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Isa Soares Tonight

Brazil's Justice Minister Cites The Attacks On Key Government Buildings Were Carried Out By "Madmen And Public Agents As Well"; U.S., Canada And Mexico Leaders Meet In Mexico; Fierce Fighting For A Key Town In Eastern Ukraine As Russia Sets Its Sights On The Town Of Soledar; North American Leaders' Summit; Women Facing Fines, Travel Bans For Violating Hijab Law; Israel's Itamar Ben-Gvir Orders Police To Remove Palestinian Flags; Prince Harry's "Spare" Hits Bookstores; Golden Globes Hope To Return To Prominence Tonight. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired January 10, 2023 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

ZAIN ASHER, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to all of you, I'm Zain Asher in for Isa Soares. Tonight, Brazil's justice minister says

the attacks on major government buildings were carried out by, quote, "mad men and public agents as well". We are live for you on the ground as the

fallout from the attack continues.

Then leaders from the U.S., Canada and Mexico are meeting this hour, of course, migration is top of the agenda. We are live for you in Mexico City.

Plus, fierce fighting in the east of Ukraine as Russia sets its sights on the town of Soledar. We'll explain why it's so significant on the

battlefield.

Brazil's Justice Minister says the attack on democracy was not only carried out by mad men, but also by public agents as well, either by action or by a

mission. He's adding to growing questions today about how federal authorities failed to stop mobs from storming the seat of power in

Brasilia.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva suggests that some security forces were indeed complicit with the rioters. He met with Brazil's governors in a show

of solidarity against what he called an attempted coup. Supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro attacked the presidential palace, they

attacked congress and the Supreme Court, demanding that Mr. Lula da Silva be overthrown from power. The president said they made no attempt to hide

their intentions before the attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, PRESIDENT, BRAZIL (through translator): I couldn't believe it, that's why I was forced to talk to my justice

minister, to take a strong attitude. Because the police in Brasilia neglected it. Brasilia's intelligence neglected it. There is an explicit

connivance of police with the demonstrators, even here inside the palace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Well, let's get more now from CNN's Shasta Darlington, she is following all of this from Sao Paulo. So, the fact that, you know, as Lula

was saying there, the demonstrators, the rioters made no attempt to sort of conceal their intentions here. I mean, it is -- it does sort of beg a

belief, how on earth security forces could have failed to stop them? Who is responsible, ultimately, here?

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN REPORTER: Well, at this point, Zain, you're pointing out exactly how the investigations are unfolding. At this point,

they are focused on the Brasilia authorities, from the top down. So, the governor has been suspended for 90 days, even though he quickly -- he

quickly fired the secretary of security as the -- as the riots were unfolding.

And remember, the secretary of security at the time was in Bolsonaro's former justice ministry. So, there's a lot of finger-pointing going on. But

certainly, right now, it is focused on the Brasilia authorities. Lula himself criticized police and Intelligence in Brasilia, saying that they've

not only failed to recognize what everybody else in Brazil was recognizing, which is there is some protest coming.

But once these thousands of activists started marching in Brasilia, they failed to stop them, and in some cases, it appears they even encouraged and

enabled them. So, we will certainly get more as these investigations go deeper. But it has enraged the nation, right here on Avenida Paulista.

This was one of many sites across the country where Brazilians poured out onto the streets last night to not only show their support for President

Lula and his democratic election, but also to denounce the riots, and what they say was an assault on democracy itself. Take a listen to what one

demonstrator said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NETO DUARTE, PRO-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATOR (through translator): Totally absurd, it's the worst moment in our history after the 1964 dictatorship. I

think everyone was appalled by the images we saw in the national congress. So, I think the response is this, it was well done occupying the Paulista

Avenue, the fight now is to support the government that was democratically elected. And we are not going to leave the streets, that is the message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARLINGTON: So since Sunday, about 1,500 people have been arrested or detained, and many of them were the rioters, and others were people who had

set up camps outside of army barracks. They've actually been camping there for a couple of months, demanding a military intervention because they

claim, without any evidence whatsoever, that Bolsonaro actually won the election, that the elections were rigged.

[14:05:00]

And honestly, Bolsonaro has done little to rein in those conspiracy theories, in fact, he's kind of urged them on. He's been in Florida since

before the new president took over, he was sending messages of himself or pictures of himself to social media yesterday, saying he was hospitalized,

and doctors were treating his abdomen, which he's had problems with ever since he was stabbed during a campaign event in 2018.

All of this -- well, authorities here are really trying to pick up the pieces. And there have been these shows of support for Lula, but now he

faces a really tough task of trying to unite a nation that is clearly very deeply polarized. I mean, almost half of the country voted for Bolsonaro.

So, we're going to see in the coming weeks and months, whether or not he's able to sort of ride this momentum of support that he's seeing in the wake

of the riot, Zain.

ASHER: Yes, that is a tall order. There is a huge task ahead of him. How does -- how does he even begin to do that? Heal the country, I mean?

DARLINGTON: Well, I mean, he has started, but it's -- I do think, again, it's this knee-jerk reaction after all of these ransacking, damage,

destruction. Brazilians are gathering around him, and that's why we saw him last night with all 27 governors from around the country locked arm-in-arm

with him, standing outside the presidential palace.

But these are governors from many different parties. The same in congress, he doesn't have as big a showing in congress as he did in his previous

government. It's a very splintered political system. So for him to keep people on board in the longer term, it's going to be a challenge indeed,

Zain.

ASHER: All right, Shasta Darlington live for us there, thank you so much. All right, let's get more now from journalist Thomas Traumann in Rio de

Janeiro, he says that Brazil's president may be able to turn this outrageous attack into an opportunity to unite the country. That was my

question to Shasta Darlington. How does he do that? How so?

THOMAS TRAUMANN, JOURNALIST: Hi, I feel that President Lula has now, let's say a golden chance to unite the country. Because as you know, he just got

51 percent of the votes in October against 49 percent of President Bolsonaro. But at this moment, there are many people who voted for

Bolsonaro, because they don't like Lula because they are conservative.

I mean, they are also enraged with what happened on Sunday. So, we have most of the country, former -- a poll that was released on Sunday, said 90

percent of Brazilians condemned what happened on Sunday. So, I mean, there's a majority of Brazil, clear majority of Brazil that never saw

delayed months.

As it is now condemning what happened and is united for democracy. So now, if President Lula is able to use this broader alliance in favor to corner

Bolsonaro as a radical movement, yes, I think he might have a better, more political space for the next months.

ASHER: And here's the thing, you can arrest rioters, you can arrest people who committed this heinous assault on Brasilia. But you can't arrest

resentment, you can't arrest the anger that led to this moment. And I understand what you're saying in terms of --

TRAUMANN: Right --

ASHER: Winning over the sort of moderate conservatives who are now going to be on the side of Lula. But still, there is going to be a certain

segment of the population there in Brazil who are still going to be outraged, who believe that the election was stolen, and you know, who

essentially still want a coup. What does he do about that corner of the population?

TRAUMANN: You're completely right, resentment in Brazil is still -- I mean, is still quite clear, and Brazil is polarized. That you're completely

right on that figure. What I mean is, you have to draw a line on democracy, and this is -- I think that's Lula's greatest challenge.

Yesterday meeting he had with the 27 governors of Brazil, many of them are pro-Bolsonaro, voted for Bolsonaro, made campaigns for Bolsonaro, like new

governor of Sao Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas or the speaker of the house, are two leaders who are people who are conservatives.

They didn't vote for Lula, but they're now on his side, the fact that we need for the democratic institutions to keep on. So I'm not saying that

this will heal the country and it's very grave problems they have. But I feel that you might give, let's say, a more peaceful situation for Lula in

the next months.

ASHER: You know, we just heard a soundbite, just before I introduced you, about, you know, with President Lula sort of speaking about the security

forces.

[14:10:00]

And I think what President Lula is trying to explain to everybody in Brazil is that there's absolutely no way, these are his beliefs, so there's no way

that the security forces could not have seen this coming. And the fact that they did see this coming, like many people in Brazil, and they did nothing

to stop these protests, even as they march towards Brasilia, even as they headed towards the three branches of government.

Lula believes, you know, that tells him that they were certainly complicit. Do you agree that?

TRAUMANN: Not only I agree with that, but the Supreme Court agrees with that. A few minutes ago, the Supreme Court decided that the former chief of

the military police in Brasilia should be arrested. I mean -- so, I mean, this is their investigation. It's just right at this moment on

investigating the public officers who should be responsible for security of Brasilia. And who at least, were -- had a complicity with the acts on

Sunday.

ASHER: I mean, that is, yes, that is scary. You know, we always thought --

TRAUMANN: Yes --

ASHER: I mean, I certainly thought that I was never going to see what happened, you know, on January 6th in the United States. I thought that I

was never going to see that ever again. And little did I know that two years later, I'd be seeing it again just in a different country. Thomas

Traumann, we have to leave it there, thank you so much.

All right, leaders from the U.S., Canada and Mexico are preparing for talks this hour, and migration is set to be top of the agenda. It's understood

that the Biden administration is working on a round of new measures to curb crossings at the U.S. southern border. It comes as Biden is facing mounting

pressure back home after classified documents dating back to his time as vice president were actually found in his private office.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is standing by for us in Mexico City. Just in terms of the focus of the summit being on, partly on migration and the crisis at

the U.S. southern border, just explain to us what sort of cooperation Biden is expecting to get, I should say hoping to get from the Mexican president

to combat the crisis.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: Well, White House officials have made very clear for weeks now that they expect that managing migration is a

regional problem, therefore it needs to be worked on with all three countries, United States, Canada and Mexico. And the measures that they're

rolling out are a reflection of that.

They are planning to announce, for example, a virtual portal for migrants who are in the region to apply for legal pathways to either the United

States, Canada or Mexico. Serving, for example, as a sort of one-stop shop, then two, there is the physical center in southern Mexico that they want to

put up.

And that would be in Tapachula, that's a transit location where many migrants pass, where they would also have services available to them and

learn about legal pathways. Now, of course, all of this really depends on whether they serve as viable options for migrants who, as we know, are

desperately leaving poor conditions in their native countries.

And so, the question is, whether these types of measures can meet their immediate needs. And a senior administration official I spoke to said, it's

an experiment, that they expect that these discussions with Canada and Mexico, they can come to agreement on how to work on this issue together,

because as you mentioned, it is a political liability for President Biden back at home.

Now, of course, this is one of many issues that they're going to touch on, they're also expected to talk about economic development, climate change

and trade. We heard briefly earlier from President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who really talked about strengthening their

relationship and building on it.

We anticipate those same discussions are happening now at the national palace behind me, and we'll hear from the three leaders later today.

ASHER: All right, Priscilla Alvarez live for us there. Thank you so much. And actually, later on in the program, I'm going to be speaking to Canada's

defense minister, following on from Justin Trudeau's meeting with Joe Biden. And that's an interview that's coming up in about, I'd say 15

minutes from now. So, do stay tuned for that.

We are getting new information about the classified documents that were discovered in President Joe Biden's former private office at a D.C. think

tank. A source familiar with the matter tells CNN that the U.S. attorney in Chicago has completed the initial part of his inquiry, and now it's up to

the U.S. Attorney General to decide how to proceed.

Mr. Biden's lawyers discovered the documents inside a locked closet of the office in November as they were clearing it out. The president's special

counsel says they were immediately turned into the National Archives, and the White House says that Mr. Biden is cooperating with investigators.

Sources tell CNN that the president did not know the documents were actually there at all. CNN senior U.S. Justice correspondent, Evan Perez

joins us live now from Washington. So, Evan, U.S. Attorney General now has to decide what to do, how to proceed. Any sense of what might be coming

down the pipe for President Biden on this?

[14:15:00]

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Zain, it's a very -- obviously, a very politically tricky thing for the Justice Department to

handle. Obviously, there's still an investigation into Donald Trump and his handling of classified materials. Of course, the volume is vastly

different, where there were, you know, hundreds of documents, classified documents that were found in the former president's home in Mar-a-Lago and

as opposed to what we're talking about here.

Sources are telling us, there is about ten documents we're talking about, and they range from 2013 to 2016, during the time that Joe Biden would have

been vice president. And they dealt with, you know, basically Intelligence memos and briefing documents that were prepared for the then vice

president, you know, dealing with things like the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Iran.

So, these were the things that are the subject of this review that is ongoing from the Justice Department. As you pointed out, the U.S. attorney

in Chicago who has been doing this investigation has at least completed the preliminary work on this. And now, the Attorney General, Merrick Garland

has to decide whether -- what next steps to take, right?

And if we follow the format that we saw in the Donald Trump case, it means that they're most likely are going to have to do a full investigation.

They're going to have to interview who may -- anyone who may have been in this -- in this office, and who may have had access to these -- this room

where these documents were being stored.

So, those are the tricky questions that are lying ahead for the Justice Department and the FBI as they try to make sure that they're handling this

in the same way that they handled the Trump investigation.

ASHER: Yes, of course, they have to appear to be fair. And I think it would help our audience to sort of really understand what was at stake if

we knew a little bit more about what was in the documents. You talked about documents being classified documents, of course, Intelligence memos,

dealing with things like Ukraine, Iran, the United Kingdom. But do we have any more specifics other than that? And are we likely to get any more

specifics?

PEREZ: Well, those are the -- those are the important questions I think that the FBI is going to have to figure out whether, you know, the

sensitivity of these documents, whether the Intelligence agencies that created them still consider them to be sensitive and classified. Those are

among the big questions that they have to answer.

And then, they do a routine thing, which is a damage assessment to make sure that anyone who may have been in a position to have access to them

could have maybe done harm to national security as a result of that. So, we don't know exactly the details of what were in these documents.

Just those are the themes that we know were being discussed. But Zain, one of the things that we know is that Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, is under

investigation separately for his businesses in Ukraine. So, one of the first questions, of course, that comes up is, you know, was this having to

do anything with regard to Hunter Biden?

Those are questions that of course, the White House is going to have to face, I think, you know, Priscilla is there with President Biden in Mexico

City. We expect that he's going to answer questions in the coming hours. And I bet you, those are among the questions that are foremost on the minds

of people who are going to be questioning him.

ASHER: I see, didn't have anything to do with Hunter Biden?

(CLEARS THROAT)

All right, really good questions. Evan Perez live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, still to come tonight, Russia's efforts to capture a

small town in eastern Ukraine have nearly destroyed it, leaving almost no life left. We'll tell you why it's Moscow's -- it's key rather to Moscow's

strategy ahead.

And hospitals on the brink, crowding a crematoriums and cues at funeral homes. We'll go live to Hong Kong as China battles a COVID search.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:20:00]

ASHER: U.S. officials say that Ukrainian troops will begin training on Patriot Missile Defense Systems as soon as next week. The U.S. is providing

Ukraine with one Patriot battery, which takes 90 soldiers to use and months to train up on. But it's meant to be a powerful defense mechanism against

Russian airstrikes, which have battered Ukraine's energy infrastructure for months.

On the battlefield, there is intense fighting around the eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar close to Bakhmut, and that's in the Donetsk region.

Ukraine's president says that Russia is concentrating all of its greatest efforts on capturing Soledar, and is leaving the town basically completely

destroyed, there's pretty much no life left. That's according to Zelenskyy. Scott McLean tells us more.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Zain, the Russians have had no luck in capturing the strategically important town of Bakhmut, along the eastern

frontlines. So, instead, they have set their sights on the town about 10 or 15 kilometers north called Soledar. They have amassed a huge volume of

weaponry and troops and are in the midst of launching what the Ukrainians call a powerful offensive.

The head of the Donetsk People's Republic though says, the Russians are very close to capturing that town. The Ukrainian military, not long ago,

said that they are in control of the situation, though they acknowledge that the fighting there is extremely fierce. They also did not rule out the

possibility of withdrawing troops or having them retreat in the interest of keeping those soldiers alive to live to fight another day.

The head of the Wagner Mercenary Group acknowledged that his forces are doing the bulk of the fighting there, and he says that Soledar is

particularly, strategically important in part because of the salt mine there, which he says makes an ideal place to hide troops or to store

weaponry.

It is also strategically important, potentially, for the Russians, because if they were able to capture Soledar, it would allow them to then attack

Bakhmut from a different direction, from the north, since they have had no luck so far capturing it from the east. Zain?

ASHER: That was our Scott McLean. New images are revealing the shocking reality of China's COVID outbreak. Take a look here, these before and after

satellite pictures show how a funeral home on the outskirts of Beijing has built a brand-new parking area, apparently to deal with an unprecedented

surge in demand.

And images from six other Chinese cities show lines of cars waiting outside crematoriums, painting a dire picture of a country's coronavirus death toll

just over the past few weeks. It comes as hospitals are overwhelmed with cases amid a complete reversal in COVID policies. CNN's Marc Stewart

following all the developments for us from Hong Kong.

So, Marc, I mean, these satellite images are just -- I mean, they're extraordinary, and some funeral homes right now are saying the system is

totally paralyzed, and I think what's really eerie about all of this is the fact that there's so much secrecy, so much secrecy in China about really

the state of affairs and the true picture of COVID there.

MARC STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Zain. And the satellite pictures confirm reporting that CNN has reported over the last

few weeks about lines into crematoriums, about body bags, about smoke coming, being billowed into the air. And then we have these very desperate

signs at hospitals.

[14:25:00]

Which clearly shows a narrative that there are some very troubling developments. Yet, the government, the Chinese government is saying there

have been 37 COVID deaths. And part of that explanation is that the government says that it has narrowed the definition of what it determined a

COVID death to be. It means someone had to have had a respiratory illness specifically created by the virus.

So, it really limits the number of cases that can be reported. And that's causing a lot of friction, as you mentioned, within China, certainly with

family members and with healthcare providers. But from the outside looking in, the World Health Organization is saying to China, you need to be more

forthcoming, you need to perhaps broaden out your determination of what a COVID death can be.

And these pictures, whether they'd be from satellites or from inside these hospitals, really show this conflict about how this is all being perceived

within China and the consternation between citizens and the government, Zain.

ASHER: Yes, and when you see those sort of satellite images at the crematoriums, and you hear that funeral homes are being paralyzed, and then

you think about the fact that, you know, China just opened up to the world just a few days ago, I mean, clearly, the timing, the timing is obviously

off the mark here, Marc.

STEWART: The timing is off the mark. And countries surrounding China are raising reservations about this big, grand reopening, if you will, with a

COVID situation that still does not seem to be under control. And as a result, we have seen more than a dozen nations in the Asian Pacific region,

where I am right now, such as Japan and Korea, really putting some strict limitations about testing in order for someone from mainland China to head

into those areas.

And of course, the world is wanting some economic benefit from the opening of China. We know it's the world's second largest economy, more than a

billion people live there. But then there's this balance between public safety and then this need for economic perseverance. So, this is a story of

conflicts. And whether we're talking about the economy or the reporting of the number of cases, it's very apparent.

ASHER: All right, Marc Stewart live for us there, thank you so much. All right, still to come tonight, U.S., Canadian and Mexican leaders will be

sitting down for trilateral talks in just a few moments as they move to strengthen regional ties. We'll get the perspective from Canada's defense

minister just ahead. Plus, the latest examples of a troubling crackdown on dissent in Iran, we'll have details for you after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:30:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ASHER: Right now, leaders from the U.S., Canada and Mexico are preparing to sit down together at the North American Leaders' Summit. After bilateral

talks earlier in the day, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau praised U.S.-Canadian cooperation in the face of growing pressure from China and

Russia.

Canada has announced its plans to send air defense systems to Ukraine for the first time. Canadian defense minister Anita Anand is joining us live

now.

You have Trudeau, you have Lopez Obrador, Biden giving for the Americans a priority, one of the key priorities for the summit is starting at the

crisis at the U.S. Southern border and enlisting Mexico's help with that.

What is the key priority for the Canadians, do you think, at the summit?

ANITA ANAND, CANADIAN MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENSE: Our priority, obviously, is to continue to maintain very strong relationships with the

other countries in North America. Obviously Canada's largest trading partner is the United States.

And from my perspective, as the minister of national defense, obviously we're very closely aligned with the United States on NORAD, on continental

defense and now on aid to Ukraine.

I'm so happy to be able to announce today that Canada has purchased from the United States a air defense missile system at approximately $400

million to donate to Ukraine.

ASHER: And just to sort of expand on that, obviously Ukraine has been pleading with the international community for months for air defense

systems, especially as they continue to suffer incessant aerial bombardment by Russia, you know, hitting energy systems across Ukraine.

Just explain to us, why now?

The timing of this donation?

And a bit more specifics in terms of the timeline to actually getting the system to Ukraine.

ANAND: Well, such a great question there. Canada's aid to Ukraine has consistently increased since, indeed before the illegal and unjustifiable

invasion by Russia. Canada has trained, for example, over 34,000 Ukrainian soldiers.

But in the area of military equipment, we have put on the table over $1 billion of aid. And indeed, this purchase from the United States, it is

extremely important because we have heard directly from President Zelenskyy and Minister Reznikov that the NASAMS system is incredibly important in

their fight for sovereignty, security and stability.

ASHER: The U.S. has said a number of times, President Biden in particular, said the number of times that the U.S., I guess as long as he's president,

will support Ukraine for as long as necessary, the clock is not going to run out on American generosity, no matter how long this war lasts.

Does Canada feel the same way?

Is Canada prepared to support Ukraine, to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, for the long haul?

ANAND: Yes, Canada feels exactly the same way. We have to remember that this is a country fighting for its sovereignty, its stability, security. We

are also supporting the international order, which has been now under attack with Russia's illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine.

And so, the fight for sovereignty in Ukraine is a national issue there but it is also a global issue. And we are completely aligned with the United

States and with the NATO allies to ensure that that rules-based international order remains intact and that Ukraine's sovereignty and

stability and security remain intact for the long term.

[14:35:00]

ASHER: Right, Anita Anand, Canada's defense minister, thank you for being with us. We appreciate it.

All right, at least 17 people have died in the latest anti government protests in Peru. Dozens more were wounded Monday during clashes in the

southern city of Culiacan, according to Peru's vice health minister.

Demonstrations began last month after the former president was impeached and removed from office.

Turning to Iran's crackdown on internal dissent, where a Belgian aid worker reportedly has been sentenced to 14 years in prison and 74 lashes on

espionage charges. The man was arrested last year after working with an aid organization.

This comes after Iran sentenced the daughter of former president Hashemi Rafsanjani to five years is prison. The state allied news agency reports

she was indicted last year on charges of, quote, "propaganda against the system." The U.N. now says as many as 100 people are facing charges that

could potentially carry the death penalty.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has more from Istanbul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The office of Iran's attorney general announcing that they have instructed authorities to enforce harsher

measures when dealing with those violating the country's mandatory hijab or veil law.

Typically women would face 10 days to two months in jail for violating that law. Now they will be facing fines, travel bans, no access to public

services and other measures. And those, they say, encouraging women not to wear the hijab, will be facing even harsher punishment, 1-10 years in jail,

they say, for encouraging corruption.

This comes after all of that speculation a few weeks ago, after statements from Iranian officials, they're reviewing the country's mandatory hijab

law, all these reports about abolishing the morality police.

And there was speculation about whether there is going to be any sort of concessions that were going to be made by the Iranian regime. Those who

know the regime have said all along that there is absolutely no way it was going to compromise on one of the pillars of the Islamic Republic and that

is the hijab.

It's also very important to point out that while the issue of the hijab, the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police

sparked these protests back in September, the hijab is not the only reason people have been protesting.

They say that this is about so much more than that. It is about basic human rights, people's rights to choose, a woman's right to choose, whether to

wear or not to wear the hijab.

People's freedom, to be able to speak out freely without the fear of being jailed, taking part in peaceful demonstrations without the threat of prison

or the death penalty, it is about what Iranians would tell you. This is about the now familiar slogan of these protests, "Women, life, freedom"--

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Istanbul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: An Israeli cabinet minister convicted of inviting anti Palestinian hate is back in the news, this time for ordering police to remove any

Palestinian flags flying in public. Itamar Ben-Gvir says the flags show, quote, "identification with terrorism."

The far-right national security minister is intensifying the crackdown that's been around for years. Though flying the flag is not illegal, police

can remove Palestinian flags if they deem them a threat to order.

You may remember these scenes from the funeral of slain Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Police grabbed Palestinian flags

from mourners, nearly causing her casket to crash to the ground. Let's bring in journalist Elliott Gotkine in Jerusalem.

Explain to us whether or not this ban will actually stand up to legal scrutiny, Elliott?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Zain, it seems unlikely, I think even Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, he came out with another

statement today, seemingly try to clarify his earlier remarks.

What he seems to be saying is he's not looking to change the law; he simply wants the police to enforce the law as it stands, something that he claims

that they haven't been doing.

And we've already seen, as recently as November, that the highest court in the land here in Israel has stated the only circumstances in which

Palestinian flags can be taken down, saying that they can only be taken down, they cannot be taken down, except where there is a high probability

that the raising of the flag will lead to a serious violation of public safety.

Now of course, that is relatively ambiguous. So you could see police perhaps using their discretion.

[14:40:00]

And indeed it could depend on the situation, on the police officers who come across people unfurling Palestinian flags.

But certainly, the lawyers we've spoken to here in Israel, both Israeli lawyers and Palestinian lawyers, don't think this could stand up to legal

scrutiny (INAUDIBLE) for the high court again because it's already been to the high court once before.

But according to Diana Buttu, a Palestinian lawyer based in Haifa, she says, look, the flag issue is beside the point, really.

This is not the first act and it won't be the last, she says, that this is another part of a pattern of this government, which isn't even two weeks

old and its attempts to demonize, in her words, and undermine what is obviously for the Palestinians a very important symbol of their national

identity.

So I don't think we're going to start seeing, you know, kind of mass flag confiscations going on. Interestingly enough, just a day before Ben-Gvir

made his pronouncement, I was told that protesters in Tel Aviv, some Israelis unfurled Palestinian flags as well.

And there are more big protests, anti government protests planned for this weekend. So it'll be interesting to see what police do vis-a-vis

Palestinian flags or Israeli flags or anything else. So that's certainly something we'll be keeping an eye on.

ASHER: Elliott, live for us there, thank you so much.

All right, still to come, some rare good news for the hole in the Earth's ozone layer. Find out when the atmosphere is expected to be fully recovered

and what scientists say it may mean for the climate overall.

And Prince Harry's memoir hits the shelves. Ahead in the show, we will look at how the British public and the royal family are reacting to all the

revelations.

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ASHER: All right, it's the book that everybody is talking about, yes, Prince Harry's highly anticipated memoir, "Spare," has now hit the shelves.

It contains a slew of allegations against the British monarchy.

So what will that mean for the royal family and their relationship to the Duke of Sussex going forward?

CNN's Bianca Nobilo has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The much anticipated memoir has been making headlines for days. The most sensational

lines from Prince Harry's book are already splashed across the front pages, following the leaked excerpts and buzzworthy TV interviews.

But now, readers finally get a chance to read all 416 pages for themselves in context.

[14:45:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything is context. So I really want to see for myself what the true story is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Quite clearly, the U.K. media has sensationalized the parts that make him look the worst and sell the most papers and create the

most public outrage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I expect to be able to read about, more about the truth of what goes on behind the palace walls. I feel like they are a

notoriously secret family.

NOBLES (voice-over): Keen readers got their hands on the book at midnight when it went on sale in the U.K. Many more have ordered copies online.

"Spare" is currently number one on the Amazon U.K. best seller chart.

Buckingham Palace has repeatedly declined to comment on the memoir, which reveals a number of private confrontations between Prince Harry and other

senior royals and delves into his split from the family. But beyond revealing the dramatic allegations and details of his life inside the

palace, the book has raised some issues for the monarchy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think in the 21st century there's a place for the British monarchy?

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: I genuinely believe there is. Not the way it is now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do they need to modernize?

And if so, in what way?

PRINCE HARRY: I think the same process that I went through, with regarding my own unconscious bias, would be hugely beneficial to them. It's not

racism but unconscious bias. If not confronted, if not learned and grown from, then that can then move into racism.

NOBILO: The question now is, what impact will the fifth in line to the British throne raising concerns about the monarchy have on its instability

and reputation?

The monarchy defines itself as head of the nation, a symbolic source of national identity and pride, now brought down to Earth by the allegations

in this book.

NOBLES (voice-over): Yet, new polling data shows more than half of the people in the U.K. do not trust Prince Harry to give an accurate depiction

of events. About 39 percent trust him to give a true account of his experiences, according to a Savanta poll released Sunday.

Meanwhile, the continued silence from the palace is deafening, appearing to hope that the fiery book release will blow over faster if they don't fuel

the public debate -- Bianca Nobilo, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right, turning to California, where extreme weather continues to pound large swaths of the state. Thousands are being urged to leave

their homes as severe floods like these cause mudslides, power outages and extensive damage.

The death toll from the recent storms has risen to 16 across the entire state. Comedian and former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres took to Twitter

to show people just how bad the situation is right now in Montecito, which is under mandatory evacuation.

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ELLEN DEGENERES, COMEDIAN: We're having unprecedented rain. This is right next to our house. (INAUDIBLE) ever. Probably about nine feet up.

(INAUDIBLE) evacuated. We need to be nicer to Mother Nature, because Mother Nature is not happy with us. We'll all do our part. Stay safe, everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Oh, my goodness. Some good news and some bad news for the Earth's climate, speaking of Mother Nature. A U.N.-backed scientific assessment

says the ozone layer is on track for a complete recovery within decades, thanks to a landmark agreement, more than 30 years ago that phased out the

use of ozone harming chemicals around the world.

One scientist explained to CNN how this is going to help the battle against climate change in the coming years.

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DR. PAUL NEWMAN, NASA: Now we are starting to see the slowing of the growth of hydrofluorocarbons. We expect that they will peak sometime in the

2030s. And they will also come down, again, reducing a climate effect.

We will avoid about 0.3 to 0.5 degrees Celsius change. So in equivalent to Fahrenheit, about 0.6 to 1 degree global warming by the year 2100, because

we've controlled the hydrofluorocarbons in addition to the CFCs. So both of these are very positive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: On the flip side, European Union (INAUDIBLE) warns that the past eight years have been the warmest on the record for the planet. The report

said that Europe recorded its warmer summer ever, last year describe 2022 as the year of climate extremes.

Still to come tonight, once one of the most coveted statues in Hollywood, the Golden Globes have been tarnished. When we come back, we will preview

tonight's award show and a look at what it will take for the Globes to make a comeback.

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ASHER: A traditional highlight of Hollywood's award season, the Golden Globes, will be handed out this evening in Los Angeles. For the big story

this year, it is not the movies, it's actually the awards themselves.

Allegations of racism and other ethical questions about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which hands out the Globes, severely diminished

the stature of these awards in recent years.

Last year's Globes were not actually even broadcast on TV. And many stars chose not to attend the ceremony. This year, the show is back on, though it

is being held on a Tuesday, not its traditional high-profile spot of Sunday night. Let's bring in Stephanie Elam, joining us live now from Los Angeles.

You know, Stephanie, when people accuse your association of corruption and racism, it is pretty hard to shake that off. I mean, adjectives like

"prejudiced," "racist," "corrupt" have a way of sort of sticking with you.

When it comes to the awards tonight, they were usually held in the past on Sundays. Now they're going to be held at a low profile spot of a Tuesday

night.

Are people actually going to watch this time?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is a lot that they're up against, no doubt about, it Zain. On top of the fact, as you mentioned, those

allegations, there's also just facts.

There were no Black members for the Hollywood foreign press at that time. Now they have worked to increase those numbers. You can see the carpet

there right now. The other thing you can see there is a lot of water, I should point out, when you look at these live pictures that we have, before

I head out there.

It is torrentially raining here in Los Angeles in a way that it never rains. So that's also going to make it a little challenging for the stars

to make it to the carpet.

But when you look at these allegations that we have seen against the Hollywood foreign press and the fact that they did not have the body that

demonstrated the diversity that they claim to have -- they had less than 90 members at the time, now they're up to 200 members.

They were also saying that their voting body is now 52 percent female and 51.5 percent racially and ethnically diverse. So they're saying they've

boosted the numbers up, they have made sure that they're pulling people from around the world with 62 different countries represented now with who

is voting for these awards.

However, I can also tell you, over the years, the Golden Globes has been one of the stars' favorites. That is because it's the first out the gate

for awards season. Usually, they're sitting at a table, drinking wine with their other nominees.

So this was traditionally a very fun show. We'll have to see how it goes tonight. They've also looked to a new, fresher voice to be their host,

Jerrod Carmichael, who's a comedian, a writer, a producer. He is the host for this evening. So going in a different direction there as well.

All of this as we get to see the beginning of what could be the wrap.

[14:55:00]

Or the beginning of the wrapup, the mount up to Oscars as we do at this beginning of this award season, Zain.

ASHER: Stephanie, when I asked you that first question, I wasn't actually looking at the screen. So I only just noticed your dress. You look

gorgeous. Can you actually, I want to see your earrings.

Can you just turn and show everyone your earrings.

(CROSSTALK)

ELAM: I know, I'm trying to balance out with the rain. So the hair up today. But I am literally leaving here and going straight to the carpet. So

I wanted to make sure I made my appointment with you before we head out and see who we could talk to on the carpet.

ASHER: Thank you so much. All right, Stephanie Elam, live for us there, thank, you have fun tonight. I will be watching, I'll see what stars end up

showing up. Stephanie Elam, looking fabulous, heading to the Golden Globes right now. Thank you, Stephanie.

All right, thank you so much for watching tonight, stay with CNN, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next. You're, of course, watching CNN.

END