: It's as well a shift towards a world without rules, where international law is trampled under foot and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest and imperial ambitions are resurfacing.

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: It seems that every day we're reminded that we live in an era of great power rivalry, that the rules-based order is fading, that the strong can do what they can, and the weak must suffer what they must.

The middle powers must act together, because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, the President of the European Central Bank told CNN that countries across the continent will need to diversify their trade partners.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE LAGARDE, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK: OK, I'm going to tell you something, which I hope will be proven right next year. This is a wakeup call, a bigger one than we ever had.

And I think that Europe is going to look at its strength, look at its weaknesses, do a, you know, big SWOT analysis, and decide, what do we need to do to be strong by ourselves, to be more independent, to rely on the internal trade that we do with each other, so that we can just not ignore but at least be prepared and have a plan B, just in case the normal relationship is not restored.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: NATO and European political leaders are not the only ones scrambling to address President Trump's designs on Greenland. Threats of tariffs and counter tariffs have business leaders worried as well. CNN's Richard Quest is in Davos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST: It is time to stand up and be counted, says many of the CEOs here in Davos responding to President Trump's threats against Greenland and, of course, the tariffs that he is promising to impose.

[02:05:05]

Brad Smith is the president of Microsoft. He points out that there is a huge amount of business being done between NATO countries and all that is at risk if NATO itself becomes under threat, it is that level of uncertainty that has the chief executives worried.

One of the largest telecoms companies in Europe says it's also a call that European countries need to get their act together. This is a common theme again and again. They are either warning about the risk to the existing business, or they're saying Europe needs to get its act together to respond to the threat.

There is a simple reality throughout all of this. Everything is changing, because even if those who say President Trump is just going maximalist with an intent to compromise much further down. The truth here is Europe has now seen trust evaporated, and that won't come back fast.

So, on both sides of the Atlantic, CEOs are waking up to the reality, it's time to speak or suffer the consequences.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: President Trump's clash with European leaders over Greenland and tariff threats has rattled investors into selling off U.S. stocks, bonds and the dollar. The DOW closed lower by 871 points on Tuesday, the broader S&P and the tech heavy NASDAQ both fell more than two percent. All three indices had their worst day since October.

And the strength of the U.S. dollar, compared to six major currencies, had its worst day since August. And if we take a look at the U.S. Futures right now, they are in positive territory, slowly climbing up there. We'll keep a very close eye on that.

Well, Fabrice Pothier is the former director of Policy Planning for NATO, now the CEO of the geopolitical advisory firm Rasmussen Global, and he joins me now from Brussels. Appreciate you being with us.

FABRICE POTHIER, FORMER DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING, NATO: Pleasure.

CHURCH: So, when asked Tuesday how far he's willing to go to acquire Greenland, President Trump said, "You'll find out." And now he's on his way to Davos to meet with world leaders after posting that the U.N. and NATO are the enemies within and more of a threat than Russia or China. How is that likely to play into efforts to deescalate tensions here?

POTHIER: Well, I think there is a bit of -- we are used to this kind of high rhetoric from the President Trump. And my understanding is European leaders are hoping that, behind closed doors, you can deescalate and you can come to some form of agreement.

But of course, there is increasingly this option, that failure is also an option at Davos, and after that, there might be, indeed a trade escalation on both sides of the Atlantic.

CHURCH: And U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been calling on everyone to take a breath, take a deep breath, and not escalate the situation, adding that President Trump has a strategy here, and they should hear him out, and then everything will be fine, he says.

But European leaders say they have to take Trump's word seriously. What's the U.S. president likely to offer up as a deal if all this is actually about negotiating tactics?

POTHIER: Well, the problem is, how do you negotiate sovereignty? And you are in a very binary situation here, where on one hand you have Denmark and Europe and partners and allies of Denmark supporting Danish sovereignty and territorial integrity, including on Greenland.

And on the other hand you have Donald Trump, who is taking a very emotional personnel, in his own words, psychological view on acquiring Greenland. How do you -- how do you reconcile this? I think this is the really complicated diplomatic act of the week in Davos.

CHURCH: And President Trump fired off dozens of social media posts late Monday night into early Tuesday, around 2:00 a.m. in fact, including some AI generated images, one showing him planting an American flag on the territory, he seems pretty determined to take over Greenland, despite the U.S. already having full access to the territory for free under that 1951 treaty with Denmark.

So, what do NATO leaders need to tell him, to assure him that the U.S. need only increase their own troops on the territory, and why doesn't he understand that?

POTHIER: Well, first, I think it's important to realize how deeply offensive these images are, especially for Greenlandic people. It's kind of colonialism in your face, which is deeply offensive, especially from the former leader of the free world.

[02:10:12]

Second, I think you are right that under the 1951 agreement, the U.S. can have as many soldiers and as many capabilities on the Greenlandic territory as it wishes.

And interestingly, Europe and allies, including Denmark, had put forward a package for Arctic security before the last NATO Summit, and the one country that turned it down was the United States of America.

So, I think there's a deeply depletion view in the White House. They argue this is about the security or the economic development of Greenland. I think that's basically not true. It's about acquiring a piece of real estate, which, in a way, Donald Trump acting as a bully wants to own because he wants to feel safe in his schoolyard. And I think this is deeply offensive and needs to be pushed back by European leaders.

CHURCH: And of course, as we just reported, stocks plunged Tuesday in response to President Trump's tariff threats on NATO allies, and of course, his continued threats to take over Greenland and this growing uncertainty has resulted in uniting European nations against the U.S. Could the words and actions of President Trump end up destroying NATO as we know it, and force allies to turn away from the U.S.?

POTHIER: I mean, uniting might be a big word right now, because you see many shades of gray across Europe, between Meloni, who has a more, I would say, careful tone, and on the other end of the spectrum, Macron. And in between, you have more like Chancellor Merz and Prime Minister Starmer.

So, I will be cautious in talking about unity, which is exactly what Europe needs right now, in order to show some strengths, because Europe has the means to respond, including anti-corruption instruments, but also U.S. Treasury bonds, which Europe is the main holder in the world.

CHURCH: Fabrice Pothier in Brussels, many thanks for joining us. Appreciate your analysis.

POTHIER: Pleasure.

CHURCH: And still to come, we will go live to Japan, where a court has delivered a verdict and sentence in the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Plus, the Trump administration is accusing Minnesota's Democratic leaders of blocking their attempts to carry out immigration enforcement. Details on the state official's response just ahead.

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[02:17:01]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. New developments now on Donald Trump's so-called board of peace, we've just learned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted the U.S. president's invitation to join the board, which is meant to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza.

That news coming as President Trump suggests his board might replace the United Nations, an organization he's consistently criticized. The remark likely to add to fears the committee could attempt to replace the work of the U.N.

There's also concern over the board's possible membership and the fact a permanent seat comes with a steep cost, a contribution of $1 billion. The White House has announced a founding executive board, which includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump's son-in- law, Jared Kushner, a charter draft obtained by CNN proposes the U.S. president will remain as indefinite chairman.

Dozens of countries have been invited to join the board on rebuilding Gaza. Sources say President Trump is expected to host a signing ceremony in Davos this week.

Turning to Spain now, and it's now dealing with a second deadly train accident in just a matter of days, at least one person, the train operator, was killed and 37 others were injured Tuesday after a commuter passenger train derailed near Barcelona. Authorities say the derailment happened after a retaining wall fell onto the tracks following heavy rain.

This incident coming two days after two high speed trains collided in southern Spain, killing at least 41 people.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi made an unannounced visit to Minnesota on Tuesday, and she's sending this warning to the state's top leaders:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Whether it's a public official, whether it's a law enforcement officer, no one is above the law in this state or in this country, and people will be held accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Her visit comes the same day at least five top Minnesota officials, all of them Democrats, received justice department subpoenas.

Sources say the agency is investigating whether they obstructed federal immigration enforcement efforts in the state. Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey say they will not be intimidated into silence.

Meanwhile, President Trump is defending his administration's surge of federal agents in Minnesota.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They're apprehending murderers and drug dealers, a lot of bad people, and these are just some of the more recent ones that we have, and I can show you some of the people, vicious, many of them murderers. These are all out of Minnesota, just Minnesota. I say, why don't you talk about that more?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:20:08]

CHURCH: Federal Border Patrol officials say protests are making their work in Minnesota difficult. Minnesota's governor has repeatedly urged protesters to demonstrate peacefully, but a top CBP official is blaming Governor Tim Walz and the mayor of Minneapolis for the demonstrations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREGORY BOVINO, U.S. BORDER PATROL COMMANDER: Leaders like Tim waltz or Mayor Frey have relied on heated rhetoric and accusations that distract -- that distract from the facts.

And what we do is legal, ethical and moral. Everything we do every day is legal, ethical, moral, well-grounded in law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: State officials dispute the Trump administration's narrative that protesters are provoking violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TINA SMITH (D-MN): What you see from the mayors and from the governor is just a very solid, calm response saying we are focused on keeping our communities safe. We are focusing on standing up for Minnesota values, and that's what we're going to continue to be focused.

And I really applaud that. I mean, people coming out of their homes to stand up for folks that are literally being drug out of their cars. It's really incredible to see that, and it makes me really proud.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meanwhile, high school and college students around the country participated in a nationwide school walkout to protest the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Some student protesters in Atlanta chanted no ICE, while others carried anti ICE signs and banners.

And this was the scene in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. The demonstrations on Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the start of President Trump's second term. Want to turn now to Japan, where the man who assassinated former

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has learned his fate. Tetsuya Yamagami had already admitted to the killing, and not long ago, the court sentenced him to life in prison.

Back in 2022 he had been immediately arrested at the campaign event where he had fatally shot Abe with a homemade gun.

CNN's Hanako Montgomery is covering this live from Tokyo. She joins us now. So, Hanako, what more can you tell us about this?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary, as you said, Tetsuya Yamagami, the man who has been handed down a life in prison sentence today over the assassination of the former Japanese Prime Minister, has always said that he killed the Japanese Prime Minister.

So, that was never contested in court, but prosecutors, in seeking the life in prison sentence, argued that he deserved a hefty penalty because of just how heinous this crime was, because this was an act of political violence that really shook the country, in a place where gun violence is extremely rare.

Prosecutors also said that they didn't want any copycat criminals, meaning people who might copy Yamagami's actions and also target other politicians.

But throughout this court case, and we've seen many hearings and really sentences as well, but we've seen the defense team argue that actually Yamagami was a victim of religious abuse, given that his mother gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to the former Unification Church, a religious group known as the Unification Church.

Now, Yamagami resented his mother over these actions and also resented the church, but he chose to target Abe because he believed that Abe's alleged links to the group legitimized that group.

So, again, the defense was hoping for some sympathy among the juries, in the hopes of really lowering that sentence. But again, as we heard today, Rosemary, Yamagami was given a life in prison sentence.

Now, just for some context about how hugely significant this case was and how really this changed the country. I mean, Abe was a massive political figure in Japan. He was the longest serving Prime Minister in the country, and he reshaped Japan's military stance. He also influenced Japan's economy through his own policy called Abenomics, helping fight deflation, years of deflation in the country.

And he also really raised Japan's profile on the international stage, improving ties with the United States, with other countries in Asia.

And also, he helped Japan develop this policy called the Free and Open Indo Pacific, policy that we really still hear to this day.

So, again, Abe was an extremely influential figure, which is why this case was felt, I mean, not only in Japan, but really all around the world. We heard -- we heard messages of condolences from the United States, from France, from India. I mean, all over the world, ties and really allies with Japan.

Now, also, Rosemary. I do want to note here that gun violence is extremely rare in the country. Japan has some of the toughest gun laws in the world, and only a handful of people, according to police data, actually die from gun violence.

[02:25:06]

So, to see such an influential Japanese politician, one who changed the country's history, die due to violence made really by a homemade gun, was extremely shocking for the country, and really, the effects of that case are still felt to this very day.

Abe's death left a political vacuum in the ruling party, which is still being felt to this day, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, thanks to Hanako Montgomery bringing us that live report from Tokyo. Appreciate it.

Well, China is hoping to be a more steady trading partner for countries tired of U.S. tariffs and uncertainty.

Still to come, how Beijing is drawing a contrast with the Trump administration before world leaders at Davos.

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[02:30:19]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Well, let's get you up to date on our top story now. U.S. President Donald Trump is on his way to Davos, Switzerland, where he will address the World Economic Forum, but tensions are simmering with NATO and European allies over his threats to take total control of Greenland. And now, France is asking for NATO exercises in the territory, saying it's ready to contribute.

President Trump's trip was delayed when he had to board a second plane for Switzerland after Air Force One returned to the U.S. shortly after takeoff. The White House says it experienced a minor electrical issue and returned out of an abundance of caution. CNN's International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson is in Greenland with more on Europe's reaction to the relentless U.S. push for full control of the Arctic island.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Sort of the notion that it's the iron law, I think those are the words used by Stephen Miller a couple of weeks ago in an interview with CNN, and it's the iron law that rules the world by force through strength, and to hear European leaders now not necessarily saying that that's something that they want, but it's something that they're going to have to adjust to and they are adjusting to, they're in a position to adjust to it.

They have an economy, a joined-up economy, the European Union, and it can exert economic pain as a response to President Trump. But here in Greenland, way off the grid, 57,000 people, they really feel that they're caught in the ebb and flow of these sort of geopolitical moves they did not in their wildest imaginations expect to be caught up in this moment of rupture, as Mark Carney has described it.

And the prime minister here spoke about the support and unity that they're getting from European leaders, that they're hearing in Davos, the language that's very supportive. But he had a message for his people here as well and that is, that they need to be prepared for the worst. This is how he explained it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS-FREDERIK NIELSEN, GREENLAND PRIME MINISTER (through translator): It is not likely that there will be a use of military force, but it has not been ruled out yet. This leader from the other side has made it very clear that it is not ruled out and therefore, we must of course be prepared for everything. But we must emphasize that Greenland is part of the Western alliance, NATO, and if there is further escalation, it will also have consequences for the entire outside world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: So when he talked about the leader of the other side, that's a very conscious decision not to mention President Trump's name. That's been the sort of watchword of the protests and frustrations that have gone on here, not to further anger President Trump at this time. But they are taking practical steps to be prepared.

The government here in Greenland has asked the Danish authorities to send their emergency response teams with equipment, and they have come, and their job is to secure communication centers, vital infrastructure, to put in early warning systems, to be ready with crisis management. So the country here, along with the uptick in Danish forces, is putting itself on a much greater readiness footing should the worst happen.

CHURCH: As President Trump threatens U.S. allies and challenges the global order, China, the world's second largest economy, is positioning itself as a stable business partner in Davos. And we go live now to Beijing and CNN's Mike Valerio. Good to see you, Mike. So, how does Beijing plan to offer this contrast to the U.S., and how will that be received?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's not going to be hard for them, Rosemary, because they see what's in Nic's story that aired a couple seconds ago and they simply just need to say to the international community that this what-is-happening style of foreign affairs gunboat diplomacy that the United States is bringing to the table is not going to be exerted by Beijing.

And the story, the headline here is, there seems to be more and more evidence that is working for Beijing. We look no further than Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, casting American hegemony as part of a fictional international rules-based order. Canada entering a new strategic partnership with China a couple days ago, where tariffs and boundaries, barriers are going to be pulled down, allowing Chinese EVs to be sold from coast to coast in Canada for the first time in many years.

[02:35:00]

You see Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, also beginning to re-evaluate ties with China, allowing for that mega- embassy very close to the City of London in Canary Wharf to go ahead.

Emmanuel Macron, his text message shared with the world sent to President Trump, saying a couple hours after that revelation that Europe welcomes China, but Europe cannot be flooded with that $1.2 trillion trade surplus, with all of these cheap goods flooding into Europe. We heard Chinese Vice Premier, He Lifeng, speak about that. Listen to just a fraction of what he told the crowd at Davos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HE LIFENG, CHINESE VICE PREMIER (through translator): China is committed to fostering common prosperity with its trading partners through its own development and making the pie bigger for global economy and trade. We never seek trade surplus.

On top of being the world's factory, we hope to be the world's market too. However, in many cases, when China wants to buy, others don't want to sell. Trade issues often become security hurdles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALERIO: OK. So you asked at the top of the segment, how is China going to make this happen? I think there's a realization here in Beijing that it cannot just have this flood of goods into Europe and markets throughout the world. There is a realization that they're going to try to potentially work more on domestic consumption. They realize that their future trading partners depend on domestic industries like in Europe surviving.

But when you talk about what China is bringing to the table, being a stable trading partner. There are also criticisms in the West, think about mainland China's stance towards Taiwan. If there were to be hostilities between both sides of the Strait of Taiwan, that could upend global trade potentially.

There's also China's support for Russia and its war in Ukraine. Certainly, that leads a lot of people to think that perhaps the argument is not as strong as China is putting forward on the world stage. But there is the belief here in this town in Beijing that China doesn't need to go out of its way to pursue major gains in the global balance of power.

It simply needs to stay its course while the U.S. loses allies and credibility all on its own. And of course, that also goes for the United States' trading partners as well, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Mike Valerio, bringing us that live report from Beijing, many thanks. An official in Iran is reportedly saying internet access is being restored "gradually". Now, this comes from the country's semi- official main (ph) news agency. The Iranian government shut down internet access during the recent unrest. It is said to be one of the regime's largest ever digital blackouts. CNN's Nada Bashir is tracking developments from London.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Iran has faced yet another day largely without internet connectivity. The monitoring group, NetBlocks, on Tuesday, reporting that Iran has now been under an internet blackout for more than 280 hours, meaning few people have been able to reach contacts outside of the country or share video footage from the anti-regime protests which have gripped Iran since late December.

What little we do know, however, gives an insight into the brutal tactics of Iran's security forces, who have violently cracked down on protesters, with reports of live ammunition being used indiscriminately against protesters, hospitals overwhelmed with those injured and morgues filled with bodies.

While protests quickly gained momentum, reports from on the ground suggest that demonstrations have waned in the face of the regime's violent crackdown. Reuters on Monday reported that Iran may lift its internet blackout in the coming days, citing a senior parliament member, indicating that the regime may have strengthened its grip on the protest movement for now.

Over the weekend, Iran's supreme leader acknowledged for the first time that thousands have been killed since those protests began, blaming U.S. President, Donald Trump for the deaths after he promised military support for protesters. Thousands more are also said to have been detained, according to a U.S.-based human rights organization, with growing fears over the treatment of protesters currently detained and their eventual fate.

President Trump, meanwhile, has said he believes it is time for new leadership in Iran. But his Iranian counterpart has warned that any aggression directed at the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would be seen as all-out war.

Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.

CHURCH: President Trump may rethink his plans for Venezuela. On Tuesday, Trump said he would like to get Venezuelan Opposition Leader, Maria Corina Machado involved in her country's leadership. But he did not say what role she could play. Trump's shift in position comes as Machado met with a group of U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Several House Republicans praised Machado, saying she has what it takes to lead Venezuela.

[02:40:00]

Machado also planned to meet with members of the Venezuelan diaspora in the U.S. and hopes they will eventually return to their home country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER: That's our objective. And I want to insist on this, is we want the Venezuelan people that were forced to leave to come back home. And that's going to happen once we have democracy in Venezuela. Millions will come back home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Dozens of beaches are closed in Australia, why officials have deemed the water unsafe for swimmers, we'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:19]

CHURCH: Dozens of beaches are closed in Australia after a string of shark attacks. Four attacks in two days have left a 12-year-old boy and a 25-year-old surfer in critical condition. CNN's Angus Watson reports on why the beaches are so dangerous right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): The family of a 12-year-old Australian boy is fearing the worst after he was attacked by a shark at a popular Sydney Harbour Beach. Niko Antic has been hospitalized since Sunday when he became the first victim in a rare spate of shark attacks.

WATSON: Rangers have been scouring this area of Sydney Harbour since Sunday night, looking for a shark that attacked a boy here. That boy is now in a critical condition in hospital, only alive because one of his friends jumped into the water to save him.

WATSON (voice-over): Four shark attacks in 48 hours, three in Sydney, another on the coast to the north. All were attributed to bull sharks, a stocky species with powerful jaws that lurk in murky waters.

ROBERT HARCOURT, EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF MARINE ECOLOGY, MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY: When there's certain types of events like very heavy rainfall, we know that bull sharks, which are tolerant of freshwater, move around the harbour quite actively to move to where the fish are being pushed by the changes in salinity from the freshwater input (ph).

WATSON (voice-over): A 25-year-old surfer is also in a critical condition after he was attacked on Monday at a beach in Manly, another Sydney hotspot.

DAYAN NEAVE, SURFER: At the moment, there's just been more sharks up and down the eastern coast of Australia than anyone has ever seen. It's actually radical, so I don't really want to go out for a while.

WATSON (voice-over): An 11-year-old boy with a close call at nearby Dee Why Beach. These bites taken from his surfboard, he got away unhurt. The attacks are not the first in Sydney in recent months. Here, temperatures are expected to surge ahead of an upcoming holiday weekend. Many will be judging whether to risk a swim.

Angus Watson, CNN, Sydney.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Joining us now is Dr. Vincent Raoult, Senior Lecturer in Marine Ecology at Griffith University. Thank you so much for being with us.

DR. VINCENT RAOULT, SENIOR LECTURER IN MARINE ECOLOGY, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY: My pleasure.

CHURCH: So, four shark attacks in Australia in two days. What's behind this apparent uptick in bull shark attacks off the New South Wales coast?

RAOULT: So, it's certainly very rare. There's a few things that are probably responsible. One of them is this pulse of rain that was in Sydney just before. That leads to really brackish waters and a lot of food coming out of the estuaries, and that drives a whole lot of bull shark activity.

They're one of the few sharks that can actually survive and thrive in those sorts of conditions. It's also the peak bull shark season for Sydney at this time of year, in January. That's when the most of these bull sharks, which are migratory and spend most of their lives in tropical Queensland, sort of around where I am, they actually end up in Sydney for the summer.

So, there's the peak numbers and it's also the school holidays. So it's when we have probably the greatest number of people actually using those water rights (ph). And those three things together mean that it's more likely for people getting bit.

CHURCH: Right. And of course, in response, more than a dozen Sydney beaches have been closed in the wake of these shark attacks. When can those beaches be safely re-opened to the public? And what does the New South Wales government need to be doing right now to protect swimmers?

RAOULT: I think education is probably the main thing. It's been known for a very long time that these murky waters after heavy rains and near the outflows of rivers are big risk factors for shark bite and specifically for bull sharks. So waiting until the water clears out a little bit, which could be a couple of days until it starts to basically just look clear, is probably really good practice. This is on top of the fact that those murky, dirty waters are also generally full of sewage and other pollutants. So they're unhealthy to be in, in the first place.

CHURCH: Right. Of course, I mean, years ago when I was living in Sydney, there was netting in some of the beaches there. Is that possible? Is that a viable option to sort of net off some safe areas to ensure that swimmers can get in the water at least rather than banning it altogether? RAOULT: Yes, there are still plenty of enclosed beaches across the Sydney area and across most of Australia. And those are absolutely totally fine to use. There's no reason there'd be any threat of sharks in those enclosures. That's a bit different to areas where there are shark nets.

Those are a bit controversial. And most marine scientists, I think, including myself, would state that those are unlikely to reduce the risk of shark bite.

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There's a whole number of approaches that the New South Wales government is using at the moment. Those focus on things like drones, for example, but also smart drum lines, which are designed to catch but not kill the sharks and tag them, so that they alert swimmers if they reach a marker buoy in the future.

Those are all things that the government has already done and are likely to actually reduce the risk of shark bite in those areas.

CHURCH: So, what is your message to those swimmers who are really trying to get back in the water at this point?

RAOULT: Just wait a few days until the water clears out. If the water is clear, it's going to be less sharky and there's going to be a much lower risk of shark bite.

CHURCH: Some great advice there. Vincent Raoult, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

RAOULT: My pleasure.

CHURCH: Well, Prince Harry could take the stand in the coming hours, earlier than expected, in his privacy lawsuit against the publisher of "The Daily Mail." He and six other public figures are suing Associated Newspapers over alleged privacy violations spanning more than two decades. The allegations include phone hacking and obtaining private information by deception. The defendant, Associated Newspapers, calls those claims smears.

North Korea's movie industry is going through some interesting changes. Partial nudity, violence and other serious subject matters are making waves in new films. CNN's Will Ripley has reported extensively from the region and has more details on the evolution of North Korean cinema.

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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Korea's nationalist propaganda is taking on a different style these days. Blockbuster movies like this designed to grab the attention of younger viewers. One character is suffocated with a plastic bag, graphic violence never seen in a North Korean movie until now. Days and nights of confrontation aired on state TV for the first time this month. The film takes place in the 1990s, built around a real-life train explosion rumored to be targeting North Korea's late leader, Kim Jong- il.

JUSTIN MARTELL, AMERICAN FILMMAKER AND TOUR GUIDE: To see it as a proper storyline in a North Korean film was extremely interesting and definitely a first.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Justin Martell is an American filmmaker and tour guide. He saw the movie in North Korea last year, even meeting the film's lead actress. The movie won Best Sound Effects and Best Actor at the Pyongyang International Film Festival.

MARTELL: And I will say there was some partial nudity as well, which I've also certainly never seen in a DPRK movie.

RIPLEY (voice-over): During its theatrical run, scenes like this, showing an extramarital affair, captivated North Korean audiences. And this, showing a suicide bomb vest -- the story centers on betrayal, including a husband turning on his own wife and on his own country.

MARTELL: In recent years, the government has gotten much more involved and put a lot more money into these new productions.

RIPLEY (voice-over): North Korea's fixation on movies goes back decades. This is secretly recorded audio of Kim Jong-un's father, Kim Jong-il, revealed in the 2016 documentary, " The Lovers and the Despot." Kim ran North Korea's film industry, famously keeping a massive motion picture library.

KIM JONG-IL, FORMER SUPREME LEADER OF NORTH KOREA (through translator): People don't even want anything new.

RIPLEY (voice-over): On the tapes, Kim criticized his own movies, comparing them to more sophisticated South Korean pictures, complaining North Korean films at the time were too repetitive and out of touch.

JONG-IL (through translator): Why do they insist on filming nothing but people crying for all scenes, like there's been a death in the family?

RIPLEY: To realize his dreams of world-class North Korean movies, Kim Jong-il used a familiar tactic in his day that sounds like a Hollywood plot itself. He kidnapped a South Korean movie star and her director ex-husband, and it happened right here in Hong Kong.

RIPLEY (voice-over): The year was 1978. North Korean agents abducted Choi Eun-hee and Shin Sang-ok, taking both to Pyongyang, forcing them to make 17 films for Kim Jong-il. The couple secretly recorded Kim's comments, smuggling the tapes out, escaping to the United States in 1986.

North Korea's fascination with the power of film continues today. Kim Jong-un is ordering his studios to make bigger, bolder productions, modernizing a familiar message, plotting against the leader will end in disaster.

Will Ripley, CNN, Hong Kong.

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CHURCH: Britain's Royal Mail is releasing a new stamp collection honoring the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the Concorde. It was the first turbojet-powered supersonic airliner to fly passengers across the Atlantic at two times the speed of sound. Royal Mail says the collection pays tribute to the aircraft's innovation, elegance and engineering excellence.

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Prince William and Princess Kate are hitting the ice. The royal couple joined Great Britain's curling teams for a training session at the National Curling Academy in Scotland. They learned from the pros before gliding over the ice with those heavy stones. The visit comes as teams gear up for the Winter Olympics in Italy next month and the Paralympic Games in March.

I want to thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment. Do stay with us.

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