Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Southern U.S. Ripped by Storm; Fire Threatens Australia's Great Ocean Road; Iraqi Forces Close In on ISIS; CNN International Correspondents on ISIS; Iraqi Forces Navigate IED-Wired Houses to Retake Ramadi; Indian PM Visits Pakistan; Iran Hostages Receive Compensation; U.S. Airbase in Japan Told to Shelter in Place; Christmas Season in Israel Marred by Violence; New Life in the U.S.; Fibs from the Front-runners; Life During the Roman Empire; From History to Hospitals. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired December 26, 2015 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
[04:00:00]
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Devastating floods caused extensive damage across parts of the Southern United States and more severe weather could be on the way.
Plus, brush fires rage across Australia's Victoria State. Dozens of homes left in ashes.
And later, the battle for Ramadi. Russian troops say they are making progress in the fight against ISIS.
From CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world, I'm George Howell. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOWELL: And a good day to you. We are following extreme weather in both the United States and Australia. And on the left here, we want to show you the scene just west of Melbourne. Firefighters struggling to control a brush fire that flared up. The high winds and temperatures there didn't help the situation. At least 116 homes are completely destroyed.
And then to the right, severe flooding in the United States, some families spent Christmas Day being rescued. Tornadoes, which are rare for December, have being reported again.
Let's start in the southeastern part of the United States, right here. And the threat of more severe weather, that threat is real. Just over the past two days, flooding has been reported in four different states.
In the state of Mississippi, our affiliate WCBI reports that a family woke up Christmas morning to what you see right there, their home of 10 years ruined, completely flooded with at least two feet of water inside of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't have clothes, nothing. This is all I have is what I have on. It's discouraging. We lost everything. My child, he didn't get none of his Christmas items.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: And then next door in the state of Alabama, what may have been a tornado caused this damage in the city of Birmingham. Overall, at least 15 people have died in three states this week. Our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam joins us now from the International Weather Center following this strange weather that we're seeing here. So warm in Atlanta and then these storms just to our west.
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, George, I'm sure there are multiple stories just like the one we saw a moment ago. And it looks as if it's going to continue because the weather here is not done.
If you are traveling or perhaps you live or reside within this area, we're looking at the southeastern United States -- Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia. You can just see the -- well, let's say plethora of rain that's moved in across this region.
We've had in excess of 10 inches in some locales. And it's led to scenes just like this; there's been rescue attempts for some individuals that were taken back by the increasing water. We've had flash flood warnings in effect for multiple counties, flash flood watches, flash flood emergencies.
And it's not only the heavy rain that has been had the concern. There have been four reported tornadoes, one in Mississippi, three in Alabama. This is on Christmas Day alone We're talking about Boxing Day now, moving on, and the severe weather threat is actually going to continue as we go forward.
Remember, the United States only typically sees about 24 tornadoes through the month of December and we have far exceeded that just in a few days' time. We have seen nearly 35 tornadoes reported across the U.S.
Many of those reported across the Gulf Coast states. A very complex weather system taking shape from today right through the weekend into the first parts of next week. And this means severe weather threat -- Dallas, Houston, perhaps New Orleans. Heavy rain not done yet. Very saturated environment. That means flash flooding still going to be a concern, Arkansas into Mississippi and Alabama once again.
On the cold side of this system, heavy snow, blizzard conditions. And that would be for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle.
Here is our threats for severe weather. This is for your Saturday, again, San Antonio to Dallas and Shreveport. Here is our storm system. Bringing in all the rainfall and our watches and warnings map, George, lighting up just like a Christmas tree, just like our forecast accumulation across this area, another 5-10 inches of rain possible with this next storm coming up.
HOWELL: So a lot of rain and storms in the east. But sort of normal there in the West. It's cold. They're getting the snow.
VAN DAM: The skiers like it, that's for sure.
HOWELL: They like that, for sure.
Derek, stand by. We'll be back with you in a moment. But let's move on now to Australia where a bush fire in the southern part of that country has destroyed at least 116 homes. Our CNN producer, Joel Labi, is here with us to talk more about that.
And, Joel, this is a part of the country that is very popular with tourists.
JOEL LABI, CNN PRODUCER: That's right, George. Just to set it up for your viewers here, we're talking about Victoria, the Great Ocean Road. This is like the equivalent of --
[04:05:00]
LABI: -- Route 101 in the U.S. This is incredibly popular at this time of the year. Great surfing spots, amazing little townships along that drive. Now it is inundated with bush fires. The town of most concern at the moment is Lorne. Just south of Lorne, we've had 116 homes destroyed by these fires that you can see here. They were sparked about a week ago by lightning; 1,600 people evacuated from Lorne alone.
It appears that the threat has subsided for now but this was a harrowing Christmas Day for residents. Let's take a listen to some of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't know. It's just the unknown, if it's still there or not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's incredibly dangerous area with stressed trees, falling branches. There's all sorts of other issues in relation to asbestos.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LABI: And so what we've got at the moment is a situation which is still very much active. Firefighters are hoping that they can get control of this. But they are saying that water bombing isn't going to be enough.
And these bush fires are intense, George. They are incredibly intense, 116 homes destroyed already. There's no telling if others have been destroyed or if there have been -- if there's even been a chance for people to get back to their homes. And very much an ongoing situation. HOWELL: Let's talk about this, though. The bush fires. It's common,
though, this time of year, given the temperatures, given the winds, correct?
LABI: That is right. Christmas and January in particular are some of the hottest months in Australia. And bush fires are not uncommon. We saw a few years ago in Victoria as well, not too far from where these fires are burning, the Black Saturday bush fires, 180-plus people killed in those.
Ever since then, there has been a state of high alert. People are ready for this sort of stuff but it doesn't get any easier. And losing your home, especially on Christmas, my god, you can only think about what these people are going through right now.
HOWELL: CNN producer Joel Labi, Joel, thank you so much.
LABI: Thank you, George.
HOWELL: Let's go back to our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, who can give us some context on what's happening in that part of the world.
Derek, again, so we heard from Joel a moment ago, the temperatures and the winds just don't help.
VAN DAM: Yes, Joel said it. We're right smack dab in the middle of fire season in Southern Australia, specifically across Victoria into the New South Wales region. This typically occurs between December into the February timeframe. You can see that just outlined in the shades of red in the bottom portion of your television screen.
There was some relief that moved through. There have been reports of roughly between 10 and 20 millimeters of rainfall, thanks to this cold front. You see on our satellite loop that moved through the Melbourne region and just to the south and west. That's where the current ongoing wildfire is taking place.
But just because a cold front moved through doesn't mean necessarily good news. Remember, firefighters are battling a blaze that's often fueled by strong winds. And when they change wind direction so quickly, thanks to the passage of a cold front, it also shifts the front of the leading edge of the fire as well. So it can actually complicate the firefighting efforts across this particular region.
This is the weather setup, as we speak. You saw the cold front a moment ago. That's what brought the minor relief in terms of rainfall to the Southern Victoria region. That continues to move eastward.
But what was a northerly component to the wind before the cold front came through, bringing that dry, hot wind from the interior, has now changed across more of a southerly direction. And that's going to bring in slightly cooler temperatures and perhaps some moisture-laden air to help fight the fires -- back to you, George.
HOWELL: Let's hope so for sure. Derek Van Dam, thank you so much. We move on now to Syria, where the rebel group, Jaysh al-Islam, is
confirming the death of its leader. Syrian state media report Zahran Allouch was killed in an airstrike that took place in a Damascus suburb. State TV also aired this video, which they say shows the airstrike that killed him.
But it is still unclear if it was a Syrian or Russian aircraft that dropped the bombs. Jaysh al-Islam has no affiliation with ISIS or Al Qaeda but the Syrian government still referred to Allouch as a terrorist when it proudly reported his death.
Afghanistan says its forces have killed a number of Taliban fighters and their commander in the Sangin district. The militant group is largely in control of that area located in Helmand Province. Alexandra Field has more on the fighting there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Afghan security forces are making another push to move Taliban fighters out of Sangin district after days of heavy fighting there. Locals on the grounds had said that the Taliban had taken over almost all of Sangin district, except for a police chief's office and another building used by an army battalion.
But more operations have been launched now by the Afghan army and officials there say that a number of Taliban fighters have been --
[04:10:00]
FIELD: -- killed, including a local commander with ties to the Taliban leader.
The Afghan National Army is getting some support from the U.S. in the form of two airstrikes. There's also a NATO team in Southern Helmand Province, which includes a small number of British troops who are acting in an advisory capacity, as the Afghan National Army takes on the Taliban.
Those on the ground say that the fighting has remained fierce and that it continues. People who are inside that police chief's office, which has been under attack for days from the Taliban, have said that they were running out of food, ammunition and supplies.
But the central government says that it is moving resources into the area and more reinforcements as they continue their battle with the Taliban -- in Seoul, Alexandra Field, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HOWELL: The rise of ISIS has dominated headlines this year. Five of CNN's top international correspondents all sat down to discuss what they've learned from covering this story and why they believe ISIS is different than anything they've seen before. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Paris has been such a game changer, because as closely as I've been following the sort of reach of militant groups like ISIS in Europe and in the West, I had never expected them to be able to pull off something this organized, something this well --
(CROSSTALK)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Did you think it was that organized and that well orchestrated?
No, I don't think it was.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
WARD (voice-over): The main thing that didn't go as well as they were hoping were the vests, the suicide vests.
(CROSSTALK)
ELBAGIR: They accomplished their goal.
WARD: But they accomplished their goal.
(CROSSTALK)
ELBAGIR: There's a difference between extraordinarily complex, well organized attacks that need an infrastructure and eight guys with some vest --
(CROSSTALK)
WARD: Oh, no, I think they had an infrastructure.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What surprises me a little bit about this is I think the lack of a short-term memory. I mean, it was a decade ago that we were looking at Al Qaeda carrying out massive attacks, which killed scores of people. And we kind of forget the fear and panic of those days.
WARD: Well, also, the whole nature of recruitment was different. Like, Al Qaeda was recruiting in the massjin (ph), in the mosques.
WATSON: In the mosques.
WARD: And it was an entirely different prospect. Jihad was very abstract.
WATSON: Now these are Facebook --
(CROSSTALK)
WARD: Now these are like your own friends.
WATSON: Who are doing it in their bedroom, yes.
(CROSSTALK)
WARD: -- each other in their bedrooms. So it's a completely -- I think for intelligence authorities, it's a very frightening prospect.
ELBAGIR: But this kind of, I know he grew a beard, he started going to mosques, these are the telltale signs of radicalism, that entire landscape --
(CROSSTALK)
ELBAGIR: -- has changed now.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But that also -- all this goes to the greater underlying issues that we have in society and what ISIS has now done for people that are even slightly so inclined is give them that sense of purpose.
(CROSSTALK)
DAMON: So then the next question is, it's not in terms of intelligence, how do we fight this, but how do you actually fight that ideology?
How do you revamp society where these kids have a different sense of purpose?
WATSON: All these kids, their parents came to Europe for a better life. And the sad irony is that their offspring grow up into people who attack Europe.
WARD: And we have this misconception that ISIS is all about radical Islam. ISIS is a product of a bunch of very complex geopolitical historical trends that have been brewing for years.
(CROSSTALK)
WARD: It's not just about Islam.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's also terrifying that some guys, who clearly aren't particularly mentally well configured, in San Bernardino, can go and shoot some coworkers with a lot of assault weapons and put something on Facebook and that somehow joins a global movement.
ELBAGIR: And there's almost like a wave of hysteria that's building on each other. You saw Paris happen and then you saw San Bernardino kind of crest off it and then -- it's like a contagion in a way.
DAMON: But I think there needs to be not hysteria, but, like, let's not underestimate the threat, either.
WARD: Yes.
DAMON: I mean, it is huge.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: It is good to get that context from those correspondents who have been covering that story for so long. The Iraqi military says it is closing in on an ISIS-held government
compound in Ramadi in its attempt to retake that city. Iraqi soldiers are slowly combing through the area. They are searching for terrorists using booby traps. There are concerns that civilians are living in militant territory.
Winning back Ramadi would be the most significant victory for the Iraqi military since 2014. CNN's Robyn Kriel joins us now live from London to talk more about this story.
Robyn, good to have you with us. So the Iraqi forces started this assault on Tuesday.
Why is it taking so long for them to get in and secure blocks?
It's a very difficult mission, isn't it?
ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Extremely difficult. ISIS has had seven months, George, to entrench itself inside Ramadi city, especially that city center. And as the Iraqi troops are combing through block by block, essentially, they are encountering what we're hearing is --
[04:15:00]
KRIEL: -- thousands of improvised explosive devices, suicide car bombs. They're also facing sniper fire. We understand that these 300 to 500 ISIS militants remain that are willing to fight until the death.
And another key issue, which is slowing them down so significantly, is the issue of civilians, George. You mentioned civilians, a number of civilians, they're worried about being caught in the crossfire.
So the Iraqi military is asking civilians to hold up a white flag or display a white flag outside their homes so that they know that they are friendly and the Iraqi forces will allow these civilians safe passage through their -- through their forces and out to -- outside the city.
We know that tens of thousands of civilians fled before because they were warned that this onslaught was coming by the Iraqi military. But ISIS did force a number of them to stay inside the city. Essentially, we understand he used them as human shields.
HOWELL: This attempt to retake Ramadi being helped with the U.S. coalition airstrikes, obviously.
But the question, though, if and, you know, when but if they are able to retake that city, how would they be able to hold on to it?
KRIEL: George, yes. That's a very good question and one a number of people are worried about.
So at the moment, we understand Iraqi forces occupy about 70 percent of the city, which means ISIS has about 30 percent and that is what they're fighting over at the moment. And essentially, that government compound.
But what happens once they have taken the city, hoisted the flag and they have a large celebration because it was such a humiliating defeat?
Well, then they've got to hold on to that city and that's really where the issues will come because ISIS, a number of ISIS militants have blended in with the population, left -- they've only left 300 to 500 fighters to fight until the death.
But then those insurgents who left will be able to launch counterattacks and that is exactly what they're worried about. So we do know that they're going to leave Sunni tribesmen in charge of the city that will hold that position and hopefully they have enough firepower to fend ISIS off.
HOWELL: And then from Ramadi, sights would be on Mosul.
CNN's Robyn Kriel, live for us in London, Robyn, thank you so much for your reporting there.
You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. And still to come, India's Prime Minister Modi makes a surprise stop in Pakistan. What the unexpected encounter would mean for the perpetually intense region -- ahead.
Plus, decades later, Americans held hostage in Iran will finally be compensated for their ordeal. The details next here on CNN NEWSROOM.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:20:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOWELL: There are some encouraging signs that the icy relationship between India and Pakistan may be thawing. This as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday became the first leader in his country to visit Pakistan in more than a decade.
Modi met with his counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, and talked about restarting a dialogue and increasing contact between their nations. But as CNN's Sumnima Udas reports, the countries have much to overcome if they are ever to be able to live side by side in peace.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Any time the prime ministers of India and Pakistan meet, it becomes significant. The two countries have been arch rivals since independence nearly 70 years ago.
But India prime minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lahore is getting particular notice; it was a surprise layover after a visit to Kabul. It's the first time an Indian prime minister has visited Pakistan in almost 12 years. Modi's visit with his Pakistani counterpart was brief. Pakistani
prime minister Nawaz Sharif welcomed Modi at the airport. They exchanged pleasantries over tea at Sharif's ancestral home. It also happens to be Sharif's birthday.
But is this all symbolism or is there anything more to it?
That's what many people are asking today. Relations between Pakistan and India have been tense for the past few years. The two sides weren't even talking and cross-border skirmishes have been routine. Contentious issues, like terrorism and the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir remain.
But political commentators in India say there appears to be a shift in prime minister Modi's foreign policy, vis-a-vis Pakistan. On the sidelines of COP 21 in Paris this image of Modi and Sharif talking created a lot of buzz. It was just a 2-minute meeting but it symbolized a perceived thaw in relations. Whether there is anything beyond the optics is still to be seen. But many analysts say this impromptu meet is a step in the right direction -- Sumnima Udas, CNN, New Delhi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: After nearly four decades, American taken hostage in the U.S. embassy in Iran will be compensated for their ordeal. This is how they were welcomed back to the United States in 1981. That image there.
The U.S. Congress just passed a budget bill that will repay each of the 53 hostages or their families. Our Deborah Feyerick breaks down the deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Iranian hostages will get $4.4 million each, that's about $10,000 a day for each of the 444 days that they were held in captivity when those Iranian revolutionaries stormed the U.S. embassy back in 1979.
But this doesn't only impact these hostages; it also impacts other victims of terror, that includes those victims of the U.S. embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam and Kenya back in 1998.
It also includes those Marines, who were killed in Beirut in the bombing of barracks there back in 1983.
So this is really wide-reaching and goes back many decades to give the victims but to give the families also some sort of compensation because they haven't been able to get anything up to this point. So it's really crucial to these people to, in some ways, be made whole.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: The money is expected to come from a fine paid by a bank that violated sanctions against Iraq. The former hostages could not sue as part of the agreement --
[04:25:00]
HOWELL: -- that freed them.
"The Washington Post" reporter who is still being held prisoner in Iran was granted time with his family on Christmas. Jason Rezaian has been held captive now for more than 500 days. An Iranian court sentenced him to prison for an unspecified time for espionage and other infractions. "The Washington Post" denies the alleged charges against him.
His mother passed along this message from Jason, that says, in part, quote, "Jason is sending his warmest nondenominational season's greetings to everyone at 'The Post' and wishes for a very happy and productive New Year.
"He knows you are all working harder than any other entity to secure his release and the knowledge of that is what gives him strength every day."
On to Southern Nigeria now, it is still unclear how many people were killed in a gas tanker explosion there. The country's president says that dozens of people were killed but several sources quote a local journalist there, who said he saw about 100 bodies.
The explosion happened as people were lined up to refill their cooking gas containers on Christmas Eve. The fire engulfed a factory and surrounding buildings. Authorities still don't know exactly what caused that tanker to explode.
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Still ahead, what is typically a time of joy in the Holy Land has been anything but that this year. But even as violence plagues Bethlehem and its surroundings, the city still celebrates Christmas.
Plus many refugees fleeing the Middle East, the violence there, they end up in the U.S. Next, one Iraqi schoolgirl tells her story, including the persecution she deals with in her classroom. That story ahead as this broadcast continues around the world this hour, live on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
[04:30:00]
HOWELL (voice-over): A warm welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Great to have you with us this day. I'm George Howell.
(HEADLINES)
HOWELL: And this just in to CNN, a shelter in place order has been put into effect at a U.S. airbase in Japan due to a security incident on Saturday. Yokota Air Base, just west of Tokyo, says the order is a precaution to protect all base residents as professionals respond to the event.
We, of course, will continue to follow this story and bring you more information as it becomes available here on CNN.
Violence in the Holy Land has cast a cloud over the holidays. On Christmas, Israeli police say they shot and killed a Palestinian woman, who tried to ram officers with her car. It happened in a West Bank village.
And near Bethlehem, rocks and Molotov cocktails flew between Israeli forces and Palestinians.
Still, Christmas celebrations went on, despite the violence in the backdrop. But many tourists stayed away. CNN's Oren Liebermann has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a subdued Christmas in the Holy Land this year in the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ, the very beginnings of Christianity, festivities in Manger Square next to the Church of the Nativity, not as big, not as crowded as they have been in previous years.
But there was still very much an effort to hang on to a celebration of Christmas Eve to forget, if only for a moment, the violence and the tension surrounding the holiday in Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank.
And you can feel it. There was a very large security presence in and around Manger Square but it still felt very much like Christmas Eve. The faithful coming out to celebrate and to take part in midnight mass.
But the violence continues here. Since the beginning of October, some 20 Israelis have been killed and more than 130 Palestinians have been killed, approximately 70 of which Israeli authorities say were killed while carrying out attacks.
Because of that number, some Palestinian Christian communities in West Bank have scaled back their Christmas festivities as a show of solidarity with all Palestinians. That, unfortunately, is the reality that hangs over Christmas in the Holy Land. And it is a reality that does not seem to be on its way to ending any time soon -- Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: Despite a backlash against refugees coming to the United States, roughly 85,000 refugees from around the world are expected to be resettled in America in the coming year. Some 34,000 will come from the Near East and South Asia.
People like Reema al-Faheed (ph). Reema (ph) spent six years in a refugee camp on the Iraqi-Syrian border. Her father is a Palestinian and her mother is Iraqi. Yasmin Vossoughian spoke with her about her new life in the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
YASMIN VOSSOUGHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Did this happen a lot at the camp?
REEMA AL-FAHEED (PH), REFUGEE: Every single day.
VOSSOUGHIAN: You had fires every single day at the camp?
AL-FAHEED (PH): Yes, even at night. Because then we had to wake up at 4 o'clock so my cousins had to carry us, take us out for there was a fire.
I lived in a camp for six years. It was really hard. We didn't have a lot of water or a lot of food.
VOSSOUGHIAN: Where was the refugee camp?
AL-FAHEED (PH): It was at the border between Syria and Iraq.
I'm Reema al-Faheed (ph) and I'm a Palestinian Iraqi refugee.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
AL-FAHEED (PH): This is my bed and this is where he sleep because I feel comfortable on the ground --
[04:35:00]
AL-FAHEED (PH): -- more than that. I slept, like, six years on the ground at the camp.
This is my mom, (INAUDIBLE). This is my dad, Zacaria (ph). This is my little brother, Ahmed (ph), and this is my older brother, Fahad (ph).
VOSSOUGHIAN: What was it like when they told you that you could come to America when you were at the refugee camp?
AL-FAHEED (PH): (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
AL-FAHEED (PH): And then she had to tell us like to hit her, slap her, so she can believe it.
Like she don't think -- she's in a dream or something like that.
VOSSOUGHIAN: Did you hit her?
AL-FAHEED (PH): Yes, I did.
(LAUGHTER) VOSSOUGHIAN: With what's happening around the world, do you sometimes feel like students say mean things to you?
AL-FAHEED (PH): Yes, yes.
VOSSOUGHIAN: What do they say?
AL-FAHEED (PH): Sometimes like we be walking, they be like, "Look at the ISIS people."
And I be looking at them like, come on now.
I was in a class, government class, and my teacher was just explaining about the ISIS and we was watching a video.
And a student jumped and he was like, "Ask her, she's from ISIS. She might know about them."
I was like, "I'm not from ISIS. We run away from them so we don't get killed. How am I from them?"
VOSSOUGHIAN: Have you lost family in Iraq?
AL-FAHEED (PH): Yes, a lot, yes. My mom's cousins, six of them, they got killed.
VOSSOUGHIAN: Wow.
AL-FAHEED (PH): And the last one, it was, like, two months ago.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) Reema al-Faheed. She talk to me a little bit about how sometimes people say mean things to her in the hallway, calling her a terrorist.
How do you guys deal with that when you have a pretty substantial refugee population in this school?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We deal with it through conversations, through intimate dialogue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My administrators, I try to have someone that represents every race, every culture that's in the building.
AL-FAHEED (PH): When I got here, I had to wear it.
VOSSOUGHIAN: The kafia (ph)?
AL-FAHEED (PH): The kafia (ph), yes. I had to roll it and cover my head with it.
VOSSOUGHIAN: So when did you stop wearing it?
AL-FAHEED (PH): I wore it for, like, two weeks. And then I came home and I was like, "I'm not wearing it any more. That's it. I'm done."
(LAUGHTER) VOSSOUGHIAN: Could you eat like this when you were at the camp, at the refugee camp?
AL-FAHEED (PH): No.
VOSSOUGHIAN: So nothing like this.
AL-FAHEED (PH): Nothing like this.
VOSSOUGHIAN: So your family accepts your way of life here?
AL-FAHEED (PH): Yes. They really do, yes.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: A young Palestinian asylum seeker who broke down in tears in front of Chancellor Angela Merkel is now being allowed to stay in Germany. Germany's "Bild" newspaper is reporting that Sahwil and her family -- Reem Sahwil and her family received an extension to remain in the country through October of 2017.
Sahwil became emotional in July, you'll remember, when the chancellor told her that Germany couldn't accommodate everyone who applied for asylum.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: Even though Germany, under Ms. Merkel, has accepted hundreds of thousands of refugees, her interaction with the 14-year old sparked criticism. Many called her insensitive to the plight of refugees.
People in China are mourning the victims of a disastrous landslide in Shenzhen. Soldiers and civilians laid flowers at the industrial park, that is the place where more than 70 people are still missing after a huge mound of soil and construction waste collapsed on Saturday.
At least four bodies have been found. The landslide covered an area of 380,000 meters or that's more than 415,000 yards, burying and toppling dozens of buildings.
In Eastern China, rescue teams are working against time to save 18 workers trapped after a gypsum mine collapsed. Eleven others have reported being rescued since the collapse happened on Friday.
Authorities say that further rescue operations will be especially dangerous due to the risk another collapse there.
All eyes are on the U.S. presidential race this year but as it turns out --
[04:40:00]
HOWELL: -- the leading candidates, they weren't always being truthful. The biggest fibs from the front-runners, ahead.
Plus, some diseases common in the 19th and 20th centuries, they're making a comeback in Britain. Later this hour, what's causing the resurgence.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOWELL: In the U.S. state of Arkansas, a fire in the childhood home of former president Bill Clinton is being investigated as arson. On Friday, a driver noticed the fire in the back of the house, which is a national historic site. And the number 55 was spray painted on a walkway leading up to the home. And a face with a tongue sticking out was spray painted on a door.
The U.S. presidential race took center stage in 2015 with a cast of colorful characters that are all fighting for the White House. But as our Jake Tapper reports, the political season has been filled with more than a few falsehoods from the candidates. Here's a look at two of the biggest whoppers from the campaign trail this year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Hey, everybody, it's Jake Tapper from CNN and factcheck.org. You know, if you check your calendars, you might notice it's almost the end of 2015.
And you know what that means?
That means it's time for the whopper of the year.
Now, look, I got to be honest. There were so many lies told this year, I hardly know where to begin. So in the interest of fairness, let's just pick one from the Democratic front-runner and one from the Republican front-runner.
And let's start alphabetically with Hillary Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I should have had two accounts, one for personal and one for work-related and I've been as transparent as I could, asking that all 55,000 pages be released to the public, turning over my server.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: So it is true that Hillary Clinton asked the State Department to release her emails on March 5th. But Clinton's call to release her emails -- [04:45:00]
TAPPER: -- only came three days after "The New York Times" broke the story that she exclusively used a private personal email system to conduct official business. Now as for her server, Clinton initially rejected the suggestion that she turn it over to an independent third party. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: The server contains personal communications from my husband and me and I believe I have met all of my responsibilities and the server will remain private.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Five months later, on August 11th, Clinton directed her legal team to turn over her email server and a thumb drive to the Justice Department. But this only happened after Charles McCulloch (ph), the inspector general of the intelligence community, made a security referral to the Justice Department for, quote, "potential compromises of national security."
Bottom line: no one can initially refuse to turn over a server or anything to an independent third party and then later claim, after they're kind of forced to do so, that they have been as transparent as possible.
Now let's turn to Donald Trump and his widely discredited claim that he saw on television thousands and thousands of people in New Jersey celebrating after the Twin Towers came down on 9/11.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, ENTREPRENEUR: I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Two days later, on November 23rd, Trump tweeted a link to a "Washington Post" story from September 18th, 2001, saying, "I want an apology. Many people have tweeted that I am right."
Now that "Washington Post" story said that Jersey City police detained, quote, "a number of people" who were, quote, "allegedly seen celebrating the attacks and holding a tailgate-style party in Jersey City."
Now that allegation that appeared in "The Washington Post" and a similar allegation that was reported in other news accounts around that same period is unverified and uncorroborated and the Jersey City police say it is not true.
And even if it were true -- and there is no evidence that it's true -- that is not the same thing as Donald Trump seeing on television thousands and thousands of Americans, presumably Muslim Americans, celebrating as the Towers came down. There is no evidence that that happened.
Now that Trump claim and the Clinton claim are our two whoppers of the year. For the full list, you can go to cnn.com.
A friendly reminder to all the politicians out there as you gear up for 2016, you're perfectly entitled to your own opinion. You're not entitled to your own facts. I'm Jake Tapper for CNN and factcheck.org. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and have a Happy New Year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: Jake had his work cut out for him there. For the latest on the 2016 race for the White House, you can log on to cnn.com/politics.
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Still ahead, some buildings in ancient Pompeii have been given a facelift. Coming up, a look at newly restored sites in one of the world's most fabled cities.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:50:00]
HOWELL: Tourists in Pompeii can now get a new glimpse of life during the early Roman Empire. The ancient Italian city unveiled six restored buildings this week. $164 million went into the project, which also included restoring artifacts, along with colorful frescos and intricate mosaic floors.
One beautifully decorated home belonged to a wealthy merchant. Pompeii was buried in a cloud of dust and ash when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D.
A mosquito-borne disease is causing a great deal of concern in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state health department there reports 180 cases of dengue fever as of Thursday.
Dengue causes flu-like symptoms but it seldom leads to death. Officials are using mosquito abatement sprays in the area and have closed some parks. But experts say dengue needs to be taken seriously, as seriously as the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. So far, the dengue outbreak is centered on Hawaii's big island.
Tuberculosis and other potentially deadly diseases are making a comeback in Britain. In London alone, some neighborhoods have a higher TB rate than poorer parts of the world. CNN's Max Foster explains the cause of the resurgence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't got much time. MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Scurvy, tuberculosis and scarlet fever may conjure up images of a Charles Dickens tale. But diseases of the Victorian era are re-emerging in modern-day Britain.
JOSIE GARRETT, TB PATIENT: It was, yes, a complete shock.
FOSTER (voice-over): Twenty-four-year-old Josie Garrett is nearing the end of intensive treatment for TB. She's studying for a master's degree but a year ago was isolated in hospital.
GARRETT: I contracted tuberculosis from my boyfriend. He caught TB from his friend. His friend contracted tuberculosis from his dad. And his dad first was diagnosed with TB in the '90s after traveling to India. And then it basically re-emerged again as a drug-resistant form of the disease.
Up until this point I was unable to work. I wasn't able to kind of socialize. I wasn't able to kind of live a normal life.
FOSTER (voice-over): TB is one disease often synonymous with poverty, affecting the most vulnerable. But health officials warn that strains of the disease lie undetected in all parts of modern society and could break out in the future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bacteria of tuberculosis can infect you and stay in your body latent for a long time. And it becomes reawakened again and manifests itself as a disease when something happens to your immune level.
FOSTER: Tuberculosis was one of the deadliest diseases in the Victorian era, killing one in four people at one point.
[04:55:00]
FOSTER: And thousands of victims are buried here at this cemetery.
Of course, the situation isn't as bad today. But there are parts of London where TB rates are higher than they are in Rwanda or Iraq. And a recent study by Britain's national health service found that other diseases, common in the 19th century, are making a comeback.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Notably there's been a huge rise in scarlet fever, 14,000 cases in the last year, the highest since the 1960s. We have seen a rise in the cases of tuberculosis. We've seen a rise in the cases of whooping cough. We have seen more measles in the last 10 years than we've seen in the 10 years before that.
FOSTER (voice-over): In fact, over the last five years in England, cases of scarlet fever have risen by 136 percent, scurvy by 38 percent and cholera by 300 percent, though for scurvy and cholera the numbers are very small.
So why the resurgence?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do in fact see an uptick, for example, with measles, reduced population immunity, for example, with whooping cough, increased poverty as well as an influx of migration and malnutrition.
FOSTER (voice-over): Two hundred years later and age-old afflictions, poverty, malnutrition, lack of health care, contributing to the rise of Victorian era diseases today -- Max Foster, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: And this just in to CNN, a spreading brush fire has forced the closure of two major roads in Southern California. Ventura County officials say the 101 Freeway and the Pacific Coast Highway near the city of Ventura have been shut down. The same has happened with Union Pacific Railroad traffic in that area. Firefighters are working to battle an uncontained 250-acre fire north of the city.
That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'll have more news after the break from around the world. You're watching CNN, the world's news leader.
