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CNN International: Huge Crowds Await Victory Parade For World Cup Winners; U.S. House Committee Recommends Four Criminal Charges Against Trump; U.S. Chief Justice Temporarily Freezes Order To End Title 42; Putin Notes Difficult Tasks Ahead For Security Services; Why Are Nurses In Britain Going On Strike?; Banknotes Featuring King Charles III Revealed; CNN First To Visit Snake Island Since Ukraine Recaptured It. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired December 20, 2022 - 08:00   ET

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

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[08:00:29]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London. Just ahead, a hero's welcome to Team Argentina, as Lionel Messi and his squad land in Buenos Aires. We're live in the capital just ahead of their homecoming parade.

Then the U.S. Chief Justice leaves Trump era border restrictions in place for now, but thousands gather in Mexico at the U.S. border, hoping they will lift. Plus, more historic strike action in the U.K. as thousands of nurses walk out. We'll look at why they're on the picket lines.

Argentina's World Cup winning squad is receiving a hero's welcome in Buenos Aires. Today has been declared a holiday across the country. You can see here people already celebrating as they wait for the victory parade in Buenos Aires. These are live pictures. How is the bus going to get through that?

The team arrived at the airport just outside the capital very early this morning. Captain Lionel Messi stepping off the plane first with that trophy. Large crowds cheering, fans lining the streets. This was just the bus ride from the airport. We can expect to see much bigger crowds in the coming hours as the country gears up for a massive victory parade.

Stefano Pozzebon there in Buenos Aires joins us live. I mean, the scenes are just insane, aren't they?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: Yes, Max. I mean, we are nine floors above the 9th of July Avenue, which is already getting packed ahead of these historic parades. And the noise that reverberates from the street already makes me, for me, difficult to sometimes hear the -- speaking with you.

I think this is a third day of collective elation from the Argentinian people, Max. It's really been an experience that I would have personally, I would have never imagined to live through, as I'm telling you, like, this is our hotel and we are just a few hundred meters away from the Obelisk, which is the center of Buenos Aires. And people have been partying at the Obelisk for three straight days.

You can tell, you know, why so much? Well, it's three decades, more than three decades since Argentina won the FIFA World Cup back in 1986. And this country is just buzzing with excitement at the idea of giving its national team and its captain, Lionel Messi, the hero's welcome that he deserves, Max.

FOSTER: What's the actual process, then? Because obviously, the bus isn't going to be able to get through that. But what will people see when they arrive there, the team?

POZZEBON: I think that as every time a parade of this size, the very lucky ones will be able to see the team, there will be Messi. Imagine Messi with the trophy in his hands and showing it to the people. The team, we understand, is coming from the very avenue that we are from our vantage point here at CNN, coming from the south, from the international airport.

They will do around the Obelisk. And from here, they will try to get to the presidential palace, which sits at my right. And, of course, those who will be lucky enough to be very close today to the bus itself will be able to see their idols. But for the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people that have been packing here since the early hours of today, Tuesday, it will probably be just an amazing street party yet again, just like Sunday and just like yesterday, Monday as well.

It's three days of collective celebration. And, by the way, today is a national holiday here in Argentina to celebrate the victory of the World Cup. So you can expect that really -- that all of Buenos Aires will be here later today. Max?

FOSTER: It's just being there for that moment of history, isn't it? Stefano, thank you very much indeed. You're right in the thick of it. We'll be with you throughout the day.

Do stay with CNN. We'll have much more live coverage of Argentina's World Cup victory parade in Buenos Aires in all after this show.

[08:05:01]

Now, for the first time in U. S. history, a congressional committee voted on Monday to refer a former president to the U.S. Justice Department on criminal charges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those in favor say aye.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those opposed no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The stunning vote came after this committee spent the last year and a half investigating the deadly January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The lawmakers said a there's sufficient evidence to suggest that former President Donald Trump will be charged with at least four crimes, including giving aid or comfort to an insurrection.

Senior Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid joins us from Washington, D.C. We've got to be careful here, haven't we, because Trump hasn't been convicted of anything. That will be a separate decision. Also, some people suggesting this may work for Donald Trump because it plays into his long-term narrative.

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are legal questions and political questions, as you noted. I mean, here, legally speaking, this is just referral to the Justice Department suggesting that this committee believes that there is enough evidence to charge the former president with at least four different crimes.

Now, the Justice Department is already investigating the former president and his associates related to their roles in January 6. That investigation has been handed off to a special counsel. But there's no guarantee, just because this referral was made, that charges will actually be brought against the former president or his associates.

Now, politically, as you noted, there are some people, including the former president, who believe that this could work in his favor. You did see a little bit of a resurgence of support for the former president after their search warrant was executed on his Mar-a-Lago residence. But here yesterday, after these recommendations, these referrals were announced, we're not really necessarily seeing this.

In rallying around the former president, he did release a statement suggesting that this is the kind of thing that brings his supporters to back him, to really bolster him. He is, of course, running once again for the White House, but it's unclear if something like this will really help him in the way that he is trying to spin it. A much bigger question, legally speaking, is what happens with the investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago?

I speak with members of the former president's legal team. They're much more concerned about that investigation.

FOSTER: Yes, just explain why that could potentially be more damaging to him.

REID: Yes. I mean, they're weighing all the evidence that they have right now. The special counsel, Jack Smith, he has inherited two of these investigations. One into the former president's role on January 6, and also into this question of whether classified information was mishandled at the former president's Mar-a-Lago residence, whether he tried to obstruct that investigation.

The thing with the January 6 investigation is his lawyers will argue that it would be very difficult. They argue the prosecutors face an uphill battle if they really want to try to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the former President knew that he, in fact, lost the election.

But it's interesting because yesterday you saw lawmakers, they were already trying to blunt that defense by presenting previously unseen video clips of top White House advisers who said, yes, I told him, I didn't believe that there had been any election fraud. So they're much more worried about the Mar-a-Lago case than they are January 6, just based on the evidence that they have at this point.

FOSTER: Paula Reid, thank you.

Now the U.S. Chief Justice is stepping in to freeze the lifting of the controversial pandemic policy from the Trump presidency called Title 42. It allows officials to swiftly expel migrants over the U.S. border, and was set to end on Wednesday. But some Republican led states have sued to keep it in place. The Supreme Court has asked for a response today from the Biden administration.

Meanwhile, border cities like El Paso, Texas are still bracing for the policy to be lifted, as thousands of migrants gather, stones throw away in Juarez, Mexico. And that's where we find CNN's David Culver live. I mean, this is all very high politics for many of the people there on the ground. I mean, what's it looking like there?

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of politics backs, you're right. And really what's become a humanitarian crisis. It's been a mess here for a lot of the migrants who have been trying to get from this side, where we are, the Mexican side, over to the U.S., over the Rio Grande, as you see here.

What's happened in the past 90 minutes, though, Max, that has really changed the entire tone of this situation has been what looks to be a significant military mobilization. And we can walk here and show you what's along the U.S. side of the border and along the riverbank here. And as we're gathering more information, it appears that this is Texas State National Guard.

So this is the state National Guard that's been mobilized along with state troopers, law enforcement, to put up a barbed wire fence. All of this is new in the past 90 minutes. It's a bit tough to see as the sun is still yet to come up here, but they've put up these barbed wire fences in what was a very easy crossing.

I mean, Max, this was a space, and you can see over here, actually, if we point up here, you might be able to see some of the migrants who have gathered now at a campfire over there. But this was a space where they were staging themselves.

[08:10:06]

And we have been here on and off over the past month. And at one point there was a massive encampment here with thousands of migrants that the Mexican officials decided to clear. But this was their space, where they would then position themselves, determine when the right time to cross was. And it was a simple crossover, what has been just a man-made crossing of stones right onto the U.S. side.

And what we saw in the past 90 minutes was striking because we had at least 100, if not more migrants lined up on the U.S. side. They had their campfire set up there, and then suddenly there was this mobilization. Some of them were set to go in to be processed, a lot of them seeking asylum in the U.S.

And you can see across the river here that there are several blankets that were discarded. A lot of them, in this freezing cold weather, were sitting around the fires and keeping warm and then discarded that as they went into the process by U.S. Custom Border Patrol officials. But some of them also came back to our side of the river, to the Mexican side, and a lot of those of the Venezuelans, Max, who simply do not know when Title 42 will be lifted and if that will be a better opportunity for them to then enter and be processed.

FOSTER: Reality on the ground. David Culver, thank you very much indeed for bringing it to us.

Now we're going to take you to Ukraine, where Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a frontline town decimated by war. The Ukrainian President met the soldiers and handed out awards in Bakhmut earlier on Tuesday. The town in the Donetsk region has been the scene of some of the most ferocious fighting in the country.

The Russian President, meanwhile, made a rare trip to Belarus. During Monday's visit, Vladimir Putin vowed closer cooperation with his key ally, Alexander Lukashenko, amid fears that Belarus could join the fight against neighboring Ukraine. And in recorded remarks today, President Putin addressed Russian security services in a clear acknowledgment that the invasion isn't going as planned.

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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): I would like to call attention to the security agency units that have begun their work in Russia's new regions. Yes, you are faced with difficult tasks now. The situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions is extremely complicated.

But the people who live there, Russian citizens, are counting on you and your protection. And your duty is to do everything in your power to ensure their safety and respect for their rights and freedoms.

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FOSTER: Later this hour, an exclusive CNN report. Will Ripley makes the dangerous journey to Snake Island. That's the remote Black Sea outpost that's really crucial for Ukraine and Russia, you could argue as well.

Still to come, a dispute over nurses pay in the U.K., it's reached a fever pitch. We'll look at why these nurses are going on strike, next.

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[08:15:17]

FOSTER: Why are so many nurses going on strike in the U.K.? The government says it just can't afford the pay rise that the nurses want. But nurses say they can't keep the National Health Service going the way things currently are. They are asking for 19 percent, government's offering 4. 3 percent.

Keep in mind that inflation is above 10 percent, so anything below is seen as a reduction in the real value of those salaries. They are angry and they accept that services are being affected by these strikes, but they're basically saying the health service will collapse if they don't get the money that they need or deserve.

It's front-page news across the U.K. It has been for days, even weeks. Rishi Sunak there on the front of the Daily Mail, the British Prime Minister, saying he won't back down over these strikes, but the nurses won't back down either. They say the strikes will continue and get worse.

Nada has been following all of these. At the moment that critical emergency care is going ahead, isn't it? But there's some concern that major operations, major events could unfold if the nurses escalate their strikes.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Yes, absolutely, Max. There is concern over the potential knock-on effect on wait times for those crucial surgeries and hospitals that are already facing delays. And, of course, while nurses are going on strike today, we are also expecting strike action by numerous ambulance services as well on Wednesday. So there is significant concern of how this will impact that urgent patient kept.

Look, this is a dramatic show of opposition against the government's policy from the nurses. This is perhaps the most dramatic industrial action we've seen within the NHS's own history. And we are expecting around 100,000 nurses to take part in this industrial action, calling for those pay rises to go ahead.

But essentially, they're also now issuing an ultimatum to the government, threatening further strike action in the new year if they don't respond to calls for negotiations. And, of course, we've seen that take place in Scotland. Strike action has been put on hold in Scotland in response to the government's willingness to negotiate.

They're calling for the government now to come to the negotiating table with the unions, with the health care workers. But as you said there, we've heard from Rishi Sunak, he said he was disappointed, but he also said that this was essential in order to get a grip on inflation.

FOSTER: Something like 300,000 members of the nursing union, aren't they? So this is immense if they -- I mean, they're not all going to go on strike because there are certain services that have to carry on. And this is in the midst of a series of public sector strikes and rail strikes. I mean, this is a really miserable winter, isn't it? And the government is saying the same to everyone. They just can't afford to keep up with these pay demands.

BASHIR: Yes, absolutely. I mean, it's being called the Winter of Discontent. We're seeing industrial action being proposed across a range of sectors. We're talking about the transport sector, the postal service in airports, people working in baggage claim and customs, as I mentioned earlier, ambulance workers crucially also considering strike action, as well as teachers.

And this is all happening with the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis. It is one of the most severe cost-of-living crisis we've seen in the U.K. in years. We're seeing energy prices rocketing, people really struggling to make ends meet, and that is really feeling quite intense now over the winter months.

Of course, people are at the end of their tether (ph) and are calling for further support to be offered by the government. Rishi Sunak did speak yesterday. He acknowledged that it was a difficult time for many people working in the public sector. But he did say that the government's approach to pay in the public sector would be fair and responsible and that this was essential in order for the government to get a grip on that rising inflation rate.

But of course, we are still expecting further strike action. It could be a winter real disruption in the United Kingdom.

FOSTER: OK, Nada, thank you very much indeed.

The center of this inflation money worth less. But at the same time, the banknotes are looking different as well actually. They now feature King Charles III, and these are the new images of them. They've just been released. King Charles will be on the 5, 10, 20 and 50-pound notes. The Bank of England unveiled the designs and says they'll enter circulation by mid-2024.

King Charles is only the second monarch to be featured on these notes. The late queen was the very first one and she's being phased out. That is the reality of monarchy.

Now coming up, a CNN exclusive from Ukraine's Snake Island. A rare look at what life is like on the island since Ukraine regained control from Russia.

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[08:21:38]

FOSTER: Snake Island has become a symbol of defiance for Ukraine. At the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops attempted to take over the strategically significant landmark located in the Black Sea. But Ukrainian troops resisted, infamously swearing at Russian troops.

Will Ripley return to Snake Island to see what's happened since then in this CNN exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the saying goes, whoever controls Snake Island, controls the Black Sea. The safest way to get there? The Ukrainian military's inflatable speedboat with seating for six, it's small enough to stay out of sight.

(on-camera): We are really getting tossed around out here, but we need to take a small boat because we need to stay out of the sights of Russian reconnaissance aircraft.

(voice-over): Safer than a helicopter, but no protection from the Black Sea's big waves, bitter cold and whipping winds, not to mention the mines. By the end of our stomach-turning journey, Snake Island's craggy cliffs are a welcome sight. Up close, appear in pieces, previews the destruction we're about to see.

We enter Snake Island by climbing up a pile of half sunken, slippery sea blocks. We're the first journalists allowed here since Ukraine recaptured Snake Island five months ago. Russia blanketed the island with booby traps before bailing out.

(on-camera): The soldiers told us we need to follow in their footsteps exactly. And we need to be very careful where we step. This whole island is littered with land mines, unexploded ordinance, basically a powder keg.

(voice-over): A powder keg with plenty of cats, wandering through the wreckage of 10 brutal months of war. Not a snake in sight. On February 24, the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion, Russia's Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, aimed its arsenal at Snake Island, demanding dozens of Ukrainian defenders surrender or die.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): I am a Russian military ship. I propose that you lay down your weapons immediately or you will be bombed.

RIPLEY (voice-over): What happened next is how legends are made.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russian warship, go fuck yourself.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Five words seen at the time as a final act of defiance. Everyone on Snake Island presumed dead. Russian bombs raining down, the Island's radio went silent. Those five words telling the Russian warship where to go. Instantly iconic inspiring t-shirts, postage stamps, pop songs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russian warships, go fuck yourself.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Ukraine later learned Snake Island's defenders were alive, prisoners of war. Some released in a POW swap earlier this year. Others remain in Russian captivity.

(on-camera): Is it intimidating to look out and see a giant Russian warship and know that you guys are a small group here?

If anybody tells you it's not intimidating, he's a liar, says Fortuna (ph), a volunteer soldier. It was chaos. The garrison here was small. Russia captured the island quickly. Taking the island back took a long time.

On Snake Island, we find a graveyard of Russian weapons, the result of relentless Ukrainian attacks for several months earlier this year.

(on-camera): This is one of Russia's most expensive antiaircraft weapon systems. As you can see, not much use anymore war.

[08:25:07]

In April, Ukraine says its missiles sank the Moskva. Where did it go? The bottom of the Black Sea. A humiliated Kremlin says their flagship caught fire, sinking in stormy weather. In May, a Ukrainian drone strike on Snake Island turned this helicopter into a fireball.

(on-camera): This is what's left of that Russian helicopter, pulverized along with its crew of about eight people.

(voice-over): A twisted relic of Russia's ill-fated plan to transform this remote Black Sea outpost into a permanent aircraft carrier.

(on-camera): What's it like to live out here?

We need to be on guard 24/7, Fortuna (ph) says, so we never get bored. We notice his Russian accent. Turns out Fortuna (ph) was born in Russia. He moved to Ukraine and got married before the war. Now part of a Russian volunteer corps protecting Snake Island for Ukraine.

(on-camera): How do you feel about Russia now?

For us, they're enemies no matter what. Most of the Russian volunteer corps lived in Ukraine before the invasion, he says. We were living life, had families, good jobs. And here comes Russia attacking us. If some other country attacked us, we would fight too.

(voice-over): Life on Snake Island means almost total isolation. Soldiers tell me the simple act of switching on a cell phone brings Russian rockets within 40 minutes. They say Russia attacked the island just last month.

(on-camera): We are now out of time. We've been on the island just about an hour, and it's important that we get off before the waves get too big and before the Russians know we're here.

(voice-over): The Ukrainians say Russia blew up Snake Island's historic lighthouse and museum on the site of an ancient Greek temple. Evil spirits are rumored to roam these 46 acres of rock and sand, bearing witness to centuries of bloodshed. Ukraine is not the first nation to control Snake Island, but vows it will be the last.

Will Ripley, CNN, on Snake Island, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Thanks for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London. World Sport with Andy Scholes is up next.

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