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Freezing Temperatures Worsen Ukraine's Energy Crisis; Keir Starmer Urges Former Prince Andrew To Testify Before Congress; Donald Trump Slashes Tariffs After India Agrees To New Trade Deal; Rafah Crossing Partially Reopens After Nearly Two Years; Xi Holds Welcome Ceremony for Uruguay's President in Beijing; Colombian President to Meet Trump at White House on Tuesday; Ammonia in India's Yamuna River Causing Water Shortages; New Zealand Teen Sets Junior Mile Mark in 3:48 Minutes; Winter Olympics Set to Begin in Milan on Friday; Rome's Trevi Fountain Introduces Two-Euro Fee for Tourists. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired February 03, 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]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi everybody, thank you so much for joining us here for CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Polo Sandoval live in New York, and here's what we have for you in the hour ahead:

Russia resuming air strikes on Ukraine's -- including the capital city, the attacks damaging residential buildings, even in kindergarten.

And the fallout from the Epstein files is now rippling globally. What the U.S. Justice Department is saying about whether there could be new charges filed.

And a little later, catch him if you can, I'll speak to the teen who set a new world record for the fastest mile by a junior athlete.

ANNOUNCER: Live from New York. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: Let's begin this hour in Ukraine, where Russia launched a massive ballistic missile attack on Kyiv overnight. That's according to Ukrainian officials.

CNN staff reported hearing strong explosions across the capital city and authorities are reporting damage to a number of residential buildings, commercial sites, even an educational institution.

Kharkiv, the country's second largest city, and Dnipro in eastern Ukraine, were also reportedly struck. Some residents in Kyiv had to seek shelter underground in the city's metro stations during the attack, scenes that we've seen repeat themselves since the initial invasion in 2022.

And this latest missile barrage, it marks the end of a brief pause in attacks that the Kremlin agreed to at the request of U.S. President Trump, and that agreement was reached just last week following the last round of trilateral peace talks. Kremlin confirmed that the next round of talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine, they are expected to take place in Abu Dhabi this week.

A Kremlin spokesperson said that there was, "No clarity on whether Moscow and Kyiv were approaching a peace deal, that some common ground could be found, and Donald Trump striking an optimistic tone when speaking to reporters about those talks on Monday."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We settled eight wars, and I think we're going to -- I think we're doing very well with Ukraine and Russia. For the first time, I'm saying that, you know we're doing -- I think we're going to maybe have some good news.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: In a post on X, President Zelenskyy, said that Ukraine is ready for substantive talks that will bring an end to this war.

Ukraine, it is facing a brutal winter as Russia continues to resume targeting their energy infrastructure, leaving Ukrainian energy providers struggling to keep up with repairs. Temperatures in Kyiv overnight, they plunged to around negative 20 degrees Celsius, that's about four degrees Fahrenheit as power outages leave many across the country without heat or electricity.

CNN's Clare Sebastian spoke with the CEO of Ukraine's largest private energy company about this difficult situation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAKSYM TIMCHENKO, CEO OF DTEK: I think that it's already the science of this humanitarian catastrophe when people living in their apartments, temperature six degrees, with babies, kids and with older people. So, and that's how massive it can be in depends over the next weeks.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How do you view the energy ceasefire happening over the last few days? Does it give you confidence that more initiatives like this can be achieved? Does it give you confidence for the peace process going forward?

TIMCHENKO: It gives us hope, not confidence. And I think that what was announced the next meeting, or coming days, we will see. I think that one of the most important outcomes of this meeting is prolongation of this energy ceasefire. And if it's happened that gives more hope, which probably can be converted into confidence that these processes are continue and that we have real outcome of these meetings.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And last week's release of more than three million pages of material from the Epstein files, it is raising more questions about other people connected to the late sex offender, and also new criticism of the Justice Department for errors in their release.

The New York Times reports the DOJ published dozens of unredacted nude photos as part of this latest release. One victim was quoted as saying that the news of the imagery being public was extremely disturbing.

Well, the Times now reporting, "Officials have largely removed or redacted the images that the Times flagged for them." Reopening those old wounds comes as the Deputy Attorney General says that the DOJ does not expect to charge anyone else in connection with the Epstein investigation. He says the evidence has failed to meet the standard for prosecution and told Fox News this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[02:05:17]

TODD BLANCHE, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: As you know, it is not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. And so, as horrible as it's not a crime to e-mail with Mr. Epstein, and some of these men may have done horrible things, and if we have evidence that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will. But it's also the kind of thing that the American people need to understand that it isn't a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Important to remember, President Trump initially resisted releasing the files, and now he says the Justice Department needs to move on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. And in fact, if you look at the DOJ, they announced -- they released three million pages, it's like, this is all they're supposed to be doing.

And frankly, the DOJ, I think, should just say we have other things to do, because that whole thing has turned out. I mean, other than Bill Clinton and, you know, Bill Gates and lots of people that have there are a lot of questions about it, but nothing on me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Gloria Allred, the attorney representing several of the women abused by Jeffrey Epstein, says to multiple clients of hers that they actually had their information exposed in the DOJ releases, she says it's clear that her clients and victims of other abuses can't trust the Department of Justice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY FOR SEVERAL JEFFREY EPSTEIN VICTIMS: Some of my clients had photos of them that were put online, their e-mails, their texts, their other messages between Jeffrey Epstein and themselves. Some had the driver's license, other identifying information on there, and all of their information was not released, just some. And for some, that hurt their reputation because it was out of context.

But the point is, it wasn't the survivors being protected. In fact, it appears that some of the potential sexual predators were being protected because the attorney general said there's not going to be any more release of files, even though many were not released.

And in addition, he said there will not be any prosecutions of any of the men. So, I call that a case of I've made up my mind, don't confuse me with the facts.

This is devastating to them. It is just so humiliating, embarrassing. It's such an invasion of their privacy. It's -- they can't trust the Department of Justice anymore. That has been in question for quite a while. It's been eroded, but at this point, this is gone, but not only for them, for a lot of other victims of sexual abuse by other people. Why would victims, you know, trust their information to the Department of Justice when it's obvious that they can't be trusted?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: In the U.K., British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is urging the former Prince Andrew to testify before Congress this after photos of him were included in last week's file release. It comes as high -- a high-profile Labour Party member, Peter Mandelson, resigned from the party after his name was repeatedly mentioned in those files. Here's our Max Foster with the details.

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MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Well, the U.K. media have been trawling through the Epstein files, looking for anything, Mandelson related, and things keep dropping all the time. So, you mentioned this $75,000 which it's alleged she received from Epstein.

Mandelson, saying he has no recollection of that, which people struggle to believe, because who wouldn't remember having $75,000 deposited in their account. But nevertheless, that's his story, and he's going to investigate that himself. Separately, the prime minister has come out saying he doesn't believe Mandelson should be sitting in the House of Lords, and he shouldn't have his title.

So, now, we're looking at someone's title being stripped away, a very complex process, as you know, Zain, but it's interesting the prime minister is now getting involved here. That's because part of the allegations here is that Mandelson was sharing information with Epstein whilst he was a senior government minister under Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Some suggestion that he could have broken the Official Secrets Act. So, it's this web of information, what was he being paid for? What was he supplying to get this money? He denies any wrongdoing. Just appearing in these files doesn't imply any wrongdoing. But when the prime minister is calling for his title to be taken away and an investigation into his role as a minister and any rules that he broke it does get pretty serious for him.

Obviously, we've been interviewing survivors. And in particular Virginia Giuffre, who has now

passed speaking to her brother about this whole issue. And the one thing they want is to shed light on actually what happened. It's not just about Prince Andrew for them, but what they do appreciate, really, is how the U.K. is on the front foot on all of this.

[02:10:06]

And many of the other men that are named in these files aren't facing any sort of sanctions whatsoever. The one thing they would like from Prince Andrew is for him to even without implicating himself, just to talk about what he saw, because the more we learn, the more we see that he had a lot of involvement in Epstein's life.

Can he just go to Congress, be part of the investigation and answer some basic questions, and that's what they want from all of the men named in these files. And it's really interesting to see the prime minister calling for the same thing. And he's really sharing the widespread view, I think, of most people, is that, why do we keep putting the men at the center of this story, when it should be the survivors and what they want.

And simply by giving as much information to the survivors about what they knew, what was going on here is really what most people want to see here.

But again, lot of these men just seem to be protecting their positions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: That was CNN's Max Foster reporting.

The former Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing and said that he never witnessed or suspected any of the behavior that Epstein was accused of.

U.S. President Donald Trump, he says that he has reached a new trade deal with India. This is part of the agreement, apparently, is that the U.S. will be reducing tariffs on Indian goods in exchange for India's promise to stop buying Russian oil.

The Indian Prime Minister welcoming the news on social media on Monday, but he did not mention cutting ties with Russian oil. Here's CNN's Matt Egan to break it all down for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Boris, this is a significant development in the president's global trade war. And it's one that he hopes will end Russia's actual war in Ukraine.

Now, we still don't have all the details here but one thing that we do know is that the US tariff rate on India is going to come down, going to come down to 18 percent based on this new agreement.

Now, make no mistake, that's still high. It's way higher than it was before the president took office last year, but it is also down from this 50 percent tariff rate that was previously imposed on imports from India.

Now this 50 percent included a 25 percent penalty on India for buying Russian oil. But a White House official tells me that that 25 percent penalty is going away, and the so-called reciprocal tariff that was at 25 is now going to go down to 18 percent.

And just to remind everyone, India is a leading source of imports into the United States, the U.S. imports, a lot of medicine, telephones, diamonds, refined petroleum and jewelry, and all of these items were facing steep tariffs that are expected to now come down.

And the tariffs were putting pressure on both sides right, putting pressure on companies in India that wanted to sell to the U.S. but had to overcome high tariffs and also on U.S. consumers and businesses that were having to actually pay the tariffs.

As far as what else is in this agreement, the president says that India has agreed to lower tariffs on U.S. goods. Also, India to reduce non-tariff barriers, agreeing to buy more American goods. And most critically, the president says that India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil and instead buy oil more oil from the United States, and potentially oil from Venezuela as well.

Now, this is a big deal because India is Russia's second biggest oil customer, second only to China, and in December alone, India imported 1.5 million barrels per day of Russian oil.

Now, one of the questions here is, how fast will this number go down, how close will it get to zero? One energy analyst has pointed out to me that in the past, Moscow has found ways around some of these sanctions and penalties, so we've got to watch this closely.

But the thinking is that the lower this goes, the more pressure it's going to put on Moscow and Russia's economy, and the hope is that it would force Vladimir Putin to come to the negotiating table and try to reach some sort of an agreement on ending the war in Ukraine. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Matt Egan. The U.S. government shutdown, it could soon be over. The House may be ready to approve the spending bill, we'll explain, coming up.

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[02:18:59] SANDOVAL: The partial U.S. government shutdown, it is now in day four, but it could possibly end in the hours ahead as constituents all over the country will keep their focus fixed on this building, the U.S. Capitol, as their lawmakers meet hoping to reach a compromise. You see, unlike the shutdown a few months ago, many expected this latest one to be resolved quickly.

Now, the main sticking point funding for the Department of Homeland Security and its controversial ICE agents, but a bipartisan spending bill passed the Senate over the weekend, and we're told, the two Republican household outs will vote for the deal after speaking with President Trump.

That's worth noting that House Democrats don't seem to be on board with this, and the Republicans can only afford to lose a single vote from their members. The top House Democrat says that he's trying to block the deal because Republicans no longer have a clear mandate in Washington.

And the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, says that all security officers in Minneapolis, all federal officers, will now be issued body cameras, and this comes after last month's shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

[02:20:08]

DHS agents have sometimes resorted to using their personal devices to document interactions with protesters, which is what we saw happen when a federal officer shot and killed Good. According to investigators, body camera footage was used to help piece together the events leading up to Alex Pretti's shooting.

On Monday, President Trump weighed in, saying that the new initiative is Secretary Noem's decision, but that he supports it.

Top U.S. and Iranian officials, they are planning to meet in Turkey on Friday. Sources telling CNN that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul. And we do understand that Iran's President confirms that Tehran is pursuing, "Fair and equitable negotiations with the United States."

President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and officials from Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Pakistan, they are also expected to attend. And this comes as regional allies scramble to find a diplomatic off ramp to avert a U.S. military action against Iran.

Before Steve Witkoff meets with Iranian officials, he's expected to visit Israel. An Israeli source telling CNN that Witkoff is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coming hours, and this comes just one day after the Rafah crossing partially reopened after nearly two years of being closed.

It's a main border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, and also a critical weigh in for delivery and humanitarian aid. Now, last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that

there would be no passage of aid or commercial goods. So, for now, only 50 people will be able to cross in each direction per day. That's according to Egyptian state media.

CNN's Nic Robertson taking a closer look at what this means for the people in Gaza.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For a lucky few of Gaza's war-wounded, a day they've dreamed of, boarding buses in Gaza to take them to treatment in Egypt.

Fareed Khaled Al-Qassas (ph) hoping he'd make it across. We want proper, lasting treatment, he says. We are people who want life and love peace.

The once-bustling Rafah border post closed by Israel 20 months ago and still controlled by them, opening for the first time.

According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, an estimated 20,000 Gazans need medical treatment outside of the war-torn enclave. Ibrahim al- Battan (ph) is war-wounded and needs dialysis, is hoping to get out soon, too. There used to be a hospital in the north, another in the city center, all of them destroyed, he says. I came out of intensive care two days ago. There's no treatment at all, so what am I supposed to do?

On the Egyptian side, more hopefuls. Gazans who fled the war, desperate to go home, facing Egyptian, then E.U. and then IDF controls before they're free to reunite with loved ones. Omar Zarib (ph) left with a sick relative last year and is desperate to go back.

I own a piece of land, he says, but when the war began, it was too dangerous to work there, and now I struggle for regular contact with relatives.

Israeli officials said the border could only reopen once the remains of the last hostage was returned. That was a week ago. But Rafah is far from back to pre-war business as usual, no trucks crossing, and for now, only a few dozen carefully vetted Gazans able to do so.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Another world leader visiting Beijing. This time it's Uruguay's president. We're live in Hong Kong with the details. Stay with us.

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[02:29:01]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back. Uruguay's President Yamandu Orsi is now in Beijing, where he's meeting with top Chinese officials this hour. That includes President Xi Jinping. This is that welcoming ceremony for the president that was held just a few hours ago at China. It is one of Uruguay's top trading partners, which is why there's a lot riding on this visit.

This also comes after a number of visits to China by Western leaders in recent weeks.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout following all of this for us from Hong Kong. Hi, Kristie, so obviously we have seen several leaders visit the Chinese president. What is Beijing getting returned from all these visits?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: You know, looks like, Polo, that Beijing is gaining a diplomatic coup, and apparently, Beijing, the Chinese capital, is the hot new destination for U.S. allies, including the president of Uruguay, who is there right now for a state visit.

And all this, of course, is following U.S. President Donald Trump's dizzying foreign policy, as well as his punishing tariffs that he has placed on his U.S. allies.

[02:30:00]

Now, the president of Uruguay, he arrived in Beijing on Sunday. He met with the Chinese Leader, Xi Jinping just a couple of hours ago. He is the first Latin American leader to visit china this year, and the first to visit after the U.S. raid on Venezuela last month.

Now, the president is there to shore up business ties. He's looking for trade opportunities, investment opportunities in China, and he is not the first person to do so. We have seen a veritable parade of U.S. allies visit China and meet with Xi Jinping in recent months.

Just last month, we saw the leaders of the U.K., of Finland, of Canada shaking hands with the Chinese Leader, Xi Jinping. In the previous month, in December, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, made his trip to China. And then later this month, we are expecting the German Chancellor to pay a visit and to meet with Xi Jinping as well.

Now, many of these leaders and visiting leaders have praised relations with China as being key to global stability, as well as for their own national security. And they appear to be willing to overlook issues that might have given them pause in the past, like Chinese overcapacity, like China's security overreach, like China's human rights record.

So, why are we seeing this shift? Well, many analysts say a lot of it has to do with how the United States has changed under U.S. President, Donald Trump. I want to show you this bit of analysis that we received from Steve Tsang. He is with SOAS, based in London, the Director of the China Institute there.

And he tells CNN, quote, "Mistrust of China remains deep, particularly over Chinese support for Russian war efforts in Ukraine. But European states cannot ignore China, particularly when the U.S. is going rogue from their perspective."

Now, how is Beijing viewing all of this? Well, as I said at the top, Beijing is viewing this as a diplomatic win, but also a confirmation that its so-called new world order is taking shape. I want to share with you this excerpt from the state-run tabloid, "The Global Times" saying this, quote, "It's less about these countries choosing China. It's more about them choosing to follow the trend of the times."

And Polo, ahead of the trend, Donald Trump is already planned to be meeting with Xi Jinping later this year. Their meeting set to start in April. Back to you.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": And it's still months away, Kristie, but is there any sort of very early indication of what could come between that discussion with the Chinese president and President Trump?

LU STOUT: Yeah, absolutely. In fact, we heard some really interesting lines from the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, who was speaking from Davos last month. And he said that Trump and Xi would not only meet in April, but they could meet up to four times this year. He also met with his Chinese counterpart, the Chinese Vice Premier, He Lifeng, while he was in Davos.

He said that in terms of trade, and that's the crux of the relationship under U.S. President, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, where earths are flowing again, he also said that China is buying up American soybeans. And he also said this, that the relationship has reached an "equilibrium." And if there was any sort of glitch, this is a type of relationship that both parties, Trump and Xi, would pick up the phone and sort it out and de-escalate. Back to you.

SANDOVAL: Wow. Possibly four meetings to look ahead.

LU STOUT: Yeah.

SANDOVAL: Kristie Lu Stout, thank you so much for your reporting, as always. Thank you.

LU STOUT: Thank you

SANDOVAL: Well, leaders of the U.S. and Colombia, they may be putting their bitter feud behind them. After a year of insults, threats, tariffs and sanctions, President Trump will be hosting Colombian President, Gustavo Petro at the White House on Tuesday. The meeting, at Trump's invitation, is going to be crucial for the Colombian president.

He wants to convince the U.S. that his country is fighting drug trafficking in the wake of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela. Petro is also aiming to have U.S. sanctions against him overturned. So, we'll be watching that one.

And millions of people in India's capital city, they are suffering from water shortages, with some neighborhoods receiving no water for days at a time. And this is because the Yamuna River that supplies about 40 percent of Delhi's water supply, it is really just filled with toxic ammonia from industrial wastes. Although considered a sacred river, toxic chemicals and untreated sewage are being dumped in that river, and the city's water treatment plants are unable to treat it all.

The Delhi Water Board says that less than one percent of the city reported temporary water quality issues, and that it is working to restore normal supply. But some residents, though, they say that they are only getting dirty water in their taps.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHASHI BALA (through translator): We just have to bathe in this. What else can we do? It causes a lot of itching. We feel upset that the government does not listen to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Bhavreen Khandari is an environmentalist, activist, and also the Founder of Warrior Moms. The group challenges the Indian government to tackle pollution. She joins us live from New Delhi.

[02:35:00]

Thank you so much for taking some time for us.

BHAVREEN KHANDARI, ENVIRONMENTALIST & ACTIVIST: Thank you. Thank you so much for having us. And a very critical topic that you've taken up.

SANDOVAL: So, give our viewers around the world a sense of just how severe this water shortage is becoming and really, how much of a long- term reality this is becoming for the residents in Delhi. This pollution in this river, I understand it's been around for decades. But, why is the situation reaching a critical point now?

KHANDARI: Yes, I mean, it's very shocking to someone like myself. I mean, of course, we've been -- I have grown up in the city. I'm in my mid-50s now. And when we grew up, we went to schools and we could have water from the tap. You know, this is the way we used to put our hand and have water. And now, my children, when they grew up, they're 23. I don't think they ever had anything which was not purified or filtered.

So, you know, that transition in the last few decades has been very -- it's not only about ammonia was now that recently when, you know, the water had to be shut down to the many, many areas. But we are constantly fighting the nitrates, the fluoride.

Recently, there was a study that even pointed out on uranium. And that is, as we know, that this is extremely toxic and hazardous. So, of course, and you mentioned that this is all very -- it sounds simple because it is the untreated sewage. It is the industrial waste. And that's what that needs to be checked, monitored and taken action on. And it needs strict compliance.

It needs strict action from the source where the pollution is coming. But unfortunately, the complete stress is only on the optic part of it that you are seeing all that foam and froth, and you're trying to clean it up, and that's not going to help. COVID was a time when we saw all, basically, everything cleared up on its own. There was no investment. There was no money put in. There were no technology brought in.

Because the source was worked on. And of course, this water crisis is, one, about scarcity. That is, of course, we are struggling also with the levels of the underground water, et cetera. And it's also about the toxicity that is hurting our children, our elderly, our workers, the youth. So, there's a huge amount of --

SANDOVAL: Right.

KHANDARI: -- distress that citizens are feeling.

SANDOVAL: And Bhavreen, I mean, you lay out a long list of measures that should be taken, that could potentially be taken. Have you seen local officials take any sort of action whatsoever to try to improve the situation for residents?

KHANDARI: Yes. I mean, the things, whatever I'm saying is being said, but it's on paper. And they say the same things. But when it comes to actually implementing and enforcing, it's very poor. I mean, there are complaints where citizens have gone and actually shown the various illegal industry. You know, it could be dying units, et cetera, that are actually pumping all the toxicity into the river or various things.

In fact, they're being threatened, et cetera. So even if the National Green Tribunal comes in and these units are sealed, et cetera, again, the corruption actually brings the violators back and they find a way to maybe get another location or find ways to even still work in a sealed property.

So, those are things that government must and they'll have to find ways to, because there are the good officers and there are the problematic ones where corruption is there. So you cannot -- how can you compensate? How can you compromise anything like this? There is no choice. Until pollution isn't stopped at the source and the law isn't enforced without --

SANDOVAL: Right.

KHANDARI: -- fear or favor, Delhi's rivers and aquifers will remain unsafe and it will just get worse.

SANDOVAL: And I want to hear more on that last point you made on the source. The river, it flows through only about 2 percent of Delhi is my understanding, yet the capital city contributes more than 76 percent of the pollution that we're seeing. Are the companies are -- the source of these pollutants, are they contributing anything to a possible solution?

KHANDARI: Yeah, so that's exactly what it is, because what you said in your introduction also, it's the sewage treatment plants, which need strict monitoring. The 100 percent functional sewage treatment plants, they must work because that is what is going to grip all the sewage at the source.

[02:40:00]

And like I said, the industry needs strict compliance right there. But if you think that, you know, you will bring some technology and some boards, and sprinkle some foam diffusers, et cetera, you're just adding more chemicals only for photo ops. That's not going to help.

And unfortunately, whether it's the present government or the previous one, this is what they were focusing on. So, too much time and public money tends to get wasted. And the reality is that, yes, they will have to work on extremely, very, very rigorously on the sewage treatment and strict compliance. There is no other formula that's going to work. Yeah.

SANDOVAL: Right. The situation continues to get worse. And the pictures that we've seen really tell so much of the story. What appear to be ice floats, actual toxic foam on top of that river and the people are being exposed to this on an everyday basis, not just on the banks of the Yamuna, but in their homes. Thank you so much for helping us shed more light on this. And we'll certainly continue to stay in touch and follow the situation. May a solution be there closer than we expect. Thank you.

KHANDARI: Thank you so much. Thank you.

SANDOVAL: Next here on "CNN Newsroom," I'll be speaking with the team from New Zealand who now holds the world record for the fastest mile ever run by a junior athlete. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:46:08]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[Foreign Language]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: That 16-year-old who you just witnessed cross the finish line, he has set an extraordinary new world record for the fastest mile run by a junior athlete. Sam Ruthe, he traveled 50 hours from his home in New Zealand to compete at an invitational race in Boston. You see him here. He blew past several professional athletes on that indoor track, coming in at an astonishing 3 minutes and 48 seconds. Do the math. That's a pace of over 15 miles per hour for the young man.

Right after the race, Ruthe told reporters, quote, "There's definitely more in the tank. I've got three more races and could probably go a bit faster." Sam Ruthe joins me now, along with his father, Ben Ruthe. Gentlemen, welcome to the program.

BEN RUTHE, FATHER OF SAM RUTHE: Thank you very much for having us on.

SAM RUTHE, WORLD RECORD-BREAKING RUNNER: Thank you so much. SANDOVAL: So let's get started with you, Sam. What was your thinking going into this race? Did you have any idea that you were in for breaking a record?

S. RUTHE: Honestly, not at all, because Tanner, my teammate, was coming to this race with me and he just beat me the week before, so my mind was set on him probably beating me in the race. So, even if I ran a fast time, I would (ph) have expected him to beat me. So, there was definitely no expectation that I was going to get a record, especially in that race. It being my first race of the series of races we're doing while we're over here just because of jet lag and all that stuff.

SANDOVAL: I want to play for our viewers around the world, especially the last few seconds of the race. I watched all of it, by the way, several times. There's that moment when you appear to really downshift it, and you close that gap between you and the lead, overtake him, as we see this. Can you tell us what's going on in your mind in those last few seconds as you spot the finish line in the distance?

S. RUTHE: Yeah. Well, I was just kind of a few meters behind him for the last couple of laps before that, and then as you're catching someone, your brain is going, oh, I'm getting close to him. Like, am I actually going to get him? And then once you pass him, like, you can start to hear the crowd and you start getting hyped, more hyped, and that just makes you run faster and faster, like, the more hyped you get.

So, once you go around someone in a home straight to the fastest time you've ever ran, yeah, it's a pretty good feeling, and it makes you run even faster.

SANDOVAL: It's visible on your face. Ben, was that you shooting that video that we just saw?

B. RUTHE: Yeah, that was me. My commentary, I was recording it for all the family and friends back home, but my commentary was disciplined for the first kilometer, and then it got a little bit out of hand.

(LAUGH)

B. RUTHE: I realized quite what was happening in front of my eyes.

SANDOVAL: I heard it in your voice. I think you said, I made a note of it, this is insanely quick. I think that's probably when you began to realize what everybody at that track was in for. You've had some time to process this now, Ben, seeing your son on the track accomplishing this, breaking this record for New Zealand and on the world stage. How surreal has this been for you and all of your family?

B. RUTHE: It's very hard to comprehend, really, and really believe it all. Jakob Ingebrigtsen has won Olympic gold, and he was the record holder at 16 with at 3:55. So, for Sam to run seven seconds quicker, which is half an outdoor home straight, is just -- it just feels impossible to have happened. [02:50:00]

And Pieter Sisk, who came second in that race, set a Belgian national record as well and he's been to the Olympics himself and is 1:43 800 meter round (ph). So, a very high-caliber athlete and I just saw that Sam was on him, and then he moved around him. It was just a shock, really.

SANDOVAL: Yeah. Take us inside that conversation that maybe you had with Sam before that race, that you both sort of jointly set any expectations?

B. RUTHE: Well, we sort of had a chat beforehand about what we thought would be a bad race, a reasonable race, and a good race, and he said -- he thought a reasonable race would be to get the record that Alan Webb had set, to set the American all-time high school record, a bit over 20 years ago of 3:53, and then his high record was 3:48. And I said, you've got to be joking. I don't think you really respect how fast a sub-3:50 a mile is.

(LAUGH)

B. RUTHE: And then he went and did it.

SANDOVAL: Sam, what's your running background? How long have you been running? When did you discover that this was certainly a passion of yours?

S. RUTHE: Yeah, I started running when I joined high school, so that's kind of when I was turning 14.

SANDOVAL: Got it.

B. RUTHE: So it's just been three years, really.

SANDOVAL: Yeah, which I was about to say, that's incredible. You are still in high school, correct? I believe a junior?

S. RUTHE: Yeah, I've got this year, and then I haven't even started this year, and then I've got a full another year after this year. So --

B. RUTHE: Just about to start his junior year. We're six months behind in New Zealand.

SANDOVAL: With this incredible accomplishment under your belt now, what's next? What's the next goal, the next target?

B. RUTHE: Well, he's got a big race at the end of next week against Cole Hocker, the American Olympic gold medalist.

SANDOVAL: Yeah, right.

B. RUTHE: So even to line up with Cole is amazing. Yeah.

S. RUTHE: Yeah, you know, that's probably -- I don't like setting my sights too long because I feel like that's so long to wait, and I'm really just focusing on my next race when I'm racing a circuit of races. So, yeah, my next race is definitely my next big main goal, and hopefully, I can run fast again.

SANDOVAL: That's -- what an incredible opportunity, standing alongside an Olympian, with Olympic prospects, perhaps, yourself. We are so excited for what your future holds, certainly speaking for the entire team. Incredibly proud of what you were able to accomplish, and we are cheering you on and watching with amazement. And congratulations to you again, Sam Ruthe, and your father, Ben. Thank you guys so much for taking some time to celebrate with us.

S. RUTHE: Thank you so much for having us on.

B. RUTHE: Yeah, thanks very much.

SANDOVAL: So the Winter Olympic Games, they are just around the corner. We are now three days away from the opening ceremony in Milan, where more than 3,500 athletes will be competing from 93 different countries. The Olympic flame is in the final stretch of its 63-day relay across Italy. It passed through the northern region of Lombardy, just at the foot of the Alps, and also made a brief stop in the historic city of Bergamo. It will be ending its journey on Friday in Milan, marking the official start of the Winter Games.

Tossing a coin into Rome's Trevi Fountain, it is near the top of most tourists' to-do list when visiting that iconic city. But after a recent change, that postcard-worthy moment may actually cost you more than you think, definitely more than what you're probably tossing into the water. We'll be right back.

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SANDOVAL: So if you want to toss a coin and make a wish at the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome, you'll now have to pay a fee. CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau has more on the new ticketing system that has some visitors and locals divided.

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BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Tossing a coin into Rome's Trevi Fountain is a must for most visitors to the Eternal City. Last year, 10 million people parted with their small change. But now, the tradition comes with a price.

Starting February 2nd, the city is charging two euros to get close to the basin below the 18th century sculpture of Oceanus, in an effort to combat over-tourism. Visitors were split on the Trevi Fountain fee, welcoming fewer crowds, but lamenting the cost of accessing a public monument.

The proceeds expected to net the city between EUR 6 million and EUR 20 million will go toward maintaining the fountain and running the ticket system, as well as giving paying crowds a less crowded experience. One coin ensures a return to Rome, two means you'll fall in love with an Italian, and three means you'll marry them, as long as you bought a ticket, that is.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Thank you so much for joining us here on "CNN Newsroom." I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. The news continues with my colleague Rosemary Church after a quick break.

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