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U.S. Advances Knockout Round; New Protests Flare Despite Pledge To Ease Restrictions; NATO Pledges Energy Infrastructure Aid To Ukraine; Biden Warns Inflation Takes Time to Return to Normal Levels; Musk Tweets iPhone Threatens to Withhold Twitter from App; Twitter Scraps COVID Misinformation Policy; Hawaii's Governor Signs Emergency Proclamation; Flooding in Parts of Lebanon; Will Smith Opens Up About Oscars Slap. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired November 30, 2022 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM.
Team USA gets their first win at the World Cup defeating Iran in their highly-anticipated and politically charged match.
In China, despite promises from the government to ease some COVID restrictions. Protesters are not keeping off the streets. And the Ukrainian foreign minister pleads for weapons faster, faster, faster at a NATO summit in Romania. We will have a live report.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us. And we begin with Tuesday's World Cup action in Qatar where the U.S. men's soccer team have gotten their first win of the tournament, beating Iran one-nil in a politically charged match in Doha. After the game the U.S. team took to Twitter to thank fans all over the world saying they felt all the love and unwavering support and American fans were not the only one celebrating.
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CHURCH: Yes. Believe it or not, there are Iranian supporting the U.S. team as well. These videos are filmed inside Iran where the ruling theocracy's brutal crackdown on protesters has some cheering for the government back team to lose.
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Well, for the highlights from Tuesday's game. Here's Don Riddell reporting from Doha. DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Team USA is marching on here at the World Cup in Qatar and this young American side will never forget the game that carried them through to the knockout rounds. On Tuesday night they beat Iran one-nil. Thanks to a brilliant and courageous goal from their biggest star Christian Pulisic. He was hurt in the process. And it was a slender win. But it was enough to ensure the USA finished second in Group B knocking Iran out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: USA. USA. It was awesome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're resilient, we keep fighting, we don't give up. And we're moving on.
YUNUS MUSAH, MIDFIELDER, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: So happy, so happy, so happy, man. So relieved after that final whistle to be able to go through knowing that you're staying here, you're not going home yet. And getting to enjoy this amazing competition.
RIDDELL: It was a night of high emotion at Al Thumama Stadium. A politically charged atmosphere played against the backdrop of the extraordinary anti-government protests, which have claimed the lives of hundreds of Iranian demonstrators on the other side of the Persian Gulf.
TYLER ADAMS, CAPTAIN, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: We support the people of Iran. And obviously the players, you know, we understand, well, we obviously don't know exactly what they're going through but we support them in all circumstances.
RIDDELL: The drama wasn't just confined to the pitch, there was tension between Iran's fans who were split between their support of the government and the uprising, which is now into a third month. Before the game began one told CNN that he wanted his team to lose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm passionate supporter of Iran. But today, unfortunately, I can't be supported off national team because of the current situation going on. And the government trying to hijack the game and a sport and using as a platform to buy the credibility and show that everything is normal. What's going on in Iran. Nothing's happened. Everybody happy, they have a daily life fun.
RIDDELL: While some anti-regime supporters had wanted their team to lose, others had wanted them to win because Iran's continued involvement in this competition would have kept the international spotlight on the protests back home. Their emotions are so conflicted.
Meanwhile, the United States march on to their first knockout game since 2014. It's a tough game next, the Netherlands on Saturday. Back to you.
CHURCH: And fans across the U.S. erupted in celebration as their team beat Iran. Many packed into bars rooting for their team. CNN's Andy Scholes has more from here in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANDY SCHOLES, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Well, the party is on for team USA fans here at Fado Irish Pub in Atlanta after a huge win to move on to the round of 16.
[02:05:08]
There are so many tense moments in this game. You know, the U.S., they tied whales then they tied England. That was not going to cut it today, you had to beat Iran in order to move on the 38th minute this place just went absolutely bonkers when Christian Pulisic came through with the huge goal to put the USA up one to zero. And when they held on to win, this place, again, celebrated because the USA is moving on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was incredible. I thought we played the first half brilliantly. Towards the end I was a little scared. We went defensive. But in the end, it all worked out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so proud. It's already to the next round. I think (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This team is young, they're hungry. They don't stop. 90 minutes strong. We got through today. So happy. Unbelievable win for the USA. Let's go baby, all the way. Netherlands, we're coming for you, brother. Whoo.
SCHOLES: And as you can see, this win meaning so much for team USA as they didn't make it to the World Cup last time around. So this celebration, eight years in the making, moving on to the round of 16 to play Netherlands. And the good news is it to do this all over again on Saturday.
In Atlanta, Andy Scholes, CNN.
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CHURCH: And here's a quick recap of Tuesday's other World Cup matches.
English fans had plenty to feel excited about after the Three Lions defeated Wales three-nil and punch their ticket to the knockout round. They will face Senegal on Sunday. The Netherlands secured the top spot in group A and a spot in the round of 16 after defeating Qatar two- nil. But one Qatar fan wasn't giving up hope on other Arab teams.
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NASSER AL-SHAMRY, QATARI FAN (through translator): To be honest, it is not over with Qatar, the Arab national teams are still all there. Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Morocco, even though Tunisia has a difficult chance but hopefully Saudi Arabia will hopefully make it to the next round tomorrow. And Morocco is hopefully topping Belgium.
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CHURCH: Senegal topped Ecuador two-one in Group A. One Senegalese fan was thrilled and looking forward to the match. Well, the next match in the knockout round. JACOB BADJI, SENEGAL SUPPORER (through translator): They did the job and we were all happy. Congratulations to Aliou Cisse. Really, this is the first African team to qualify. We are all happy. All Senegalese are happy. We will have to work for it next time either against England or the United States.
CHURCH: And here's a preview of matches set for the hours ahead. Group D plays first. France already clinched its spot in the next round. They play against Tunisia, the winner of Denmark and Australia will likely advance to the knockout round. Meanwhile, Group C is still up for grabs. Argentina and Poland led by Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski face off. Mexico and upstart Saudi Arabia play in the other match.
All right. Need to turn to China now where promises from the government to ease some COVID restrictions are not keeping protesters off the streets.
This was the scene in northeastern China as crowds push back COVID Police in HAZMAT suits with big wide barricades. Elsewhere, protesters chanted lift the lockdowns. All this comes as China's top health officials are pledging to ease some COVID rules to reduce the impact on people's daily lives. For one thing they say lockdowns should be lifted as quickly as possible after outbreaks. They're also rolling out a plan to get more people vaccinated.
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MI FENG, CHINESE NATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION SPOKESPERSON (through translator): We need to speed up the COVID-19 vaccination especially for the elderly. We hope that elderly could actively complete the vaccination as soon as possible to protect the health of themselves and their families.
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And CNN's Ivan Watson has more now from Hong Kong.
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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: China's police state strikes back, flooding the streets of Beijing and Shanghai with police. And unmistakable show of force after a weekend of unprecedented protests in at least 15 cities across the country.
In the eastern city of Hangzhou Monday night, police arrest people in a central square. And an eyewitness tells CNN police searched people's phones on the Shanghai subway looking for apps that allow users to circumvent China's strict Internet censorship.
The Communist Party's domestic security committee ordering officials to resolutely strike hard against infiltration and sabotaged activities by hostile forces, as well as criminal activities that destabilize social order.
[02:10:07] No compromise for peaceful protesters to voice their opinion. Meanwhile, health officials striking a slightly softer tone, calling for shorter lock downs in the Chinese government campaign to eradicate COVID-19.
CHENG YOUQUAN, DIRECTOR, CHINESE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (through translator): We need to minimize the inconvenience to the general public because of the anti COVID-19 measures. As for the high risk regions, we must have rigorous control. But at the same time, we should spare no effort to provide services to meet people's basic living needs and medical needs.
WATSON: A carrot and stick approach from different parts of the Chinese state after the biggest nationwide display of discontented this tightly controlled country has seen in a generation.
Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong
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CHURCH: And Let's go live to Hong Kong now with CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is standing by. So Christie, even as Chinese officials address some complaints about COVID restrictions, more protests are being seen across China. So what is the latest on all of this?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We have videos circulating online showing fresh protests in places like Guangzhou and two additional cities. Let's show you the video that's been going viral online. It's been verified by CNN in this video. This was a protest that took place last night in Guangzhou and you see the HAZMAT cloud security forces also wielding shields. There were clashes underway between the protesters out in the streets in Guangzhou, as well as security forces.
Some of the protesters are throwing what appears to be empty plastic bottles against the security forces and if you could show you the next clip, the security forces, they respond with tear gas in order to disperse the crowds. Now in the next video, we're going to show you, it's from a nearby area in Dongguan. It's a major manufacturing hub in the south of the country. This protest took place at a COVID-19 Testing Center.
And if you take a listen to the video, you could hear the people they're chanting, and they're chanting one thing, lift the lockdown, lift the lockdown. And finally we have fresh video from the from the eastern part of the country in Jinan. This is the capital of Shandong Province. And over there, you have very testy scenes between protesters and between again HAZMAT (INAUDIBLE) security forces.
And the protesters have taken these white barriers and using them to repel and to push back the security forces. As of today, CNN has verified 23 COVID-related protests in 17 cities across the country. We have an updated map for you to see just the number and also the reach of these COVID-related protests that have gripped the country. The pressure is indeed on Chinese authorities to find a way out of its zero-COVID policy. And on Tuesday, Chinese health officials did address that. We have a statement from a senior official at China's CDC who said, "long-term closed off management will not only impact the general public's normal life but also trigger anxiety and create difficulties in daily life. Such wrongful practices, he says, must be addressed and avoided." And Chinese officials they also announced an action plan to boost the vaccination rate among the elderly.
It's a very key hurdle for China to be able to reopen again. But more hurdles ahead. China needs better vaccines. China also needs a plan in order to roll out those vaccines to every corner of the country. Back to you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yes. Exactly right. Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Many thanks.
For more on this, I want to bring in Scott Kennedy. He is a senior advisor and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He joins us from Falls Church in Virginia. Good to have you with us.
SCOTT KENNEDY, SENIOR ADVISOR AND TRUSTEE CHAIR IN CHINESE BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Happy to be here.
CHURCH: So, as we watch strict zero-COVID policies, push Chinese citizens to the absolute limit, risking it all to protest on the streets. China is now vowing to strike back hard calling them hostile forces. But at the same time appearing to walk back some strict COVID measures. What is going on here?
KENNEDY: The Chinese have really painted themselves into a corner and they are trying to find a way out of it. One, they are cracking down on the protesters and on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning. There really haven't been any visible signs of protests in China. At the same time they're trying to deal with the protesters demands, which is to find a way to ease the zero-COVID restrictions and find a path to a more normal life for most people in China. It's very difficult for them to do. And there's pressure is about as high as it can be on Xi Jinping.
CHURCH: So, why is it then that Xi Jinping is sticking so doggedly to here zero-COVID policy when it's clearly not working?
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And what does he need to do to get COVID infections under control because all of this is putting the global economy in jeopardy as well?
KENNEDY: Sure. Well, for the first two years of the pandemic, China's zero-COVID policy did work. They clamped down, you know, isolated people use quarantine, stopped international travel, and cases were low, deaths were low, and the economy still was moving along. That all changed with Omicron at the beginning of this year. Now the rest of the world realized that you couldn't use any of those kinds of policies, effectively and they moved beyond the pandemic. China did not, they thought their system was better. And Xi Jinping staked his reputation on it. And so having done that, they basically painted themselves into a corner, which they are now desperately trying to get out of. Now, the way to do so is to rapidly expand vaccinations, Chinese elderly are only vaccinated to 40 percent for those over 80 and about two-thirds of those over 60.
They have to rapidly expand vaccinations, prepare ICUs therapeutics, improve communication with the community so that they have good information. And then gradually try and adjust policies, it's not going to be easy.
CHURCH: You were in China last month. And you have previously talked about the frustration of citizens there dealing with all of this. But now, some are actually seeing images from the World Cup of packed stadiums and maskless fans. So what impact is that having on people already a breaking point with zero-COVID measures, seeing the rest of the world moving on?
KENNEDY: Well, three years of this isn't been enough for Chinese that I've met in Beijing and Shanghai. People really traumatized. And at the beginning of November, the Chinese government issued a 20-point guideline plan to adjust their policies that look like a de facto pathway out to zero COVID. But they really mess things up horribly bungled that, cases rose rapidly and they crack back down.
And it is that loss of expectations amongst folks that have brought them to the streets in China, all over the country, and outside China, around the world. Really incredible types of protests that we haven't seen in a really long time. And so, the Chinese government has got to deal with these rising expectations and demands and people want change. It's not easy to deliver. And so we're going to see a very volatile situation in China, if not, on the surface, because of the clampdown.
Behind the scenes, you're going to see a lot of grumbling. And China's economy is not going to grow. And it's going to be a drag on global growth until they do get beyond the pandemic.
CHURCH: And with some protesters bravely calling for President Xi to step down, how precarious do you think his leadership is at this juncture?
KENNEDY: I don't think Xi Jinping really has much to worry about in terms of his own hold on power or the Communist Party. They will use whatever means necessary to get people off of the streets to censor the internet and keep control whatever they need to do. But will this hurt -- support for them? Will it hurt their reputation? Will it slow growth? Most definitely. They will have a lot of work to do to recover their reputation and to improve the economy. And when they say, you know, that China's system is better than the rest of the world in this competition with the west.
They've got a lot to do to make up to prove that they're right because right now it doesn't look that way.
CHURCH: Scott Kennedy, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it.
And coming up, Ukraine's military fights back against a constant bombardment from Russian forces, we will take you to the frontlines in one of the most fiercely contested towns in the entire conflict.
Plus, the winter weather is adding new urgency to NATO talks with Ukraine. We'll look at how the block is pledging to help. Back in just a moment.
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CHURCH: Some of the heaviest fighting in eastern Ukraine right now is in the city of Bakhmut. Russia has concentrated large numbers of forces there and one Ukrainian commander says his troops are struggling to hold off the onslaught. CNN's Matthew chances they're reporting from the frontlines.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The brutal fight for Bakhmuit. Where Ukrainian troops are battling rushes onslaught. These exclusive images from the soldiers themselves. Their commanders tell us dozens of lives and now being sacrificed here every day.
The road into town is heavy with thick smoke and danger. Explosions ahead forces to pull over before another slams into a building close by.
CHANCE (on camera): All right. Well, you can hear the incoming rounds. The incoming rounds from Russian artillery fire are really intensive here as we have entered the outskirts of Bakhmut which is, you know, certainly for everything we're seeing, everything we've been told, is now the most fiercely contested patch of ground in the entire Russia- Ukrainian conflict.
CHANCE (voice over): So fierce, we made a rapid exit, leaving the relentless barrage behind.
CHANCE (on camera): (INAUDIBLE)
CHANCE (voice over): Much of this battle is fought avoiding the artillery threat. In underground bunkers like these where local Ukrainian commanders like Pavlo (ph) can respond to Russian attacks.
There are assaulting opposition's from early morning until night he tells me. What the real problem is we are heavily outnumbered he said.
With the innovative use of low cost tech is helping to bridge that gap. In another frontline bunker we saw how commercially available drones are giving Ukraine an edge.
CHANCE (on camera): Wow. That's incredible because we just seen an artillery strike in this position that the Ukrainian drone operators have identified as being full of Russians like you can see. Russian soldiers as we look at them live now running for cover as Ukrainian artillery pounds their positions.
CHANCE (voice over): But battery commanders at the frontline like to Tuman (ph) tell me they're now running low on ammunition rounds.
That even guns sent from the United States are breaking under such constant strain. They need more of both they say if this battle for Bakhmut is ever to be one.
Matthew Chance, CNN in Bakhmut, Eastern Ukraine.
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CHURCH: NATO is pledging more help to repair Ukraine's energy infrastructure as Russia ramps up its attacks.
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Foreign ministers of the block are in Bucharest for two days of talks including discussions on providing more military aid to Kyiv. Ukraine's Foreign Minister urged NATO to speed up the deliveries of weapons. NATO secretary general says the military aid is making a huge difference on the battlefield every day. But Russia is trying to weaponize the winter by constantly attacking Ukraine's power grid, leaving millions struggling to stay warm.
And for more on this, CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us live from London. Good morning to you, Salma. So, Ukraine's foreign minister made it clear his country needs weapons right now. So, what have NATO foreign ministers promised to Ukraine so far in terms of arms and infrastructure support?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Well, I think what really emerged from this meeting, Rosemary, is just how important than non-lethal aid is right now to Ukraine. It's no longer just about the battlefield. And that's the first thing that Ukraine's foreign minister reminded. His counterpart. He said, look, what I need is two things .That is patriots and transformers. So let's break that down. That's Patriot Air Defense Systems.
You know, Russia has been sending these barrages of missiles at population centers, Ukraine is often able to shoot down over half of them, but many still hitting their targets causing loss of life. So they want to create that Ring of Protection, calling for Patriot Air Defense Systems, something the U.S. says it will consider doing. And then the second part from the Ukrainian foreign minister's statement, they're transformers.
And that's again, because these attacks for weeks now by the Kremlin have left huge damage to Ukraine's infrastructure. And the NATO Secretary General was on board and said, that's exactly what we're going to do. We're going to help provide those things. Take listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JEN STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: NATO allies are providing unprecedented support. And today, Allah has made additional pledges to NATO's comprehensive assistance package for Ukraine. This will fund urgent non-lethal support, including fuel and generators, helping Ukraine to address the consequences of Russia's strikes against their power grid.
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ABDELAZIZ: So today will be the second day of meetings and you can expect potentially that NATO foreign ministers will really try to drill down on the details of what that aid is. We know so far that the United States is going to provide over $50 million to help repair power grids energy infrastructure, across Ukraine. Germany has promised as well anti aircraft tanks and hundreds of generators but these foreign ministers are really going to need to sit down and give in practical terms, how quickly they can get supplies to Ukraine and what exactly they'll be able to provide. Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right. Salma Abdelaziz joining us live from London. Many thanks.
Ukraine's first lady is highlighting horrifying allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of Russian forces. Olena Zelenska spoke to the British Parliament Tuesday, saying the abuse is part of this systemic violence Russia is using across Ukraine.
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OLENA ZELENSKA, UKRAINIAN FIRST LADY (through translator): We have documented thousands of crimes including sexual violence. The youngest girl who was raped by the Russian occupiers was four years old. The oldest survivor was 85. These are the victims we know. How many victims we still don't know about?
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CHURCH: On Mondays, Zelenska called for the abuse to be recognized as a war crime, saying Russian soldiers have been very open about using sex as a weapon. So far CNN has been unable to verify the first lady's claims.
Well, the war in Ukraine is expected to top the agenda when French president Emmanuel Macron meets with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House this week. Mr. Macron and his wife Bridget arrived in the U.S. Tuesday for the first full scale state visit for the Biden administration. And the next few days are jam packed on Wednesday. He will visit Arlington National Cemetery with Mr. Biden and NASA headquarters alongside U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
Thursday there's an official arrival ceremony at the White House, a joint presidential news conference and a state dinner. The first since Mr. Biden took office. The French president has also added in a visit to New Orleans on Friday.
Well, Prince William and his wife Catherine are also heading to the U.S. for the first time since becoming Prince and Princess of Wales. The royal couple will be traveling to Boston, their primary focus will be awarding the earth short prize, which was founded by William in an effort to aid climate entrepreneurs, but there will be other stops on the agenda including a visit to a climate tech startup. And the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
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Still to come, more big changes for Twitter. How Elon Musk's latest move could affect the types of COVID information you see on the platform. We will explain.
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CHURCH: U.S. President Joe Biden says that high prices on gas, clothing, and food are finally easing a bit, but he warns it will take time for inflation to return to normal levels.
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JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Inflation at the grocery stores, thank God, are beginning to slow. Prices for things like clothes, televisions, and appliances are going down. That is good news for the holiday season. It is going to take time to get inflation back to normal levels as we keep the job market resilient. And we could see step backs along the way, but we are laser focused on this. I am promised you, we are laser focused on this.
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CHURCH: Mr. Biden was visiting a semiconductor facility in Michigan on Tuesday, a looming freight rail strike could throw a red wrench in his efforts to tame inflation. He's called on Congress to pass legislation to prevent thousands of rail workers from walking off the job. A vote could come in the House within hours, then it is the Senate's turn.
Well, high-tech squabble is heating up, no word yet from Apple after Elon Musk tweeted that the iPhone maker is threatening to withhold Twitter from its app store. That would be devastating for Twitter, which Musk recently bought for $44 dollars. Musk also claims that Apple has mostly stopped advertising on his networking site.
In another sign of Elon Musk's transportation of Twitter, the platform says it will no longer enforce its COVID-19 misinformation policy. And that means that Twitter will not apply labels or ban profiles posting incorrect information about the disease. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan has more
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DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Twitter's former head of site integrity, the person whose job it was to make sure that the company implemented its rules on things like hate speech and viral COVID misinformation speaking out here today at a night foundation conference here in Florida, expressing a lot of concerns about the future of the platform, about the future of speech on the platform.
What we have seen since Musk took over just a few weeks ago is the return of some banned accounts, including that, of course, of Former U.S. President Donald Trump. Musk has promised that more accounts that were banned in the past will be coming back. And over the last 24 hours or so, we've also learned that a long-standing policy that Twitter had about COVID misinformation that band what they viewed as dangerous misinformation about the virus and the vaccine, that that policy is no longer in place.
[02:35:00]
Now, Yoel Roth, the former head of site integrity, who spoke here today, he quit the company a few weeks ago and he essentially said that he was unable to work any longer in Musk's Twitter. Asked by the technology journalist, Kara Swicher, who interviewed him here, what piece of advice he might have for the world's richest man, he said, humility goes a really long way. Donie O'Sullivan, Coral Gables, Florida.
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CHURCH: Hawaii's governor has signed an emergency proclamation due to the eruption of Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, which is spewing lava for the first time in almost 40 years. The proclamation lets the government issue alerts and order evacuations when necessary.
Four fissures have opened on Mauna Loa. So far, the U.S. Geological Survey says the lava flow is about four and a half miles or roughly seven kilometers from the main highway on Hawaii's big island. Still, officials say no communities are in immediate danger. Though conditions clearly could change.
Well, heavy rainfall has led to flooding in parts of Lebanon. Video posted online shows cars driving through deep water in a city north of Beirut. Local reports say some drivers were trapped in their cars and had to be rescued. Lebanon could be facing a harsh winter as the country continues to struggle with its economic and political crises.
Actor Will Smith is opening up about the moment he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars.
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WILL SMITH, ACTOR: That was a horrific night, as you can imagine.
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CHURCH: Smith talks about his regrets and more in a candid interview just ahead. Stay with us.
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CHURCH: Kim Kardashian and Ye, formally known as Kanye West, have reached a divorce settlement nearly two years after filing to dissolve their marriage. CNN obtained a draft of the agreement stating that Kardashian will get $200,000 a month in child support from her ex- husband. The couple married in 2014 and shared joined custody of the four children. Kardashian was declared legally single in March, ahead of antisemitic tirade from Ye, which caused him to lose multiple brand our partnerships.
[02:40:00]
Actor Will Smith is opening up about his infamous slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. In a candid interview on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," Smith expressed regret for what happened and talked about the emotions he was feeling that night. CNN's Brian Todd has our report.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Will Smith opening up about the Oscars incident for the first time in months.
WILL SMITH, ACTOR: I've been away. What you all been doing?
TODD (voiceover): Appearing on "The Daily Show" with Trevor Noah, his first a late-night interview since he slapped Chris Rock on stage in March.
CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: Oh, wow.
SMITH: That was a horrific night as you can imagine. You know, there's many nuances and complexities to it, you know. But at the end of the day, I just -- I lost it.
TODD (voiceover): Smith didn't apologize for the slap as he did in the days immediately following the incident, but did express regret.
SMITH: That is not who I want to be. And I guess the thing that was most painful for me is I took my heart and made it hard for other people. You know, and it's like, I understood the ideal, they say, hurt people, hurt people.
TREVOR NOAH, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Yes.
TODD (voiceover): Smith explained the emotions and painful family history that had been simmering until that moment.
SMITH: You know, that was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time. There was a lot of things. It was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother, you know. It's, you know, all of that just bubbled up --
NOAH: Yes.
SMITH: -- in that moment.
TODD (voiceover): Smith recounted talking to his nine-year-old nephew later that night after the Oscars.
SMITH: Why did you hit that man, Uncle Will? You know. Damn it. Why you're trying to Oprah me?
TODD (voiceover): Smith said he's now concerned about the team that produced his new movie, "Emancipation."
SMITH: I just hope that their work will be honored and their work will not be tainted based on, you know, a horrific decision on my part.
TODD (voiceover): But will the slap heard around the world's shadow Smith's body of work.
NISCHELLE TURNER, HOST, "ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT": There is going to be, you know, a fraction of people who just don't forgive him. But I think overall, I think the majority of moviegoers and I think the majority of his fans will come back.
TODD (on camera): We reached out to Chris Rock 's representative to see if Rock had any comment on Will Smith's interview with "The Daily Show." Rocks camp didn't respond. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
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CHURCH: The holiday season is just around the corner, but for one gingerbread artist, it's already here. In Manhattan, artist Jon Lovitch has created a gingerbread village that he calls Gingerbread Lane. He says, it won't set the record for most houses, but should qualify for most square footage. And here's what elst it has.
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JON LOVITCH, CREATOR, "GINGERBREAD LANE": Here in Gingerbread Lane in New York City, we have close to 4,000 pounds of icing, just short of 1,000 pounds of gingerbread, about 2,000 pounds of candy. There's 700 houses. There's 1,200 candy canes. This village, I think, used about 6,000 egg whites and I think we used just north of 4,000 sticks of gum to create bricks on the side of them.
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CHURCH: Lovitch went on to say that once the holidays are over, people can take a piece of it home to as a decoration or feed it to the birds.
And thanks so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. World Sport is up next. Then I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more "CNN Newsroom." Do stay with us.
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