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Impact Of Omicron Variant On Holiday Travel In U.S.; Omicron Cases Surge, Straining Health Care System; China Imposes Strict Rules Amid COVID Outbreak In Xi'an; China Reports 162 Local Cases Across 5 Provinces; Asia-Pacific Countries Delay Reopening As Cases Rise; Remembering The Legacy Of Late Anti-Apartheid Activist. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 27, 2021 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[01:00:19]
ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Hong Kong, welcome to our viewers here -- there in the United States and around the world. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. Ahead on CNN Newsroom.
The Omicron surge spreads chaos as airlines canceled flights in countries around the world impose new instructions. Democrats in the U.S. work to salvage whatever they can over President Biden's agenda, as inflation skyrockets. And the legacy of Desmond Tutu resonates as the world remembers the iconic voice that helped end apartheid.
We begin this hour with the growing concern of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in the United States. It's driving daily COVID infections to highs not seen since last January. And as cases spread, so does the demand for tests. Americans are facing a shortage of at- home kits.
And this is the scene at testing sites across the country. Long lines with people often having to wait hours to get tested. The White House is facing increased criticism over its handling of COVID testing. Here's what top health expert Dr. Anthony Fauci had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We should be using testing much more extensively than we have, even in a situation where you have people who are vaccinated or boosted. But the situation where you have such a high demand, a conflation of events, Omicron stirring people to get appropriately concerned and wanting to get tested as well as the fact of the run-on tests during the holiday season.
We've, obviously, got to do better. I mean, I think things will improve greatly as we get into January, but that doesn't help us today and tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COREN: All this is causing major disruptions during what is typically one of the busiest travel days of the year. On Sunday, nearly 1,500 flights were canceled as staff and crew continued to call out sick due to the Omicron surge.
CNN's Nadia Romero has more from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
NADIA ROMERO, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Yes, some frustration here at Atlanta's airport here at Hartsfield-Jackson for some travelers whose flights were delayed or canceled. One woman told me that her flight was canceled from Atlanta to Wyoming and she was hoping to get back because she asked to go back to work and get back to her normal routine. But that just can't happen because of that canceled flight.
That flight one of more than thousand flights canceled on Sunday alone, bringing the total this weekend to about 2,000 flights. That's just domestic. And you add thousands more when you talk about international travel. But for some people they said despite all the cancelations delays, they've been checking their phone. And when their flight was able to be on time, they came to the airport they said they weren't going to miss it because they haven't seen family and friends since before the pandemic two years ago.
Listen to them talk about that experience of finally being able to get back home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This was my in-laws, it's the first time I've seen them in about two years. So yes, it's been a while and saw my mom over Thanksgiving first time in two years. I got my booster shot. That was first and foremost. I was due for it, so I got that. Been wearing my mask.
And I actually ended up switching my seat to be next to one person instead of three other people. So just to keep my distance. So, yes, my whole family is vaccinated and we felt safe. It was just immediate family, just like 10 people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMERO: Now TSA tells us that screening through their security checkpoints is down this holiday season, Christmas and Christmas Eve, compared to the same time period back in 2019. So pre-pandemic levels, and it contribute some of that to the coronavirus, the Omicron variant that is spreading rapidly with cases that we're seeing rising across the country and also all of the thousands of cancelations and delays.
Nadia Romero, CNN, Atlanta.
COREN: Well joining me now is Dr. Scott Miscovich, a U.S. consultant for COVID-19 and President and CEO of Premier Medical Group USA. Dr. Mickiewicz, seasons greetings to you and your family. Great to have you with us.
DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PREMIER MEDICAL GROUP USA: Thank you, Anna.
COREN: Omicron is spreading at lightning speed across the U.S. as you well know, sending daily caseload soaring to levels higher than last winter's pandemic peak. Are you concerned that this will overload the country's health system considering only what, 62 percent of the population is fully vaccinated?
MISCOVICH: Absolutely, we are totally concerned that our health system may be pushed to the brink. You know right now, our health system is about 75 percent of the beds are full.
[01:05:06]
We have about 25 percent of our -- or 25 of our 50 states have their ICU capacity, upwards of 85 percent. Those are serious numbers. And we are just starting to see the numbers of hospital beds occupied by COVID go from 40,000 or so in November. Now it's approaching 80,000.
And we are just starting to reflect the hospital admissions. Remember, they lag about 14 days after the counts go up. And the numbers in the U.S. are soaring. So we are very concerned about it.
COREN: As you well know, doctors are burnt out. They've been fighting, you know, against COVID now for two years. If there is a surge in hospitalizations, will the system be able to cope?
MISCOVICH: I don't think so. I mean, we already have -- I think at least five states have FEMA and National Guard that are helping to staff their hospitals. And there are more requests that are coming up that can't be handled until January.
Now, the real concern is, you know, we talked about this -- what we like to say it's still a bit of a myth for people saying, oh, it's mild, don't worry about it. We still have questions about that. But the fact is, because the rise is vertical, even if 25 percent less people get hospitalized because the numbers are going up exponentially, it's going to overwhelm our health system in a very short period of time.
So it's the speed of the rise of Omicron which is threatening our health system. Remember, we've lost almost 20 percent of our nurses across the United States over the last 18 months. So it's a real challenge.
COREN: Dr. Scott Miscovich, as always, great to get your insight. Thanks so much for joining us.
MISCOVICH: Thanks for having me, Anna.
COREN: Well, it's not just the U.S., the Omicron variant is fueling surges in COVID cases around the world. That includes Europe where many countries bringing back strict lockdown measures. Barbie Nadeau has our report from Rome.
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: A surge in coronavirus cases fueled by the Omicron variant has led to new restrictions across Europe ahead of New Year celebrations. In France, which logged more than 100,000 cases in a single day on Christmas Eve, restrictions will mean no fireworks for New Year's Eve in Paris.
In Italy, which logged nearly 55,000 new infections in a single day, New Year's Eve concerts and outdoor gatherings have also been canceled and nightclubs will be closed all month. Spain and Italy now also require masks to be worn outdoors.
Belgium has closed movie theaters. And in Germany, sporting events will be held without fans. Some European countries now require visitors from within Europe to be tested for COVID before departing. In Greece, visitors have to test a few days after arrival as well.
Elsewhere across Europe, spikes in cases have led to closures, cancelations, and curfews as governments do anything they can to avoid locking down entirely.
Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.
COREN: In Singapore, COVID positive strangers are now being forced to share hotel rooms during quarantine. Officials say the move is necessary to optimize capacity in quarantine hotels. While Singapore's case numbers have actually gone down since early December, concerns about the Omicron variant prompted officials to pause reopening plans.
Meanwhile, China is using strict lockdowns to fight local outbreaks hoping to prevent a surge ahead of the Winter Olympics. For more, CNN's Steven Jiang joins us live from Beijing. And Steven, let's start in Shanxi province, the epicentre of the latest COVID outbreak. How are authorities tackling this?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Anna, they're tackling this in the most stringent way possible, something we really hadn't seen since the peak of the pandemic in this country when Wuhan was still the epicenter. As you said, since last week, the authorities in Xi'an have confined the cities 13 -- 13 million resident mostly to their homes with a few exceptions, such as allowing each household to send out one representative every other day to do grocery shopping.
But even that privilege, if you will, has just been suspended according to the latest local news reports because they have just begun another round of city-wide testing. Now this, of course, by now is part of their familiar playbook of mass testing, mass quarantine and extensive contact tracing.
Now local officials and the media have blamed this outbreak to a flight from Pakistan because the earliest case was detected among a hotel worker at a quarantine facility. But still there are some unanswered questions because there are still some gaps in tracing that a lot of the other parts of this chain of transmission that's, obviously, a major source of concern which may explain some of the router over-the-top measures they have adopted in Xi'an including disinfecting the entire city by spraying disinfectants with officials warning residents not to open their windows and doors and not to touch anything outside in terms of surfaces and plants, even though the effectiveness of this campaign has been questioned by China's own health experts.
[01:10:19]
But, as you mentioned, as we draw closer and closer to the Winter Olympics here to be held in Beijing in about a month and a half, nobody wants to take chances. That's why you already see 26 local officials in Xi'an being reprimanded for a dereliction of duty.
And the biggest question right now hanging above not just the residence of Xi'an but the whole country is whether or not people could actually travel home during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday in late January, early February because as you know, for many, if they couldn't do this, that would mean for the second or even third year in a row they would -- they wouldn't be able to travel home to see their loved ones during their only time off in the entire year. Anna?
COREN: Yes, that certainly would be tough. Steven Jiang joining us from Beijing, many thanks for the update.
Well joining me now is Karen Grepin. She is an associate professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Grepin, great to have you with us. You, obviously, are based here in Hong Kong, which as we know has very strict, if not, draconian quarantine measures. But I guess due to these measures, you know, Hong Kong has managed to catch COVID cases at the border or in quarantine.
I guess many fear it's just a matter of time before Omicron gets into the community. What are your thoughts on that?
KAREN GREPIN, ASSOC. PROF., SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: Yes, I think these are definitely heating up right now in Hong Kong in terms of the number of imported cases. Every imported case is risk and that it has the possibility of getting into the community. But at the same time, as you said, we have some very rigorous border control measures in place here in Hong Kong, and thus far, have proven to be successful in terms of keeping this out.
I think the next couple of weeks are going to be critical in terms of us whether we succeed or not in keeping this out of the community. But the measures that we do have in place are amongst some of the most rigorous in the world, and we hope that they should be enough to keep cases out of the community.
COREN: Are you concerned about the vaccination rate here, which is still shy of 70 percent?
GREPIN: Yes, I'm actually very concerned about the vaccination right here in Hong Kong. 70 percent doesn't sound that bad. But when you look at the distribution of it, it's actually quite depressing. Less than 20 percent of those over the age of 80, meaning those that are the most critical to be vaccinated haven't actually been vaccinated yet. So if a case were to get into the community here in Hong Kong, it could spell disaster in terms of overloading of our hospitals, and the number of cases and mortality that we would experience.
COREN: Well, the Omicron variant, which is I guess, ripping through parts of the world, most of the world is highly transmissible, but I guess the severity is questionable. There's data out of Scotland, England, South Africa, that suggests that it's less serious illness that comes from Omicron compared to its predecessors, but the concern is will people become complacent?
GREPIN: Yes. I mean, I think there is an open question about how severe this is. The problem is, of course, today that we're looking at the virus spreading and populations that have been exposed to the virus, that have seen high rates of vaccination. For here in -- for us here in Hong Kong, I think we have a lot of reasons to worry about this new strain of the virus.
We don't have any previous exposure to any of the variants of the virus. And as we've discussed already, vaccination rates amongst the most vulnerable are very low. So I think it's very dangerous to start saying that this is going to be mild. It could be very severe in places like Hong Kong, which have low rates of vaccination, and having experienced the virus in the past.
COREN: Dr. Grepin, countries in Asia are now delaying the border reopenings, easing travel restrictions due to the development of Omicron. Singapore, Japan, Thailand and New Zealand just to name a few. I mean, how much longer do you think they will delay the reopenings? And don't we have to learn to live with the virus?
GREPIN: Yes. I mean, it's interesting because just a couple months ago, the same countries are the ones that were saying that they were going to start living with the virus, and were gradually starting to reopen their borders. And then, of course, this new variants of the viruses come along. And so it has given a lot of these places reason to pause.
And I think there's some value in that, in that I think it allows for countries to assess the situation a bit better, also allows for the countries to perhaps prepare for what's likely to be a very big surge in the number of cases. But I think what you're pointing at is is quite correct. And that it's probably inevitable that this virus will get into these communities, regardless of what types of measures they have.
[01:15:02]
It's quite likely that it's already in most of these places that have already opened up. And so it's a question of how long it will be able to delay it. Probably a couple of weeks, but it's unlikely to be able to avoid it altogether.
COREN: We know that China has gone from the zero COVID policy, it's closed its borders, and has closed its borders now for -- going on almost two years. We know there's this outbreak that's been reported in Shanxi province, they've locked down Xi'an, a city of 13 million people. But given what we know about Omicron and how transmissible it is, is it realistic to maintain this zero COVID strategy?
GREPIN: China has been incredibly successful over two years. You know, they have developed a playbook that has allowed them to squash out any localized outbreaks. And they're trying that again now. I think it's possible to look at this out of control but we've never really tested it with these more virulent strains like Omicron. And so it's unclear how successful it will be.
But I, you know, I think there's still a possibility that the things that they are putting into place will get this under control. The longer term question, of course, is how long do they want to maintain this zero COVID strategy is really not clear. And I think it's an open question about how long any country could sustain this over the long run.
COREN: Well it's great to get your insight and perspective from Hong Kong. Dr. Karen Grepin joining us from Hong Kong U, many thanks.
GREPIN: Thank you.
COREN: The world mourns the passing of a human rights icon, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu. We'll take a closer look at his life and legacy after the break.
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COREN: Condolences are pouring in from around the world following the death of South African anti-apartheid activist and human rights leader Archbishop Desmond Tutu. U.S. President Joe Biden sent condolences, tweeting, "We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of a true servant of God and of the people."
Pope Francis described Tutu's work as service to the Gospel through the promotion of racial equality and reconciliation. And Queen Elizabeth told of his great warmth and humor during their meetings.
Our Robyn Curnow has more now on Desmond Tutu, but first here's South Africa's President on the passing of his fellow countrymen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: Archbishop Desmond Tutu was one of our nation's finest patriots. He was a man of unwavering courage, of principled conviction, and whose life was spent in the service of others. He, in many ways, embodied the essence of our humanity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While inmate, Nelson Mandela was the face of South Africa's liberation struggle, Archbishop Desmond Tutu was its voice.
DESMOND TUTU, SOUTH AFRICAN PRIEST: To thank for you, continue in this country. Continue --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amen.
TUTU: Continue in the struggle to make South Africa free.
REV. FRANK CHIKANE, FMR. HEAD, SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES: Because it's Desmond Tutu because it's Desmond Tutu speaking, he's got a way of reaching out to people. He makes it light, even when it is tough, makes people laugh, even when they are mourning. And and he's able to inspire people and knew exactly what to say at the right moment.
CURNOW (voice-over): When he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, the anti-apartheid movement was under attack. The minority government had banned the African National Congress and imprisoned its leaders. It was the clergy led by Tutu that stepped in to fill the void.
A decade later, the struggle paid off when South Africa held its very first democratic election in 1994.
(on-camera): For you in your life, what do you think has been the greatest thing you've ever done?
TUTU: Well, I say to people, that my happiest moment was when I was told I am a father for the first time. When our son was born, I was on cloud nine. A close second to that is 1994, when I was standing on the balcony of the city hall, overlooking the grand parade, and introducing Nelson Mandela to that crowd, to South Africa, to the world.
Ladies and gentleman, friends, fellows of African, I ask you, welcome our brand new state president, (INAUDIBLE) Nelson Mandela.
I actually said to God, Oh God, I don't mind if I die now.
CURNOW (voice-over): As a new Democracy took hold in South Africa, Tutu was again called on to lead. In 1995, President Nelson Mandela appointed him as chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In front of a nation, desperate to heal. A man never afraid to speak his mind, wasn't afraid to show his emotion either.
GRACA MACHEL, CO-FOUNDER, "THE ELDERS": He is a person whose life was always dedicated to others. And the thing that has enriched in him also in knowing how to connect to different kinds of people, different status, but he connected very, very, very well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We owe our freedom to extraordinary people.
CURNOW (voice-over): In 2007, he joined a group of prominent world leaders called The Elders. Their mission, focusing the world's attention on all forms of injustices.
CURNOW (on-camera): Any regrets, sir?
TUTU: Being maybe too abrasive. And because I was right, so easily becoming self-righteous.
CURNOW (on-camera): For you to say that? [01:25:01]
TUTU: Yes. Yes. You know, we knew we were right. But it was so easy for that to turn and you get to feel you're better than your opponent, whereas you aren't. You're all God's children.
CURNOW (voice-over): Tutu officially retired from public life in 2010, but remained in the public eye. A man unafraid of criticism and threats from an apartheid government. Before his 80th birthday celebration in 2011, Tutu lashed out at the South African government for denying the Dalai Lama a visa.
TUTU: One day, we will start praying for the defeat of the ANC government. You are disgraceful. I want to warn you, you are behaving in a way that is totally at variance with the things for which we stood.
CURNOW (voice-over): The country's moral compass with a voice to match.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Archbishop Desmond Tutu was 90 years old. In the coming hours, we'll have more on the man and his work, along with global reaction to his death. Please stay with CNN.
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ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Anna Coren live from Hong Kong.
Talks on U.S. President Joe Biden's Build Back Better legislation remain stalled after Senator Joe Manchin said he wouldn't support it over inflation concerns. U.S. prices have been rising at the fastest rate in decades. But some economists say the plan would have a marginal effect on inflation and the pandemic is a bigger threat.
Well, here is what one critic of the legislation had to say.
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SENATOR ROY BLUNT (R-MO): I think the biggest challenge that families are facing right now is the inflation. Inflation numbers as high as they've been in four decades.
Obviously we want to get people back to work. There are jobs available. People are trying to get people to come and work with them and make the country function economically. We can't solve every problem by just dropping money on top of more money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: But the White House has signaled that Mr. Biden is not giving up on the legislation, and a key Democrat says the party is open to breaking the plan up into smaller stand-alone bills.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the details from Washington.
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christmas came and went, and President Biden still doesn't have that key piece of his domestic policy agenda secured. That's the Build Back Better Act, which the president had hoped to pass in time for Christmas.
But instead that has been pushed back to early 2022 after Senator Joe Manchin last week said that he could not support that bill in its current form.
Now we know that those conversations though have resumed between the White House and Senator Manchin's office. President Biden saying just days ago that he believes that he can still get large chunks of that bill pushed through Congress. How exactly, though, appears unclear.
Senator Ben Cardin though, one of those members of the Democratic Caucus in the Senate, weighing in on how it might get done. Listen.
MIKE EMANUEL, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Are Democrats open to scaling it back even more or passing various pieces as standalones? Maybe attracting Senator Manchin or even some GOP on some of these issues?
SENATOR BEN CARDIN (D-MD): Well, that's a strategy decision that's being negotiated. We are open to a way to reach the finish line. We want to make it as comprehensive as possible because the needs are just there.
DIAMOND: Getting that bill done in smaller bills though will be challenging given that Democrats need to use that reconciliation vehicle if they want to pass anything without any Republican support.
Ultimately, though, one thing is clear, and that is that different factions of the Democratic party want to move forward and try and find a way to get large chunks of this bill passed.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, the head of the Progressive Caucus writing in an opinion piece in the "Washington Post" on Sunday that she wants to continue working towards getting this bill done and getting something as close to that framework that Democrats had previously agreed to as possible.
Meanwhile, Senator Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader has said that Democrats in the Senate will indeed vote on that Build Back Better Act in early 2022. He has not though, officially set a date for that.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN -- the White House.
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COREN: Well, as the White House looks for a way forward on Build Back Better, it's also working to address other issues affecting Americans, including high prices and product shortages.
Vice President Kamala Harris explains how.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Short-term solution includes what we need to do around the supply chain, right? So, we went to the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Savannah, Georgia, and said, hey, guys, no more five days a week, eight hours a day. 24/7 we have to move the products because people need their -- they need what they need.
We're dealing with it in terms of the long term. And that's about what we need to do to pass Build Back Better. It strengthens our economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: The White House says that push for round-the-clock port operations definitely helped with progress reported in the leadup to Christmas.
A Colorado court is set to hold a hearing in the coming hours as it's being asked to reconsider a lengthy prison sentence for a truck driver convicted in a 2019 fatal crash.
CNN's Lucy Kafanov has the details from Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the district attorney is now asking the court to reconsider that lengthy 110-year prison sentence for Rogel Aguilera-Mederos, potentially reducing it to 20 or 30 years.
[01:34:51]
KAFANOV: Just to remind viewers, Mederos was 23 years old at the time of the incident. He was driving at 85 miles an hour, his brakes failed. He was convicted of vehicular homicide, among other charges.
The D.A. is not looking to overturn the conviction. In fact, the D.A., Alexis King, said that Mederos made multiple choices that resulted in the death of four people as well as serious injury to others, and adding that the shorter sentence, quote, "reflects an appropriate outcome for that conduct".
Now at issue are Colorado mandatory minimum sentencing laws that require sentences to be served out consecutively rather than concurrently, which is how Mederos ended up with more than a century behind bars.
Even the judge who sentenced him said at the time, quote, "If I had the discretion, it would not be my sentence." Several Colorado lawmakers now calling for legal reforms. Take a listen.
ALEX VALDEZ (D-CO), U.S. STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Our system here at this building has created a situation where a judge at their own discretion who doesn't want to issue a sentence has had to issue that sentence.
What we hope to achieve is reforms. That's really what this is all about. We have to reform a system that is creating a situation where we are creating more victims of our justice system. We have to do that now.
KAFANOV: Mederos himself was emotional during the sentencing, saying that he never intended to hurt anyone. The case sparking international and national concern. Nearly 5 million people signing a petition asking the Colorado governor to reduce or overturn this sentence. His office telling CNN that he is currently reviewing the clemency request.
Lucy Kafanov, CNN -- Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: At least one official says deadly floods hitting eastern Brazil are unprecedented. Why conditions there could get even worse. That's coming up.
[01:36:40]
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COREN: At least 18 people are dead and thousands left homeless as heavy floods hit parts of Brazil.
Stefano Pozzebon reports on the crisis from neighboring Colombia.
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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: Torrential rains and floods left more than a dozen deaths and hundreds of injured in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia over the weekend.
Bahia is one of Brazil's poorest states, and the entire northeastern region had been suffering from a drought in the year so far.
But the state's Governor Rui Costa said to reporters that tens of cities have been impacted by the catastrophic damage caused by the floods.
GOVERNOR RUI COSTA, BAHIA, BRAZIL (through translator): This is a massive tragedy. I can't remember seeing anything like this in Bahia's recent history, given the amount of cities and houses involved. It's truly terrifying. There are so many houses and streets that are completely underwater.
POZZEBON: The state's civil protection agency said that at least 16,000 people have been left homeless, and thousands more displaced by the floods.
The local meteorological service is forecasting even more rain through Monday and Tuesday, potentially inflicting even more damage on the population already impacted by the disaster. For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon -- Bogota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: In the U.K. a man accused of breaking into the grounds of the Windsor Castle has been detained under the Mental Health Act. The 19- year old was taken into custody Christmas morning. And police reportedly found a crossbow while searching him.
Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family were inside the castle celebrating Christmas when he was arrested. While rare, it's not the first time an intruder has been caught on palace grounds.
Famously, a man named Michael Fagan managed to sneak into the Queen's bedroom back in 1982. The scene was even recreated in the Netflix series "The Crown".
Then in 2003, a comedian managed to gate crash Prince William's birthday party. And the next year, an intruder dressed as Batman snuck by security to stage a protest on a palace balcony.
Well now for a check of other stories that we're following from around the world.
At least eight people are dead after a suicide bomber targeted a bar in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Christmas day as people gathered to celebrate. A government spokesman says 20 others were wounded. In a Twitter post, The president of the DRC says he strongly condemns the attack.
Negotiations on reviving the Iran nuclear deal will resume in Austria in the coming hours. According to Iran state media, the country's foreign minister doesn't find the position of some European countries constructive to the talks.
Negotiations have made little progress since they resumed earlier this month after a five-month pause. The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization told Russian media that Tehran doesn't intend to enrich uranium beyond the 60 percent level, even if sanctions are not lifted.
Well, three members of the K-pop group BTS have tested positive for COVID-19. The group recently returned to South Korea from a U.S. Tour. Big Hit Music said RM tested negative on December 17th, but positive on Saturday before his scheduled release from quarantine.
And Jin felt flu-like symptoms and tested positive Saturday. Suga was the first to test positive on Friday. All three had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Another year, another Hollywood scandal or several. After the break we'll look at the good, the bad, and the ugly in the world of entertainment in 2021.
[01:44:15]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COREN: Well, the headlines weren't all pretty for the stars of stage and screen in 2021. From deadly accidents to demands for change, and a pop icon finally free to live life on her own terms.
CNN's Stephanie Elam looks at the biggest entertainment stories of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From Adele's giant return to "Jeopardy's" host in jeopardy --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Players, here's the clue.
ELAM: -- and Alec Baldwin at the center of a Hollywood tragedy, here's at the look at the top entertainment stories of 2021.
Number 10 -- the Kim and Kanye split.
KIM KARDASHIAN, REALITY STAR: I want to be happy.
ELAM: After seven years of marriage, Kim Kardashian files for divorce from rapper Kanye West citing irreconcilable differences.
KARDASHIAN: I don't think we (INAUDIBLE) someone that can go support his every move.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
KARDASHIAN: Go follow him all over the place and move to Wyoming. I can't do that.
ELAM: It began with Kanye's elaborate proposal in a rented baseball stadium. Parts of the 2014 wedding airing on E!'s "Keeping Up with the Kardashians". The split also airing on the show.
KARDASHIAN: I feel like a (INAUDIBLE) loser.
ELAM: Which like Kim-Ye made a good run (ph) this year after 14 years.
Number 9 --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A shocker when it comes to best actor.
ELAM: Anthony Hopkins wins Best Actor for "The Father", stunning Oscar producers who were so confident the late Chadwick Boseman would win.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't need nobody messing with you about the whites.
ELAM: They moved the Best Actor category to the end of the show.
ANTHONY HOPKINS, ACTOR: I really did not expect this.
[01:49:50]
ELAM: Hopkins wasn't on hand, leaving the critically-panned telecast to end abruptly and Hopkins to honor Boseman later on social media.
HOPKINS: I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who was taken from us far to early.
ELAM: Number 8 -- the Astroworld concert stampede.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've never been in such chaos, like so unorganized and just so many people slamming into me.
ELAM: One of the year's top news stories also rocking the entertainment world.
TRAVIS SCOTT, RAPPER: I could just never imagine the severity of the situation.
ELAM: With Astroworld headliner Travis Scott and concert promoters facing scrutiny for not stopping the show as the crowd surged killing ten.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could feel, you know, myself losing the ability to breathe.
ELAM: Scott said he wasn't aware of major problems during the show --
SCOTT: What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is this?
ELAM: -- and denied legal liability in response to scores of lawsuits against him. But the tragedy has the industry considering change.
SCOT: I definitely want to, you know, step in to figure out how could we fix this in the future.
ELAM: Number 7 -- a Grammy boycott. The Weekend calls the Grammys corrupt after his smash album "After Hours" is shut out of the nominations. Not even his hit single "Blinding Lights" was honored. The Grammys said the omission wasn't intentional and later dumped controversial nominating committees that govern the final nominees, relying on a popular vote among the recording academy.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a history-making night for Beyonce, Taylor Swift.
ELAM: The show went on where women reigned supreme with Beyonce nabbing her 28th Grammy, a record for a female artist.
Number 6 -- the return of Adele. Her album "30" becomes the fastest selling album of the year, besting every other title in just three days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think all day people are going to go -- eee -- that's all you're going to hear.
ELAM: After a six-year absence, fans can't get enough of Adele as roughly 10 million people tuned into her CBS special, which included a concert and an Oprah interview.
ADELE, SINGER: I'm nearing my goal of like finding my happiness.
ELAM: And as if that weren't enough, Adele announced a 2022 Vegas residency, becoming the hottest ticket on the strip.
Number 5 -- The "Jeopardy!" host controversy. After a high profile search for Alex Trebek's replacement --
ALEX TREBEK, JEOPARDY HOST: Welcome to "Jeopardy!"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A fun final "Jeopardy!" category --
ELAM: "Jeopardy!" hired its own executive producer.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Who is Mike Richards? The answer to the question "is no longer the host of Jeopardy!"
ELAM: But then Mike Richards' past incidents from another show and his comments on a podcast resurfaced.
Richards stepped down and apologized. But the backlash continued. And less than two weeks later he gave up his executive producer role and left the show.
Number 4 -- "The Squid Game" phenomenon. The South Korean series swept the globe becoming Netflix's biggest series ever at launch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The plot hundreds of people heavily in debt enter a game to win a huge pile of cash. The downside, if the contestants lose a game, they're killed on the spot.
ELAM: Netflix says "Squid Game" was viewed by 111 million accounts in less than a month. And fan recreations like this one in the United Arab Emirates proved the show has worldwide appeal. ELAM: From BTS to "Parasite", and now "Squid Game", the South Korean
influence on entertainment seems here to stay.
Number 3 -- the box office bounces back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They all die fighting Spider-Man.
ELAM: Behind powerhouses like "Spider-Man No Way Home", "Shang Chi", and "No Time to Die", the box office emerges from the pandemic, topping $20 billion worldwide.
In North America, theaters doubled their haul over 2020, passing $4 billion, still way behind 2019's 11.4 billion. But the resurgence came with growing pains as studios used streaming platforms to pick up the slack.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Black Widow" biting back today.
ELAM: Scarlett Johansson sued Disney for releasing "Black Widow" on Disney+, the same day as theaters, alleging it would cut into her profits. Disney said it had no merit. Both sides eventually settled.
Number 2 -- the Alec Baldwin movie set shooting. The star discharged a prop gun on the set of his New Mexico western "Rust" killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring the director.
ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR: She was my friend. The day I arrived in Santa Fe to start shooting, I took her to dinner.
ELAM: Hollywood and movie fans were stunned, left to wonder how this could happen on a fictional set.
[01:54:54]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think there was some complacency on this set. And I think there are some safety issues that need to be addressed by the industry.
ELAM: As authorities investigate, speculation swelled.
BALDWIN: I let go of the hammer, bang, the gun goes.
ELAM: Baldwin sat down with ABC in a dramatic interview professing his innocence and fueling the drama over what went wrong.
BALDWIN: The gun was supposed to be empty. I was told I was handed an empty gun.
ELAM: And the number 1 entertainment story of 2021 --
CROWD: Free Britney.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When do we want it?
CROWD: Now.
ELAM: -- the Free Britney Movement and the end of Britney Spears' life in a conservatorship.
BRITNEY SPEARSM, SINGER: I'm just grateful, honestly, for each day.
ELAM: The pop star had been living a restrained life since 2008 under the tight control of her father through a conservatorship.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was so open and vulnerable. How he treated her was disgusting.
ELAM: But a "New York Times" documentary energized the Free Britney Movement and put a spotlight on the courtroom.
Fans rallied outside the L.A. courthouse until the moment they've been waiting for. Later Spears thanked her fans and shared what life feels like as a free Britney.
SPEARS: Owning an ATM card, seeing cash for the first. Being able to buy candles. It's the little things for us women but it makes a huge difference.
ELAM: And many wonder if Britney will do a sit-down interview, which just might make our list next year. We'll be covering all of the top stories, of course. From Hollywood, I'm Stephanie Elam.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Yes, that's a wrap on '21.
Well, thank you so much for watching CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Anna Coren. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Kim Brunhuber after a short break.
Stay with CNN.
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