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Iran Calling for Apology from U.S. After Two Military Boats Entered Iranian Waters; 10 Americans in Iranian Custody; Bombing in Pakistan Kills 14; SC Governor Nikki Haley Delivers GOP Response to SOTU; NFL Agrees to Move Rams Back to Los Angeles; Mexican Authorities Investigate Circumstances of El Chapo's Interview with Sean Penn. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired January 13, 2016 - 03:00   ET

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


[03:00:01]

ERROL BARNETT, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWSROOM HOST: Iran is now reportedly calling for an apology from the United States after two U.S. military boats entered Iranian waters. Ten American sailors are in custody and being interrogated.

Also coming up...

BARACK OBAMA, U.S. PRESIDENT: The state of our union is strong.

CHURCH: Obama makes his final state of the union address and takes a swipe at Republican Presidential candidates.

BARNETT: Later this hour, as South Korea's President speaks out against North Korea, the south fires warning shots at an unidentified aircraft.

CHURCH: Hello and welcome to our viewers from all around the world. I am Rosemary Church.

BARNETT: And I am Errol Barnett and our second hour of CNN Newsroom starts now.

CHURCH: An Iranian naval commander said Iran's foreign minister wants the United States to apologize after two U.S. military boats entered Iran waters. Iranian media says Iran's revolutionary guard corps is questioning 10 American sailors in their custody.

BARNETT: The commander says the sailors will be released as soon as the proper orders are given. This is happening on Farce Island in the Persian Gulf. Iran says the incident "Disturbed the security of the area." This is all still unfolding. Let's get to our International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson watching all of this live in London. And Nic, this is an important hour because initially it was reported that the Americans would be released now and an international incident would have been avoided. We're not there yet and now a commander wants an apology. What should we make of all of this?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It's a roller coaster ride, no doubt about it. The language until about an hour or two hours ago had sounded this situation was about to be resolved. Ten U.S. sailors on two small U.S. naval vessels, however, the demand for an apology being questioned on whether or not they were -- (AUDIO GAP) apparently a legitimate reason that these 10 sailors on their 2 vessels were in the wrong place according to them -- a navigational equipment problem, Errol.

BARNETT: Nic, what then about the new -- if you can call it special relationship between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran's foreign minister, if they're on better terms, does this expose a divide within Iran between hard-liners and moderates, what should we make of that?

ROBERTSON: I think what we should make of this when Secretary Kerry first heard about this situation yesterday, that he immediately was able to pick up the phone and in fairly short order, reach his opposite number in Iran, the foreign minister. The foreign minister for his part then sort of -- if you will takes that message and delves into the back channels of Iranian politics. That's opaque to us. We don't know what's going on there. Certainly, the very fact that the Iranian nuclear deal brought them closer together, they sort of understand the nuance of their own conversations, an effort to build a relationship here -- that would have undoubtedly helped in this current situation with these ten sailors.

But how it factors in behind the scenes in Iran is very, very difficult to judge. The way situations, the way that Iran -- whatever is said publicly by hard-liners or more moderates, the general progression is one that wants to try at least on some issues try to get along better with the United States.

[03:05:01]

So I think perhaps we can expect things to emerge that way. However, how they get to that point and the different messages coming out of Iran, I think this is indicative of that relationship between the moderates and the hard-liners, and it's very unclear from the outside that really at the end of the day holds sway.

BARNETT: Yeah, and meanwhile, the big picture things appear to be moving in a more troubling direction in these past six hours. So we'll continue to watch this closely, International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson joining us from London this morning, Nic, thanks, Rosemary?

CHURCH: Errol, U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Marco Rubio says the sailors capture is an aggression by Tehran fueled by the Iran nuclear deal. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Iran is testing the boundaries of this administration's resolve. The administration is will to let them get away with many things. You're only seeing this accelerating. As President, on my first day of office, I'll repeal the nuclear deal that Barack Obama has signed with Iran. They're going to use that money to build out their conventional capabilities, which includes their navy. They continue to build their long-range missiles which they continue to test to sponsor terrorism with Hezbollah and other groups in the region.

So again, I think you're only going to see a continued pattern of provocation as long as a weak President like Barack Obama is in the White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And the capture of the 10 sailors comes just days before the Iran nuclear deal is expected to go into effect.

BARNETT: We got more new information into the CNN Newsroom, the Russian consulate says three Russians have been detained in Turkey for alleged connections to ISIS, this according to Russian state-run media.

CHURCH: This follows the suicide bombing in Istanbul which left at least 10 people dead on Tuesday. However, they have not been linked to that attack at this point.

BARNETT: Let's bring in CNN's Ian Lee, he's standing by in Istanbul as we get all this information. And Ian, we got this new information about Russians being detained, what exactly do we know about that.

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Errol, what we're hearing from a police spokesperson, these three Russians were detained. They're being investigated for having links to ISIS. Although they haven't been formally charged, but this highlights the infiltration in Turkey by ISIS, including by what Turkish officials say this is the suicide bomber that struck yesterday, killing at least 10 people there. He came recently into Turkey from Syria. This is a person described in his late 20s, although not much more has been released about him.

But right now, somewhat on par with the rest of those three -- those three Russians haven't been accused of being a part of this plot. They're going to be looking to see if this suicide bomber had helped, how he got these weapons, how he got from the border to here, and was able to carry out this attack. It will be going after that network trying to shut it down that will help guarantee something like this doesn't happen again.

BARNETT: Ian, what efforts is the Turkish government taking to eliminate these networks, clamping down at the border would be a part of that plan?

LEE: Definitely. The border has is long, it's porous. They have increased security along that border trying to stop people from going across freely, trying to detain people. But that is the real big problem, as it has been -- there's a lot of known smuggling routes. Smugglers have been effective moving in between, but really the other big thing that they're going to have to tackle is making sure that -- again, once those people get across, those networks are taken out.

But Turkey has experienced a number of attacks that they blame ISIS on in the past year. Just in the last October, 103 people were killed in a twin suicide bombing in Ankara. In July, there was another suicide bombing that killed over 30 people closer to the border. Turks for the most part seeing this trend believe that this still could happen, that the security forces do not have a firm grip on attacks carried out by ISIS, and as we saw yesterday, they still are very much able to strike in the heart of the country, here in the heart of Istanbul.

[03:10:01]

BARNETT: All right, Ian Lee, live for us in Istanbul. Thanks.

CHURCH: To another troubled part of the world now, and a bombing near a polio vaccination center in southwestern Pakistan has killed at least 14 people, more than a dozen others are injured.

BARNETT: A government minister says 13 of the victims were policemen and one was a paramilitary trooper. There's been no claim of responsibility so far. The prime minister condemned the blast and is vowing to eliminate terrorism in his country. Polio has been wiped out in most the world, Pakistan leads all others in the new cases.

BARNETT: Let's get you to Washington and a forceful and emphatic state of the union speech from U.S. from President Barack Obama. He says he is committed to fighting ISIS and keeping America safe from terrorists.

CHURCH: But the President says he regrets that partisan politics is keeping the country from dealing with issues like poverty and climate change. Here are some of the highlights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: As we focus on destroying ISIL, over the top claims that this is World War III just play into their hands. Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks, twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages, they pose an enormous danger to civilians. They have to be stopped. But they do not threaten our national existence. That is the story ISIL wants to tell. That's the kind of propaganda they use to recruit.

If anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it. You'll be pretty lonely. We need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion. The United States of the America is the most powerful nation on earth, period, period. It's not even close. Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get all the attention. And most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels when their voice doesn't matter.

Too many Americans feel that way right now. It's one of the few regrets of my presidency, that the ranker and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better. I can promise that little over a year from a year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I'll be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by those voices of fairness and vision of grit and good humor and kindness that has helped America travel so far. That's the America I know. That's the country we love. Clear eyed,

big hearted, undaunted by challenge, optimistic that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. That's what makes me so hopeful about our future. I believe in change because I believe in you, the American people, and that's why I stand here as confident as I have ever been that the state of our union is strong. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Now, on the flip side, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who some believe could be a possible V.P. pick for the Republicans, well, she delivered the Republican response with criticism of Mr. Obama's handling of the economy and foreign policy. But she also took a shot at some Republican Presidential candidates. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. NIKKI HALEY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Today, we live in a time of threats, like few others in recent memory. During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation. No one who's willing to work hard, abide by our laws and love our traditions should ever feel un-welcomed in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Senior Reporter for Media and Politics Dylan Byers joins us now from New York. Thank you so much for being with us. So how did President Obama's final state of the union address go over and what stood out?

[03:15:01]

DYLAN BYERS, CNN SENIOR REPORTER FOR MEDIA AND POLITICS: Well, I think it went over very well in the eyes of progressives and Democrats, certainly, probably, less so in the eyes of conservatives and the Republican Party. Usually, what the President does with the state of the union is they set the agenda. What Obama was doing in this last state of the union was defending his tenure and continuing to fight for bipartisanship despite acknowledging that one of the regrets he had of his eight years in office wasn't being able to achieve bipartisanship in Washington. He continues to fight for that.

CHURCH: What will everyone be talking about in the hours ahead? And how strong was this final state of the union address compared to others delivered in the past by other Presidents, their final address as well?

BYERS: Well, I think it was very strong in large part because President Obama is such a gifted speaker. Certainly, his buildup to the end of his speech was very moving, even Nikki Haley acknowledged that in her response. I don't think anyone would deny the sort of emotional appeal of what the President laid out tonight. As far as the big takeaways go though, there will be a few ones. His proposal to have America is the country that cures cancer, great deal of debate about his foreign policy remarks. Lot of Republicans would take issue with that. Again, a lot of people

discussing how both President Obama and Nikki Haley went after Donald Trump and this sort of -- you know you could say maybe he did achieve bipartisanship that both parties came together to rebuke Trump, call on people to resist what Nikki Haley called the siren call of the loudest voice in this room.

CHURCH: All right, Dylan Byers, thank you so much for talking with us. Appreciate it.

BYERS: Thank you.

CHURCH: We'll take a break right here. But still to come, ISIS using children as soldiers, our month-long investigation into these stolen childhoods and the battle to win them back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:24:01]

BARNETT: Welcome back. Belgian investigators have identified two apartments and a house used by suspects in the Paris attacks. The apartments were rented in September. Investigators found materials to build explosives, scales and traces of an explosives used in the attacks. DNA evidence and fingerprints from two suspects were also found there.

CHURCH: The house was rented in October. No explosive materials or weapons were found there. Vehicles used in the attacks were seen near all the properties.

Well, there's a battle going on in Iraq, it's the fight to bring home the children forced to kill for ISIS.

BARNETT: Those who are freed from the terror group still live in fear, and in this CNN exclusive, our Nima Elbigar has the chilling story of the ISIS child soldiers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIMA ELBIGAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Five-year-old Sarah was captured alongside by her mother by ISIS. Now free, when her parents aren't looking she runs to cover her face. That's what ISIS taught her at gun point. ISIS claims it's their main child soldier training facility in Raqqa. To Jihad, to Jihad, they're chanting. In this propaganda video, rows of children sit one boy shaking. Others unable to raise their gaze, these are the so-called cubs of the caliphate, ISIS' army of child soldiers.

And by god's grace, he says in the coming days they'll be at the front lines of the fight against the nonbelievers. The front line, south of the Kurdistan regional capital, the commander tells us this is one of their most contested front lines. Just the other side of that river there, that's where he says the ISIS positions are, just to the other side of that broken bridge and it's from there that he says desperate children are fleeing, making their way through that river, under the cover of dark, risking their lives to make it here to safety. But not all manage to escape.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many times when we are fighting ISIS, we see children at the frontline. They're wearing explosive vests.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They told us the Americans, the unbelievers were trying to kill us, but they, the fighters, they loved us.

ELBIGAR: This of course was all part of the indoctrination. His ISIS handlers would tell him they were his only family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we were training, they will tell us our parents were unbelievers, unclean, and that our first job was to go back and kill them, that we were cleaning the world of all nonbelievers.

ELBIGAR: He says the youngest of the boys was five years old, none of them exempt from the grueling training.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We weren't allowed to cry, but I would think about my mother, think about her worrying about me and I would try and cry quietly.

ELBIGAR: Highly stylized and romanticized, ISIS has released a number of videos showcasing its child army. But the reality is of course, very different.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When they arrive to us, they are so skinny, they barely look human, and they tell us they have been living in a hell.

ELBIGAR: Back at the camp, Sarah's mother hopes her little girl will eventually forget about the face covering and the men with guns who threatened her life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:29:01]

CHURCH: Incredible story there, and Nima joins us live now from Irbil in Iraq. Nima, it's horrifying to see what these children have gone through and some of them continue to go through, and the concern here is of course, what happens next to their children who are lucky enough to escape, how do they go on to live normal lives, and what type of support if any are they likely to receive?

ELBIGAR: That's the question that haunts everyone, the parents, the activists in the camp, and even local authorities here charged with trying to find some kind of solution to this. The reality -- the simple answer is there's very little support. We spoke with the Kurdish Prime Minister he said we're overwhelmed. The worry for many of the western countries, the European countries who were able to absorb of the Yazidi girls who were taken as sex slaves by ISIS, is this is a different issue. Their concern is always going to be about how deep that radicalization has managed to really take root, and these children, when you speak to them, they have had no -- they have had no infrastructure through which to process the traumas they have gone through. One little boy, a 5-year-olld, he's essentially mentally and

developmentally disabled. He cries through the night. He wakes up screaming. These are grandparents, themselves in their 60s. They're worrying desperately for these children's parents still in the hands of ISIS. One person described it as a generational catastrophe.

CHURCH: If we can ever understand it. Just extraordinary reporting there, Nima Elbigar reporting from Irbil in Iraq, many thanks to you.

BARNETT: The Korean peninsula is on edge after the south fires warning shots at an aircraft near its border with North Korea, a live report on this still developing story after this very short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:34:01]

BARNETT: Welcome back to those of you watching from all around the world. It's your last half hour of CNN Newsroom with us today. I am Errol Barnett.

CHURCH: And I am Rosemary Church. We do want to check the headlines for you.

Turkey's prime minister blames ISIS for a suicide attack that killed at least 10 people in a popular tourist area in Istanbul. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the blast on Tuesday which killed at least eight German citizens.

CHURCH: The National Football League has given the Rams the green light to move back to Los Angeles. The Rams first moved to L.A. In 1946, but left for St. Louis in 1995, they will play the 2016 season in the city's coliseum before moving to their new stadium in 2019.

BARNETT: A new number of developing stories we're watching for you today, one of them, South Korea saying it fired warning shots at an aircraft near its border with North Korea. An official with the South Korean defense ministry says they broadcast warnings as well before those shots were fired.

CHURCH: That officials says the aircraft was a drone believed to be from North Korea and it immediately flew north after the warning shots.

All right, want to turn CNN's Paula Hancocks in Seoul, South Korea to get more on this developing story. So, Paula, talk to us about what we're learning about perhaps a drone that South Korea fired upon and where this leaves relations right now?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, just a couple more details we're getting from the defense ministry official here in South Korea. They say it was a suspected drone. They do believe it was from North Korea. It was flying about three kilometers high and crossed over into the South Korean side of the DMZ. At that point, the South Korean military broadcast these warning messages and fired 20 shots from a light machine gun, and then drone then turned around went back to North Korea.

There has been a precedent for this. There were three drones which were suspected from being from North Korea, found to be crashed in different areas in South Korea. Onboard, they had photos already taken of some strategic military areas, the Presidential compound showing they did actually fly over those key areas on their way North Korea to feed that intelligence back to the military there.

Also, another development overnight, some propaganda leaflets found, also suspected to be from North Korea, blaming the South Koreans and the U.S. for increased tensions, referencing those propaganda loudspeakers as well that South Korea has been broadcasting. The President did call on China to do more.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am certain that China is very well aware of such a strong will isn't followed by necessary steps, we won't be able to stop the north fifth and sixth nuclear tests, and we can't guarantee peace in the peninsula.

HANCOCKS: The President also said she wanted to see new and powerful sanctions, and called on the international community to do something different to what they did last time.

CHURCH: And Paula, she also called on North Korea to return to the negotiating table to discuss reconciliation on the Korean peninsula. That's going to be very difficult, isn't it, that was before all of this happened, now of course the firing of the drone. What is going to be the situation going forward, certainly using history as our guide here perhaps?

HANCOCKS: Well, it will be difficult to see how both sides will return to the negotiating table at this point. Obviously, the context of the nuclear test last week, you have the propaganda loudspeakers that the south has on the borders. You have B-52 flying over the peninsula over the weekend, as a show of strength against North Korea. You have North Korea responding potentially with this drone, with these leaflets, also verbally calling on the U.S., saying it's their fault that the peninsula is on the brink of war, threatening nuclear war, very similar rhetoric to what we have heard in the past.

So at this point, it's difficult to see where the negotiations would be. We know that those within the negotiations seen from the U.S., Japan, China, are meeting, to discuss what they can do.

[03:39:01]

CHURCH: We know you'll keep a very close eye on all of this as developments continue. Our Paula Hancocks reporting live from Seoul, South Korea, many thanks.

BARNETT: The U.S. President Barack Obama says the embargo against Cuba needs to end, and he took that argument straight to congress in his state of the union address Tuesday night.

CHURCH: Mr. Obama also reiterated his pledge to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, a move that's been thwarted by congress in the past.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Fifty years of isolating Cuba had failed to promote democracy. It set us back in Latin America. That's why we restored diplomatic relations, opened the door to travel and commerce, position ourselves to improve the lives of the Cuban people. So if you want to consolidate our leadership and credibility in the hemisphere, recognize that the cold war is over, lift the embargo. I'll keep working to shutdown the prison at Guantanamo, it is expensive, it is unnecessary, and it only serves as a recruitment brochure for our enemies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: We turn now to CNN's Patrick Altman who joins us from Havana, Cuba. You can find him on the Cuba Reporter on Instagram. Patrick, great to see you, President Obama said that a half century of isolating Cuba failed to promote democracy. He said congress needs to lift the embargo once and for all, tell us about that and how it was received where you are?

PATRICK ALTMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Errol. This is one of the bright spots that the President had to point out. This new policy reversing five decades of this communist-run island has really helped inspire good will in the rest of Latin America, which had been against U.S. policy. Of course, President Obama didn't say much more than that because this policy is new. It really hasn't led to much change in Cuba. It's still a single-party government. Some would call it a dictatorship. We haven't seen any change in the Cuban government's stance on human right, on freedom of information -- those kinds of things.

BARNETT: There had been eliminations in what President Obama wanted to accomplish in that part of the world. Closing Guantanamo bay, where terrorist had been detained since 9/11. What is the status of that?

ALTMAN: Right now, where we stand is continue to transfer former enemy combatants who they think is no longer a threat to the United States. This week, we expect 13 will be transferred. That will bring the population down to fewer than 200. The core group of people who will be tried or held indefinitely, while the President -- again stated his intention to close down this prison on the U.S. naval base, Errol, the fact is, no one ever doubted his intentions, and it's how he could do it.

BARNETT: All right, Patrick Altman, joining us from Havana, Cuba. Thanks very much.

CHURCH: All right, we have new details now on the U.S. navy sailors being held in Iran, a spokesperson for Iran's revolutionary guard corps says evidence now suggests that the sailors unintentionally entered Iranian waters on Tuesday due to a broken navigation system.

BARNETT: All of this still developing. We're trying to piece together the picture for you. The spokesman says they're working to prove this and they want the U.S. to apologize for the incident. Iranian security forces have been questioning the 10 Americans in their custody, but Iranian media report that the sailors will likely be released soon.

CHURCH: And another story we're following, Mexican authorities say that they won't directly investigate actor Sean Penn for his meeting with cartel leader Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. Instead, they're looking into the circumstances that lead to Penn's interview with the drug lord.

BARNETT: That interview ultimately played an important role in Guzman's recapture. Martin Savidge has more on that and El Chapo's desperate attempt to flee.

[03:44:01]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mexican authorities released this new mug shot of El Chapo, showing the drug kingpin with his head shaved and wearing prison clothing. Meanwhile, Rolling Stone Magazine released for the first time the entire on-camera interview with El Chapo conducted at his mountain hideaway in Sinaloa state last year. The person asking the question is not actor Sean Penn but one of the crime boss's own men. Also new, a CNN crew was allowed into El Chapo's safe house which Special Forces raided last week.

The images reflect the violence inside as Mexican marines battled gunmen room by room. There were bullet holes on the walls. The furniture and everything else is tossed about. The video also reveals the remarkable escape tunnel that allowed El Chapo to get out of the house before being captured sometime later. It took 90 minutes of searching to find the tunnel's entrance hidden behind a mirror in a large closet and blocked by a steel door that looked like it belonged to a vault.

The tunnel has several inches of water on the floors since it connects to the sewer system. Another large water tight door keeps the floor from completely flooding during heavy rains. Authorities say El Chapo's elaborate plans allowed the drug lord to flee. In the end, he found there was no escape. Martin Savidge, CNN, Mexico.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, falling oil prices prompt dire warnings from some major banks, what they're saying, that's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:49:01]

BARNETT: Surely you have heard about this, the price of crude oil has plummeted. At one point on Tuesday, Brent Crude was trading just above $30 a barrel, the lowest it's been since December of 2003. This reflects a huge price drop, more than 70 percent since the peak of $108 a barrel back in 2014.

CHURCH: The price of Brent Crude has rebounded slightly. But several major banks are not optimistic. The credit chief at the Bank of Scotland said low oil prices will hit investors hard, and I am quoting here, "We think investors should be afraid. The world is in a global recession. This terrible cocktail means investors should now be thinking about getting a return of capital, not a return on capital."

BARNETT: For more on this, we turn now to CNN's John Defterios. He is standing by live from Abu Dhabi. And John, it seems everyone has turned bearish on oil right now, how hard is it to find a more bullish forecast?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Almost impossible right now, Errol. That's for sure. The sentiment has changed dramatically since the start of the year because we've seen a 20 percent correction in the month of January. It's also extraordinary. You have tensions around the Strait of Hormuz between the United States and Iran most recently. It's not moving the needle at all on prices, nor have the attacks by ISIS on Libyan facilities. Four, five years ago, this would have spiked prices higher.

We have some three billion barrels in shortage. We can go much lower as the investment banks are suggesting. This is creating tension among the OPEC nations. Four major producers in the Middle East want to keep on pumping oil to push out the higher cost producers, but the African producers, the Latin American producers are saying, enough is enough, we should get corporation from the likes of Russia and Mexico going forward. A panel here the UAE minister said it's premature to take action.

The market takes a step back and says dissension in the ranks at OPEC, too much production on the market, no cop ration, we'll test the low and that's why we hit the low in the last 24 hours.

BARNETT: All right. We'll see how low it will go in the days ahead, 12:48 in the afternoon there in UAE. John Defterios live for us in Abu Dhabi. Thanks.

CHURCH: And we'll take a quick break right here. But still to come, an eastern European city wakes up to snow. We'll tell you how it's causing problems, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The Eastern Europe is feeling the chill as temperatures dip and heavy snow falls.

BARNETT: That's right, people in Minsk go trudging through 22 centimeters of snow after a blizzard heads the capital of (Inaudible) -- dangerous driving, causing accidents and traffic jams.

CHURCH: Our Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us now with more on this. And of course, as always, the skiers are joyful, aren't they?

(CROSSTALK) PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's about time. It's very warm across Europe for the month of December. Of course, I am reading that the President of Belarus actually is encouraging people to go out and start shoveling altogether in helping clearing the roads. It's an interesting concept.

(CROSSTALK)

CHURCH: How are they reacting to that?

JAVAHERI: I haven't heard. The city is helping out a little bit as well. If you have to travel across this region its rough go. Look at this satellite imagery as impressive as it gets, wet weather coming in from the west, cold air coming in as well back behind it. Put it altogether it's a mess. Cost for airlines to cancel a flight is about $6,000. Translate that to passengers. That's about $58,000 when you factor in their lodging, food and missing work.

Again, weather like this is certainly going to make it a mess the next three days. Most of the rain gets locked in toward the west. Beyond that, it's all snow. Look at these temperatures, minus 2, minus 3, wind chills in London. Into Moscow, temperatures 20 below zero. When you get down to 2, mid 30s Fahrenheit in the United States, similar story playing out, this is Fahrenheit for our viewers across the United States. Sitting at one degree right now in Chicago, Minneapolis at minus 4 and this is what we're talking about in the last couple of hours, when you get to this cold around 14 Fahrenheit that's minus 10 Celsius.

[03:54:01]

Notice in Chicago, it warms up dramatically above freezing. We're in that seesaw trend in the temperature department and it's made it across the sunshine state. Look at this, Florida, Miami, temperatures flirting with the upper 50s in parts of Miami this morning, in fact on Tuesday morning, temperatures dropped off to 14 Celsius in Miami. It was the first time the city of Miami had dipped below 60 degrees Fahrenheit in 288 consecutive days. March 30th if you're counting across that region -- you know what -- didn't like this in Miami. We'll leave you with this. This is out of China, across northwestern China, look at those icicles (Inaudible).

BARNETT: Scary stuff, actually. One of those things drops off, look out.

JAVAHERI: Absolutely, you don't want to walk anywhere near those.

(CROSSTALK)

BARNETT: Pedram always has the cool pictures.

(CROSSTALK)

CHURCH: Thanks for watching CNN. I'm Rosemary Church.

BARNETT: And I'm Errol Barnett. Follow all of us online. RosemaryCNN, ErrolCNN, JavaheriCNN, the news continues on CNN.

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