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Top 10 Biggest International Stories Of 2025; Zelenskyy Says He Plans To Meet With Trump "In The Near Future"; Treatment Options If You're Battling The Flu. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired December 26, 2025 - 07:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:05]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: A brazen heist at the Louvre, the election of an American pope, and the return of the remaining Israeli hostages from Gaza, just some of the stories that topped international headlines this year.

CNN's Clarissa Ward takes a look back. A warning -- with some of these you may find these images disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The heist of the century. In just seven minutes four thieves raided the Louvre in October and fled in broad daylight with more than $100 million worth of crowned jewels. French police have since arrested the suspected thieves and their associates. The hunt for the jewels continues.

Two gunmen opened fire at the Jewish celebration of Hannukah at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. A 10-year-old girl and a Holocaust survivor among 15 people killed in the deadliest mass shooting the country has seen in decades. Heroic bystanders risked their lives to stop the attackers, including this Muslim Syrian immigrant. Thousands of mourners gathering to honor the victims, urging the government to examine its response to rising antisemitism and to tighten its gun laws.

An Air India plane enroute to the U.K. crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in June, plummeting into a residential area and killing 260 people, including everyone on board except for one passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, who miraculously survived the crash.

Intense monsoon season hit South and Southeast Asia with back-to-back cyclones unleashing catastrophic floods and landslides in November, displacing millions of people across Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. A combination of rare weather phenomena amplified by the manmade climate crisis, killing at least 1,700 people. Hundreds of others are still missing.

This was Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's response to the mounting U.S. pressure on his government --

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT: (INAUDIBLE).

WARD (voiceover): -- seemingly unfazed by the U.S. seizure of a sanctioned tanker carrying Venezuelan oil -- a move that came on the heels of U.S. military strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific that have killed at least 100 people since September, while the campaign is scrutinized domestically with accusations that a double-tape strike in September could constitute a war crime. It is stoking tension across the Americas as leaders question Trump's real motives.

GUSTAVO PETRO, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Oil. Venezuela has one of the largest, if not the largest, reserves of oil in the world.

WARD (voiceover): The United Nations declared famine in two Sudanese cities in November warning that nearly half of the population across the African country face extreme food shortages due to a brutal yearslong civil war that has displaced more than 12 million and killed tens of thousands of people. The battles between the Sudanese Army and the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces left a trail of destruction across the country.

Both sides are sanctioned by the U.S. for alleged atrocities that include mass killings and rape. Mediators failing to get them to agree on a sustained ceasefire in what the U.N. calls one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You're gambling with World War III, and what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country.

JD VANCE, (R) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Have you said "thank you" once this entire meeting?

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: A lot of time.

VANCE: No.

WARD (voiceover): The public humiliation of the Ukrainian president at the White House sent shockwaves across the world. Alarmed European allies tried to placate the American president, increasing defense spending, and showering Trump with praise.

MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: This president -- when it comes to it, yes, he's a man of peace. But, if necessary, he is willing to use strength.

WARD (voiceover): The comparison to the warm reception the Russian president received six months later in Alaska wasn't lost on anyone.

TRUMP: Thank you very much, Vladimir.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: Next time in Moscow.

[07:35:00]

WARD (voiceover): The Ukraine-Russia war Trump once said he could stop on day one of his presidency continues. Attacks on Kyiv got deadlier and Russia made gains on the front line. Ukraine and NATO leaders voicing unease with Russian demands and the U.S. peace proposal.

ZELENSKYY (through translator): Now Ukraine may find itself facing a very difficult choice -- either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Breaking news into CNN. Pope Francis has died.

WARD (voiceover): The ailing Pope Francis made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday. His signature brand of tolerance evident throughout his funeral as world leaders and mourners from across the globe paid their respects providing the world with a much-needed moment of unity.

Behind closed doors cardinals elected the first American-born pontiff, Pope Leo XIV.

Israel struck nuclear and military facilities in Iran in June. The unprecedented air campaign killed dozens of high-profile Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones in retaliation.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: They are arch terrorists of the world. They want to have nuclear terrorism, which will put the entire world under nuclear blackmail.

AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER (through translator): The Zionist regime has made a big mistake -- a grave error.

WARD (voiceover): For 12 days, the skies of Tehran and Tel Aviv were lit with the terrifying blaze of missiles and interceptors. Explosions rocked military targets and civilian areas claiming the lives of hundreds of people in Iran and 29 in Israel, pushing the region closer all-out war.

TRUMP: A short time ago, the U.S. military carried out massive precision strikes on --

WARD (voiceover): U.S. bombers struck the Fordham, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities. Leading to a dramatic end to the conflict, the two countries agreed on a ceasefire on June 24.

Flanked by world leaders, President Trump signed the Gaza ceasefire deal in Egypt in October, bringing the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages back home and ending the two-year war that the U.N. says killed over 70,000 people in the Palestinian enclave.

The horrific humanitarian situation in Gaza had drawn international condemnation with a U.N. body declaring famine in parts of the north. Hundreds of Palestinians lost their lives due to starvation and in shootings at the few aid distribution sites.

TRUMP: This took 3,000 years to get to this point -- can you believe it -- and it's going to hold up, too.

WARD (voiceover): A promise undermined by regular infractions and continued strikes. And both sides have yet to agree on the second phase of the deal that could one day bring an enduring end to this conflict.

Clarissa Ward, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Clarissa, thank you so much for that.

Let's turn to this. Also new this morning, we may soon see another meet-up between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Overnight, Zelenskyy posted on social media that the two plan to meet "in the near future" -- his words -- adding "A lot can be decided before the New Year."

Earlier in a Christmas Day message, Zelenskyy praised what he called a "truly good conversation" with President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. The Ukrainian president says they discussed new ideas to bring a real peace closer.

Zelenskyy unveiled a new proposal this week showing an openness for the first time to any compromise on the issue of territory in the eastern Donbas region. With Ukrainian forces potentially withdrawing, Russian forces ceding the same amount of territory in order to create a demilitarized zone in Eastern Ukraine. "The goal would be to create a free economic zone that is not controlled by either military," Zelenskyy says.

Joining me right now on what this means and adds to this long negotiation is Evelyn Farkas, a former deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. It's good to see you, Evelyn. Thanks for being here.

EVELYN FARKAS, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR RUSSIA, UKRAINE, AND EURASIA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE MCCAIN INSTITUTE: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: How much of a concession --

FARKAS: Likewise, Kate.

BOLDUAN: How much of a concession it is -- what President Zelenskyy is kind of putting on the table now?

[07:40:00]

FARKAS: It is a concession. I mean, he's basically saying I'm willing to cede control over a territory -- territory that I control, and I'm willing to put it up to the international community to make sure that Ukraine is secure. So he is compromising on territory, but he's also already compromised somewhat on security, as you know Kate, because he's said I'm not going to seek NATO membership for Ukraine, which is in their constitution. And he said, you know, that he would accept forces on his territory. And this demilitarized economic zone seems to me even more dicey in terms of a security guarantee for him.

So a lot of concessions are being made by Ukraine. I have yet to see any concessions on the table from Russia.

BOLDUAN: Why do you think -- I mean, one cannot get into anyone else's mind, but what do you see in terms of the conditions on the ground or the state of the negotiations? Why Zelenskyy would offer this concession up now?

FARKAS: Well, Kate, I think this is first and foremost political. President Zelenskyy wants to make sure the United States -- and that is to say President Trump -- is on his side. And so he is really bending over backwards in terms of flexibility, trying to show that Ukraine is a good -- a good, you know, honest broker in this whole process. Ukraine wants peace, for sure, and that's what he's trying to demonstrate to President Trump.

The problem, of course, is that Russia is hellbent on, you know, achieving its maximalist goal, which is full control over Ukraine. So there is some risk to Zelenskyy because I think he's compromising so much so that if Moscow were to accept this deal it contains a lot of danger for him. But, you know, unfortunately, Moscow doesn't want to compromise yet. We don't see signs of that.

But I think for mostly -- to answer your question, for President Zelenskyy, this is about making sure that the United States stays, you know, neutral or ideally for him, of course, on Ukraine's side.

BOLDUAN: With a demilitarized zone, is this -- do you think that this is something that Putin would agree to? Kind of the parameters around this.

FARKAS: If he agreed to it, Kate, it wouldn't be in good faith. This is -- you know, President Putin has agreed to lots of ceasefires. You know, frozen conflicts. I mean, there are Russian troops, you know, in Moldova because of a frozen conflict. You know, there are Russian troops in Georgia right now. That's a frozen conflict in that country.

So, you know, Russia could conceivably agree to a ceasefire. Russia could agree to some kind of demilitarized zone. The problem is that for Russia, it would only be a ceasefire. It would not be a real peace solution.

And what Ukraine needs and what we need, frankly -- what the international community needs and what President Trump is after is a durable peace. And for that, I have a hard time seeing this president, right now -- President Putin, right now, agreeing without further pressure being put on him to agree to a real durable peace.

BOLDUAN: And that's the thing. The condition -- that set of conditions has not changed, which is the real pressure to get Vladimir Putin to the table. So why would -- no matter what is offered up, other than everything, why would he then feel the -- like it -- he has the need or desire to even come to the table.

I saw one analyst, Evelyn, based out of Kyiv putting it this way. For the Kremlin, discussing the Trump peace plan is purely a tactical game played with the U.S. to maintain constructive relations with the current American president and basically nothing more.

Do you see that?

FARKAS: Yeah. I mean, Kate, it's the same thing on the Russian side. You asked me why is Zelenskyy bending over backwards. Why is he so flexible. It's Putin is not flexible, but he knows that he needs to keep the conversation going.

And frankly, what Putin is doing is trying to live to fight another day. Because while, of course, we know thing are grave on the Ukrainian side, the Ukrainians will fight to the last child, you know. They -- this -- for them, this is existential.

On the Russian side, Putin doesn't want to call for a full-scale mobilization because this war is not popular. And the economics in Russia are really getting worse in terms of the gasoline lines -- lines for the people of Russia to fill up their cars. In addition to that, the cost of living is increasing in Russia. Inflation is something that Putin has been having trouble maintaining -- you know, maintaining control over.

And so time is not on Russia's side. I mean, Putin faces some stark choices. But he wants to just kind of live to fight another day and hope that the United States will force Ukraine to make a concession that's so deep that Russian can president it to its people. But the biggest concession that he wants is all the territory that he doesn't control anymore, and that's a no-go for the Ukrainians, of course.

[07:45:10]

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

While I have you, Evelyn, on this news overnight of Christmas Day strikes that were carried out by the U.S. military on ISIS targets in Nigeria. The president's -- President Trump's social media post announcing the operation. He said, "I've previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians there would be hell to pay, and tonight there was."

The Nigerian foreign minister, though, was on CNN earlier and made clear that while, yes, this was a coordinated and a cooperative effort between the United States and Nigeria -- what he said -- he was, like, this is not a -- this is not about religion. This is not a Christian- Muslim problem.

What do you see here?

FARKAS: Yeah. I mean, I -- look, this is -- Kate, in a sense, this is a continuation of the war on terrorism started under President George W. Bush, continued under President Obama. And the authorities that Congress granted in 2001 apply to Boko Haram, to ISIS, to these particular terrorist organizations. So it's consistent in that sense.

The problem is what the foreign minister and his adviser also have pointed out in other media accounts that it's not a religious war per se. That there are Muslims who are also being persecuted by the terrorists. So it's not a religious war.

And I think we don't want the American people to get the wrong idea. They might then support this not because we're fighting terrorists but because we're somehow in a religious war. And we need to be honest about why in the name of the United States we are killing these terrorists. We're killing them because terrorists are coming at us in the United States, as we know from recent attacks, and at our allies. And we need to make sure that we keep an eye on and keep them under control.

As you know -- what was it, last week, when we lost several members of our military in Syria to ISIS terrorists.

So this is an ongoing threat. The president needs to speak clearly to the American people about what the threat is because otherwise he risks losing support once the American people realize it's not a religious war.

BOLDUAN: Yeah. A long history of many examples of the need for clear -- clarity and truth -- and truth around the pretenses of a war. We could go down the list.

Evelyn, it's good to see you. Thank you very much. I really appreciate your time --

FARKAS: Yes.

BOLDUAN: -- this morning. Thank you.

FARKAS: Thank you, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Thank you.

So coming up for us, a trunk full of gifts is not a surprising image this holiday season, but what police found when they unwrapped them landed the driver in jail.

And "Home Alone" playing out in real life. A 12-year-old boy saves his family's Christmas after an alleged burglar breaks in.

(COMMERCIAL)

[07:51:55]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Another person has died after that explosive UPS plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky last month. The latest victim, Alain Rodriguez Colina has severe injuries and died on Christmas Day, bringing the death toll to 15. That plane crash just after takeoff in early November. Three pilots were on board and 11 people on the ground were all killed that day. A preliminary report from the NTSB said hardware that kept the left engine attached to the plane failed.

All right. A man trapped for days after falling through a floor of a vacant Rhode Island mill has been rescued by firefighters. Officials say the 36-year-old plunged 12 feet. The man says he's homeless and told fire officials he had been trapped since Wednesday evening. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Now to California. About 40 miles outside of Los Angeles, a hiker is safe after a dramatic helicopter rescue. The man says he became stranded on Christmas Eve in dangerous weather when a swollen creek in Simi Valley made it impossible for him to get across. This all happening -- and you can see what happened next. Video shows the hiker being lifted into a helicopter and flown to safety. He was fine. Crews say this was one of several flood-related calls that they handled that day.

And it's a wrap, literally, for a suspect on a Christmas drug run in Kentucky. A canine officer alerted cops during a traffic stop. They ended up searching the driver's trunk and finding more than 55 pounds of methamphetamine disguised as Christmas presents. According to court documents, the man admitted to investigators he was traveling from Iowa to traffic the drugs.

And you may have watched "Home Alone" over the holidays one time or another, but one 12-year-old boy practically lived it. He was home alone when he heard the kitchen window break and footsteps inside his house. A burglar had broken in and was walking from room to room. The young boy -- a smart kid -- quickly snuck out of the house through a back window and called police. And police managed to arrive within a three-minute period of time and caught the suspect.

All right. Fans waiting years for the final episode of "STRANGER THINGS" forced to wait just a bit longer after Netflix crashed Christmas Day when the platform dropped three episodes of a popular show and that caused the crash. Fans took to social media. They were not happy. They were airing their grievances even though it wasn't Festivus. And Netflix eventually got "ELEVEN" back on screens -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: It's always Festivus, let's be honest. Have you ever been -- if you've been in the news business long enough, people, it's always Festivus.

Let's turn to this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

BOLDUAN: Speaking -- exactly.

Cases of the flu are on the rise in a big way across the country. You probably know this because someone you know and love probably has it. And when the flu season peaks, Tamiflu is often the medication that many grab for first. This flu season it's not your only option. There is more help out there.

[07:55:05]

CNN's Jacqueline Howard has this one for us. This is very helpful for so many, Jacqueline. What are the other treatments out there that are proving effective this season?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER (via Webex by Cisco): Yeah, Kate. Well, this flu season the CDC recommends four antiviral drugs.

One of them is Tamiflu, which like you said, it's already widely used. Many people already know about it. It's approved for nearly everyone two weeks old and older. And it's typically taken over the course of five days, twice daily, either in pill form or liquid form.

But the three other antiviral drugs that are also recommended -- one is called Relenza. This is typically inhaled in powder form. It's approved for ages seven and older.

The other is Rapivab. It's an IV infusion. It's approved for ages six months and older.

And then there is also Xofluza. Now this is a single-dose pill so you just take it once and you should be good to go. And it's approved for ages five and older.

Now, it's important for anyone with flu symptoms to test quickly. If you test positive, then speak with your doctor because all of those antivirals -- they are prescription medications, so your doctor would have to prescribe them. And they work best when taken within 48 hours after your symptoms begin, Kate.

BOLDUAN: I'm hearing a lot about Xofluza recently. It seems it's becoming more and more popular.

HOWARD: Yes.

BOLDUAN: What is driving that?

HOWARD: Yeah. It's really becoming more popular because it's a single- dose pill. So again, you take it once you're good to go. Some people also have fewer symptoms -- I mean, side effects with it. Now, the side effects are different than with Tamiflu. Both of those medications may cause nausea. But Tamiflu is typically associated with vomiting and Xofluza is typically associated with diarrhea.

There are differences in cost as well. Tamiflu does tend to cost less, but with Xofluza you can have the option of seeing if you can use a manufacturer coupon to lessen the cost.

And then with both medications, whether Tamiflu or Xofluza, because those tend to be the two most popular, they're also both prophylactic. So that means if you've been exposed to flu -- let's say someone in your household has been diagnosed with the flu, then your doctor may prescribe Tamiflu or Xofluza to reduce your risk of getting sick as well.

So those are benefits with both medications also, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely.

Thank you so much, Jacqueline. Very helpful information for everyone this season -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right. Thank you, Kate. When relationships end some couples fight over custody of the children, but what about custody of pets? Now lawmakers in Mexico have passed a law to resolve the question of who gets the dog.

CNN's Valeria Leon has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): In Mexico City, pets are no longer considered mere property in the case of a breakup. A new reform to the civil code now treats dogs and cats as family members, allowing judges to grant custody when couples separate.

For Leslie and David that change reflects a decision they made on their own. Even six months after they split, they're still connected not by legal paperwork but by the three dogs they adopted during their five-year relationship.

LESLIE: (Speaking foreign language).

LEON (voiceover): Leslie says it wasn't based on convenience but on the emotional bond each dog had with its caregiver.

DAVID: (Speaking foreign language).

LEON (voiceover): David agreed. "Any decision," he says, "had to cost the least amount of emotional stress possible for their dogs."

And that approach prioritizing the animals' well-being is exactly what lawmakers say that was missing in many breakups.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).

LEON (voiceover): Ledesma (PH) says that behavior is far more common than cases like Leslie and David's.

In many separations dogs and cats become bargaining tools used as leverage or to cause emotional damage. That pattern is what prompted Congress to act.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

LEON (voiceover): Lawmakers approved the reform known as "Who Gets the Dog," which formally recognizes animals in divorce cases. Under the law, judges can grant full or shared custody. And just like in child custody cases, failure to comply with the judge's decision can carry legal consequences.

And while the law is meant to resolve disagreements, for Leslie and David it confirms something they already knew -- that sometimes love means letting go and putting the dogs first.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)