i'm joined by cnn's scott mclean in london. so scott, the london mayor declaring a major incident. explain what that means and why he's doing it. >> reporter: hey, kim. yeah. so effectively, it sort of ramps up the level of resources that all of the first responders, all of the different health care agencies can access in the city of london. but there is no doubt about how seriously european leaders are taking the omicron variant. in fact, because of the surge in omicron right now brits are effectively locked out of germany and france with very few exceptions. inside the uk the british prime minister also held an emergency cobra meeting, they call it. that's a meeting of his top cabinet secretaries, top civil servants as well, to discuss possible lockdown measures. that is the official word coming from downing street right now. but beyond that we don't have any more detail. of course in the british press they've long been speculating that further measures would have to be taken to try to get omicron under control beyond the one

it's raining in london. however, elsewhere in the world, there is certainly weather that is of concern. karen's with us, karen maginnis? >> yes, richard, a lot of people with weather headaches across the western united states in the form of wind, rain, snow, terrible driving conditions for lots of travelers, especially if you're headed up to the sierra nevada. they actually closed a portion of interstate 80. that connects sacramento up toward reno. the visibility was so bad, the road conditions were so terrible. all said and done, it looks like the snowfall is going to be measured in feet. how long will this snow event take place? it looks like as we go into tuesday and wednesday, we could see as much as 10 feet of snowfall across the northern sierra nevada. not just there. also into the wasatch and the siskiyous and bitterroots, all the way down into the areas around the san cristo mountains, the front range of the rockies. it is going to be messy just about everywhere you go. a lot of people are trying to

we'll have the latest from new york and london and rome. voters in hong kong head to the polls for their first election under a new system, but their options are pretty limited. we'll explain. >>> and despite 2021 being a tough year in many ways, we'll share stories from around the world about people determined to spread holiday cheer. >>> we begin with the growing threat of the omicron variant. cases are rising quickly around the globe. less than a month after it was first detected. in the u.s., experts are warning that americans could be facing a dark winter as omicron collides with the surge of the delta variant. the country is now averaging more than 125,000 new infections a day. cases are rising, especially fast in the northeast, midwest, and south, but experts say that's mostly being fueled by the delta variant, not omicron that's expected to become the dominant strain in the coming weeks, but cdc numbers show that omicron accounts for just around 3% of new cases. u.s. hospitals are already peeling the impact around 69,000 americans a

in london, i just checked the deit. back to the end of november in a single day, about 1,000 health care workers called in sick because of the coronavirus. a week ago, that number had almost quadrupled. that is where leaders in the national health service are saying, we may have problems even if this isn't causing a hugely severe virus. if you have so many health care workers out, they can't treat people for other things either. >> scott mcclain, thank you. >>> other news, the military junta in myanmar is being accused of a christmas massacre. a local human rights group says over 30 have been killed in an area between the capital and the thai border. vi vic victims' charred remains, say the group, were found on saturday. the aid group say two of its staff are missing after their vehicle atacked and set on fire. military-controlled media say there was an attack on terrorists on armed groups opposing military rule. this is cnn, 9more "newsroom" next. don't settle for products that give you a sort-of white smile. try crest

scott mclean in london, thank you so much. now for more on how the rest of europe is right to stem the spread of the covid variants, let's turn to cnn contributor, barbie nadeau. let's start with the netherland, going into lockdown yet again. >> that's right. it's kind of a surprise lockdown. people had already made their christmas holiday plans, now they're limiting to having just four people to their private homes for the actual holidays and two people during the holiday season. that is a huge disappointment, because they had just come out of a restrictive lockdown a couple of weeks ago. and here they are, back in again. because of the spread of, in their case, omicron. the rest of europe, however, is still dealing with delta and the hospitalizations are going up, case numbers are going up, people are getting tested to be able to go to cocktail parties and things like that. everybody is worried about what the next week is going to look like here, kim. >> yeah. many countries having problems. germany, france, the prime minist

i'm isa soares in london. just ahead here on "cnn newsroom." >> this is another billie for trump's argument about the protection of executive prilk. >> one of the things he was doing was impugning the current president and the house without really making any arguments. he had plenty of arguments to make. he just chose not to make them. >> the committee now one step closer to getting their hands on what's hundreds of pages of documents. >> the january 6 committee now a giant step closer to getting the documents former president trump is fighting to keep a secret. >>> plus, actor jussie smollett found guilty after claiming an attack on him was the result of a hate crime. >>> and another group of americans are eligible to get a booster shot. ahead, who is rolling up their sleeves. >> announcer: live from london, this is "cnn newsroom" with isa soares. >>> hello. it is friday, december 10th. and we begin this hour in washington, d.c. where a u.s. federal appeals court on thursday rejected former president donald t

we are live in london. where the prime minister is feeling the heat for apparently breaking the covid rules he told the country to live by . >>> we begin with the desperate search for survivors after the deadliest december tornado out break in u.s. history. dozens of people were killed when a series of powerful tornados tore through several states over the weekend. kentucky the hardest hit the governor says in the best case se mare owe, at least 50 people died in his state. he says crews are still finding bodies and fears the final toll could be much higher. still rescuers are looking for signs of life. as they dig through the rubble. including at a candle factory. that was flattened in the small town of mayfield. initially officials feared dozens may have died inside that factory. a spokesperson said sunday most employees made it out. eight have been confirmed dead. and eight others are still unaccounted for. it wasn't just the factory that was destroyed. the entire town of md was decimated. tornados also

i'm isa soares in london. and just ahead right here on "cnn newsroom." >> the omicron variant overtaking delta even faster than was predicted. >> the common enemy is the virus, not ourselves. >> unlike the previous strains, it transmits very readily to the air to large numbers of people. >> if we wait and see, then by the time we're seeing, it's always too late to act. >> it is being called an unpleasant case of deja vu. the u.s. sees another covid winter surge, but this time it's the omicron variant taking over. >>> we are just hours away from president biden's speech on the pandemic. what will he tell americans as they head into the holidays? >>> and jury deliberations will begin in the trial of the killing of daunte wright. we'll have closing arguments in the trial of the police officer kim potter. >> announcer: live from london, this is "cnn newsroom" with isa soares. >>> welcome, everyone. it is tuesday, december 21st, and we begin with a staggering really take over of the omicron variant in the united st

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here in london or in the uk the london mayor says that new restrictions are inevitable but the british government seems reluctant to cancel christmas two years in a row. london mayor sadiq khan declaring covid a major doesn't saturday. >> over the last 24 hours, we've had the largest number of new cases since this pandemic began more than 26,000 hospital admissions are going up, but also absences are going up by a massive levels. >> reporter: with cases rapidly increasing there's a push to get more people tested and vaccinated. the uk vaccine minister helping distribute covid tests at a center saturday. the government aiming to get 900,000 a day shipped directly to homes across the uk. long lineups at a booster clinic northeast of london, many hoping to avoid another possible lockdown by getting a shot. >> another lockdown to me does seem a bit extreme. i think everyone needs to be careful, go where you need to go and then go home. >> reporter: some vaccine clinics opening 24 hour jab a thons. in new england one pharmacy opened for 36 hours straight. worldwide there's a push to get you

freddy lewis is born in london. christmas clearly has come early for this family and we're thrilled for them all including baby sister levi. i'm isa soares. we have "early start" with christine romans and laura jarrett. i shall see you tomorrow. bye. >>> good morning, everyone. it's monday, december 20th. it's 5 a.m. here in new york. thanks so much for getting an "early start" with us. i'm laura jarrett. things look a little different but we are still together. >> we are still together. i'm christine romans. welcome to our viewers. we are on two different sides of the screen. we are back in our flash cams as they're called. we won't be sitting next to each other for the foreseeable future. as the covid surge starts. i'm fine with that. >> we are

saying, "the safety of londoners must come first." some 6,500 people were expected to attend. british prime minister boris johnson decided against tougher covid restrictions, but cautioned that people should be smart about how they ring in the new year. >> i think everybody should enjoy new year, but in a cautious and sensible way. take a test, ventilation, think about others, but above all, get a booster. >> reporter: in paris, the traditional fireworks display over the champs-elysees has been called off. and officials have implemented a mask wearing policy in outdoor public spaces starting friday. and in atlanta, the new year's eve peach drop has been canceled for the third year in a row, as positive cases are on the rise in georgia's capital city. but to the delight of many, the fireworks in sydney will go on as scheduled. attendees are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated and boosted. and an indoor mask mandate is in effect in new south wales for those over the age of 12. in new york, workers are preparing the traditional wa

and the head of the health service in england says one in five health workers in london could be out sick with the virus by christmas. the good news is that the uk is putting booster shots into arms at a record pace, just not faster than omicron, which is spreading exponentially. wolf? >> scott mcclain in london, thank you very much. >>> new precautions in israel, including tighter travel restrictions and a new elliot? >> wolf, israel is adding ten more countries including the united states and canada to its red no fly list taz braces itself for the full force of a fifth covid wave. from 5:00 p.m. eastern time tuesday, these countries will be off limits to israelis unless they get special her mission. travelers returning from those country lfs to go through seven days of quarantine. easier israel has been steadily adding upon countries to its red list in its bid to reduce the spread of the omicron variant. and 380 suspected ones, most were infected overseas. meanwhile, israel's daily covid case load has gone above a thousand for the first time in two months. the prime minister says t

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> rock singer jimi hendrix died today in london, according to a police source, from an overdose of drugs. >> janis joplin was found dead last night. the cause of death was said to be an overdose of drugs. >> jim morrison, the lead singer for the doors, a rock music group, is dead. he was 27. >> the early years of the '70s are sad in music. because you lose people. and you lose the beatles. >> the small gathering on saville row is only the beginning. the event is so momentous that historians may one day view it as a landmark in the decline of the british empire. the beatles are breaking up. >> it was like a death for a lot of people. rock 'n' roll as we understood it in the 1960s was no longer with us. >> i've never been without the beatles. never. ♪ >> and i wonder what i'm doing here with no drummers and no nothing like that. well, you might know i lost my old band, or i left it. ♪ imagine there's no heaven it's easy if you try ♪ >> for so long, you kind of waited for the next beatles album to see where music was going. and we just hoped that the music they wo

cnn's anna stewart joins us live from london. it looks like people are not being discouraged by the omicron variant. is that what the numbers are showing us? >> it is. i find that surprising, given the whole world is a fresh patch work of new restrictions and travel bans. i no longer can travel to fans on account of omicron. and you can't travel to eight nations in africa, which are on the travel ban list. and the cdc advises americans against travel to more than 80 countries. but it does look like a busy few days. i have some fresh numbers. since the beginning of december, they say seat reduction has only dropped by 2.8%, which is extraordinary, because that was soon after omicron was identified. however, the picture starts to look a bit more bleak going forward into 2022. lots of airlines fashioning their capacity. european low cast carrier said they're reducing traffic to a third and doubling their annual loss forecast. >> what should people do to stay safe travel thing holiday season? what's the advice? >> this is a huge conc

i'm isa soares in london. just ahead right here on "cnn newsroom." >> it's here now and it's spreading, and it's going to increase. >> i think we're really just about to experience a viral blizzard. >> i would urge people to be extremely cautious, especially because we already had a surge of delta, and now we have a surge of omicron on top of that. and we really don't know what's going to happen with omicron. >> a sobering warning as covid cases across the united states continue to increase, and fast. this as the cdc voted to recommend pfizer, moderna over johnson & johnson's vaccine due to side effect concerns. >>> plus anger boiling over inside the democratic party as a key part of joe biden's agenda is now in jeopardy. >>> and the wild and dangerous weather hammering the united states as typhoon rai barrels across the philippines. we're live for you at the world weather center. ♪ >> announcer: live from london, this is "cnn newsroom" with isa soares. >>> welcome to the show, everyone. it is friday, decemb

i'm max foster in london. just ahead on "cnn newsroom." >> he is now not cooperating. >> he's worried about a perjury trap being created for him. >> messages, texts, calls. >> we're prepared to hold him in contempt if he doesn't show. >> former trump official changes his mind on cooperating with the january 6 investigators, but an exclusive report tells us lawmakers may not need him after all. >>> warnings of more sanctions. the high stakes call between president biden and putin turns tense at times. so what did it achieve? >>> and a standing ovation for angela merkel who is take a bow after 16 years as germany's first female chancellor. we're live in berlin for a vote on her replacement. >> announcer: live from london, this is "cnn newsroom" with max foster. >>> well, it's wednesday, december 7th, and we're just hours away from a key deposition into the attack on the u.s. capitol, and that sounds like it's no longer happening. but first exclusive reporting on the very wide net, the january 6 committee is cast

for more on this, let's bring in salma, who is in london. so salma, there's still a lot of doubt as to whether all of these restrictions will actually work. >> absolutely, kim, there's a couple of different tools in the tool box right now for governments to apply and use. key among them is boosting and vaccinating. there's still a huge portion of the region that is unvaccinated. the president of the european commission last week saying that one third of europeans have yet to get their shot. so you have the push there to get vaccinated. the other tool is, of course, social restrictions, putting lockdowns in place, putting ruling around the holiday season. but the key here is, kim, is that these are available to the privileged world. to the developed world. to wehle althy nations where bor vaccines are a possibility. and as we've heard from the world health organization, none of us are safe until all of us are safe. this is a variant that developed in a country with a low vaccine rate, where vaccinations are difficult to come by. and you can o

barbie nado is in rome and scott mcclain in london. barbie, i want to start with you. new protocols are being put in place all across europe. what's the latest? >> reporter: we've got some very strict restrictions in places like the netherlands going into lockdown limiting how many can go to each other's homes for christmas. in rome they've canceled the new year's eve concert jenly held in paris and fireworks for new year's eve. travel restrictions in germany and france, banning people from the uk because of the rapid spread of the omicron variant. mostly in continental europe they're still dealing with delta. the rise in cases all across the continental europe is because of delta. slowly omicron is climbing up in cases but we're still dealing with the last wave right now before they're getting ready for the next one. >> and scott, the mayor in london declared a major incident as omicron cases continued to rise yesterday. what exactly does that mean for people in the uk? >> it means the situation here is not good at the moment, boris. six days away from families gettin

i'm max foster in london. just ahead on "cnn newsroom." >> january is going to be a really, really hard month. people should brace themselves. >> i don't think that any of u

noon in london. the center piece of president biden is on life support. can democrats salvage build back better? some trump supporters were less than supported after he admitted he received a covid-19 booster shot. that exchange just ahead. and then later, magic is in the air as hbo max drops the official trailer for its harry potter reunion special. >> it feels like no time has passed. instantly clear everyday congestion with vicks sinex saline. for fast drug free relief vicks sinex. instantly clear everyday congestion. and try vicks sinex children's saline. safe and gentle relief for children's noses. did you know some deodorants may not last all day? secret works immediately! and is designed to last for up to 48 hours. with secret, keep it fresh. available in over 10 amazing scents and aluminum free. secret. and that's just basic wavy guy maintenance, right? next up, carvana. oh, boy. carvana just doesn't seem to understand how the test drive works. they give their customers seven days. and if they don't like it, they give 'em their money back. wait, t

i'm max foster in london. just ahead on "cnn newsroom." >> january is going to be a really, really hard month. people should brace themselves. >> i don't think that any of us would have predicted us we are in the position we're in now, which is entering year three. >> it's clearly not enough. if we had known we would have gone harder, quicker. >> the virus is playing games with us. >> amid the omicron surge, the cdc recommends shortening the isolation time. but is it the right decision? >>> with more americans flocking to testing sites across the country, president biden reassures state officials more covid tests are coming. >>> and police officers are under scrutiny after body cam footage shows the moments before a 14-year-old girl was killed while shopping. ♪ >> announcer: live from london, this is "cnn newsroom" with max foster. >>> it is tuesday, december the 28th. despite a surge in covid cases in the u.s., the centers for disease control is issuing a new set of guidelines to shorten the isolation time

later saturday, anti-vaxers marched in london, france, germany and italy. the nelter lands announcing a strict lockdown starting sunday, also met by protests. as the world health organization announces omicron cases doubling every 1.5 to 3 days in countries with transmissions. the battle against covid rages on. >> and in england, the head of the health service expects that by christmas day one in five health staff in london will be out sick with the virus. now, the british government's own scientists say that new restrictions need to come sooner rather than later to avoid near peak levels of hospitalizations. the government for its part is on the fence. they're in wait and see mode, waiting to see more information, more data on how severe an illness omicron causes. >> appreciate your reporting. thank you. joining us now is dr. carlos del rio, the executive associate dean at the emory university school of medicine. doctor, thanks for joining us. first, i'm sure you heard the reporting there. we're seeing lockdowns in europe and new restrictions of central bu

i'm isa soares in london. and just ahead right here on "cnn newsroom." >> the omicron variant overtaking delta even faster than was predicted. >> the commo

but other places, no fireworks in london, but big ben will chime in the new year. we have more on how different cities around the world are planning to celebrate 2022. >> reporter: the quick spread of the omicron variant damper on celebrations around the world. while some smaller celebrations are taking place, it will be a graeme start to the new year. the mayor of london announced in a tweet the annual event in trafalgar square is canceled, saying safety must come first. some 6500 people were expected to attend. the british prime minister decided against tougher covid restrictions but cautioned people must be smart how they ring in the new year. >> everybody should enjoy new year, but in a cautious and sensible way. take a test, ventilation, think about others. but above all, get a booster. >> reporter: in paris, the traditional fireworks display has been called off. and officials have implemented a mask wearing policy in outdoor public places starting friday. and in atlanta, the new year's eve peach drop has been canceled for the third year in a row. as positive

and scott mclean joins us from london. another day, another record. what's the latest? >> reporter: hey, kim, yes, the surge of omicron across the u.k. that france shut its borders to british tourists and business travelers even vaccinated one, as you mentioned the u.k. has the highest daily case count force three days, and the good news the record setting day for thursday for vaccinations given in a single day, almost a million. omicron is the dominant strain of the virus in scotland. that's where a high containment lab where i visited earlier this week found, is finding that the variant doesn't infect cells quite as quickly as previous strains of the virus, though they stress that what happens in the lab doesn't always translate to the real world. watch. >> with the omicron variant surging across the u.k., scientists at the university of glasgow are racing to confirm in the world what real world data is already suggesting. >> omicron is able to escape far better the vaccination than any other one. >> it appears to spread much more easily but some indications are that

we have reports from london, johannesburg, washington. we begin with new rules for international travelers coming to the u.s. everyone has to show proof of a negative covid test taken within one day of

salma abdelaziz joining us from london. still ahead what's to come for president joe biden's build back better plan now that senator joe xhain says he won't vote for it? we'll discuss that next. and where we come from. ...here? ohhh my god. it told us, almost to the t, where we come from, where our mixture is. ♪ i'm very proud to be indigenous to zacatecas. that's our history, our little legacy. discovering things that were a mystery, that's what ancestry® did for our family. ♪ woman: i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are getting clearer ♪ ♪ yeah i feel free ♪ ♪ to bare my skin, yeah that's all me. ♪ ♪ nothing and me go hand in hand ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin that's my new plan. ♪ ♪ nothing is everything. ♪ woman: keep your skin clearer with skyrizi. most who achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months had lasting clearance through 1 year. in another study, most people had 90% clearer skin at 3 years. and skyrizi is 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. ♪ it's m

i'm isa soares in london. thanks very much for your company this year. i wish you a happy and healthy holiday to you and your loved ones. i shall see you in 2022. but do stay with us. right now our coverage continues, of course, on "early start" with christine romans and paula reid. you are watching cnn. hi. so you're the scientist here. does my aveeno® daily moisturizer really make my dry skin healthier in one day? it's true jen. this prebiotic oat formula moisturizes to help prevent dry skin. impressive. aveeno® healthy. it's our nature.™ new daily moisture for face. a must in your medicine cabinet! less sick days cold coming on? zicam is the #1 cold shortening brand! highly recommend it! zifans love zicam's unique zinc formula. it shortens colds! zicam. zinc that cold! did you know some deodorants may not last all day? secret works immediately! and is designed to last for up to 48 hours. with secret, keep it fresh. available in over 10 amazing scents and aluminum free. secret. want to save on your home internet? xfinity is proud to support the eme

our reporters are covering the developments from london to beijing. tom foreman has our lead story, reporting in from washington. >> reporter: nationwide, hospitalizations of children with covid are up, on average, nearly 50% in just one week. new york city is seeing pediatric admissions jump to five-times what they were. in washington, d.c., half the kids coming to children's national hospital are testing positive. all told, an average of more than 300 children are being hospitalized each day. that's not because current variants are uniquely targeting them but because -- >> we see children that are hospitalized because of covid, or icu because of covid, they're unvaccinated. they're unvaccinated, the parents are unvaccinated, the siblings are unvaccinated. >> reporter: others fear the return to school next week could be even worse. >> i think what we're going to see is once children go back to school, within a week or two of schools opening, is when we see the highest numbers. >> reporter: amid the winter weather, the pandemic is roaring across the c

and we're really pulsing in london, because london and suburban london is where the omicron surge really happened. it's a really further ahead. actually their hospital beds have gone up 92%, the usage in a period of one week. so very concerning number. and the real answer to that, anna, we don't know. and more than likely, if you look at what's going to happen in the u.s., we'll see the real barometer following what's happening in europe. >> as you well know, doctors are burnt out. they've been fighting, you know, against covid now for two years. if there is a surge in hospitalizations, will the system be able to cope? >> i don't think so. i mean, we already have i think at least five states have fema and national guard that are helping to staff their hospitals. there are more requests that are coming up that can't be handled until january. now, the real concern is, you know, we talk about -- what we like to say it's still a little bit of a myth for people saying it's mild, don't worry about it. we still have questions about that. but the fact is, because the rise is vertical, even if 25

in london, a major incident was declared over the weekend by london mayor sid deke kahn who says further restrictions are unavoidable and pushing government to enforce tougher rules saying they could see 3,000 people a day being hospitalized with covid-19 if tougher measures don't come into force before the end of the year. meanwhile, in ireland, where omicron has also become the dominant variant, a curfew has come into force from 8:00 p.m. all hospital venues and live events must shut down. the uk and ireland are grappling with a huge surge in cases. >> reporter: in paris, sadly, we will not be seeing a fireworks show at the eiffel tower on new year's eve this year. it's been canceled because of covid. the government has put in place targeted restrictions for new year's eve. they're asking towns and cities to cancel public gatherings, fireworks, and concerts. france and much of europe are currently experiencing record or near-record high infection numbers. and authorities only expect that to get worse with omicron, which could become the dominant strain on the continent in the next few

cnn's scott mclean joins me from london. scott, amid the new cases and new records, you've gained insight about how researchers are learning more about the differences between delta and omicron. so, give us a sense of how bad the situation is right now and what we're learning about the variant. >> sure, kim. so, the surge of this omicron variant across the uk is so severe right now, so concerning that france has actually shut its borders to british tourists and business travelers, even the vaccinated ones. this country has just set a record for highest number of daily new infections for three straight days. if there is good news, it's that they are also setting a record for how quickly they're rolling out the vaccine. the highest number of vaccines given in a single day was on thursday. almost 1 million. it is a really remarkable pace they're on. there is still plenty of doubt in this country that the current menu will have that much of a restriction and impact. it's mask mandate in england and covid passes for nightclubs an

salma abdelaziz is live from london. interesting for us to watch there. the uk is often the canary in the coal mine for the u.s. what are the latest precautions from the government? >> reporter: definitely all eyes on the uk as this tidal wave has absolutely hit here. i can tell you just anecdotally from living in london, everybody here knows someone with the virus, is self-isolating or has just been pinged because they have been near a positive case. for two days in a row now, record-breaking case numbers, so what are the new restrictions? they're pretty minimal, especially when you look at the rest of western europe. mask mandates and requirement to show covid passes in big social events. but most social events are being canceled anyways. so many people testing positive. businesses taking matters into their own hands, closing their doors because their staff is calling out sick, and also because of so many cancellations and more and more people isolating now, the more and more people who end up at christmas alone. and that's really the concern here. this

joining me now in london is salma abdelaziz. we talk about the science and what they said yesterday. let's focus on the politics and what's happening today. this is really the prime minister's full test of his authority since all these crises that we've seen unfold. will he get the votes needed within his own party, first of all? >> that's the question, isa. you have dozens of conservative mps, dozens of back ventures who say they're going to vote against the prime minister, against their own party. that's because they are upset that some of these covid measures, particularly that health pass, the nhs passed, they feel that's cushing civil liberties, these mps. they say it's not something they want to see in this country, it's unbritish. it doesn't mean boris johnson doesn't have a grip on his party as much as he would like particularly during a time he's fighting yet another variant of covid-19. this is expected to pass, but because of the labor party, because of the opposition party, not because of his own party. >> that's so

i'm max foster in london. just ahead on "cnn newsroom." >> and possibly even february we are going to see a spike in cases. >> this is just one of the most stressful and discouraging times for us in the hospital. >> all that we're asking for in return is for people to take a damn shot. >> we have the power today to have an impact on tomorrow. >> the omion

. >> so, san francisco mayor london breed, it sounded like an episode of don lemon tonight. right? >> you heard me say this. >> it did. i want to play what she said about progressive policies and the crime she's seeing in her city. >> okay. >> it is time that the reign of criminals who are destroying our city, it is time for it to come to an end. and it comes to an end when we take the steps to be more aggressive with law enforcement, more aggressive with the changes in our policies, and less tolerant of all the -- that destroyed our city. >> she said, by the way, the bs later said, crime is the bs, but still you get the point she's making. >> i do. i don't let people misconstrue that. i know what she was talking about when i read it. i didn't see the actual press conference live. she's absolutely right. it is what we have been saying, what we have been saying during the pandemic, about the rise in crime. it is what -- it is what i have always said about crime. it is what we are experiencing here in new york city with the election of the new mayor eric adams who has promised to be

standing by in london, first we go to barbie nadeau in rome. we learned in the last few minutes france is beginning to vaccinate children following other countries including italy where you are. >> reporter: that's right. we are seeing so many different approaches to the threat of the omicron variant. we still don't know -- countries are not sequencing all the positive tests. one thing is clear. every country is looking at new lockdowns, new restrictions. let's hear what the german chancellor scholz had to say about the holiday season. >> translator: we have to protect ourselves and our relatives. if we do that with all the common sense given to us as human beings, we will also get through the next corona wave. >> reporter: now, you know, so many countries are trying to get through the holidays, get through with families. they are looking at more severe lockdowns after people gather for new year's eve and things like that. some celebrations canceled. it will be a holiday much like last year. the number of hospitalizations isn't quite what it wa

london's mayor says further covid restrictions are inevitable, and the netherlands are all in lockdown while the french prime minister warns that omicron is spreading at lightning speed. let's check in with our international correspondents. >> i'm in tell aviv where israe has added ten more countries to its no-fly list, including the united states, canada, and turkey. that means israelis are banned from there unless they get special permission, and israelis returning from there have to quarantine and spend eight days in a quarantine hotel. once they get a negative pcr test, they will be allowed to go to home quarantine, only after they have signed for the authorities to be able to track their movements. there are now 175 cases in israel. that's up from 89 a few days ago, and there are further 380 cases which are highly suspicious of being omicron. >> i'm scott mcclain in london where the head of the house service in england expects one in five staff in london to be out sick with covid on christmas day thanks to an omicron-fueled surge in new infections. government scientists say a new

i'm isa soares in london. and just ahead right here on "cnn newsroom." >> lawmakers reviewing additional text message to meadows. >> members who pleaded with the chief of staff to get the president to take action. >> it's our day of reckoning that mark meadows richly deserves. >> you're making excuses as part of a cover up. >> a significant moment in the january 6 investigation. lawmakers vote in favor of pursuing criminal contempt charges against donald trump's former chief of staff, mark meadows. >>> health officials warn of an omicron variant take over that could bring another punishing covid surge right across the united states, and we are following breaking news out of hong kong this hour. dozens of people are trapped on the roof of a high-rise after a fire broke out. >> announcer: live from london, this is "cnn newsroom" with isa soares. >>> welcome, everyone. it is wednesday, december 15th, and we begin on capitol hill where just hours ago the house voted to hold mark meadows in contempt of congress. me

i'm max foster in london. just ahead on "cnn newsroom." >> we're really struggling to maintain our work force, particularly with nurses right now. >> indoor new year's eve celebrations should be out. >>> u.s. health system facing immense pressure as cases hit record peaks. officials say omicron may be milder, spreading across the country like wildfire. >>> we're just hours away from more talks between vladimir putin and u.s. president biden. tensions over ukraine, no doubt, on top of that agenda. >>> and mourners pay their respects to antiapartheid hero archbishop desmond tutu. we'll go live to africa. >> announcer: live from london, this is "cnn newsroom" with max foster. >>> it's thursday, december 30th, with just two days left in 2021. we are now seeing the coronavirus pandemic explode right around the globe. according to johns hopkins university, the world is averaging an all-time high of more than a million new infections a day. experts warn things will only get worse. >> this virus will continue to evolv

cnn's anna stewart is live from gat which can airport london. anna, good to see you. those new restrictions give us all that old feeling, that feeling of dread. so many had hoped that these holidays would finally be easier, easier to travel. but what's the uk doing now as they face this new variant? >> reporter: yeah, more restrictions, not what we asked for christmas. last year christmas was pretty much canceled. nigeria has been added to the uk's red list bringing it to ten countries in southern africa. only uk can travel. if they arrive in any of these countries, they have to quarantine for ten days in a quarantine hotel at some cost, $3,000. and then as you say, there is all the new testing requirements. so from tomorrow, anyone will have to do a pre-departure test. it can be a rapid one or pcr and then, paula, on arrival into the uk, you still have the need to do a test within two days. all of this regardless of vaccination status. that one on arrival, though, within the first two days, that now has to be a pcr. that is pricey. here in the uk on average it costs

i'm max foster in london. just ahead on "cnn newsroom." >> today the united states is rolling over in the face of russia's aggressive actions are over. >> i don't think he wants to invade. putin is not reckless in that way. >> diplomacy and leadership can still make a difference here. >> president biden faces a crucial foreign policy test in a call with russia's vladimir putin and the tensions with ukraine. >>> plus, a cnn exclusive, an aide close to trump, mike pence is cooperating with the lawmakers investigating the january 6 riot. we'll go live to france where new restrictions are in place to curb the fifth wave of the coronavirus. >> announcer: live from london, this is "cnn newsroom" with max foster. >>> it's tuesday, december 7th, and we're just six hours away from a high stakes call between u.s. president joe biden and his russian counterpart vladimir putin. as tensions remain high over ukraine, russia's military buildup on the border is expected to be a major issue during today's talks. us yous intell

so let's cross over to london now. good to see you, nada. so we know that omicron is more contagious than delta and clearly the number of u.k. infections reflects this, but what about hospitalizations and deaths? what do those u.k. numbers reveal and of course the restrictions? >> that is the concern now, how these figures translate to the hospitalization rate we're seeing in the u.k. as you mentioned that sobering figure more than 100,000 cases of those new cases. more than 13,000 confirmed to be the omicron variant. and the warning we're hearing from health experts if urgent action isn't taken in these next few weeks before the new year we could be seeing a surge in hospital admissions in january, and that's the concern now. we're seeing in london in particular a significant rise in hospital admissions, and that's important to note because london is really where we're seeing that vast spread of omicron cases, so there is a real sense of focus now on how these figures will translate. the government has said it is monitoring these trends hou

live from london. good to see you. this comes on the heels of one of his top advisers resigning over a leaked video showing her joking about an alleged downing street christmas party held during lock down. what's the latest on this and how damaging could it be? >> that photograph yet another detail in the growing body of evidence about multiple christmas parties taking place during a strict lock down last year. during a period in time in which a variant was sweeping through the country. claiming hundreds of lives a day. i want to show you the front page of the mirror. from the weekend. the newsom that released the photograph. you can see taking us for fools again. the prime minister office says that that photograph was taken for a remote pop quiz. christmas party quiz. it was done remotely and people were at work late. because they were key workers. and doing late hours at downing street. that simply is not flying in the court of public opinion. it's another additional detail that builds on this growin

i'm isa soares in london. just ahead right here on "cnn newsroom." >> a recent case of covid-19 among an individual in california was caused by the omicron variant. >> we know this virus is everywhere. >> the omicron variant is going to make a dent in our vaccine efforts. >> the united states records its first case of the omicron variant while across the atlantic europe says it's time to consider vaccine mandates. secretary of state anthony blinken warns russia ahead of meetings over tensions of ukraine at the top of the agenda this shower. >>> and true to his word, the women's tennis association boss puts principle ahead of profit, suspending tournaments in china over the safety of peng shuai. ♪ ♪ >> announcer: live from london, this is "cnn newsroom" with isa soares. >>> hello, everyone. welcome to the show. it is thursday, december 2nd. we begin with the omicron variant of the coronavirus, now confirmed in the united states. now, dr. anthony fauci says the person is fully vaccinated and had recently tra

it's already the dominant strain here in london. so he just passed by the skin of his teeth, but the first question is if omicron gets worse and boris johnson needs more measures put through, how is he going to win his party over? and then there is that larger issue of his position of power. after these scandals and i'm going to say scandals plural, because this is quite a scandal-prone administration. is he still seen as that charismatic leader who can push the conservative party through anything, through any issue, who can get voters from every corner of the country to vote conservative even if they've never voted conservative before? that's really the question for mps who right now if they start worrying about their own political power, about their own seats in parliament, that's when you can begin to see them turn on their prime minister and, yes, that wouldn't happen overnight, but a mutiny could mean a no confidence vote. it could mean boris johnson would fight for his political survival. laura? >> a lot to watch there. salma,

nada, let's go to you in london. now we know that the uk is shortening the required isolation period. what is the latest on that, and of course current infections and hospitalizations as a result of omicron? >> reporter: that's right, rosemary. the isolation period is now being shortened from ten to seven days along with two negative tests. this is all part of the government's reassessment of the data that they're getting on the spread of the omicron variant. as we heard from boris johnson, the government is monitoring that situation hour by hour, but really the cases that we're seeing are a cause for concern. yesterday the government confirmed more than 90,000 new coronavirus cases, and of those new cases, more than 15,000 are the omicron variant. so there is some concern there over the spread of the variant. but what people are really questioning now is whether or not there will be new restrictions ahead of christmas. this is what boris johnson had to say yesterday. >> people can go ahead with their christmas plans

we have reports from london, johannesburg, washington. we begin with new rules for international travelers coming to the u.s. everyone has to show proof of a negative covid test taken within one day of departure. that applies whether you're a u.s. citizen or not. foreign nationals have to prof t prove they are fully vaccinated. that does not apply to americans. there is still so much we don't know. one of the biggest questions, how dangerous is it? >> thus far it doesn't look like there's a great degree of severity to it, but we've really got to be careful before we make any determinations that it is less severe or it really doesn't cause any severe illness comparable to delta. thus far, the signals are a bit encouraging regarding the severity. >> at the same time though delta remains the dominant strain in the united states. still, cdc director michelle walensky says omicron is being carefully watched. >> we know we have, you know, several dozen cases and we're following them closely and we are every day hearing about more and more proba

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