Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S. Announces New Restrictions For Travelers From China; Pope Francis: Pray For "Very Sick" Former Pope Benedict; CNN Correspondent Recalls Early Days Of Invasion; Russian Elites Who Criticize War End Up Dead. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired December 29, 2022 - 00:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:00:31]

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, I'm Kristie Lu stout live in Hong Kong.

And ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, the U.S. is the latest to put new restrictions on travelers from China with COVID cases surging following the country's rapid reopening.

Plus, Zelenskyy's defiant message, the Ukrainian president resist no one will ever be afraid of Russia during his annual speech to Parliament.

And Pope Francis urges Catholics around the world to pray for his predecessor with new concern about the health of Pope Benedict.

Those stories in just a moment but first, we are hearing horrific eyewitness accounts about a huge fire that killed at least 11 people at a casino in Cambodia.

Officials say flames engulfed the building, which includes a hotel on Wednesday night. One rescuer says some people died after jumping off the building as they tried to escape.

The Casino is located near the border with Thailand and officials say hundreds of emergency workers from both countries rushed to the site after the fire broke out Wednesday night.

Rescue workers are still searching for more victims and we will continue to follow the story and bring you more updates when we have them.

Now, with COVID cases surging in China, the United States will soon require all travelers from that country, including Hong Kong and Macau to test negative for COVID-19 before flying to the U.S. That new rule begins on January the fifth.

Now, U.S. health officials say that travelers must be tested no sooner than two days before flying. And they'll have to show proof of that negative test before they can board. This applies not just to Chinese citizens but anyone who's been to

China within 10 days of flying. And this new restriction comes after Beijing dismantled its strict zero COVID policy following weeks of public outcry and protests. And the resulting rise in new infections has left U.S. officials concerned with China's transparency and exactly how many people there are sick.

China's foreign ministry is urging countries to work together in safe travel instead of imposing more restrictions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WANG WENBIN, SPOKESPERSON, CHINESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (through translator): The current COVID situation in the world continues to call for a science based response approach and joint effort to ensure safe cross border travel, keep global industrial and supply chain stable and restore world economic growth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: CNN's Selina Wang has more than new restrictions from Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): As China finally abandoned zero COVID and starts to open up, other countries are putting in place restrictions on travelers from the country.

The U.S. will require all travelers from China to show a negative COVID test result before flying to the U.S. Before we got this official announcement, Beijing responded to potential travel restrictions from the U.S. by defending its COVID policy, accusing Western media for hyping up China's COVID policy change and by urging countries to work together.

This is what else the ministry of Affairs Spokesperson had to say "China has always believed that the measures taken by countries to prevent the epidemic should be scientific and moderate and should not affect normal people to people exchanges."

Now, the irony here is that since the start of the pandemic, China has had some of the strictest border controls in the world. But now that the country is finally easing up and cases are surging, other countries are getting nervous.

In addition to the U.S., Japan, India, Taiwan have put COVID testing requirements in place. In fact, Taiwan and Japan say if the traveler from China tests positive for COVID upon arrival, they'll have to quarantine for several days.

Now, China has stopped reporting daily COVID cases on a national level, it's severely narrowed its definition of COVID deaths, only reporting a handful of COVID deaths for the entire month.

But Beijing says look, everything is under control. Yet we know that hospitals are overflowing with elderly patients and crematoriums across the country are overwhelmed. Fever and cold medicine are scarce.

The big concern from some countries like the U.S. is the lack of data from China that could help detect new variants. GISAID the global consortium that maintains a database of COVID sequences have set however, that China has ramped up the amount of data it's submitting, and that all the genome sequences shared so far closely resembled the variants already circulating in other parts of the world since July. But the U.S. says the data shared from China isn't enough.

[00:05:14]

And look, it's not as if China has totally thrown open its own borders. China's border still remains largely close to foreigners, apart from a limited number of business or family visits.

Selina Wangg, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: For more, we're joined by Yanzhong Huang. He's a senior fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

And Yanzhong, good to see you. Thank you so much for joining us.

The U.S. will require negative COVID tests for travelers from China, including Hong Kong and Macau, this is going to start from January the fifth. We know that other countries are taking or considering similar action. But is this really necessary?

YANZHONG HUANG, SENIOR FELLOW FOR GLOBAL HEALTH, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Well, I don't see any convincing reasons to justify, you know, this move. We know that one of the reasons they say this, you know, this concern about emerging variants or sub variants, you know, from China, but so far, we don't have any evidence supporting whether it's indeed such, you know, variants emerging in mainland China.

And secondary, well, I also I don't see like why which the China should be treated differently from other countries like, you know, Australia for example, all screaming fighting COVID.

And third, you know, I can't understand why was these the people from Hong Kong, for example, would be treated any differently from you know, people from Singapore, right? So, this is something I just don't get it.

STOUT: Yes, and there's a lot of people here in Hong Kong, I would agree with that, but there is the fact that there is little transparency from China and no reliable COVID-19 data from China.

So, should countries take at least some COVID prevention measures for travelers coming in from China?

HUANG: You know, what, I can't understand this concerns, because of the lack of transparency, because of the, you know, lack of, you know, sharing the genomic sequencing, the -- but even their emergence, there is emergence of the sub variants, you know -- you know, I can, you know, understand the reasons to institute this measures, but we, you know, even with this bang, like we cannot prevent, right, the spread of the virus.

You know, and assuming whether it's, indeed, by this the new variants emerging in mainland China, we just delay the spread, we're not going to prevent the virus from spreading to other parts of the world.

STOUT: Yanzhong, you're mentioning the concern over COVID variants. And the concern is this, with so many people infected in a short period of time in China, you know, could a new variant emerge from there? So, how can authorities work with China right now to screen for it?

HUANG: You know, I think you know this is why the international cooperation is so important, right? China certainly I think should be more forthcoming in sharing the data now showing the genomic sequence of the virus and the variants.

You know, in the meantime, I do believe like the dialogue, the cooperation, you know, quiet diplomacy remain a more constructive approach in addressing the concerns we now have.

STOUT: I will also ask you about Hong Kong. You know, the city has scrapped some of its remaining COVID curbs, the city's leader cited a relatively high vaccination rate and sufficient medication against COVID has reasons behind that. Your thoughts here?

HUANG: Well, I think this is a welcome move, you know, but it's a decision long overdue, right? Because we know most of cities, most countries have scrapping of such requirements like mandatory PCR testing upon arrival.

So, it's been like month that Hong Kong was swimming against the tide but then, I think this side of the vaccination is the main reason for scrapping those measures. You know, I also don't find it that quite convincing.

STOUT: And a quick question, mask wearing rules remain in place here. Much annoyance from many people in Hong Kong but it is peak season for infection. Should there be mask mandates right now?

HUANG: Well, I think this is the -- from a public house perspective, it makes sense. You know, other Asian countries you know, adopted a similar measures. It's just like here in the Western countries, they don't feel like a mask mandate is necessary.

[00:10:01]

STOUT: Got it. Yanzhong Huang, thank you.

HUANG: Thanks for having me.

STOUT: Catholics all over the world are praying for former Pope Benedict after Pope Francis announced that his predecessor is very sick. And the former Pope who was 95 resigned from his post almost a decade ago citing his advanced age. CNN's Delia Gallagher picks up the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prayers for a Pope in failing health. In his globally broadcast general audience, Pope Francis called on the faithful to pray for his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict, as his health deteriorates.

POPE FRANCIS (through translation): I want to ask you all for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who sustains the Church in his silence. He is very sick. We ask the Lord to console and sustain him in this witness of love for the Church to the very end.

GALLAGHER: The Vatican says the 95-year-old's health has deteriorated due to the advancement of his age and that he's being continually monitored by his doctors. Once the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI has been living alongside his successor, Pope Francis, at the Vatican. After making the almost unprecedented decision to resign from his role as Pope in 2013.

Announcing that decision, Benedict said his choice to step down was made due to his lack of strength of body and mind.

POPE BENEDICT XVI: The decision I have made after much prayer is the fruit of a serene trust in God's will, the deep love of Christ Church. I will continue to accompany the Church with my prayers and ask each of you to pray for me and for the new Pope.

GALLAGHER: With that resignation, Pope Benedict became the first pope to step down in nearly 600 years, but retained his title and continued to dress in the papal white and make occasional public appearances.

Born Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Germany and a childhood spent under the shadow of Hitler's Nazi regime, Pope Benedict XIV has sometimes been a divisive figure, unflatteringly referred to as God's Rottweiler in his conservative defense of the faith.

He was Cardinal and Pope during the years when the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandals came to light, and he spearheaded the Vatican's efforts towards a zero-tolerance policy. However, after his retirement, he suffered a reputational blow when the Church commissioned report found he knew and failed to act against a pedophile priest while he was archbishop in Munich 40 years ago. Benedict denied the allegations.

Even after his resignation, he continues to be a towering figure in the Catholic Church. And as his health declines, there'll be many sending him their thoughts and prayers.

Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Ukraine's president delivers a powerful speech to Parliament. Volodymyr Zelenskyy's message to his country and the world as fighting intensifies the battlefield against Russia's invasion.

Plus, migrants on the southern U.S. border refuse to give up despite a court ruling that makes their American Dream harder to realize.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:15:28]

STOUT: In Ukraine, officials are urging residents to evacuate the southern city of Kherson as Russia continues to launch attacks.

Residents tell CNN many of the people who remained are taking care of elderly parents and those who have fled the fighting say Russia's constant shelling became unbearable, leaving them shaking with fear that they could be killed at any moment.

Now beyond Kherson, fighting has intensified on the Eastern front lines. Ukrainian officials say that Russian forces have "practically destroyed the occupied city of Kreminna while Russian troops are now moving toward the town of Bakhmut, which has seen some of the heaviest fighting of the war in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, in the capital Kyiv, Ukraine's president delivered his annual address to parliament on Wednesday.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked members of the country's armed forces calling them heroes. He says Russia's war in Ukraine has strengthened the Europe's unity, saying, "No one in the West is afraid and will ever be afraid of Russia."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Ukraine became one of the global leaders, our national colors, our international symbol of courage, and the invincibility of the whole world in any country on any continent, when you see the blue and yellow, they know about it is about freedom, about the people who did not surrender, who has stood, who united the world and who will win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: During his address, President Zelenskyy also honored a Ukrainian commander, presenting him with a command coin from U.S. President Joe Biden.

CNN's Clarissa Ward was among the team of correspondents in Ukraine when she witnessed the opening salvos of the Russian invasion. And now, as the year draws to a close, she looks back at those harrowing early days of the conflict. When it appeared, Moscow might actually topple Ukraine's leadership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Once we had a sense that the invasion was imminent, we made the decision to try to drive to Kharkiv. Because it is a city that is very close to the Russian border, there had been a lot of troop buildup. Just beyond that border, we were getting ready to go to bed when I noticed on Twitter that President Putin was speaking again, which is very unusual at that hour of the night.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A decision has been made of a special military operation.

WARD: And so, we all rushed up onto the roof. And sure enough, moments later, we could hear explosions across the night sky.

It's been a few minutes now, we have been hearing a steady stream of loud strikes. It's not clear exactly what they are targeting.

And it wasn't just in the city of Kharkiv of where we were. But in cities across the country, which I think had not been anticipated, particularly in the capital of Kyiv.

On the very first day of the war, we saw people flooding into metro stations and Kharkiv carrying all the belongings that they had or could possibly grab with them.

This is an actual subway car here. And if we can pan in, you can see dozens of people are squashed in, they're sitting on the seats there in the dark. There are children here.

One of the really iconic moments for us that we will never forget, was the scene on the bridge from the Kyiv of suburb of Irpin.

There has been a steady barrage of artillery since we got here just over an hour ago and a never ending stream of people just desperately trying to cross to safety.

President Putin has said his army is not targeting civilians. But the exodus from Irpin tells a different story. Everyone steps in where they can, including us.

We saw people who were clearly traumatized, who were confused, who were discombobulated. There were many elderly people, people who were living alone, they were carrying their pets, they were carrying babies.

And we stood there and watched the scene unfold. And you do feel as a journalist a little bit impotent in that moment, because beyond wanting to tell their story, you wish there was more that you could do to help these people.

Within Western liberal democracies, there was outrage, anger, and a broad determination to try to respond strongly and in unity.

[00:20:13]

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: This war will be a strategic failure for Putin. When we act together, we're stronger and we really can make a difference.

WARD: China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, other countries had a slightly different perspective on Russia's invasion, they were less willing to condemn it.

President Putin made it very clear that he viewed the situation in Ukraine as an existential threat to Russia. The fact that they were so focused on Kyiv, the capital, I think, made it clear that for President Putin, nothing less than regime change in Ukraine was going to satisfy him.

ZELENSKYY (through translator): According to our information, the enemy has marked me as target number one. My family is target number two, they want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state.

WARD: I think there was initially a question as to how President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would meet the moment as it were, because of his limited political experience, his background in showbizness.

But what we saw very quickly was the metamorphosis of Zelenskyy into a wartime leader. He quickly made it known to the public that he was not going anywhere, that he was not going to try to leave the country. He was not even going to try to leave the capital of Kyiv. And he started posting these videos.

ZELENSKYY (through translator): So, I am here. We are not putting down arms. We will be defending our country, because our weapon is truth. And our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children, and we will defend all of this.

WARD: They were made selfie style on his cell phone and just really capturing the sense of the moment, and so, so many people around the world were sort of transfixed by this incredible moment, and the way in which President Zelenskyy met the moment.

Nobody really knows how long this war will go on for. There are parties in Ukraine who have said that they believe that it could be over by next summer. But there are also those who say that you shouldn't discount President Vladimir Putin for whom this has become sort of an existential quest.

And while Russia may be really struggling on the battlefield, and it may be impossible for them to turn this around, I think there is also a sense that they understand that they cannot afford to lose.

And so, the question becomes, does this transform or degenerate into a stalemate, a protracted stalemate that could go on many months, if not years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: CNN's Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward there reflecting on her past 10 months covering the war in Ukraine.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Still to come, another Russian elite dies under mysterious circumstances, the 13th this year, what they all have in common, after the break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:25:48]

STOUT: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kristie Lu Stout live in Hong Kong.

Speaking out against the war in Ukraine can have deadly consequences for Russian elites. There's no direct evidence tying their deaths to Moscow but observers say that the string of accidents seems more than just coincidental. Melissa Bell reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They were part of the Russian elite, some at one point critical of the war in Ukraine. Several died after falling through windows, at least 13 dead in suspicious circumstances this year.

The latest Russian tycoon to plunge to his death Pavel Antov who died on Saturday in India.

Over the summer, Antov denied criticizing the war in a WhatsApp message, his death and that of a friend he was vacationing with now under investigation by Indian authorities.

Another tycoon to fall from a window this time in Moscow was Ravil Maganov, the head of Russia's oil giant.

In March, Lukoil released a statement calling for the soonest termination of the armed conflict.

Maganov was just one of several Russian energy executives whose deaths have raised questions. Some of the insiders who've died have done so alongside their families like Sergei Protosenya and Vladislav Avayev, both of whom were said to have murdered relatives before killing themselves.

The Kremlin has remained tight lipped, but Vladimir Putin's message has been chillingly clear.

PUTIN (through translator): Make it safer at home. Those who decided to ignore this obvious call lost hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars in the West. This is how much of a so called safe haven for fortune as it turned out to be.

BELL: Some of those who've stayed at home like oligarch Oleg Deripaska have been more fortunate without mincing their words about Ukraine.

OLEG DERIPASKA, RUSSIAN OLIGARCH (through translator): We have abandoned what was achieved in the 2000s. And now we're waiting for victory, winning what? This is, of course, a colossal mistake.

BELL: The outspokenness of some of those closest to the regime, a measure of what they stood to lose. And while no ties between the Kremlin and these deaths have been proven in court, for many, they stir fears of Russia's reach.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Benjamin Netanyahu stunning political comeback and Israel culminates on Thursday when he'll be formally sworn in as prime minister for a record sixth time.

But before that happens, Parliament will vote on his new cabinet in the coming hours, and analysts expect it to be the most far right government in Israeli history.

Among the controversial figures in the coalition is Itamar Ben-Gvir who will become head of the Israeli national security.

Now, Israel's new Heartland government comes at one of the most volatile periods in years and many of the flashpoints have been the holy places that are sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians.

And next hour, we'll bring you Becky Anderson's exclusive interview with Jordan's King Abdullah at one of those holy sites on the Jordan River. And here is some of what he had to say about the incoming Israeli leadership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Do you believe the status quo and your role is threatened?

ABDULLAH: So you're always going to get those people that will try and push that. That is a concern. But I don't think those individuals are under just a Jordanian microscope; they're under an international microscope.

So we have learned, as we always say, living between a rock and a hard place, that you know, that this is just another Tuesday for us. If people want to get into a conflict with us, we are quite prepared.

I always like to believe that we should look at the glass half full. But we have set red lines. And if people want to push those red lines, we will deal with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, you can watch the full interview next hour, that's 10:00 a.m. in Abu Dhabi, 2:00 p.m. in Hong Kong.

Migrants coming from Mexico are not giving up their dream of a new life in the U.S. despite a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.

On Tuesday, the court decided to temporarily keep a policy called Title 42, under which many of them could be expelled without an immigration hearing.

Leyla Santiago went to the city of El Paso, Texas, the ground zero of the ongoing border crisis, and some migrants told her they don't plan to go back.

[00:30:12]

SANTIAGO: So what she wants now, is she's hoping she can get to Dallas to -- where she knows someone, to be able to, as she has repeated, find a better future for her children and work.

SANTIAGO (voice-over): Madellas Montecinos (ph) and her one-year-old son just finished a four-months-long journey from Venezuela, through nine different countries, just to be here in the United States of America.

SANTIAGO: Her question is, to the people of the United States, to the government of the United States, why don't they want her here?

SANTIAGO (voice-over): That sentiment echoed by many mothers here, with their futures in doubt after the Supreme Court ordered Tuesday to keep in place the Trump era Title 42 policy while legal challenges play out in court over the next few months.

Their policy allows the U.S. government to expel migrants legally, seeking asylum before they've had a proper hearing.

PASTOR TIMOTHY PEREA, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER: It breaks people, because there's no directive. And what we're trying to provide with the minimum resources that we have is a direction, so they can go from Point A to Point B.

SANTIAGO (voice-over): Over the past few months, tens of thousands of migrants have been surging to the Southern border, creating a humanitarian crisis. It's left border towns like El Paso overwhelmed and unable to keep up with the challenges of providing care, food and shelter for those in need.

MAYOR OSCAR LEESER (D), EL PASO, TEXAS: We've had as many as 2,500 crossings a day, and that's -- will continue, and this is while Title 42 is still in place.

SANTIAGO (voice-over): El Paso's preparing for an even larger surge, should Title 42 be rescinded, transforming two vacant schools into temporary housing.

LEESER: This is just a band-aid on a broken immigration system. The system has to be fixed, because we can't continue to go this way.

SANTIAGO (voice-over): U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it's setting up a new processing facility in El Paso to increase capacity. It's one of ten new temporary processing facilities being added on the U.S.-Mexico border. For now, local organizes in El Paso are asking people to just try to see the humanity in everyone.

PEREA: They're here. Some of them are here. What are we going to do? It's not to step up. It's time to say, you know what? They're here, regardless if I'm a red shirt, blue shirt, whatever the case may be, let's help out these people. SANTIAGO: And as night falls here and the temperature drops, the winds

pick up, you can see they are actually piles of blankets for those who will spend the night on the streets here.

You know, as the country braces for what could be another potential surge of migrants, we've learned that the Department of Homeland Security also concerned about another potential surge.

We obtained a memo that circulated just days ago, warning of potential violent extremist attacks targeting migrants and critical infrastructure, should the Trump-era policy come to an end.

Leyla Santiago, CNN, El Paso.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: We're going to take a short break. More news in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now a female Iranian chess player who is ranked No. 10 in her country did not wear a hijab when she took part in an international tournament. Sara Khadem played in the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in Kazakhstan, according to the Iranian news outlet Jamaran on Tuesday.

It also shared a picture of her without the head covering. A hijab are mandatory for women under Iran's strict dress code.

And CNN, we've reached out to her by her Instagram page for comment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's time.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Stranger Things" time-travels to the '80s, while Beyonce's "Renaissance" skyrockets to the top.

TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: This is your captain speaking.

ELAM (voice-over): And the triumphant return of blockbuster movies.

ELAM: Hollywood forged full-steam ahead into 2022, and it was a wild ride from start to finish. Here's a look at the top entertainment stories of the year.

ELAM (voice-over): At No. 10 --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hollywood stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have finally said "I do."

ELAM (voice-over): Second time's the charm for this love story 20 years in the making. The pair met in 2001 on the set of the rom-com "Gigli."

BEN AFFLECK, ACTOR: Hello. I'm sorry, do we know each other?

JENNIFER LOPEZ, ACTRESS: Not yet.

ELAM (voice-over): They got engaged one year later, but after a whirlwind romance, they called it quits three years after that. But the couple found their way back to each other last year and exchanged vows at an intimate ceremony.

And No. 9 --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The one thing they ask of us this is to stay here.

ELAM (voice-over): Drama on the set of "Don't Worry, Darling." Harry Styles, Chris Pine and Florence Pugh. The all-star cast generated a lot of buzz for its behind-the-scenes gossip.

It started with Shia LeBeouf, the thriller's original male lead, left the project and was replaced by Styles, who was reportedly in a relationship with director and co-star, Olivia Wilde.

Then there were tensions between Wilde and lead actress Florence Pugh, and video seemed to show Styles spitting on Chris Pine during a press tor, which his spokesperson denies.

But would the very public offscreen chaos hinder or boost the film's numbers at the box office? It turns out, there was nothing to worry about. "Don't Worry, Darling" won the box office on opening weekend.

At No. 8 --

JOE KEERY, ACTOR: See you on the other side.

NATALIA DYER, ACTRESS: On the other side.

ELAM (voice-over): Small-screen hits dominate pop culture.

"Stranger Things" took audiences into a time machine, fast-forwarding to 1986. The show's fourth season brought back Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill," Metallica's "Master of Puppets," and paid homage to '80s trends and style.

On ABC, critics credited breakout series "Abbott Elementary" for bringing back the TV sit-com.

JANELLE JAMES, ACTRESS: These new keys I made must be too thick.

ELAM (voice-over): While "The White Lotus" on HBO traveled to exotic locations and brought home ten Emmy Awards.

And over on Netflix, the "Addams Family" reboot, "Wednesday," proved to be a huge winter hit, with audiences logging over one billion hours of screen time.

No. 7 belongs to the queen bee herself. Beyonce smashed records with her seventh studio album, "Renaissance."

Things got off to a rocky start when the tracks were leaked online, but her fan base came to her rescue. The Beyhive rallied fans on social media to wait for the official release so everyone could enjoy it together.

And that they did. "Renaissance" blasted to the top of the charts, giving us hose music, afrobeats, and nods to jams of the past.

No. 6 --

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Tom Cruise's new "Top Gun: Maverick" had the biggest Memorial Day opening weekend of all time.

ELAM (voice-over): Blockbuster movies are back.

CRUISE: This is your captain speaking.

ELAM (voice-over): The summer blockbuster raked in nearly $1.5 billion worldwide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going into combat on a level no living pilot's ever seen.

ELAM (voice-over): And "Black Panther" fans turned out for "Wakanda Forever."

Marvel's iconic superheroes led the charge at the holiday box office, but another epic release is nipping at its heels. "Avatar: The Way of the Water" is set up for the next big wave.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Footlocker is joining the growing list of companies cutting ties with Kanye West.

ELAM (voice-over): At No. 5, Kanye's controversies.

After making a series of antisemitic remarks and wearing a shirt with a slogan linked to the Ku Klux Klan, Ye's business partnerships ended. Balenciaga and Gap also pulled the plug, and Adidas ended their longtime flagship deal.

Meta and Twitter suspended his accounts, and Ye announced he would be acquiring conservative-leaning social media platform Parler, but that deal went bust, too.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Isn't it possible they're both guilty? Isn't it possible they both said defamatory things?

ELAM (voice-over): No. 4, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's courtroom battle.

[00:40:04]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you find that Mr. Depp has proven that Miss Heard acted with actual malice? Answer, yes. ELAM (voice-over): Amber Heard stoic as a jury finds she did defame

Johnny Depp in a 2018 op-ed in "The Washington Post," the jury awarding Depp millions in damages.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As against Amber Heard, we the jury award compensatory damages in the amount of $10 million.

ELAM (voice-over): As Depp fans cheered outside the courtroom, another 5 million in punitive damages was awarded.

On Heard's counterclaim, Depp was found liable for a statement by his lawyer, claiming Heard set up Depp. The jury awarded her $2 million in damages.

In December, Heard and Depp reached a settlement on the defamation case, but Heard said this is not an act of concession.

No. 3, saying goodbye to Hollywood legends.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR: Actor and comedian Bob Saget has died.

ELAM (voice-over): It started with the sudden death of one of TV's most beloved stars.

(MUSIC: "YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT")

ELAM (voice-over): And then Olivia Newton-John lost her battle with cancer.

And sadly, the list of entertainers we lost this year grew to include some of our favorites.

GRAPHIC: Angela Lansbury 1925-2022; Loretta Lynn 1932-2022; Sidney Poitier 1927-2022; Leslie Jordan 1955-2022; Taylor Hawkins 1972-2022; Anne Heche 1969-2022; Naomi Judd 1946-2022; Aaron Carter 1987-2022; Coolio 1963-2022; Ray Liotta 1952-2022; William Hurt 1950-2022; Steven "tWitch" Boss 1982-2022; Kirstie Alley 1951-2022; Meat Loaf 1947-2022; Takeoff 1994-2022.

ELAM (voice-over): No. 2, Taylor Swift's Ticketmaster fiasco. A concert for the eras. Millions of fans queued up to buy tickets for Swift's highly-anticipated worldwide tour, as soon as Ticketmaster's presale began.

The heavy demand snarled Ticketmaster's website. Thousands of Swifties were in line for hours, and many left empty-handed when Ticketmaster suddenly canceled the presale.

Swift blamed Ticketmaster for the snafu, saying it's been excruciating, but nothing stopped her ultra-loyal fans from supporting the popstar.

She became the first artist ever to claim all ten spots on the Billboard Hot 100, following the release of her latest album, "Midnights." At No. 1, the slap to the jaw that had jaws dropping. A showdown

onstage at the Oscars, as Smith confronted Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife.

CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: Jada, I love you. "G.I. Jane 2," can't wait to see it.

Oh, wow, wow. Will Smith just smacked the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out of me.

A concert for the eras The audience inside the Dolby Theater and around the world, stunned.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, ABC'S "THE VIEW": Let me say this. There -- there are consequences.

WANDA SYKES, COMEDIAN/ACTOR: I physically felt ill, and I'm still a little traumatized by it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Me, too.

ELAM (voice-over): Smith resigned from the Academy, and he was banned from attending any other events, including the Oscars, for the next ten years.

He apologized to Rock and is trying to move on. He's currently seeking redemption in Apple TV's "Emancipation," already getting some 2023 Oscars buzz.

WILL SMITH, ACTOR: I fight them.

ELAM: There are big things to come for our newsmakers on our list. Beyonce says "Renaissance" in act one of three she recorded during the pandemic, and the cast of "Stranger Things" is poised to start shooting their fifth and final season.

In Los Angeles, I'm Stephanie Elam.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: And I'm Kristie Lu Stout, live in Hong Kong. I'll be back at top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM. But first, WORLD SPORT starts after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:24]

(WORLD SPORT)

[00:57:53]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)