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January 6 Release More Transcripts; Donald Trump's Tax Returns Finally Out; George Santos Face Scrutiny Over Fabricated Stories; Passengers Claims Their Lost Luggage; Football World Lost a Legend; Ukraine Lost Big in Bakhmut and Soledar; P.M. Netanyahu Welcomed by Demonstrators; Seven Years Added to Aung San Suu Kyi's Jail Time; Countries Follow Suit in Imposing Restrictions to China; Pope Benedict is Serious But Stable. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired December 30, 2022 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak.

Today, U.S. lawmakers will reveal a bit of what former President Donald Trump has kept hidden for years in his tax returns. What to expect, ahead.

Plus. Pure joy for one traveler after finding his lost luggage. We'll bring you an update on a chaotic holiday for flyers and have a look at storm systems that could cancel some flights ahead of the new year.

And rest in peace Pele. The world mourns the death of a football legend. We'll have some of the tributes pouring in.

UNKNOWN: Live from CNN center, this is CNN Newsroom with Laila Harrak.

HARRAK: We begin with the latest chapter of a legal battle that's 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 and he fought every effort to get them released.

But a congressional committee led by Democrats is now forcing the move saying Mr. Trump was not properly. While in office.

As CNN's Kristen Holmes explains the former president has a lot to lose.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: 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.

HARRAK: Well, we already have some idea about Mr. Trump's finances from a congressional analysis of his income taxes. It shows he paid only $750 in 2017, more than a million dollars in each of the following two years, and no taxes at all in 2020.

The January 6th committee has released a new collection of transcripts, including interviews with Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle. The former president's son and his fiance repeatedly told investigators they couldn't recall key details about their speeches at a rally before the riots started.

The latest transcripts also provide interesting details about Melania Trump's role in the White House.

CNN's Paula Reid reports.

This latest batch of transcripts released by the January 6th committee involves some big names, including Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Stephen Miller, and also, a former White House advisor 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 that former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was really at the center of a multifaceted plan to try to undermine the results of the election.

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 it 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're also learning in another transcript from an interview with a Trump attorney, Christina Bobb that Senator Lindsey Graham and Mark Meadows discussed ways that Graham could help them 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 onto and then go amplify these claims.

[03:05:02]

Now, there's 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.

Now, two years later, based on what we've 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. We'll have to determine if any criminal charges are warranted.

Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

HARRAK: U.S. Congressman-elect George Santos is facing new scrutiny over his claims that his mother was inside the World Trade Center on 9/11, and that the terror attack played a role in her death. The New York Republican has spent the past week trying to explain a number of falsehoods, including a story that his grandparents survived the Holocaust.

CNN's Melanie Zanona has the latest.

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the legal scrutiny surrounding Rep-elect George Santos is intensifying. There are now investigations both at the local level and the federal level looking into some of Santos's lies, as well as whether any potential financial crimes were committed. That includes the Nassau County District Attorney's Office which said in a statement that his fabrications are, quote, "nothing short of stunning."

And meanwhile, his web of lies continues to unravel. The latest claims that are coming under scrutiny is that his mother was in the World Trade Center on 9/11 and that she died on 9/11 or that it played some role in her death.

Santos said it in a tweet that 9/11, quote, "claimed his mother's life." But on his web site he says his mother actually died a few years later from a battle with cancer. And there's also an obituary that says his mother died on December 23rd, 2016, so more than 15 years after the 9/11 terror attacks.

Our K-File team has also uncovered some additional falsehoods, including a claim that Santos said he went to a elite private school in New York and was forced to drop out after his family fell on hard times.

However, the school says there is no evidence that he actually ever went to the school. Santos has also claimed that his mother had a historically Jewish last name, but genealogists say there's no evidence of that name in his family tree. In fact, they say there's no evidence that he had Ukrainian or Jewish heritage at all in his family tree.

And so just remarkable stuff here on George Santos. But so far, GOP leaders remaining silent.

Melanie Zanona, CNN, Washington.

HARRAK: Well, one possible reason for the silence about Santos is the Republican leadership vote next Tuesday. Kevin McCarthy still appears to be short of the 218 votes he needs to become house speaker.

Numerous GOP sources tells CNN that McCarthy in recent days has offered a key concession to party holdouts. But he still hasn't secured their commitments. And with the house speakership hanging in the balance, it seems unlikely that McCarthy would risk losing a vote by asking Santos to step down at this time.

A looming U.S. government shutdown is now in the rearview mirror after U.S. President Joe Biden signed a $1.7 trillion spending bill on Thursday. He was vacationing in the U.S. Virgin Islands while lawmakers passed the measure 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's ready to resume regular service, but as too little, too late for some customers.

CNN's Nick Valencia reports.

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UNKNOWN: This has been a crazy time.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Southwest Airlines aiming for a turnaround by Friday, expecting to

have normal operations with minimal disruptions on Friday. Airline staffers already informed.

UNKNOWN: Mostly full schedule come Friday, that's we're hearing.

VALENCIA: 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. This Southwest Airlines customer ecstatic after finding his lost luggage.

PATRICK KEANE, PICKING UP LOST LUGGAGE: I'm just glad to be here and I'm glad I have my bag, and they better give some compensation for a week. [03:10:01]

VALENCIA: Similar scenes playing out in airports across the country.

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

VALENCIA: 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 you know, nice Wisconsin guy, assumed I was going to Milwaukee.

VALENCIA: 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 on going to Denver, I'd be happy to take you guys.

VALENCIA: 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.

KATIE DEMKO, MISSING WEDDING DUE TO SOUTHWEST ISSUES: We were in, I was in shock. We tried to rebook and there was nothing. Southwest actually booked me on a flight for January 2nd. My wedding is tomorrow, December 30th.

VALENCIA: 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 for all of this. You know by now all the flexibility and planning that we put in place to deal with the storm just wasn't enough.

VALENCIA: 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 e-mail that they expect to return to normal operations with minimal disruptions as early as Friday.

Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

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HARRAK: A significant storm is taking aim at the U.S. West Coast this weekend, bringing with it the threat of heavy rain, snow, and strong winds. More than 16 million people are under a flood watch through Saturday night in parts of California. Much of the country will see higher than normal temperatures. And some New Year's Eve celebrations will be wet with rain expected in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

A husband and wife who are both pastors rescued more than 100 people and provided a safe place for them to stay during this historic blizzard that hit Buffalo, New York last weekend. Well, after days of being buried under mounds of snow, the city is slowly getting back to normal.

CNN's Athena Jones reports.

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there. The city of Buffalo is getting back to normal. City Hall opened on Thursday, as did a nearby courthouse and the Erie County executive offices, the driving ban has been lifted and Mayor Byron Brown tweeted that, as a Friday morning, the regular trash pickup will resume.

And so, things are certainly getting back to normal as the city continues to dig out from this storm. They've made a lot of progress, a lot of clearer roads. And you can see the work going on behind me. That will continue, of course, until all of the snow is cleared.

One, a bit of work that is still going on is the is about the death toll. The medical examiner for Erie County has confirmed some 39 deaths as of noon on Thursday, but we expect that number to rise. Listen to what the county executive Mark Poloncarz said about that, that death toll.

MARK POLONCARZ, COUNTY EXECUTIVE, ERIE COUNTY: There are additional bodies that have been received that are believed to be blizzard deaths, but they do need to have an autopsy and additional work done, including a four-month-old who died on Christmas Day that the medical examiner's office is still trying to determine the death.

JONES: So, when it comes to counting the deaths, there's a lot of concern that more bodies could be found perhaps under snowbanks or in vehicles or houses, yet to be checked. So that is something we'll be keeping watch on. One piece of good news we did learn today is that authorities are no longer quite as concerned about the issue of flooding.

Remember, that was going to be an issue because of this fast snow melt as temperatures reach around 50 on Friday. Today, executive -- the county executives said that's not as much of a concern. Now we should note that if flooding does happen, Governor Kathy Hochul has already dispatched equipment and personnel, things like sandbags, 800,000 sandbags, more than 300 pumps and generators to deal with any overflow of water should that be a problem.

But right now, county officials say that there may be some waterways that crest, but they don't expect flooding to be a major issue.

Athena Jones, CNN, Buffalo, New York.

HARRAK: Tributes are pouring in for football's first global superstar who once said he was born to play the sport just like Beethoven was born to write music. A look at Pele's incredible accomplishments. That's next.

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HARRAK: The world is mourning one of its most renowned athletes. Football legend Pele. Images of the Brazilian icon are appearing on buildings along Sao Paulo's Main Street's Paulista Avenue. Earlier, Brazil's outgoing president Jair Bolsonaro announced three days of mourning effective immediately. Pele passed away after a battle with colon cancer which caused his organs to fail at the age of 82.

Fans will get a chance to pay their respect in person on Monday when a wake gets underway at the stadium of his beloved club Santos.

Well, CNN's world sports Amanda Davies is following this live from London. Amanda, share with us some of the ways that Pele has been honored and some of the reactions.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, Laila, you know, Pele is a man who has really been, you know, leading the way since day one. There was a video doing the rounds on social media just a couple of weeks ago. All the skills that your favorite players produce Pele did it first.

And that's how he lived his career really from, you know, the age of 15 at Santos when he was built even then as set to be the greatest footballer in history to then becoming Brazil's youngest ever World Cup player. And then to become the only man to win a World Cup. A men's World Cup three times.

[03:20:02]

You know, he was a man who could create emotions with a football unlike any other player. And that is really what we have seen an outpouring of over the last 12, 15 hours or so with the news since his passing. And we'd had something of an indication what to expect when it was revealed, he was back in hospital just a month ago. The tributes, the well wishes that were being sent to him from Qatar, from the World Cup.

But, as you would expect that the hospital where he spent the last month of his life in Sao Paulo has become something of a focus for Brazilians at least. And this is how one fan paid tribute.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVERTON LUCIO, FOOTBALL FAN: Pele for us was not just a Santos player. Pele was a part of our life. It feels like we're losing a family member who didn't dream of being Pele.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: He inspired not just a country, but a number of generations of individuals, footballers around the world. Neymar, the Brazilian star of today paying his tribute on social media saying this. Before Pele, 10 was just a number. I read this phrase somewhere at some point in my life, but this sentence is incomplete. I would say, before Pele football was just a sport. He gave voice to the poor, to the blacks, and especially he gave visibility to Brazil. He's gone, but his magic remains. Pele is forever.

Cristiano Ronaldo for his part has said, Amir, goodbye to the eternal king Pele will never be enough to express the pain that currently engulfs the entire football world. And tributes we saw paid on the pitch in France on Thursday night, just an hour after the news emerged of Pele's passing ahead of Mercedes game against to lose.

You suspect that these will be scenes we will see echoed around the likes of the Premier League and Spain over the coming days while the morning period goes on. So many people have their own memories of Pele.

I want to just bring up this picture that I grew up with on the wall at home in my house. And they say that where Pele went, many others followed. The NASL in the States was one of those places. The man on the right there is a man who used to play for Manchester City, Dennis Stewart. He was the man signed by New York Cosmos to replace Pele after his retirement. He sold his house in Manchester to my mom and dad who were the couple in the middle there. And they paid a trip to New York to visit Dennis and Jones (Ph) and Pele and remember that very, very fondly. And that was the picture that I grew up with on the wall at home, Laila.

HARRAK: What an amazing memento. Lovely. Thank you for sharing that. Amanda Davies there reporting for you. Lovely tribute. Thank you.

Well, the English Premier League tweeted that Pele transcended our sport and inspired millions. I want to bring in now a sports journalistic Keir Radnedge. Keir, a towering figure, peerless almost. How did he transform the sport.

KEIR RADNEDGE, SPORTS JOURNALISTIC: I think Pele really the greatness of his achievement in transcending sport was everybody needs a little bit of luck. And football had its luck with Pele. But particularly because his achievements with the Brazilian World Cup winning team in 1970 came at a time when suddenly color television was on us.

And people around the world suddenly had these colors thrown at them. And the greatest colors of all were the bright yellow of Brazil's shirts on the green pitches of Mexico. And the wonderful technique of Pele in leading Brazil to that third World Cup victory. And I think those images really lifted soccer to another plane altogether in terms of world visibility.

HARRAK: Now, Keir, if you think of Pele, you can't butt help and think of Maradona. Why are they compared?

RADNEDGE: Well, they are compared because they're two of the greatest footballers of all time. They're compared, of course, because they were both South American. There was the comparison, of course the age- old rival Brazil and Argentina. And I think Maradona was very, probably very happy to promote and pursue his rivalry and status with Pele.

[03:25:04] I think Pele always rather tried to distance himself from it and rise above it. There were -- there were very different characters, very different people but they both achieved wonderful things in soccer. I think Pele will always be particularly remembered because of his modesty, his humility, his great sportsmanship.

I had the privilege of being his ghost writer at various World Cups later on. And that modesty and humility and friendship and friendliness stayed with him.

HARRAK: What's your favorite memory of Pele.

RADNEDGE: My favorite memory of Pele I think is probably it's a personal one. It's when I was meeting him to write a column for him and the pressure on him from fans, from hangers on was intense. We were going from TV studio to hotel to a football stadium. And throughout it all he managed to remain calm and pleasant and polite and be friendly to people around and continue to maintain his focus, which, for me at that time, quite a simple one really was just talking about football, which, I think is what he loved to do more than anything else.

HARRAK: Thank you so much for sharing that with us. Keir Radnedge, I appreciate you. Thank you.

Ukrainian forces are experiencing heavy losses on the eastern front lines just a day after Russia launched a massive wave of attacks across the country. We'll have the latest on the fighting.

Plus, Benjamin Netanyahu returns to power in Israel, this time leading the most right-wing government in the country's history.

A report from Jerusalem after the break.

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[03:30:00]

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LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak. And you're watching CNN Newsroom.

In Ukraine, a presidential advisor says the country's forces have experienced heavy losses in the east, namely in 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 areas to the battle for Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. 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 defense ministry says the timing of the large-scale missile attack was intentional with Moscow's aim to force Ukrainians to celebrate the New Year in the dark and cold. Well, in this latest onslaught, Russia again appeared to target Ukraine's electrical grid knocking out power in several regions. Ukrainian authorities say the nationwide attacks killed at least three people and wounded seven. Ukraine's Military says it shot down 54 of 69 Russian missiles, along with 16 Iranian-made Shahed drones.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Moscow in his nightly address.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: While Ukraine says missile wreckage that landed in Belarus may have been a deliberate provocation from Russia. On Thursday, the Belarusian defense ministry said fragments of a Ukrainian missile were found in its territory in a village near its border with Ukraine. In response, Kyiv accused Moscow of launching missiles in a trajectory that would draw interception in the airspace over Belarus.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the coming hours. The two men are set to discuss regional issues and their strategic partnership during a video call later today.

Residents in Kyiv remain defiant despite Russia's massive barrage of missiles. Some of them tell CNN's Ben Wedeman they will not let the attacks dampen their spirits.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Dawn breaks and the strikes begin. Phone video captures a Russian cruise missile heading toward Kyiv. Russia fired nearly 70 missiles plus drones at targets across Ukraine. Air defenses managed to take down most of them.

But this Kyiv suburb did not escape unharmed. The mayor of Kyiv says that all 16 missiles fired in the direction of the capitol were successfully intercepted, but as a result of those interceptions, debris fell to the ground in this location, massive destruction. A 14- year-old girl was injured as well as her mother and a man nearby.

Tatyana (Ph) was at work. That girl, her granddaughter, and Helena (Ph), called her desperate for help. "She was really scared in hysterics, Tatyana says. She cried, grandma, the house was hit. It's on fire. She told me, my mother is unconscious under the rubble."

Not for the first time. The crews work to clear the rubble of homes and lives shattered by war. Sergey (Ph) lives just down the street. "How is it possible that we do this to each other, he asks. I understand that this rocket didn't target this place, but how is it possible to shell peaceful people."

In another part of Kyiv, 79-year-old Leonid (Ph) is still in his bathroom. He was jarred awake when missile debris smashed into the ground next to his house. Setting his son, Alexander's (Ph) car on fire, shattering windows and walls, ripping trees out by their roots. Yet he remained stoic.

"I was born in World War II. So, I'm very calm about explosions, Leonid says. Today, I was only worried about my son." His son is fine.

[03:35:05]

Ukrainian officials insist Russia's target yet again, was the country's energy infrastructure. Kyiv mayor, Vitali Klitschko is blunt.

VITALI KLITSCHKO, MAYOR, KYIV, UKRAINE: The Russians want to bring depression, especially right now, Christmas time, New Year. The Russians want to bring us to black time to without lighting. To without heating.

WEDEMAN: For now, Ukrainians just clear away the wreckage and carry on.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Kyiv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Waves of demonstrators turned out on Thursday to protest Benjamin Netanyahu's return to power.

Gay rights activists blocked a major thoroughfare in Tel Aviv to show their anger. Many say they fear greater discrimination under the new government, which includes far right figures who are strongly opposed to gay equality. While 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 mistrust among Palestinians.

For the latest here is Elliott Gotkine in Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: All hail Bibi the sixth. Benjamin Netanyahu's coronation as prime minister confirmed by a vote of confidence. It was never in doubt. Earlier in the day as heckling lawmakers were ejected from the Knesset plenary (Ph), he outlined his government's priorities.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): First, to thwart Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear bombs arsenal which will threaten us and the entire world. We will guarantee Israel's military advantage in the region by unceasing empowerment. The first mission that the members here are yelling about canceling, as if it isn't important, is to make sure that Iran won't annihilate us with nuclear bombs. And you dismiss it as if it isn't important, as if it's small. The third mission, to continue expanding the circle of peace with Arab states in order to end the Israeli-Arab conflict.

GOTKINE: But these aren't the plans vexing the 2000 or so protestors who've gathered outside. They worry about the erosion of Israel's democracy, state sanctioned discrimination, and ultra-orthodox backed gender segregation in public places.

Then these plans to build more settlements in the occupied West Bank, one of several proposals former Israeli ambassadors and diplomats wrote, could do serious damage to Israel's foreign relations.

Outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid, expressed his disquiet in a tweet. Writing, we pass on to you a state in excellent condition. Try not to ruin it. We'll be right back.

Netanyahu has sought to relay concerns about his new government saying, that there will be no discrimination against any community in Israel. He also says there will be no change to the status quo at holy sites. Ultimately, though, this government will be judged not by its words, but by its actions.

Elliott Gotkine, CNN, at the Knesset in Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Still ahead, China eases its COVID travel restrictions and other countries respond. Who's requiring a negative test and who says it's unjustified.

Plus, why Myanmar's former democratic leader could spend the rest of her life in prison. Details of the latest prison sentence handed down to Aung San Suu Kyi after the break.

[03:40:00]

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HARRAK: 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 at hard labor.

The sentence means she could spend the rest of her life behind bars. She was previously convicted of charges ranging from graft to election 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.

China's decision to ease COVID travel restrictions is not sitting well with a short, but growing list of countries. South Korea is joining the U.S., Japan, Italy, and India in requiring negative tests for passengers arriving from China. Italy wants the rest of the European Union to follow suit, but E.U. health officials say the restrictions are unjustified at this time. CNN contributor Barbie Nadeau is live for you this hour in Rome. But

we begin with Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Kristie, do we know more about the scale of infections in mainland China?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Laila, you know, official figures from China are unreliable, and according to one U.K.-based research group called Affinity, they're forecasting around 1.8 million daily COVID-19 infections from China.

And as the rate of infection surges across the country, there's this ongoing global debate about the necessity to screen to test Chinese travelers as they travel overseas. European Union health officials there are saying that it's unjustified, it's not necessary. A number of other countries disagree, including South Korea.

In fact, earlier today, South Korea announced that it does plan to require COVID-19 tests for all Chinese travelers upon arrival. The concern because of the lack of transparency in COVID-19 reporting from China, and also, concern about the possibility of a new variant emerging as China deals with this runaway outbreak.

China insists that it has the COVID-19 outbreak under control, but a number of countries they are taking precautions. Let's show you the list for you here. The number of countries include the following that are imposing curves on Chinese travelers. United States, India, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Italy as well.

But many public health experts say that the new testing requirements are simply not effective. Even alarming is, in fact, we heard this from Yanzhong Huang of the council of foreign relations who said, quote, "I don't see any convincing reason to justify this move. So far, we don't have any evidence supporting whether they are indeed such variants emerging in mainland China."

And we also have this from Karen Grepin, who's with the University of Hong Kong, who says, in reality, we do not have the scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of these measures in practice. And she adds that the restrictions that were put in place on plane travel last year did very little when Omicron emerged, as you recall.

Back to you, Laila.

[03:44:59]

HARRAK: So, going by that, what has been the reaction from Chinese authorities to these countries introducing mandatory tests for visitors from China?

LU STOUT: Well, it's been interesting. The question has been posted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the briefing yesterday, the day before, and the response was that China is calling for a science-based approach in order to boost economic activity between countries, and what they call person-to-person exchange just to get people flying again.

And China likes to make a pivot and point out, look, there are a number of countries that are welcoming Chinese travelers with open arms. I'm not too sure if we have this graphic available for you, but quite a number of countries are welcoming Chinese travelers back, France, Thailand, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, et cetera.

So much so that they've gone online on Chinese social media, to Weibo, to literally say, you plan to travel, go overseas, come to our countries, we will welcome you.

Back to you.

HARRAK: Let's go to Barbie Nadeau in Rome. Barbie, so, I understand there were no new variants of COVID detected among passengers who arrived in Italy so far. So, were authorities reassured by that?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, you know, the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made the announcement that there was just Omicron. That was the only variant in these tests. But they are taking this very seriously.

Of course, Italy was the first epicenter outside of China almost three years ago. And you can look at a busy airport like here in Rome or in Milan as well, these direct flights coming in from China.

It is very important for the Italian authorities to test every single person that gets off of that flight because, of course, they are concerned about the transparency in China. And in terms of the vaccine that the Chinese nationals have, it's probably not as effective as those that are being used here in Europe.

But the Italian prime minister is hoping that the rest of the European Union will also follow suit because if a flight comes into Paris and they connect in here to Rome, they aren't testing those passengers. That's not something that has been mandated yet.

But in an airport like Rome, there's a fine-oiled machine here. They've been doing the tests. It was one of the last airports, one of the last countries to lift restrictions during the pandemic. You know, mask mandates, testing before flights, testing on arrival, that was very much in effect in Italy long after it was lifted in other parts of the world.

HARRAK: But still, it seems like Italy is a little isolated in the E.U. I mean, is the block receptive to its request to introduce block- wide mandatory testing for visitors from China?

NADEAU: No, the European leaders met yesterday and they could not agree because you have such a disparity. Italy is not going to move from this requirement. They are not going to budge. And you've got other countries like France who are not going to budge and start testing people.

So, to meet in the middle, to get 27 countries to meet in the middle to come up with some sort of a mandate that's going to work for everybody, it doesn't seem like it's in the cards, at least for now. Of course, if there is a new variant, of course, if there is a change in the pandemic, that could change.

But for now, Italy does not plan to lift this restriction. They want to test everybody coming directly from China, and that is going to -- that's going to be for the foreseeable future, certainly.

HARRAK: All right. To be continued. Barbie Nadeau in Rome, Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, thank you both.

A quick look at some other stories making headlines around the world. The U.S. military is accusing a Chinese pilot of an unsafe maneuver during a close call over the South China Sea. Officials say that a Chinese fighter jet came within 20 feet from a U.S. reconnaissance plane last week, forcing the U.S. pilot to make an evasive move while the U.S. military says that its plane was in international airspace at the time.

The death toll from a huge fire that gutted a casino in Cambodia has grown to at least 24 people. But officials are concerned the number could still go up as emergency crews look for dozens of people who are still missing. A Cambodian official saying his government will investigate the cause of the fire.

And South Korea is preparing for possible drone attacks. The military held drills this week after five North Korean drones crossed into its airspace on Monday, one of them flew for three hours before returning to North Korea. And it is not clear what happened to the others.

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

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[03:50:00]

HARRAK: The Vatican has announced a special mass today 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.

For the latest on what we know, here is CNN's Delia Gallagher.

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DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Relatively good news from the Vatican on Thursday for Pope Benedict. They say that he rested well during the night, that he is still in a serious condition but stable, they say. And interestingly, they say that 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' 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 a Vatican City. The Pope Emeritus' health is just behind Saint Peter's Basilica there. The Vatican Garden 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.

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HARRAK: 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.

[03:55:00]

Westwood rose to fame designing clothes worn by the group, the Sex Pistols, back 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.

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VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, FASHION DESIGNER: I just use my fashion as an excuse to say what I think about politically on culture really. But I do think that fashion does do something. I think my fashion gives you an incredible choice in an age of conformity and it makes you look great and it helps you to express your individuality.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Vivienne Westwood was 81 years old.

Now, returning to one of our top stories. The U.S. space agency NASA is paying tribute to Pele, posting an image of a spiral galaxy and the constellation sculpture which includes the colors of the Brazilian flag, green, yellow and blue. The post included the message, we mark the passing of the legendary Pele, known to many as the king of the beautiful game.

That wraps up this hour of "CNN Newsroom." I'm Laila Harrak. You can follow me on social media at the handle on your screen. Bianca Nobilo picks up our coverage after a quick break. And I hope to see tomorrow.

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