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Trump's Tax Info to be Released; The January 6 Committee Releases New Transcripts; International Football Legend Pele Dies at the Age of 82; Russia's War on Ukraine Continues; International Football Legend Pele Dies At 82; S. Korea To Require Negative Test For China Travelers; Celebrities Remember Late Designer Vivienne Westwood. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired December 30, 2022 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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LAILA HARRAK, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to all of our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Laila Harrak. Ahead on "CNN Newsroom," former President Donald Trump's tax information is finally about to go public after his years-long fight to keep it secret. What we can expect to find out in the coming hours?

Plus, one of Russia's largest strikes yet 10 months into the war. Russia launches dozens of missiles into Ukraine just days before the new year.

And remembering a football legend. Tributes pour in from around the world for Pele.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Laila Harrak.

HARRAK: We begin with the latest chapter of a legal battle that has been playing out in Washington for years. In the coming hours, U.S. House lawmakers will release some of former President Donald Trump's tax returns. He refused to make them public when he ran for the White House, breaking with a presidential tradition going back decades.

And he fought every effort to get them released, calling it an abuse of power and a witch hunt. But a congressional committee led by Democrats is now forcing their release, saying Mr. Trump was not properly audited while in office.

As Kristen Holmes reports, the former president has a lot at stake here.

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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After years-long legal battle, the House on Ways and Means Committee led by Democrats will release Trump's taxes on Friday morning. So, here is what we are expecting to see. These are going to be returns for six years, from 2015 to 2020. These are going to be his personal federal tax returns as well as the returns of some of his businesses. It will also include IRS audit materials.

This is a big deal for a number of reasons. Trump himself has built an entire brand on being a wealthy and, therefore, successful businessman. And in that process, he has done everything in his power to protect that image, and that meant shielding his finances for decades. That includes his net worth, who he did business with, how exactly he made his money.

And the big question now is what this pulling back of the curtain is going to reveal. Will it have a political impact? One thing to remind you of here is that when Trump ran for office and when he was president, he became the first president in modern history not to release his tax returns.

Now, we do have some information. There was an analysis done on these taxes from the Joint Committee on Taxation that talked about his income tax. In 2017, he paid only $750. In 2018 and 2019, he paid $1.1 million. And in 2020, he paid zero dollars in income tax.

Now, this same group also raised questions about his charitable deductions, particularly years where he made deductions that were over a million dollars, most of them in cash.

So, we will see what comes out of these documents. But again, a big deal, we are already hearing from Republicans saying that this is setting a bad precedent. The former president himself has said that when Republicans take control of Congress, they should immediately start investigating Biden and his family and get them to turn over their tax returns.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: The January 6 Committee has released a new collection of transcripts, including interviews with Donald Trump, Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle. The former president's son and his fiancee repeatedly told investigators they could not recall key details about their speeches at a rally before the riot started. Well, the latest transcripts also provide interesting details about Melania Trump's role in the White House.

CNN's Paula Reid reports.

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PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: This latest batch of transcripts released by the January 6 Committee involved some big names, including Donald Trump, Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Stephen Miller, and also former White House adviser Stephanie Grisham.

One of the common themes, though, that becomes clear across all these transcripts, both from this batch and the previous ones over the past week, is the former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who is really at the center of a multifaceted plan to try to undermine the results of the election.

[02:05:02]

REID: In this most recent batch of transcripts, the committee presses Donald Trump, Jr. on a series of text exchanges he had with the former White House chief of staff, including some around November 5th, when Donald Trump, Jr. shared ideas for how to keep his father in power by subverting the electoral process.

Now, this plan looks very similar to the one that was adopted by the former president and his allies over the next two months. Now, under questioning from investigators, Donald Trump, Jr. said he didn't know who the author of that plan was, he could not remember, but said that he shared it because it looked to be the most plausible.

Now, Donald Trump, Jr. is also texting Mark Meadows two months later on January 6th, urging him to get his father to hold an Oval Office address, to do something more forceful to denounce the violence that was taking place on the Capitol.

We are also learning in another transcript from an interview with Trump attorney, Christina Bobb, that Senator Lindsey Graham and Mark Meadows discussed ways that Graham could help him amplify these false claims of election fraud. Graham told Meadows he only needed -- quote -- "five dead voters." He just needed a little bit of information that he could latch on to and then go amplify these claims.

Now, there is also additional testimony from Stephanie Grisham, a top aide to former President Trump and also to his wife, Melania. Stephanie Grisham testified that the first lady did not trust Mark Meadows. She was concerned that he was not giving her husband the best advice, that he was telling him what he wanted to hear.

She also had concerns about some of his attorneys, including Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, and also Rudy Giuliani. Two years later, based on what we learned in this investigation and from these transcripts, those concerns appear to be well founded.

Now, all of these transcripts and the evidence gathered by the committee will go to Special Counsel Jack Smith, who will have to determine if any criminal charges are warranted.

Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

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HARRAK: A looming U.S. government shutdown is now in the rearview mirror after President Biden signed a new spending bill. He signed the $1.7 trillion bill on Thursday while he was vacationing in the U.S. Virgin Islands, while lawmakers passed the bill after weeks of political wrangling, while the government operated on temporary funding. The bill includes more aid for Ukraine and NATO allies as well as an overhaul of a federal vote counting law and a ban on TikTok from federal electronic devices.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has warned Southwest Airlines that it will face consequences if it fails to compensate passengers left stranded and inconvenienced. The airline has canceled nearly 16,000 flights since December 22nd, leaving hundreds of thousands of travelers in limbo. Well, now the company says it is ready to resume regular service but it is too little too late for some customers.

CNN's Nick Valencia reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNKNOWN: This has been a crazy time.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Southwest Airlines aiming for a turnaround by Friday, expecting to have normal operations with minimal disruptions on Friday. Airline staffers are already informed.

UNKNOWN: Mostly full schedule come Friday. That's what we are hearing.

VALENCIA (voice-over): And while Southwest has seen more than 2,300 cancellations so far Thursday, another sign the airline is finally recovering after a week of travel nightmares.

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VALENCIA (voice-over): This Southwest Airlines customer ecstatic after finding he has lost luggage.

PATRICK KEANE, PACKING UP LOST LUGGAGE: I'm just glad to be here. And I'm glad I have my bag. They better give me some compensation for a week.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Similar scenes playing out in airports across the country.

UNKNOWN: My luggage has arrived, so we are very excited about that.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Amid the mess, stories of compassion, with Southwest passengers coming together to help one another, like the three strangers from Wisconsin stuck at the airport in St. Louis, who ended up carpooling to Milwaukee.

UNKNOWN: He had seen my Packer hat, and a nice Wisconsin guy assumed I was going to Milwaukee.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Or the Denver couple stranded in Minnesota, struggling to rent a car, who ended up hitching a ride with a stranger.

UNKNOWN: And she jumped right up and she said, if you guys want to join me, I'm going to Denver, I would be happy to take you guys.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Sadly, for some, the outcome is a little more heartbreaking, like it is for this St. Louis bride, forced to cancel her wedding in Belize.

UNKNOWN: We were and I was in shock. We tried to re-book and there was nothing. Southwest actually booked me on a flight for January 2nd. My wedding is tomorrow, December 30th.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Wednesday, the airline's chief commercial officer released a video apologizing for the debacle.

RYAN GREEN, CCO, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES: My personal apology, on behalf of myself and everyone at Southwest Airlines, for all of this. You know, by now, all the flexibility in planning that we put in place to deal with this storm just wasn't enough.

[02:09:58]

VALENCIA (on camera): This travel nightmare has gone on for more than a week. And Southwest Airline officials are telling their passengers to hold on just a little bit longer, announcing in an email that they expect to return to normal operations with minimal disruptions as early as Friday.

Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Higher than normal temperatures and rain are forecast for much of the U.S. this weekend. This as the Denver, Colorado area deals with the impact of about a foot of snow. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar has that and the New Year's Eve forecast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That same system that dumped all of that snow in Colorado now exiting that area and pushing into portions of the Midwest all the way down towards the Gulf Coast. That's where the focus is going to be from that system as we head into Friday.

But on the other side of the country, back into the West Coast, we are looking at another system that will be pushing back in, and this is going to be one of a series of system that makes its way into the West Coast over the next week, bringing a tremendous amount of rain as well as snow to several western states.

Here's a look at the forecast radar. So, by Friday morning, many of these areas already dealing with very heavy rain across northern California, areas of Nevada, and very heavy snow across the Intermountain West as well as the Sierras.

You will notice this is not a very fast-moving low-pressure system. So just the very next day, 24 hours later, that low pressure system really has not moved all that much. But where you will notice is that shift southward, and that is going to bring some heavy rain even to areas of central and southern California.

In total, widespread amounts, about 4 to 6 inches, but not out of the question for some of these areas to pick up in excess of seven or eight inches of rain in California. Snowfall wise, very widespread amounts across the Intermountain West. A lot of these areas are picking up at least 6 to 10 inches, some picking up over a foot.

Temperatures are expected to stay mild in the eastern half of the country but we will start to see some things change in the western half of the country next week.

Now, the big question, what about New York on New Year's Eve? Unfortunately, while temperatures will be mild and well above the average of 41, we do unfortunately have rain in the forecast for Saturday evening, not serious enough to ruin the plans, but maybe just to have that umbrella handy.

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HARRAK: Three days of national mourning are underway in Brazil after the death of global football legend Pele, one of the greatest ever to play the game and one of the most famous athletes of all time.

The Brazilian president says he transformed football into art and joy and took the name of Brazil to the world. The country's famous Christ the Redeemer statue lit up in Pele's honor, while fans have been getting outside the Santos Stadium in Sao Paulo State. That is where he got his playing start and that's where his wake will be held starting on Monday.

His coffin will be placed at center pitch, and then on Tuesday, a funeral procession will carry it through the streets of Santos. Brazilian fans have been sharing what Pele meant to them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translator): He was the biggest athlete of the 20th century. As a person, he represented more than a president. And to lose someone like him, it is like losing a bit of the country's heart, more so after we lost the World Cup in the way we lost it. Brazil lost twice this year, with the presidency and the Cup. We only lost. It is time that we win again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: With me now is world sport's Patrick Snell. Patrick, it's so good to have you with us. Explain to us the magic that Pele brought to the field. What made him so unique and special? And how did he become that global face of football?

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORDL SPORT: Laila, there are so many factors at play here. It has been really emotional in the last few hours, I tell you, covering this. Of course, our deepest condolences to Pele's family. He certainly has been (INAUDIBLE) these recent past days. But I like to remind everyone of his remarkable life story, his life journey, to get to the point where he would be. You know, out of the depth, I think it's fair to say, relative poverty as a child when he grew up. He and his youth teammates, they did not even have boots on their feet at one point.

To get from that point to a World Cup winner at just 17 years of age, that was at Sweden, 1958 tournament, the only player ever to go on to win three World Cups, such a humble, humble, humble beginning.

And just one word, Pele, and everyone knows who you are talking about the world over. It does not matter where you are. It does not matter if you have zero interest in sports. You know who Pele is, the sport's first global megastar.

You know, wherever he played in the world, they would just roll out the red carpet for him. Think of the Beatles, the pope, that kind of impact. Simply (INAUDIBLE) people just celebrated him as if he was one of their own. You know, part of the family.

[02:14:58]

SNELL: And I love the promise, Laila, that he made to his dad one day as a youngster, that he would one day win the World Cup. Well, boy, he did not disappoint. In fact, why win one when he could go on to win three, right?

It's a joy -- when I think of Pele, I think of the joy, the elation, and the expression that he really coined for me, the beautiful game. He played with such passion, such joy, a smile on his face.

The iconic yellow Brazilian shirt, I think of that 1970 World Cup- winning team, an amazing dribbling, the overhead kicks, trying to score from halfway line (INAUDIBLE). And such a pioneering life as well. After he was done as a player, he would go on to yield 1,200 career goals, a world record.

But this is a man who cared about people. He stayed in the public eye, of course, through those endorsement deals. He had the platforms. But he championed the poor. He never forgot his roots. He cared about the poor in his homeland. He supported vulnerable children. Children were especially dear to him.

And no surprises then that the tributes have been pouring in over the last few hours since Pele's passing was confirmed. I do want to get to this from -- and again, another example of how we just transcended right across the sporting world. Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt, a sporting legend, rest in peace King Pele.

A great from the world of tennis, Rafael Nadal, I didn't see him play, I wasn't that lucky, but I was always taught and told that he was the king of football.

And former England international Gary Lineker says eloquently, the most divine of footballers and joyous of men, he played a game only a few chosen ones have come close to, he may have left us but he will always have footballing immortality.

And I want to kind of put a bow, kind of ribbon on this, by my favorite quote from Pele that I came across today. The great Pele once saying, I was born to play football. It was like Beethoven was born to write music and Michael Angelo was born to paint.

HARRAK: Could not have said it better.

SNELL: That's the goal, doesn't it?

HARRAK: You can back it up as well. Talk to us about the teams because they also paid tribute to him.

SNELL: Yeah, so, within hours of teams -- across Europe -- learning of Pele's passing, we got to see some really powerful images. I want to hone in on this from the south of France on Thursday night. This is at Marseille's Stade Velodrome and you can see the scenes here. The players to a man, breaking out, applauding, celebrating the life of the iconic Pele.

This was the Marseille, home fixture in league (ph) against Toulouse. And then that iconic image there of the great man himself, flashed up on the big screen, and that smile, that joy I mentioned earlier, with which he played, the spirit that he embodied.

That is why I said at the top, universally adored, respected, and revered. We should mourn his passing. Of course, we should. But we should also celebrate an incredible life.

HARRAK: An incredible life indeed. Thank you so much, Pat, for that lovely tribute. Thank you.

Fans of fashion worldwide are mourning the death of style legend Vivienne Westwood. The British designer died peacefully on Thursday at home in London with her family at her side. Westwood rose to fame designing clothes worn by the group The Sex Pistols in the 70s. She would go on to create what became the look for the punk scene, with her designs ending up in museums around the world. Vivienne Westwood was 81 years old.

Coming up a little later, we will talk with an expert in the fashion industry about Westwood's impact on fashion and her cultural legacy.

Ukrainian forces are experiencing heavy losses on the east in front lines just a day after Russia launched nationwide attacks across the country. The latest on the fighting, that's next.

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[02:20:00]

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HARRAK: In Ukraine, a presidential advisor says the country's forces have expressed heavy losses in the east, mainly the towns of Bakhmut and Soledar, although the advisor says Russia has lost more. Well, this comes a day after Ukraine's military warned that Russia has diverted resources from other regions to the battle for Bakhmut and the Donetsk region.

Officials say about 90% of the city has now been evacuated, though nearly 9,000 residents remain and live under constant shelling. Beyond the eastern front, damage assessments are underway across Ukraine after what Kyiv describes as one of Russia's largest missile barrages since the war began more than 10 months ago.

Ukraine's state emergency service says the nationwide attacks Thursday killed at least three people and wounded seven. And in this latest onslaught, Russia again appeared to target Ukraine's electrical grid, knocking out power in several regions. Residents in Kyiv describe a harrowing experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translator): I was at work. My granddaughter called me and said, grandma, our house is on fire, we've been hit, my mother was thrown, she is lying unconscious. That is all I could hear.

UNKNOWN (through translator): They flew here. They had a corridor here. They constantly fly along this corridor. They are shot down sometimes, but there has been nothing like this before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: For more on this, CNN's Nada Bashir joins me now live from London. Nada, what more do you know about these strikes ahead of the new year holidays?

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Look, Laila, we heard in the last few days from Ukrainian military officials as well as western intelligence officials an intensification of Russia's bombardment on Ukraine, anticipated for the new year but appears to have come some days earlier, as you described there.

One of the largest barrages of missile attacks the country has seen in the last 10 months of Russia's invasion, this targeting across the country and the capital Kyiv where we saw residential neighborhoods being targeted but also in the west, in Lviv. Of course, also on those eastern front lines, in Odessa and Kharkiv. Of course, we've seen in the last few days Kherson experiencing a real doubling down of Russia's military bombardment.

I have learned from Ukrainian military officials that they were able to successfully intercept 54 out of 69 believed cruise missile launches from Russia. But there has been significant damage to Ukraine's infrastructure when it comes to energy. Of course, the power supply there has been deeply impacted and that has long been a concern, long been a target by the Russian armed forces, leaving some parts of the country now experiencing limited power supplies, so significant concern there.

But there has been a staunch response from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking yesterday in his nightly address. He said that this provide further evidence that the Russian armed forces, that President Putin is engaging in acts of terror in Ukraine. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): With every rocket attack, Russia is getting into that dead end. Russia has left rockets. But the status of the biggest terrorist in the world will have a deeper impact for a long time for Russia and its citizens. Every missile will only show that the tribunal will be right at the end of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: And look, Laila, the Ukrainian armed forces and, of course, President Zelenskyy are already assessing the potential next steps for the Russian armed forces. A lot of the focus now is on the city of Bakhmut and Donetsk. As you mentioned there, it is believed that the Russian armed forces are rediverting the resources to support their military campaign there.

[02:25:04]

HARRAK: And Nada Bashir, before I let you go, Vladimir Putin is set to have a meeting with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping today. What more can you tell us about that?

BASHIR: That's right. We are expecting a video call between the two leaders later today to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries as well as regional issues. Ukraine is likely to be a key topic there. This comes just a week after the Chinese leader met with the former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev where the two leaders earlier discussed those bilateral relations but also the war in Ukraine.

President Xi at that point expressing his wish for the conflict to be resolved through political means. They also did discuss the potential for further cooperation on the economic front and, of course, on the industrial front as well. So that may be a key topic for President Putin and President Xi later today during their call. Laila?

HARRAK: Nada Bashir reporting live from London. Thank you so much, Nada.

Former Pope Benedict is said to be in serious but stable condition right now. Coming up, we will bring you the latest from the Vatican on his declining health.

Plus, tributes are pouring in for the only man to win three football World Cups as a player. I will speak with a Brazilian journalist about what Pele meant to his country and the world.

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HARRAK: Welcome back to all of our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I am Laila Harrak and you're watching "CNN Newsroom."

[02:30:01]

Late football legend Pele is frequently described as an athlete who transcends sports. He died Thursday at the age of 82 after a battle with colon cancer. Pele will be laid to rest next week. Among the world leaders paying tribute, former U.S. President Barack Obama. He tweeted out this photo of the two of them in 2019 when they attended a digital innovation conference. Obama wrote as one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together.

Well, English Premier League club Arsenal tweeted the club is truly saddened to hear the news of his passing. Saying we had the privilege of hosting Pele in 1981. And from Liverpool. A legend, icon, and true great of the game who will forever be remembered. Those are just a few tributes pouring in right now.

Marcelo Bechler is a Brazilian correspondent for TNT Sports and comes to us from Barcelona. So, good to have you with us, Marcelo. First, I want to get your reaction. What did you think when you heard the news today?

MARCELO BECHLER, CORRESPONDENT, TNT SPORTS: Hello, Laila. Oh, it was very sad. It was expected because we knew about Pele's state of health. And it was in kind of way expected, but also very sad because he was a legend. You were saying not just in sports, but I think that he was one of the greatest -- or the greatest Brazilian that we ever had.

He was very important. He was like an ambassador for Brazil, all around the world. When your world to somewhere in and says that you are Brazilian, people talk with you about the Pele. And he was heralded for 50 years or almost 50 years. So, the legend and the legacy that Pele leaves for Brazil and for the world sports, and I think that not only sports, is huge, it's unmeasurable. I think that no one can see how a sports player -- and a football player can have this influence that he had, and the legacy to be -- it will take forever.

HARRAK: Marcelo, explain to us a little bit if you can. What led to him becoming so revered around the world? Because if I understand correctly, he spent most of his career in Brazil but his fame was on a global scale.

BECHLER: Yes. At that time, at 50 and 60, and also 70 --in the 70s, he went to play at the U.S. But at that time, football was not all about Europe. And now, of the top players in the top leagues, and the top matches you can see here at Champions League and National Leagues here in Europe. But at that time, they outnumbered the greatest Brazilian players. And the Argentina player, the Norwegian player, they were playing in South America. So, it was normal to play in a local team or even a national team like Pele did. And also, has this importance.

And I think that the language that he takes and he lives is about that he was very important to develop the game to develop the sport because now, we do have television, do have social media, so if you want to see Messi, if you want to see Ronaldo, you can do a quick search and you have all the matches -- all the plays that they did. But to Pele, at that time, Pele had to go until you saw Pele did this tribute, these discussions with Santos and with the Brazilian national team to play in Africa, Asia, Central America, to play here in the big stadiums in Europe to show to the world how football could be good, how football could be well played, as you said in Brazil (speaking in a foreign language), how football could be something very pleasing to the -- to the people. And he -- they said he was -- the stadium was full of people that they want to see Pele playing.

So, in the time that we only had radio stations and newspapers, people heard about Pele and people listen about Pele. But to see Pele playing, Pele had to go into you. And that's why the legend is so big.

HARRAK: Now, I don't know if this debate at all rages in Brazil. I think you partially answered my question. But do people debate about whether he is the greatest player of all time that way maybe people in Argentina debate whether Maradona or Messi are the best to ever play the game.

BECHLER: This is funny because in Brazil, this is a closed debate. There is no debate. It's offensive if you say that someone can be greatest than Pele. But I do live in Barcelona for eight years. And here in Barcelona, there is also this closer debate that Messi the better, than Messi is the greatest. And also, now that Messi won the World Cup with Argentina.

I think that it's hard to say who is the best at playing -- just playing football. I think that the legacy that Pele leaves is untouchable. I think that Messi will not be that greatest, with the legendary that Pele was, and what he leaves.

[02:35:01]

But at the pitch, it's hard to say. I know that in the U.S., you can say that Michael Jordan is best -- is better than LeBron. But someone can discuss that the sport is developing, the sport is in constant evolution, so playing now it's harder than playing in that time. I cannot accept this debate.

I think that it's harder to play now than play in the 50s and 60s, so I think that Messi can play better than Pele. But to be the greatest, to be the biggest, I think that the legacy is also very important and what Pele did for the sport or what Pele did for this game, it's very hard that someone can do it now.

HARRAK: A peerless legend, indeed. Marcelo Bechler, talking to us from Barcelona, thank you so much.

BECHLER: Thank you.

HARRAK: The Vatican has announced a special mass on Friday for Pope Emeritus Benedict who is reported to be very sick. CNN correspondents in Rome are closely monitoring developments for any changes in his health. But for the latest on what we do know, here's CNN's Delia Gallagher.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Relatively good news from the Vatican on Thursday for Pope Benedict. They say you rested well during the night and that he is still in a serious condition but stable they say. And interestingly, they say he is absolutely lucid and vigilant. So, they're painting a picture today which is slightly different from yesterday's rather alarming news of the deterioration of the Pope Emeritus's health.

Of course, we are talking about a 95-year-old man. And as anybody knows, with elderly people, there can be ups and downs in their declining years. So, what we do now is wait for any updates from the Vatican. We are here in Vatican City.

The Pope Emeritus His house is just behind St. Peter's Basilica there. The Vatican gardens then up a hill is the house which they call a monastery where he has been, of course, since resigning in 2013. And where the Vatican let us know on Wednesday. He is surrounded by his doctors, again, in a stable but still serious condition. Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Groups of both Israelis and Palestinians are protesting the new hardline government that officially took power in Israel on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK (voiceover): Waves of demonstrators rallied outside the Knesset to protest Benjamin Netanyahu's record sixth term as Prime Minister. Inside the building, Mr. Netanyahu outlined the top priorities of his administration. Take a listen.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Speaking in a foreign language.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to accomplish three big missions. The first, to throw it around efforts to develop a nuclear bombs arsenal, which will threaten us and the entire world.

NETANYAHU: Speaking in a foreign language.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will guarantee Israel's military advantage in the region by unceasing empowerment. The first mission that the members here are yelling, but canceling as if it isn't important, is to make sure that Iran won't annihilate us with nuclear bombs. The third mission, to continue expanding the circle of peace with Arab states in order to end the Israeli-Arab conflict.

HARRAK: Well, the new Israeli cabinet is described as the most right- wing in the country's history, and that has stirred up a lot of fear and anger among Palestinians. One senior official there denounced Netanyahu's new government as the most threatening yet. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: The number of dead is rising after a fire at a casino in Cambodia, and rescuers continue searching through the burnt-out building where dozens of people are still reported missing. We'll have a live report. And British Fashion legend Vivienne Westwood is being remembered after she died at home. Coming up. What one editor feels will be her legacy?

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[02:42:44]

HARRAK: South Korea is joining the U.S. in a shortlist of other countries now requiring a negative COVID test for visitors arriving from China. Beijing is easing restrictions leading to a flurry of travelers leaving the country, but COVID cases in China are surging. Almost half of the passengers arriving in Milan, Italy from China tested positive on Monday. The Italian Prime Minister wants the European Union to follow Rome's lead and test all passengers from China but EU Health officials say that's not justified.

Now, to continuing search and rescue operations in Cambodia after a fire swept through a casino killing at least 24 people. Emergency crews are back in the burnt-out building looking for dozens of people who are still missing. The structure near the Thai border also includes the hotel. Witnesses say some of the victims jumped to their deaths in an attempt to escape the fire, and some people were trapped in their hotel rooms as flames tore through the building.

Well, for more we can now talk to Manisha Tank who joins us from Singapore. Manisha, can you tell us about the cause of the fire? What do we know?

MANISHA TANK, JOURNALIST: Unfortunately, we don't know too much about the cause of the fire. What we do know at this stage is that it started in a lower section of the hotel. Emergency crews that got there early on in this fire, which blazed for around 12 hours or so have spoken to CNN and told us that initially, it seems as the fire started in a restaurant. In fact, there were eye-witnessed videos that have been circulating where you can see it's like a restaurant sort of area. And to one, side there was slot machines. Of course, this is quite a popular hotel and casino complex.

And so, from there, it went upwards. There were a lot of people who fled upwards as well, thinking that they could get out. And that's how we ended up seeing these awful scenes of people going to Windows and getting out on ledges because they felt trapped. Also, we know that the electrics went out in the building. That meant that the key card systems weren't working, and the lifts weren't working, and I think that's probably one of the most disturbing aspects of this situation is that people were trapped. And that made it very difficult for rescue crews also to do their job. As you say they are back, the search and rescue crews.

[02:45:00] And to give you an idea of just how big this effort is to locate the missing. There are more than 300 police officers who have just deployed, more than 11 Fire trucks, we know a couple of helicopters as well, that authorities on the Thai side as well as on the Cambodian side are trying to help. And in terms of context, most gambling is illegal in Thailand. So, a lot of people go across the border -- just across the border to this town of Poipet in Cambodia to go on these gambling holidays.

But we also know that there would have been holidaymakers there as well. It's also a transit point for people who are heading further into Cambodia to visit the temple complexes, for example. This is a very popular destination in Southeast Asia.

And I think that gives you a sense also that there are -- there may have been hundreds of people there. We know from initial reports that 700 at least, Thai citizens we believe approximately were rescued in the early stages and taken to Thai hospitals, but there are still tens of people, dozens of people who are unaccounted for. And the hope is that they will be found, but sadly, it is expected that that death toll will creep up.

HARRAK: Yes, very harrowing scenes that we saw there, also in the footage of. Manisha Tank, live in Singapore, thank you.

The deposed former leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to seven more years in prison after she was found guilty of five counts of corruption. The 77-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner now has to serve a total prison term of 33 years including three years of hard labor. The sentence could mean she'll spend the rest of her life behind bars. She was previously convicted of charges ranging from graft to election volume violations. Suu Kyi has always denied the charges brought against her. Friday's verdict was the last of several rulings handed down against her by the military regime.

The world of fashion is remembering British designer Vivienne Westwood. Coming up. Why those in the business believe her style on and off the runway will continue to be an inspiration for future Fashionistas?

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HARRAK: Fans of fashion are honoring British designer Vivienne Westwood who died on Thursday. Westwood had just unveiled a new collection during Paris Fashion Week in October. A model from that show, Bella Hadid, posted her tribute on Instagram saying she was grateful for the time she spent in Westwood's orbit while British Forbes Editor-in-Chief described the designer as an irreplaceable force in the industry. Singer Boy George called Westwood the undisputed queen of British fashion. Vivienne Westwood was 81 years old.

And we're joined now by Merle Ginsburg, Style Editor for Los Angeles Magazine. Merle, so good to have you with us.

MERLE GINSBERG, STYLE EDITOR, LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE: Thank you for having me.

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HARRAK: How would you describe Vivienne Westwood?

GINSBERG: Well, she started out bursting onto the scene as the godmother of punk. All she wanted to do was rip down anything that was revered in England royalty. You know, instead of beautifully shaped clothes, she ripped T-shirts apart. Everything was safety pins. Everything was I hate the monarchy.

And what's interesting is that I think her whole career was about being British. And at first, she wanted to tear it all down, and then in the end, she became a couturier she used the Victorian shapes, and corsets, and things from British paintings to inspire her clothes and she became a dean. So, she had a really interesting journey.

HARRAK: A very interesting journey. I was going to ask you about that because she is so quintessentially British. I mean, when you think about one of the preeminent designers from the UK, you think of Vivienne Westwood. And as you outlined, she was so ardently non- conformist, and started out as this anti-establishment icon but then, as you point out, became a dame and her clothes were worn by the Queen consort.

GINSBERG: But what's interesting is that she always cared about society, meaning culture. She became an environmentalist. She was very upset about people who ate meat. An activist in many ways, she was a champion of Julian Assange, like even being a couturier and a big part of fancy society, she was still subverting her message.

HARRAK: A Trailblazer also in her activism. So, talk to us about how she used the runway, not just for fashion, but also to make political statements.

GINSBERG: Oh, you know, T-shirts, you know, said crazy things, putting a safety pin in the mouth of the Queen on the runway, but then going further past the punk point doing many crinolines like sending up these kinds of codes of British Fashion, putting men in crinolines, giant platform shoes, a lot of her models had a hard time getting down the runway. Very often like these giant skirts. Men in -- she did beautiful, beautiful tailoring, but the men's colors were the kinds of colors and prints from women's clothes. And she also was one of the first designers to really believe in the idea of unisex.

HARRAK: How did she transform British society?

GINSBERG: Well, she and Malcolm McLaren who was her partner in the 70s absolutely changed not just British society but the world in bringing this punk, the hell with you, you know sentiment to -- she -- they kicked the disco age of the 70s out the window and started over. And, of course, punk traveled the whole world, it completely influenced hair, makeup.

This summer, there was a show on called Pistol on Hulu, which was all about the Sex Pistols and there were characters playing Malcolm and Vivienne. Their subversion and then her -- she was constantly sending everything up. Even if it was beautifully made and corseted and gorgeous fabrics, she was still kind of saying, I'm going to invert this in some way and I'm going to surprise you.

HARRAK: In a few words, how do you think she'll be remembered?

GINSBERG: That godmother of punk and the great couturier at the same time.

HARRAK: Merle Ginsburg, thank you so much. Lovely tribute. Thank you.

And thank you for joining us. I'm Laila Harrak. I'll be right back with more news after a short break. See you then.

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