latest. plus, from georgia to maine, americans brace for a dangerous winter storm that could leave millions stranded and without power. details from the cnn weather center. serbian tennis star novak djokovic is spending the night in immigration detention in melbourne, once again, as he fights to stay in australia. now, this is video of him arriving there earlier, following his second visa cancellation. his appeal will be heard tomorrow by three judges in federal court. top-ranked player is hoping to get the visa restored in time to play that grand slam event, right, the australian open on monday. but he will have to defend against the claims that his presence could hurt australia's vaccination efforts. meantime, fellow tennis star rafael nadal spoke to cnn's phil black and said the focus should be on the sport, not jodjokovic. >> it's important to come back to tennis conversations, in my opinion. there's nobody in the history of our sport more important than the sport by itself, you know. novak, roger, myself, mcenroe, bjork, connors, nobody is more important than the sport. the players we stay here, we live, the tournament stays, the sport stays. and australian open will be great with or without novak djokovic. >> okay. our paula hancocks joins us now from mel bound and scott mclean is with us from belgrade, serbia. paula, i will start with you, to use a trite term, right, so much for the happy slam. this has really unraveled in really disappointing ways. you heard rafa nadal there, he clearly has an opinion at this point. you can really measure the fatigue on his face by everything that's going on. what is going to unfold now, especially in the next 12 or 14 hours to come? >> reporter: yes, paula, i think there's a sense that many of the players are just fatigued completely with this. they just want it resolved. and many people here in melbourne as well. so, sunday is going to be a crucial day going forward. 9:30 in the morning is when the detailed arguments will start. when the federal court will start their hearing. and we will -- we know that tonight, this saturday night, novak djokovic is back in detention. he's in the park hotel, we understand, which is where he was this time last week as well. so, what we are hearing is a little more detail as to what the government's argument is. why the immigration minister decided to cancel this visa. because it is in the public interest, we're being told. there is a concern that djokovic's presence here would increase and incite the anti-vaccination sentiment. also talking about the possibility of civil unrest. in another part of the filings, hawk was talking about how there's a concern there could be some people who want to emulate the way that novak djokovic behaved after finding out he was covid-19 positive. that goes back to knowing, him admitting that the day after he knew he was tested positive, he actually wept and did a photo shoot. so, what the lawyers of djokovic want for this to be done and dusted tomorrow. they will look for a legal error which may look to overturn the decision. beyond that, if it looks like it's going further, the court can recommend, i shouldn't say recommend, they can actually say that the minister should give a bridging visa which would allow him to play whilst the proceedings are going on but it's unlikely because the minister is the one revoking the visa. paula. >> yeah, a lot of details, wait to hear it in court. scott mclean now to you in belgrade. this is resonating obviously, as you pointed out before, he's a national hero there. but really extraordinary now to actually have the president of the country weighing in. >> reporter: yeah, that's right. and the president made it abundantly clear if you mess with novak djokovic you are messing with all of serbia, and the serbian people. after originally telling us, his office telling us that he wasn't going to comment, the president came out with a statement, a taped statement, later in the afternoon. and that statement is not going to do much for serbian/australian relations by any stretch. he said that the pressures and the attacks on novak djokovic had reached such a fever pitch that he had to come out and say something. and he really framed it as a moral question for australia. that if they didn't want him in the country, why did they issue him a visa in the first place. now, the president says his issue is not with the australian people. it is not even with the australian court system. his issue is with the political intervention. listen. >> translator: i am amazed at the fact that such decisions can be made by the executive and after the valid decisions of the judiciary. they often preach to us about what the rule of law is. why do you mistreat him and make fun of him? not only him, but also his family and an entire nation that is free and proud. do you need it to win some elections? do you need it to please your public? >> reporter: now, president aleksandar vucic's statement did not mention djokovic's decision not to take the vaccine. but by extension, he is defending djokovic's right to take it, even though he really wishes that he would. most serbs will tell you, look, the choice to take the vaccine that is a personal choice that every person has to make. but a spokesperson for the prime minister's office told us if djokovic did take the vaccine it would go a long way to convincing other serbs to take it as well. one other thing to point out. paula mentioned december 18th, novak djokovic acknowledges that he broke quarantine here in serbia. we asked a serbian health official yesterday during a press conference whether or not the government has any plans to prosecute djokovic for that, since it has previously gone over -- or partially prosecuted people for breaking quarantine. jail sentences, harsh fines, in this case, the short answer is, no, there's not going to be any consequences. because when djokovic broke the rules it was not during a state of emergency. and they only have a legal mechanism to go after people when that state of emergency is in place. paula. >> yes, you can't get fined apparently in that operation for poor judgment. paula, quickly to you, we just heard what many serbians were thinking. i imagine it was cold comfort, the decision for many australians here, and the government, given the fiasco? >> reporter: some people have said this is a sense of embarrassment this is going on so long. i think andy murray, the british number one said it best, it's not good for australia, it's not good for tennis, and it's not good for novak and the australian government either. nobody comes out of this well. it's been a complete debacle from start to finish. and it's not over yet. sunday is going to be extremely illuminating and extremely busy. i think here there is a relief that it may be coming to an end. of course, if he does get the permission to stay or if the visa is reinstated once again, then this goes on even longer. >> yeah. some of our analysts have pointed out this could follow tennis and sport all over the world in the months to come, as many countries tighten up their visa mandates. paula hancocks in melbourne, scott mclean in belgrade. a big thanks to you on the ground reporting for us. now, updating you on the pandemic, with any luck waiting in those long tiresome covid testing lines, and i'll stressful as well could hopefully be a thing of the past. beginning next wednesday, americans will be allowed to order home covid tests. the program will allow four free tests requested per address. available at covidtest.gov beginning on january 19th and will ship seven to 12 days of order. this comes as hospitalizations are unfortunately reaching new highs. more states and health care systems are calling in national guard personnel to help fill gaps as health care workers call out sick. according to hhs data, more than 156,000 people in the u.s. are currently hospitalized with covid. and 19 states report their intensive care units are now 85% full. dr. robert lockter is the chair in san francisco, also the author of "the digital doctor, hope, hype and harm at the dawn of med's computering a." he joins me now. this virus has required a loll of diligence it seems to me, yet some countries, spain, to be one, seem to be shifting policy and speeding to that post pandemic posture that we want and treating it like the flu. the w.h.o. says says not so fast. it's a dangerous move. what do you say? >> i think it depends what stage you are with omicron in the united states. we're surging now but it appears that we're reaching a peak probably this week or next. then it's likely we're going to come down. and once you come down, you've reached say high level of immunity and you reach what it was before. i think as you get to the far end of your omicron surge, it's a reasonable thing to let up the reins a little bit and let people have some more freedom. assuming that most of your team are vaccinated, boosted, or the ones who have not have gotten infected. if you've not gone through your surge, then it seems fool hardly . we're seeing hospitals overwhelmed. >> when you say let down your guard even though we're on the other side of this peak in a few weeks, what does that look like? does it look like the new normal which is really you get your vaccines and you wear a mask now and again? >> probably so. it really can be a situation where if most people have a high level of immunity and the virus which is the threat which is omicron right now is circulating at relatively low levels in your community so not many people are infected, i think then you go back to something that is not entirely normal. i think folks at risk, old enough, i'm probably going to still wear a mask when i'm flying or in public transportation. but i will go to a restaurant. i will go to a bar. i will go to a movie. i think you're going to watch the covid reports the way you watch the weather reports. if there does appear to be a surge, then we will require a mask again in certain indoor spaces. but i think that's the kind of situation where, truly, in a month or so in the united states, we may be at a point where it actually is like the flu. where the risk to most people is no worse than the flu. but we're not there yet. and in many parts of europe, they're not there yet. i think it's premature to do it now. it seems foolish to do it now when i can see the finish line from here. now, is it really the finish line. that depends on is there a new variant that comes and knocks us for a loop as this thing seems to do now and again. if we don't see a new variant. i think we may be in a place saying it is like the flu is no longer a big lie as it was last year. it may very well be true. >> this is definitely a refreshing perspective. ironically, we're getting there because of the omicron variant and it seems to lead to less severe disease in most people. i do want to ask you, though, if you get to the endemic phase and it is too soon, are you afraid of the impact on health care systems in the united states, around the world, especially when health care workers like yourself and all around you are just exhausted and depleted. >> yeah. i think that is the biggest risk. well, it's not just that hospitals will be overwhelmed. i mean, people will die if people let their guard down and they don't have a high level of immunity. we talk about omicron as being milder. it is somewhat milder, but maybe on the order of 50% to 70% milder than a virus that has killed in the united states 830,000, or several million people around the world. we're not talking 95% milder, we're talking 50% to 70%. so, it's still a very important threat, particularly for people unvaccinated. so, the reason to be careful, while there's a surge, is not just to prevent the hospitals from being overoverwhelmed. it's nothing. still a big deal.the united states people saying it's inevitable you'll get it. that's just wrong. it's inevitable you'll be exposed to it. if i'm wearing n95 and a mask and i'm being careful, i don't think it's inevitable you'll get it and worth trying to dodge it to the end of the surge. >> i think it's a good reminder, doctor, that viruses are dangerous in any case you just don't want it because you don't know what the repercussions are down the road. doctor, we'll leave it there. thank you for joining us. >> my pleasure. listen up, millions in the united states are now under winter weather alert from snow to ice to rain. what to expect this weekend, that's after the break. plus, a week of high-stakes talks. there's no signs of easing tensions between russia and ukraine. coming up, what the u.s. says moscow is planning to justify. trelegy for copd. ♪ birds flyin' high ♪ ♪ you know how i feel ♪ (coughing) ♪ breeze driftin' on by ♪ ♪ you know how feel ♪ copd may have gotten you he, but you decide what's next. start a new day withrelegy. ♪ 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several states across the southeast and east coast under threat of a major winter storm. officials say tens of millions of people are now at this hour under winter weather alerts in the united states. the is storm is set to plow through the region with heavy snow. and potentially treacherous ice. meteorologist derek van dam is keeping close track of this. i know it's winter. i know it's january. it just seems to me that the storm seems so large. and has potential for it all, right? winds, rain, ice? >> yeah. the full gamut, they like to say. you know what, the storm is on the move rather quickly. you saw scenes coming outside of iowa. well that is the winter storm warnings issued across that region but look at what's blanketed the east coast, ice storm warnings, watches and new newly issued winter weather advisories for the atlanta metro region. zooming into the area. this is of particular interest because not only the chance of snow in atlanta, but the ice storm that will be ongoing later tonight into sunday across the interior of the carolinas. this is the setup. you can see a complex storm system driving in warm air, ahead of the low pressure. and that's going to be a crucial determining factor on who sees rain, who sees snow, who sees sleet and freezing rain. here's the current radar. you see st. louis getting hammered right now. we don't like to see is this on the weather models predicting ice over the carolinas, over the mountainous regions but what we do like to see with the setup like this is the precipitation saying mainly rain, along that very very busy i-95 corridor. in the west. and not including places like philadelphia and new york, because we believe most of it will fall in the form of rain. however, back to the ice storm, look at some of our computer models picking up to an inch of ice accumulation. that has the potential to cripple the area. take down tree limbs and power outages will likely spike in the next 24 hours. the broader look shows rain on the coast and heavier snowfall. nonetheless, impactful for places like syracuse, all the way to cincinnati. you can see the potential impacts and where they'll be the greatest across the country with this particular map. paula. >> i'm watching atlanta very closely there, derek. and i advise everyone else to keep an eye on the cities they're in as well. derek, appreciate it. 3. the leader of the group oath keepers pleaded not guilty on friday in seditious conspiracy on the u.s. capitol. stewart rhodes is one of 11 people charged with sedition. among other things, the armed oath keepers stationed themselves in the washington, d.c. area ahead of the riot. that's something rhodes themselves mentioned in an interview, just days after the election. >> we have been already stationed outside of d.c. as a nuclear option in case an attempt to remove the president illegally. we will stop it. outside of d.c., we're also outside of d.c. armed. to go in. >> oath keepers military can be seen there, you can see them, that was shot in the u.s. capitol on january 6th. the u.s. says they have information that rush is preparing a false attack on ukraine. it comes between diplomatic meetings with the russia, united states and nato after the russian troops near ukraine. those talks failed to achieve anything at all. now, the u.s. says there's evidence that russia will carry out acts of sabotage against its own proxy forces as a pretext for invasion. meantime, ukraine says russia is likely behind the cyber attack that hit scores of government websites. officials say as many as 70 sites were targeted, with a threatening text, warning, quote, be afraid and wait for the worst. cnn's sam kiley joins us live from kiev. you know, sam, ukraine has seen all of this before, right? they have seever tn the rhetori. and they have seen the so-called allegations from u.s. intelligence of what's to come but at this point in time, are they doing anything differently, in order to prepare, given what little came out of the meetings in the last few days? >> reporter: well, the first thing is they continue to ask for more military help, more provisions of training, more weaponry. they know very well that no other nation is going to send troops to defend ukrainian territory, particularly against the russian invasion. they don't want to see a third world war started on their territory. but they do want help seeing off any potential invasion. that will be something that has changed the calculus for vladimir putin when he's deciding whether or not to send troops in on the ground. in 2014 there really wasn't much of a ukrainian army to speak of at all. they can now muster some 200,000 members of the armed forces who have been trained on nato-type weaponry, getting to towards nato levels of standards. and getting quite a lot of help from nato to do that. large amount of military coming in from the united states, british training teams are here, so they've also been on a higher state of alert, particularly increased in the last few dailies for certain units. following this intelligence coming from the united states, that -- and very much as the ukrainians here would have predicted, there is a belief in the united states that a false flag operation will be conducted by covert operators. this is a statement coming from the pentagon in public, no less, not a leak from an intelligence source, but a public statement from the pentagon, covert operations, planning to attack themselves. their own side, and blame the ukrainians, of course, for war. the ukrainians have got other intelligence of their own suggesting a similar situation that might likely be blamed on them, if being maybe conducted against russian troops in moldova. and then the cyber attack that scientists believe they don't have the evidence to point back to russia and the pressure on them and the international community over this issue of whether or not nato going forward can join nato at all. paula. >> yeah, sam. i'm sure ukraine will continue to ask for more military help and others as this goes forward in the coming weeks. sam kiley for us. professor robert english is the director of european studies at the university of southern california. earlier, i asked him what he thinks about the allegations of what sam was talking about there, those russian so-called false flag attacks. take a listen. >> i think there's a bit of a propaganda game going on, on both sides. i have no doubt that russia has operatives in ukraine, they've had for some time. it seems kind of amateurish, imagine at the same time they're trying to secretly prepare a pretext for invasion they're hacking ukrainian websites and announcing they're coming. that's not consistent. for the russian part, they're accusing us of producing weapons and producing a genocide. i'm a little skeptical for both, it's part of the propaganda war that's ratcheting up at this moment. >> and that was professor robert english there and we thank you him for his insights. now, a growing scandal for prime minister boris johnson over parties held at downing street during covid lockdowns. we'll tell you why he's apologizing to the queen herself. that, after the break. and 1 quarter moisturizers in. dodove 0% aluminum deodorant lasting prototection that's kinder on skin. mount everest, the tallest mountain on the face of the earth. keep dreaming. [music: “you can get it if you really want” by jimmy cliff] age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. versus 16 grams in ensure high protein. boost® high protein also has key nutrients for immune support. boost® high protein. this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities. novak djokovic's bid to avoid deportation and compete in the australian open will soon be put to the test. three judges will be hearing the serbian tennis star's appeal tomorrow. he's spending the night in detention. the australian minister says allowing djokovic to stay in the country would increase anti-vaccine sentiment. the controversy has overshadowed the tennis tournament. tennis star naomi osaka now the latest to weigh in. listen. >> i think it's an unfortunate situation, he's such a great player and it's kind of sad some people might remember him in this way. but i also think it's up to, you know, not tennis players, it's up to the government, like how australia is deciding to handle it. >> and for more analysis on this, we're joined by tracy holmes, a radio host at the australian broadcasting corporation. she's coming to us live from sydney. good to see you and have you weigh in on what is yet another eve of yet another court decision, or at least court hearing there. how is everyone taking this in at this point, now that he is back in detention? >> look, i think there's a bit of weariness about the whole saga. and has become a saga, nobody thought after the first that we would end up where we are this evening. but that is where we are. and the tennis players, as you heard, naomi osaka, she shares the thoughts of many tennis players they're getting tired of hearing about novak djokovic because none of that is in their control. there's also anger brewing just bubbling under the surface. even after their bid for the australian open and their tournament is being hijacked because of what is playing out on the sideline. but as it stands at the moment, in about 30 minutes is the deadline for the government to file its submissions in response to novak djokovic's appeal. there are four overnight, three judges in the federal court, and the hearing begins 9:30 a.m. local time tomorrow. >> yeah. we've had some legal experts weigh in, certainly, they say there is a chance this could be overturned. but if we deal really with the task at hand, this was called the happy slam, right? and given what australia is going through now, australians, let alone the rest of the tennis fans around the world, this is supposed to be a happy reprieve from the stress of the pandemic. it has become anything but. >> yeah. i think underlining that also you have the tension bubbling away through all of australian society because it was probably dealing with the toughest rules and regulations around covid, compared to many other countries on the planet. they feel like they gave their all. they gave up their lives. kids were not able to go to school. people lost jobs. businesses went broke. more than 90% of the population has now been vaccinated. and this is supposed to be the time when we would all come out and get back to a new normal, a relative normal, this summer with the australian tennis open. it's been anything but. we've got the new variant, the omicron strain. and this is causing tensions all around. of course, there is also agitation between state government and federal government who haven't got on the theory of covid and who's in charge of what. and all of this is playing out, and novak djokovic has sort of landed in the middle of all of this and has become the focal point. >> and i want to lean on your sporting expertise for a little bit. what about the reputation of tennis australia? and i ask that whether tennis as you trail or atp, they bear responsibility for this. if we think about the tennis tournaments upcoming, many countries maybe would have given out exemptions to players, in past months, will not do that anymore, because many of them are toughening their stance on vaccine mandates? >> yeah, the australian tennis open and the organizers of which is tennis as you trail, the governing body of the sport here in australia, they have serious questions to look at. once this tournament is over, there will be a full and thorough review. but let's not forget that they have had teams of people trying to work very closely with all levels of government. and we're dealing with several here. we're dealing with the state government. we're dealing with their own health department. we're dealing with the federal government, with border force, with the department of immigration, home affairs and health again. and they were trying to negotiate across all of the different sectors trying to figure out whether the is were dotted and ts were crossed and it matched up. they couldn't get answers in some respects. now as it turns out, all of the reasons we've been given for the cancellation of novak djokovic's first visa are now thrown out the window. the cancellation the second time around doesn't refer to any of those things. in fact, the minister said he recognized that novak djokovic had not attempted to break any rules. he thought he had the right documentation. he came in on that. and this does not play into these current reasons. so, now, there's still questions, what about all of those other players? a handful of players and an official who departed because they were on the same page as novak djokovic, only to find out now that everything was in order? >> yeah, it stings, doesn't it? it stings. and i do really people for so many australian people going through this right now, as we've said after the sacrifices they made for nearly two years now. tracey holmes, we're following this carefully as we know you are. tracey holmes live in sydney, appreciate it. now, a new report about parties the 10 downing street that covid restrictions has prompted a new apology. yes, another one from the prime minister. but this time, boris johnson is begging the pardon of the queen elizabeth here's now. one alcohol-soaked gathering described in a report was held the night before prince philip's funeral. the next day, the queen sat alone at her husband's socially distant memorial. there's already an inquiry under way into other gathering at 10 downing street that broke the protocols. our salma abdelaziz is live in london with the latest. this just goes on and on and on. you have to wonder, though, about the sincerity of the apology, even to the queen, given the fact that someone, including the prime minister had to know, this isn't just right when you have people who had their loved ones literally dying alone in hospital during those very hours. >> and, paula, this is not one isolated incident we're talking about. this is not one specific period in time. if you take a look at this dizzyingal wray of allegations, it appears it didn't take much to start a party at downing street. it could be a warm day outside and you could have a garden party. can be could be leaving work and invited to bring your own booze party. it could be christmastime and there could be a christmas party. look for a very long time now, prime minister boris johnson's critics have accused of him of being an elitist. someone who didn't take the office of prime minister seriously who did not take the job leading in a somber and mature way. for the critics that prove fast point. that's why boris johnson might be likened to trump for his laissez-faire attitude. as to how is boris johnson reacting, well, his officials are out, let's talk about anything else. destruction, destruction, destruction. i have one example for you, the foreign secretary. >> he has apologized. i think we now need to move on and talk about how we're going to sort out issues that were lost in the last 24 hours with the eu, sorting out the situation for the people of northern ireland. we now need to get on with that. of course, wait for the results of the sue gray inquiry. >> let's move on. you heard it there, paula. let's talk about anything, g7, northern ireland, the vaccine, anything at all. but the parties are going on in downing street. i hardly doubt anybody is moving on soon, paula. there's that going on in place with the allegations ranging from 2020 to 2021, to find out whether or not prime minister boris johnson could be implicated. paula. >> that means he will continue to face questions about what he knew, which parties he attended, all of that, as omicron is still a factor in britain. salma abdelaziz, appreciate that update. elsewhere in europe, germany's top official says around 1% of the population is currently infected with covid. reported a record high for the third day in a row. friday, morning 92,000 new cases. the netherlands, meantime, is relaxing some of its covid restrictions beginning today. nonessential stores, hairdressers, beauty salons and other service providers will be allowed to reopen. and the french court is suspended paris' strict outdoor mask mandate. the tribunal warned that it's not only necessary but proportion to health. i'm joined by cnn's melissa bell following all of this from paris. you know that ruling on masks, i was stunned that you have to wear, by law, masks in paris outside. i know now that's been overturned. but it certainly does indicate that level of fatigue, right, right across europe, for a lot of these restrictions? >> reporter: that's right. and restrictions that are becoming long-term ones. nearly two years long from when this virus first hit europe, paula, we're looking at the most contagious ways that we've seen so far, that omicron wave that you talked about a moment ago, essentially so many people getting infected. and people getting infected at a faster rate than ever before. and forcing government to change the way they think about how they're going to deal with it. so, the point is, the government, the dutch, for instance, reopening hair salons and beauty parlors that is about learning to live longer term with a virus that is going to spread beyond control of authorities. with less pressure on hospitalizations in icus and we mentioned in spain, that figure of number of contaminations in a single week. the point is what the spaniards are seeing as other european countries it's not the pressure from the hospitals. it's about helping the jern population cope with the fact that a greater portion of the people will get sick. we saw record numbers in france, netherlands and germany, too. and more people getting sick and trying to keep schools open, for instance. at the same time, that fatigue, as you mentioned lead this week to school teachers striking here in france on thursday, opposed to rules that have been changed to try to keep children in school, despite the fact that so many of them are getting sick. we saw that backed up by the figures, yesterday, a record number of classes closed across france, the highest number closed since the pandemic hit. and since the lockdown in march 2020. that tells you how bad things are. we expect more protests here in france as the government tries to harden its vaccine path. to close everything, restaurants bars, you basically have to be vaccinated to get there. a lot of people unhappy about that. >> and we'll continue to follow it all, cnn's melissa bell live for us in paris. thank you. still ahead here for us, the close-up look of the aftermath of anti-government protests in kazakhstan. cnn gets inside a government building that was set ablaze during the demonstrations. is gen more personal. he new ww personalpoints program is particular to you. you can eat pizza. you can even eat this.. if you want to. and these... in the same, i mean not at the same time, i wouldn't do them at the same time. no two plans are the same. when can i start?! don't pay until spring! join today at ww.com hurry! offer ends january 17th! moving is a handful. no kidding! fortunately, xfinity makes moving easy. easy? -easy? switch your xfinity services to your new address online in about a minute. that was easy. i know, right? and even save with special offers just for movers. really? yep! so while you handle that, you can keep your internet and all those shows you love, and save money while you're at it with special offers just for movers at xfinity.com/moving. torched buildings, smashed atms and boarded up businesses all a testament to the violence during recent anti-government protests in kazakhstan. cnn is the first media organization to be access to the mayor's office in almaty torched during the demonstrations. fred pleitgen is there for us. >> reporter: inside the charred carcass of the almaty mayor's office a massive cleanup is now under way. by hand and by machine, workers start to repair the damage caused by the grip of kazakhstan. cnn is the first allowed to survey the extent of the damage. authorities have brought in dozens if not hundreds of workers to clean up the aftermath of street battles in kazakhstan's largest city of almaty. it's remarkable to see the full scale of destruction here in the mayor's office, as authorities here say rioters entered this building and set fire to all of it. kazakhstan officials say they were dangerously close to losing control, not just here in almaty but here places across the country. kazakhstan's president said protests originally against high fuel prices were hijacked by what he calls, quote, terrorists. the issue shoot to kill order and enter military force led by russia. >> translator: we presented dangerous threats for security. as part of the counterterrorism mission, we're attempting to identify the people who committed those crimes. >> reporter: the government says things are largely under control. there is evidence across the city that life is almost back to normal. the russian-led military force has started its withdrawal, although that process is set to take another nine days. but authorities say their crackdown will continue. around 10,000 people have been detained. and more than 160 killed. opposition activist jean-maatier there was. providing us with this video showing what it looked like after the steak. he says he believes the rioting was a pretext for government crackdown. >> the government decided to go to heir own people, and one more grave problem, i think, that it was done, not only with the help of kazakhstan security forces but with the interference of russian troops. >> reporter: kazakhstan's leadership 16s attacking peaceful protesters and say they've launched an investigation into who was behind the violence that erupted. meanwhile the government has vowed to improve the living conditions and improve the area. fred pleitgen. kazakhstan. >> we'll be back with more news in a moment. and contains high quality protein to help manage hunger and support muscle health. try boost® today. psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff,... ...swollen, painful. emerge tremfyant®. tremfya® is approved to help reduce joint symptoms in adults with active psoriatic arthritis. some patients even felt less fatigued. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge tremfyant® with tremfya®... ask you doctor about tremfya® today. ♪ you pour your heart into everything you do, which is a lot. so take care of that heart with lipton. because 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doctor about fasenra. ♪ the beloved actor and comedian bob saget has been laid to rest at a private service and burial in los angeles. it was attended by family and friends. now, he died suddenly almost a week ago now at the age of 65. a larger memorial will be held a little later as cnn's randi kaye reports celebrities took to social media to recall their close friend. ♪ >> reporter: to those who knew and love bob saget, he was more than just a tv dad. >> a word that came up a lot was the sweetest. and bob was the sweetest. he was the sweetest man. >> reporter: an emotional jimmy kimmel paid tribute to his present on his late night show. >> he had something funny to say about everything. and nothing bad to say about anyone. he was very kind to anyone. and he had no problem telling you that he loved you and what you meant to him. >> reporter: now, his loved ones and friends are sharing what he meant to him. after the actor's sudden death in an orlando hotel room sunday. his close friend and fellow cast member from "full house" john stamos posted this picture of him with saget on instagram. writing i'm not willing to accept that he's gone, i'm not going to say good-bye yet. i'm going to imagine him out on the road doing what he does with his heart and humor. >> remembering bob saget. >> reporter: saget's close friends musician john mayer and john ross made this live instagram video as he retrieve saget's car from the airport. >> tomorrow, we're going to pick up his dry cleaning. >> bob brought that home, that mean a lot. thank you for that. >> reporter: "snl" star kenan thompson clearly moved by saget's death. he told "the view" he'd seen saget recently in l.a. >> you know, it hurts a lot. he never put that err on about being a diva or anything like that because of his status. he was a genuinely great person. >> reporter: sirius xm host rich eisen stunned by the death of his friend, remembering his humor and mouth. >> he would open his mouth and the filthest things would come out. that was his style, his sense of humor. he was just so nice. and his heart was so big. part of that big heart, his love of life and family, his sister died of an awful, awful disease called sled schlerdma. >> reporter: actor tom around mourned the loss of his friend and comedian. >> he was an amazing, amazing, comic. i think being a comic was the most important thing for him. he certainly has the respect of everyone in my business. >> reporter: bob saget, a friend to so many, a loss too great to comprehend. >> and certainly, from that report, you can see that he is a man who nurtured so many relationships in his lifetime. actor and comedian bob saget died sunday at the age of 65. and i am paula newton. i want to thank you for your company, cnn "new day" is next. for in the united states, and connecting africa is up next for international viewers. we'll have more news after the break. two and call in the morning guy. but my new doctor recommended salonpas. without 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