i don't know how terrorism can be stopped, but history's rhythm is on our side. hello and welcome to our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. i'm natalie allen. coming up next here on cnn newsroom, the terrifying moment that iranian missiles rained down on u.s. troops in iraq. we have an exclusive look at what it was like to be on the receiving end of all that fire power. also, in the philippines, the alert level rises after an explosive volcanic eruption spews ash into the air and sends people scrambling for safety. the pictures are astounding. and also, a right royal

mess. harry and meghan's future will be on the table at a family meeting in the wake of the pair's bombshell announcement that they will step back from their royal duties. ♪ ♪ thank you again for joining us, and we begin with outrage and calls for justice in iran. protests are spreading after the government admitted to shooting down a ukrainian passenger jet last week. authorities say it was a mistake and they have apologized, but thousands of people taking to the streets say that is not enough. they want those responsible brought to justice. police have responded to the protests with tear gas and a witness says they have shot into the air to try and disperse crowds. u.s. president trump tweeted his support for the protesters. he also says iran could be forced to negotiate and warns

against a crackdown. the plane was shot down days after the u.s. killed iranian general qassem soleimani. mr. trump has said he believes soleimani was targeting four u.s. embassies, but the president's allies have struggled to back up that claim. here was defense secretary mark esper on cnn's state of the union. >> was there specific intelligence that he was plotting to attack four u.s. embassies? did you see any intelligence like that? >> i'm not going to discuss intelligence matters here on the show. legality me just say -- >> the president did, though. >> it's the president's prerogative. i'm not going to discuss intelligence. what the president said was he believed it could have been. he didn't cite intelligence. >> most of the 176 people killed on the plane were from iran and canada. memorials like this one you see here in toronto are being held for the victims. so much pain in so many

countries. iran retaliated for soleimani's death by firing missiles at bases housing u.s. troops in iraq. one of the sites hit was al-assad air base. cnn was the first network to reach and report from al-assad after the attack. an wood day man has more on what happened in this exclusive report. >> holy crap [ bleep ], [ bleep ]. [ bleep ]. >> reporter: american forces are not used to being on the receiving end of this kind of fire power. >> [ bleep ], another one, another one. >> reporter: they are usually the ones delivering it. >> i'm not going to lie. i was scared at the moment, but it happened. it's something that we were ready for. ready as can be. >> reporter: ready for some sort of ground attack by iran's apocalypse is, ready for mortars and rockets. but this base is not equipped to defend against ballistic missiles. on any other night, some of the

2 1/2 thousand troops and contractors would have been in the areas hit. >> the ballistic missile reporting started to come in a couple hours before the event. so at that point we were, we were really scrambling on, you know, how to protect against that. and so it really came down to dispersion, you know, putting space between people, and then also getting them into hardened bunkers just to provide that protection. >> reporter: at 11:00 p.m., those who could started to hunker down. in bunkers built by their former enemy. >> this is a saddam hussein era bunker. >> it is. so we felt it would be somewhat safe in here because it was designed to take, you know, some kind of hit or it was built for, you know, ballistic missiles. >> reporter: at 1:34 a.m., the first missiles hit. >> and these doors, every time one of the missiles hit, the doors would kind of sink in. >> reporter: dozens of troops were still out in the open,

holding their positions to protect the base. there was still the threat of incoming rockets, mortars and a ground assault. pilots were still at their stations operating drones. >> as i was going across the gravel, i could look out to like the eastern sky and see this orange streak. so i started yelling, giving everybody a warning and then it hit. so, yeah. >> reporter: flames swallowed up the drone team's living quarters. some 30 troops would have been sleeping here had they not been ready. others rushed around the base as missiles came down, looking for anyone who may have been injured, checking on the base's defenses. along the base perimeter, young soldiers on their first tour fought the instinct to flee and stayed, manning the guard towers. >> it was definitely scary at first, but we both knew we had a job to do manning the tower, keeping eyes front. so we had to do that more than anything.

focused on that. trying to focus on everything behind us. >> reporter: when one strike hit too close, they vaulted into the back of a truck and held their position there. it was a night unlike any here had experienced. hunkered down for about two hours, unable to fight back. some cramped into bunkers that weren't built to withstand missiles like these. >> these kind of small bunkers exist throughout the base, but they're meant to protect against rockets and mortars. the ballistic missiles that were fired are about 3,000 times more powerful than that. the blast from this one knocked over a four-ton t-wall, but if that hadn't happened, those who were sheltering here probably wouldn't have survived. come daybreak, fear of finding out who was killed or wounded was eclipsed by the joyous shock that no one was. what are those reunions like, when you see someone you're close to and you realize

you're both okay? >> it's a warm feeling deep in the heart that all your friends, your family here is okay. >> just felt like forever since i had seen my guys. you know, there's a lot of hugging and a lot of tears and a lot of -- it's just a great feeling knowing that all your people are okay. >> reporter: and this is where you used to -- >> yeah, this is my room. a little bit more open floor plan now. but, yeah, the bunk was right in the corner right there. this is my neighbor up here. everything's obviously gone. it's just happy no one was inside, you know? >> reporter: it's kind of freaky looking at it like this, isn't it? >> yeah. it's surreal. i'm not bothered looking at it. it's just a reminder, threat

still exists. >> you know, we have each other. we had each other that night. this is a brotherhood that will never break because of it. >> reporter: does it change your perspective on life? it does? it does. >> it could, it could be over in an instant. it really does. and it really makes me value -- value mostly my team. >> reporter: the base is still on high alert. the dining facility is open, but people eat elsewhere to avoid a large crowd gathering. >> we have a little bit of notification -- >> reporter: the military says they are ready for what may come next. iran's proxies on the ground continue to vow revenge. even for those who have seen war before, this was unlike any other battle field experience. the overwhelming feeling of helplessness that comes with being under ballistic missile attack, to be at the mercy of the enemy, one that could strike

again, even if it's not like this. arwa daman, al-assad air base, iraq. >> i'm joined now by jessica levinson to talk more about mr. trump's handling of what's going on in iran and iraq. she is a professor of law at loyola law school in los angeles. thanks for being with us, jessica. >> thanks for having me. >> first of all, let's talk about that chilling report there from arwa daman what troops went through over the killing of soleimani, now we have the ukraine plane disaster. how do you characterize this crisis now between the u.s. and iran? not to mention iraq is also involved. >> right. well, i mean, just using the names of those three countries and the word crisis is very troubling, as it should be. i mean, this region has long been known as a potential powder keg, and president trump took very aggressive action in the

assassination. i think it was only a matter of time until there would be retaliation. a lot of people are holding their breath. it now looks like there will be at least in the short term a mutual cooling off. but i think that in the long term, a lot of people are, i should say kind of medium to long term, a lot of people are concerned about how much this will destabilize that region, our relationships. of course, iran has already said we will no longer be part of the nuclear agreement. and so while we may have averted like disaster today, tomorrow, this week, that's a region that will take very, a very soft touch. >> right. and then on sunday we heard more from the administration about the killing of the iranian general soleimani from the secretary of defense who said on cbs that he had not seen intelligence indicating four embassies were targeted, which the president has said that was

the case. he sounded more supportive of the president on cnn later that day. so what do you think about the administration's explanation of why this killing was carried out? >> so, it appears to be at least, in part, unraveling, which is deeply troubling. so there was -- we didn't follow standard protocol when it came to this assassination. we didn't, for instance, the president didn't talk -- brief leaders in congress. didn't seem to go through the normal procedures that you would in this type of situation. i understand this was one of and the most aggressive option presented to him. there's some reporting that indicates that nobody thought he would choose this option. and this is -- you know, it feels like echos of what happened, for instance, in the iraq war for the american public to think that the reason the intellig a for why we had to take decisive military action may now apparently be crumbling.

when the military decides to take the most solemn and important decisions that it can take, which are taking other lives, you want to make sure that that military intelligence is solid, that the american public is being told the truth. >> right. and some republicans are even expressing doubt over the reasoning from the white house and, of course, democrats and h of fudging the intelligence. and we have a new abc poll of americans, abc ipsis poll showing 56% of americans disapprove mr. trump's handling of escalating tensions with iran. 43% approve. do you expect the president will be able to turn this around? >> no. i think that president trump is so uniquely polarizing that when it comes to virtually any action that he would take, that there is kind of a floor of kind of anger and there is a ceiling of support. and so i think particularly when it comes to -- let's think about

what happened now. there is a very aggressive decision that was made. it was a surprise to a lot of people. the information that we were given, the rationale, appears to be crumbling. it really is only going to be president trump's base who continues to stay with him on this. and if you look at the critics of president trump, the people who might be on the fence or the sidelines, i think those are the people who absolutely are looking at this i'm not sure why we had to do this. i'm not sure why we had to basically set a match off at this particular moment when, look, let's be honest, the optics a attention away from the impeachment and towards foreign policy. >> well, that's where i was going next with you in this interview, the impeachment trial. nancy pelosi saying she may hand the senate the impeachment articles this week. why now is there a strategy here? >> well, i think that now she realized that basically the senate was not going to provide

her with the rules, the procedures that she wanted before they decided on the be house managers, which most people understand to be the prosecutors. i think why now is partly because the election is ramping up. partly because there's been a decision that it's not really good for either side for this to continue, for instance, close to super tuesday, which is march 3rd. i think everybody on both sides has made the calculation, whether or not it's correct, that it will be better for this to be over in january. >> all right. jessica levinson, we always appreciate your insights. thanks for being with us. >> thank you. >> we turn back now to the iranian jet -- the iranian plane that was shot down. canada is mourning over this because 57 victims from the ukrainian airliner -- excuse me, it was ukrainian airliner shot down in iran, were canadian citizens. a memorial was held sunday in edmonton. prime minister justin trudeau spoke at the vigil and offered

his condolences to the families. >> 176 lives were extinguished in the space of a few minutes last wednesday morning, but countless more victims all around the world, all across canada will suffer for years to come. while no words can ease the pain, the grief, the outrage, it is my sincere hope that you can find some comfort in knowing that all canadians stand with you. that is what makes us strong. i am so deeply sorry for your loss. this tragedy should never have occurred. >> while the prime minister is demanding a full and complete investigation from iran, the victims' families are left with unanswered questions and heart

break. cnn's paula newton is ontario where she sat down with the man who lost three family members, including his 1-year-old niece. >> reporter: for hours at a time, amir solani's only comfort is silence. a joy that could have been. >> my sister's family is gone. >> reporter: only the pain is left. amir's sister, her husband and their little girl lived their last moments on flight 752. they were returning to canada from their native iran after a family wedding. >> i will never know what really happened, what they went through. >> reporter: do you worry about what their last moments were like on the airplane? >> of course, of course. what she said, what he said to her, if they had a moment to kiss each other good-bye, did they say they love each other together. you know, this is just unbearable.

>> reporter: for hours, he scanned images of the crash site and found this. >> this is hers. >> reporter: he said they're hers. >> i saw her toys, her red shoes. just devastated. we just -- i don't know. >> reporter: and then there's what happens next. going into his family's home in canada and facing all the memories it holds. >> and now i have to go to her room, all her baby pictures. what i'm supposed to do with their belongings here, with the house, with their clothes, with their -- everything that's -- it's just like at one point i have to go through it. but thinking about it just kills you inside. >> reporter: after days of private grief, amir now seems determined to speak up. he says it's the on the way to honor his family. he is grateful canada is pushing for an investigation, but he says the iranian government must

pay for what they did, especially, he says, for the murder of his 1-year-old niece. >> she was an angel. like, how can you do that? >> reporter: they say it was an accident. >> it was not an accident. >> reporter: what does justice look like for you and your family? >> we say eye for an eye. i know it's not a possible way. what are they going to do, give us money, give us piece of land, give us -- put a street under their name? i don't care. i can care less. i want them back. if i can get them back, they have to leave. they have to go. >> reporter: amir is now watching the protests in iran with hope just as he watches this video over and over. i love you, she says. for days, amir has only had tears. now he says his family deserves more from him and from iran. paula newton, cnn, richmond hill, ontario. >> such pain for these people.

next here on cnn, thousands are being evacuated in the philippines after this volcano erupted sunday afternoon. boy, did it erupt. wait till you see the amazing footage. forecasters say the worst may be yet to come. also, a crisis summit for britain's royal family as the royals work on the details of prince harry and meghan's shock announcement in a special meeting they'll hold on monday. ♪

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welcome back to cnn newsroom. evacuations are underway in the philippines after officials warned of another hazardous explosive eruption from the tall volcano which could be coming soon. it erupted sunday spewing smoke and ash about 9 miles high. we get more on it from cnn meteorologist tom sader. >> reporter: a violent eruption near the philippine capital filmed from the tall volcano's main crater. images taken in five minute intervals capture the speed and strength of the initial explosion before the camera is

consumed. hours later, strikes of lightning shoot through the dark sky, generated by the volcano's intense energy. as the powerful eruption continues, it spews a column of ash up to 15 kilometers into the air, spreading across the sky. visible from afar, one passenger captures this image from a plane approaching manila where the airport suspended arrivals and departures. the volcano's ominous cloud rains down ash, coating cars, roads, and homes on the ground below. some protect themselves with umbrellas and bags, trying to escape the health dangers of the volcanic ash. thousands of people are being evacuated as officials warn the situation could worsen. a cause for concern to about 25 million people who live within 100 kilometers of the volcano. as authorities try prepare for the fallout, they face a volcano with a volatile past. one of the smallest volcanos, it's dangerous. it lies in a lake, a belt of pacific volcanos known as the

rick of fire. it has erupted more than 30 times in the past five centuries, once killing more than 1,000 people in 1911. now the powerful force of nature erupts once again. tom sader, cnn. >> and now let's go to our meteorologist pedram javaheri. pedram, to hear tom say it's small but dangerous, it's hard to believe it's small when you look at this amazing video. >> yeah, you know, it's fascinating because it is, as tom noted, you notice, there it is, one of the smallest most active volcanos on our planet. it's 60 miles, 100 kilometers south of manila. when you put yourself across this particular region, this is home, an area home to about 25 million people. the impacts regardless of its size are going to be significant. you see some of the images coming out of an airplane window, this particular eruption known as a free erratic eruption. when you have a volcano as such situated on top of a lake surrounded by water, the magma and also the rocks very hot, of

course, as they interact with water, they essentially create flash steam. that rapid intensification of steam creates these gases that erupts into massive eruptions where you have rocks and boulders traveling many, many kilometers downstream. and the very impact flowing, you see some of the images within a few hours of the eruptions, folks kind of line up from a distance and watch the eruption take place. this had a significant history of eruptions going back several hundred years. 34 significant eruptions in the past 400 or so years. we do know the authorities in the philippines have now issued a level 4 threat, which is just one level outside of being considered the highest level threat because certainly still going to be very active. the lava dome, in fact, is growing at this hour. we expect strong explosions and ash to continue coming out of the volcano within potentially not only the next several hours, but next several days. you can kind of look back into the course of history and see eruptions similar to this continued for as many as six months before conditions quieted back down. go back to 1754, eruption lasted

six months across the region. in 1911, we had the most deadly event with some 1300 lives lost across the area with this particular small volcano. you notice subsequent years eruptions in '66, 1967, also in 1968, certainly could be a trend here over the next several months to several years. you look at a population density of 25 million within this particular region, you factor in ash, heavy rainfall coming down, you cree it just a messy scenario here known as la har, essentially when you mix ash with rainwater. creates a very hard to remove substance across the area. makes it a dangerous go. when you look at the weather pattern, we do have some showers possible into this afternoon, it is monday afternoon local time. it does quiet down, though, when it comes to the next couple of days. of course, we know the volcano far from quiet at least the next several months. we'll watch this here now. >> yeah, you never know. i don't know when we've had a statistic from you that dates back to 1754, pedram. >> different parts of the world

have different ways of keeping their records. they did a pretty good job in the philippines. >> quite amazing. pedram, thank you. we'll keep an eye on that one. next here, britain's royal family is in turmoil and they're holding a meeting monday to figure out what is next after prince harry and meghan's decision to step back. we'll have more on that. plus bush fires have potentially wiped out millions of animals in australia. look at this. officials are dropping carrots from helicopters to help the remaining wildlife survive. more about that. i love the new myww program, because you get matched with a plan tailored to you! whether you're a dine outer, take outer, veggie person, definitely-not-just-veggie person, bread lover, or cheese lover... ...all you have to do is answer personal assessment questions and get scientifically matched with a proven weight loss plan. find out which new customized plan can make losing weight easier for you! the new program from ww. weight watchers reimagined join today with the ww triple play!

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all eyes on the u.k..

the royal family will be meeting monday to discuss the future of prince harry and his wife meghan after their surprise announcement last week. meantime, the u.k. sunday times is reporting that prince william is sad about the rift with his brother harry. cnn's anna stewart has more about it. >> reporter: the queen's sandringham estate, a much loved country retreat and the royal family's christmas get away. monday it will host a different sort of get together. crisis talks to decide the future role of the duke and duchess of sussex. attending will be her majesty, prince charles, prince william, and prince harry. it will be the first time senior royals have seen each other face to face since the sussexes' shock statement on wednesday. meghan, the duchess of sussex, returned to canada, but is expected to dial into the meeting. the announcement came in defiance of the queen, but expressly asked prince harry to hold off making any statements.

a terse response from buckingham palace appeared to express her displeasure. discussions with the duke and duchess of sussex are the a an early stage. we understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through. officials acting for the queen, prince charles and prince william were asked to final workable solutions for the future role of the sussexes. a range is to be discussed wednesday which will take time to implement. on the negotiating table is expected to be income, properties, security, and even titles. defining their future role will likely involve a compromise on both sides. for the queen and her heirs, it's crucial they reach a solution that is workable not just for prince harry and meghan, but for other royals who slip down the line of succession. prince ann, prince andrew, and prince edward, and one day princess charlotte and prince

louie, too. a transformative chapter in royal history. worthy of a future block buster episode of "the crown." anna stewart, cnn, lone. >> journalist and royal expert sandra monetti, trustee of the royal society of saint george joins me now from los angeles to talk about it. hello, sandro. >> hello. i've ready for the crisis talks at sandringham. never mind the ticket to the superbowl. this is where i'd love to be in attendance. can you imagine, the queen at 93 years old, will take charge of yet another royal scandal, the best of her rein. she's summoned the family, it's a council of war. >> though think about it. you've got prince william who has said he's very sad about this rift with his brother harry. you've got their father and the queen, and they're all so very proper. so you don't think this meeting will be a more proper royal meeting? >> it will be cups of tea,

cucumber sandwiches and a very orderly agenda. i don't think there 's going to be feisty cups at the royal estate. put it that way. for serious -- if we can talk seriously for the moment, there is a potential constitutional crisis to discuss megh. meghan and harry say they want to step away from royal duties. what does that mean? most of the focus on discussion will concentrate on money. who is going to pay for all these flights? who is going to pay for their security when they're out of the country? what happens to the house they are leaving behind? what does financially independent actually mean? and so these are the questions that will be before the royals today. >> right, there are many questions about it. but one thing is certain. harry has said he has done this n part, to protect his wife. we know what kind of treatment meghan markle has gotten from the relentless british tabloids

and he, of course, invoked his mother and what happened to her. and he's very fearful. so what do you think, as far as apart from the royal family, what do you think about his decision to do this personally? >> i would dispute his arguments. i think he's gone way over the top. and i think he's shown very poor management skills for a senior royal. surely it would have been better to get the newspaper editors together to have a discussion and see if they could work something out together. the battle with the press for the kind of coverage you want has always been around with the royal family. but i would reject a lot of his argument. i mean, the british press is operating under huge restrictions, which were rightly put in place after the death of principal sessi princess diana, so there have been improvements. rather than scuttling off and saying, i'm done, at least let's

have a summit with the press and let's try and work something out because it's very much my view that this is a missed opportunity on all the great things harry and meghan can achieve, they can achieve within the royal family. so, yeah, i think they've jumped the gun here. >> and they jumped the gun going public. when this was announced, it was shocking that royal family didn't know about it. they made the announcement on instagram. they already had a website reportedly. the queen asked them to wait before going public. but they did it their way. >> this has been one of the things that annoys large parts of the british public and royal watchers around the world most. it's a blatant lack of respect for the queen and for royal protocol. note, these are the things that have been done for years. what makes you guys so special to do it differently? show some respect. they haven't shown enough respect. >> well, and this has been quite

a year. we all know the prince andrew situation, and now this. you talk about a crisis. what could this mean? could this have a tremendous impact on the royal family? >> it really could. i think the very future of the monarchy could be at stake here, especially if the brand that meghan and harry have created at sussex royal eventually eclipses the brand of the british royals. i'm speaking to you from los angeles, and here in hollywood, every studio and streamer has a contract ready for harry and meghan's signature. we've already heard of the voice-over deal with disney. i'm very much expecting meghan and harry to take a leaf out of the book of their friends, the obamas. the obamas have a production company, higher ground, that in a few hours' time is likely to get an oscar nomination for their first documentary film, "american factory." and i can see them setting up a

production company in hollywood to make movies and tv shows about the kind of charities they champion. you know, those two are very good at getting the press excited. they say they're leaving the spotlight. they're actually going to run towards it, you know, if they want to be financially independent. they will have to. and so i think that the royal family is going to sort of struggle to compete against the youth and glamor of harry and meghan who are the most famous couple in the world right now, so the queen doesn't want to make this a competition. it shouldn't be us against them, but it's a situation of their own making. it's a ripe royal mess, and the queen has got to sort it out fast. >> starting on monday. we always appreciate your insights. thank you so much. well, american firefighters are stepping up to help tackle australia's massive bush fires, but the fight is much bigger than they thought.

>> have you ever seen anything at this magnitude? >> no. we have large fires, of course, in the united states and all over the world, but this is just unprecedented. >> we have more on their mission live from australia next. also, boeing's new c.e.o. takes the reigns of the troubled jet maker today. we look at the challenges he will face. -excuse me. uh... do you mind...being a mo-tour? -what could be better than being a mo-tour? the real question is... do you mind not being a mo-tour? -i do. for those who were born to ride, there's progressive.

welcome back. the australian prime minister's approval rating has taken a major hit as his government struggles with the bush fire crisis. a new poll found morrison's approval rating dropped 8 points. australians are upset over his interactions with fire-ravages

communities and inaction over climate change. this comes as officials air drop more than 2000 pounds of vegetables to feed wildlife affected by the fires. they seem to be enjoying those carrots. cnn correspondent will ripley is live, and now in australia for us. it seems they might have gotten a little bit of a break now. what's the latest there, will? >> reporter: yeah, the good news, natalie, is that for the moment the forecast calls for rain in some parts of this country. so that video you just showed of the feeding of the wall abis, the rock wallabys critically in danger which means they're on the verge of extinction, not to mention much of their habitat has been destroyed in some areas. so what the government has been doing, they've allocated some 15 million australian dollars to provide food for these animals. they're dumping carrots and sweet potatoes and hoping that if this rain does come through, that some of the vegetation will start to reappear, and that will

thus give those animals a natural food supply so they don't become dependent on humans to feed them. that is one example of the sort of habitat destruction challenge that australia is facing. but the other challenge is to get these fires under control. this is the first time that the wildfires have kind of subsided since they really flared up, which gives firefighters an opportunity to switch from being in defensive mode to offensive mode and working right alongside the australians who have been laboring pretty much 24/7 for weeks and weeks on end are americans who are now on the ground here, americans who say they have been treated just like heroes. hovering over australia's hellish inferno, this american angel, a 52-year-old heavy lift helicopter nicknamed georgia peach. built in 1967 for the vietnam war, today it battles bush fires, dousing them with another water to fill three large

swimming pools every hour. but in new south wales, australia's hardest-hit state, these helicopters sit idle, giving american fire fighters who came here to help a rare day off. today's weather is not allowing you to fly. is that a good thing? >> that's a good thing. >> reporter: why? >> we can't compete with mother nature. >> reporter: he says rain, lower temperatures, and higher humidity and fi humidity are slowing the fire's progress. >> it will put it in a comatose state for a few days. >> reporter: nature can do more than we can. he knows that break may be short lived. recent rains barely made a dent in australia's historic drought. just a few days of extreme heat can be catastrophic, reigniting a burn area the size of massachusetts, connecticut and rhode island combined. is there any way to have enough resources to fight a fire this big? >> not of this magnitude and not of this intensity. >> reporter: for the first time

superintendent mark williams takes us inside nara's fire control center. we see australians and americans working together. the two nations have agreed to share fire resources. >> i've been to the united states and canada on numerous occasions myself fire fighting. it's great to have that reciprocal effort to assist us in our times of need. >> reporter: more than 150 fire specialists from two dozen u.s. states are in australia, some traveling more than 16 hours. these americans got a heroes' welcome when they landed in sydney last week. even the city's iconic opera house lit up its sails for all the firefighters risking their lives. >> it felt really good. i was very proud to be able to come over here and help. >> reporter: bart from oregon says the two nations are sharing manpower and brain power at a critical time. have you ever seen anything at this magnitude? >> no. we have large fires, of course, in the united states and all

over the world, but this is just unprecedented. >> reporter: he's never seen a fire so fast, so big, so hot, an ominous sign of what could lie ahead. not just for australia, but the u.s. and the world. it's really startling, natalie, to think about the fact that experienced firefighter, people who have been doing this 20 years, 30 years have never seen a fire situation like the one that's happening here right now in australia. and, yes, this week offers a brief reprieve, but what happens when things heat up again? there's still plenty of fuel on the ground. there is still plenty of risk for communities that are so close to the fire zone, and the terrain here i'm told is similar to the terrain in southern california where wildfires continue to be a huge problem and a huge threat. so what does this mean for the future of people and communities in these areas? it means that more people and more property, more lives are undoubtedly going to be in danger, not only here in the weeks and months to come, but around the world, in the years

to come. >> yes, will. and all the while, the prime minister still touts the importance of the nation's coal, which, of course, causes climate change. it's surreal, isn't it? do like the name of the helicopter, georgia peach. know what i'm saying? we're in georgia. very good. thank you for your reporting, will. and if you want to help the victims of australia's bush fires, visit cnn.com/impact for a list of charities that are on the ground there helping people and the animals and the firefighters. the new year is bringing new leadership to boeing. just ahead, can a change at the top turn things around for the troubled jet maker? we'll take a look. whatever happens out there today, remember, you have the hilton app. can the hilton app help us win? hey, hey-we're all winners with the hilton price match guarantee, alright? man, you guys are adorable! alright, let's go find your coach, come on! book with the hilton app. expect better. expect hilton. >i spend a lot of time sin my truck.y?

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>> just keep burying yourself in difficult, tough situations. >> reporter: in a guest lecture at yale's school of management some years ago, this was david calhoun's advice to students. he is now burying himself in one of the toughest situations in corporate america. >> boeing backlash. president trump grounds the 737 max fleet. >> i'm going to be issuing an emergency order of prohibition. >> reporter: ten months since global regulators grounded its fastest selling plane ever, boeing is still working to get a software fix approved. even once that happens, returning the plane to service could take monthlies. in a major turnaround the company said this month it would recommend simulator as well as computer-based training for all max pilots. >> i believe that june and july for this return to service is even a little optimistic at this point. >> reporter: fixing the plane is just part of the challenge for calhoun, an experienced executive who began his career at general electric and led the

company's aviation unit during 9/11. >> we want a culture where people can bring up concerns. >> reporter: former ceo dennis muhlenbe muhlenberg rejected accusations made. just days before calhoun takes over show employees questioning the safety of the 737 max simulators and even the plane itself. one message saying, "this airplane is designed by clowns who are in turn supervised by monkeys." >> it will we a safe airplane. it really comes down to how quickly people accept what it is that boeing has to say about how they've fixed this problem. >> reporter: calhoun must also fix a key relationship with the federal aviation administration. >> i'm not going to sign off on this airplane until i fly it myself. >> reporter: the day he was named ceo, calhoun personally called the faa administrator. friends say a clear example of his leadership style.

>> he's direct. you don't have to wonder what he's saying. he's pragmatic. he understands what the issues are and wants to solve them. >> reporter: calhoun has been on the boeing board for a decade. he must now prove to employees, the airline and the public that this is a growing chapt claire sebastian, cnn, new york. >> our top stories coming up after this. please stay with me for another hour of "cnn newsroom." these days, we're all stressed. (honk!) i hear you sister. that's why i'm partnering with cigna to remind you to go in for your annual check-up, and be open with your doctor about anything you feel - physically and emotionally. but now cigna has a plan that can help everyone see stress differently. just find a period of time to unwind. a location to de-stress. an activity to enjoy. or the name of someone to talk to. to create a plan that works for you, visit cigna.com/mystressplan. cigna. together, all the way.

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hello and welcome to our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. i'm natalie allen. coming up here on "cnn

newsroom," the terrifying moment that iranian missiles rained down on u.s. troops in iraq. we have an exclusive look at what it was like to be on the receiving end of all of that firepower. also, in the philippines, the alert level rises after an explosive volcanic eruption spews ash into the air and sends people scrambling for safety. the video is just spectacular. and a right royal mess. harry and meghan's future will be on the table in the crisis meeting in the wake of the pair's bombshell announcement that they will step back from their royal duties. thank you again for joining us this hour. we begin with outrage and calls for justice in iran.