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Israeli Cabinet to Vote on Hezbollah Ceasefire Deal Tuesday; Trump to Impose Massive New Tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China; U.S. Special Counsel Drops Federal Case Against Trump; Imran Khan Supporters Continue to March Amid Police Lockdown; Prosecutors Request Maximum Sentence for Dominique Pelicot; Massive Fire in Manila Leaves Thousands Displaced; Judge Delays Resentencing Hearing to January 30. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired November 26, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:12]

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong.

Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, the Israeli cabinet is expected to vote on a proposed ceasefire with Hezbollah in the coming hours. But ahead of the vote, neither side is letting up on attacks.

Plus Donald Trump announces his tariff plan for Canada, Mexico and China. We'll have live reaction from Beijing.

And in Pakistan, protesters supporting Imran Khan marched to the capital calling for his release but are met with tear gas and force.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Hong Kong, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Anna Coren.

COREN: It's 7:00 in the morning in Israel, where a vote on a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah is set to take place in the coming hours. One official in Lebanon, familiar with the discussions expects a ceasefire to be announced in the day ahead. Well, despite the progress, there's been no let-up to the strikes from either side.

The Israeli military says it hit two Hezbollah command centers belonging to the group's executive council in Beirut on Monday. The Israel Defense Forces also says Hezbollah fired about 20 projectiles from Lebanon Monday and warned rocket fire into Israel could ramp up ahead of Tuesday's vote.

The spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not give details of the potential agreement but said it was expected to pass when the cabinet meets for the vote. But not everyone is on board. Israel's far-right National Security minister says the deal would be a historic mistake.

Well, CNN's Nic Robertson is tracking developments and has more from Jerusalem.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, it really does seem as if that ceasefire deal is going to happen, getting much closer, according to a Lebanese official with knowledge of the process saying that it should happen within 24 hours, which would be late on Tuesday. The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, holding a cabinet meeting Tuesday afternoon to decide that same thing.

Look, there are pressures on him. We have to be clear about that. There are things that Israel wants that it may not be able to achieve. We don't know the language so there are some concerns going into this final phase. Israel wants to be able to have the right to respond to Hezbollah if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the ceasefire, the right to respond immediately. And it's not clear what sort of language is going to be put around that.

But the prime minister today heard from Itamar Ben-Gvir, the National Security minister, and he was very, very clear. He said publicly that he told the prime minister this is not the time to quit in the fight with Hezbollah. This is the time, while they're weak, to continue to crush them. He said his words were for the prime minister were continue, continue, continue.

Now the prime minister will have Tuesday morning to meet with the leaders and the parties that make up his coalition, so he will have time to try to convince Ben-Gvir of why he should vote in favor of the ceasefire. So the prime minister has got time but his office does seem to indicate that they feel confident that this is going to pass.

What will happen? Well, there'll be a 60-day ceasefire is what we expect. Hezbollah will pull back 30 miles, 45 kilometers north of the border. Israeli troops will begin to pull back and pull back entirely into Israel. And then in principle, the U.N. and the Lebanese army sort of fill that military vacuum along the border to make sure that Hezbollah don't come back south and get on the border with Israel.

That's the principle of it. But in the meantime, both sides have been really increasing and ramping up their strikes, missiles from Hezbollah, bombing raids by the IDF at Hezbollah targets inside of Lebanon. So until that ceasefire is signed it seems that the intense military operation, that's going to continue, it seems, until the last moment.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Well, joining me now from Tel Aviv is Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli consul general in New York.

Alon, good to see you. We hear that the U.S. wants this wrapped up by Thanksgiving. But as we know, this is far from a done deal.

ALON PINKAS, FORMER ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL IN NEW YORK: Well, it's not that far if you ask the Americans and the Israelis, I think it's all about the language of the agreement rather than any kind of opposition inside Mr. Netanyahu's cabinet, which I doubt would amount to anything. Now, Thanksgiving, that's two days from now. So that's not a big deal

in terms of -- of course, it's a big deal if you happen to be in, you know, in the line of fire. But that's only 48 hours or even 36 hours away.

[00:05:03]

So that's not the issue. The big issue is going to be, even if this agreement is signed and we're all going to, quote-unquote, "celebrate" a ceasefire, the question, Anna, is going to be the durability of such an agreement, such an agreement, I'm sorry, because we've been in this movie before. We've been in this ballgame before. And it never lasted much longer. It's more like a lull or a hiatus in the activity rather than a durable agreement.

COREN: Talk to us about the key sticking points yet to be resolved in particular, Israel's right to restart the war if Hezbollah broke the truce.

PINKAS: Well, that's exactly right. You just made the -- you took the point away from me. There are four phases. There is an immediate ceasefire, as Nic Robertson, your correspondent, accurately mentioned. It's supposed to be 60 days or at least designated 60 days, after which begins phase two, which includes Hezbollah retreating from Southern Lebanon, north of the Litani River, which is not that big of a river, but nonetheless it's a natural barrier.

Then there's the third phase, which is Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon, and then the Israeli government are expected to negotiate the demarcation national border. But that all leads to the problematic clause which you just commented on. And that is that Israel maintains the right to operate militarily if it, Israel, deems that Hezbollah violated or transgressed the agreement, and that is supposed to be supported by a letter, an addendum to the agreement, a letter signed by the president of the United States.

Now, the question is who's going to enforce all of this? And that's why the durability issue is so critical.

COREN: Alon, Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with his cabinet later today to obviously discuss this proposal, but we know he is facing internal opposition. You don't think that's going to be a problem for him?

PINKAS: No, it's smoke and mirrors. You know, they all position themselves into I warned ahead of time and I said this is a mistake, all these armchair field marshals. He's going to pass it. And if not on substance, then at least he's going to use the Evergreen argument that he uses. Well, we got to do this for Donald Trump. I gave him my word that it'll all be wrapped up before January 20th.

But there is one important aspect perhaps we don't have time for that, Anna, and that is that by signing a ceasefire in Lebanon with Hezbollah or indeed with the Lebanese government but effectively with Hezbollah, Netanyahu feels that he can continue on and prolong the war in Gaza, and that is something to pay attention to. COREN: Iran seems to have pressured Hezbollah into agreeing to this

ceasefire proposal. Explain to us the reasons why.

PINKAS: Well, look, Hezbollah has been their prized asset and their prized proxy for a long time. And Iran deferred to Hezbollah on all matters Israeli. And on the 8th of October, 2023, a day after the Hamas terror attack in Gaza, both Hezbollah and Iran said we had nothing to do with this. We did not coordinate this. We had no prior knowledge of it. But then Hezbollah got Iran involuntarily involved in the war by escalating its own skirmishes with Israel.

And Israel then responded massively against Hezbollah and there were two exchanges of missiles between Israel and Iran directly. So from an Iranian point of view Hezbollah may have turned from an asset to a liability by dragging them into an unwanted and unsolicited conflict. That's the reason one.

Reason two is that if you look at the makeup of the Iranian leadership, you know, the new president, the new foreign minister, the new national security adviser, they seem to be intent on engaging the U.S. in a -- I'm not saying that's going to happen, but they seem to be intent on engaging the U.S. in a new nuclear deal. Reining in Hezbollah is one positive step along that course.

COREN: Alon Pinkas, we have to leave it there. But as always, we appreciate your perspective. Thanks so much.

PINKAS: Thank you, Anna.

COREN: Well, Donald Trump is vowing to slap huge new tariffs on China and the United States' neighbors on his first day back in office in response to crime, drug trafficking and illegal immigration. He says Mexico and Canada will be charged a 25 percent tariff on all products coming into the United States.

[00:10:05]

Well, that's everything from cars, furniture and electronics to oil, wood and food.

Trump also posted that we will be charging China an additional 10 percent tariff on all of their many products coming into the U.S. which led to this warning from China's embassy in Washington, "No one will win a trade war."

Well, CNN's Beijing bureau chief Steven Jiang is following this from the Chinese capital.

Steven, as always, good to see you. How will China deal with these tariffs? And what has been the reaction in Beijing?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Anna, you just heard their spokesman and their embassy in D.C. saying that there is no winner in any trade or tariff war. But he also said that China has been working with the U.S. on a fentanyl issue and that any suggestion that China has been deliberately allowing fentanyl to freely, freely flow into the U.S. is simply not true.

And I think Beijing officials here could also probably use some clarification from Trump and his team about this so-called additional 10 percent. Remember during the campaign, Trump had repeatedly threatened to impose 60 percent tariffs on all Chinese imports. So is this 10 percent on top of that? Or is this just the first phase leading to a bigger tariff rate later?

But historically, the Chinese tend to react to the actual situation instead of preemptively. But that's something of course they've been preparing for months to deal with. And interestingly the sentiment I've been hearing here in Beijing tend to be sometimes contradictory. Those in charge of diplomacy, putting on a more brave face saying China is capable and willing to fight back while those with an economic portfolio tend to be a bit more cautious and even worried because of the sluggish Chinese economy at home.

That's of course something that would impact how they respond as well according to many experts we talked to. They say the Chinese response is likely to be more targeted and asymmetrical, meaning they are going to target certain U.S. companies and industries that they already intend to squeeze out of the Chinese market anyway, and also something the Chinese have been doing in the past few years of course is trying to diversify its export markets and trying to reduce its reliance on the U.S. and its allies.

But on the fentanyl front, though, it's very interesting because recently we got rare access to China's National Counter Narcotics lab, where officials there have told us that the recently resumed bilateral dialogues and exchanges on this issue actually have led to some progress with their regular communication. It's actually helping both sides identify and trace new chemicals used to make fentanyl and with the tips provided by the U.S. leading to law enforcement actions in China.

So the irony here is if Trump's new tariffs actually lead to another free fall in this overall relationship, that could actually negatively impact this very issue Trump is now linking to his new threat in terms of tariffs on China -- Anna.

COREN: Steven Jiang in Beijing, thank you.

Well, Canada's deputy prime minister and public safety minister issued a joint response to the Trump administration's plans for new tariffs. They called the relationship between the two countries balanced and mutually beneficial, particularly for American workers, and said that discussions about tariffs will continue.

Meanwhile U.S. special counsel Jack Smith is dismissing all federal charges against Trump. Well, that means the January 6th election subversion and classified documents cases are both over, at least for now.

Well, Trump is celebrating calling the prosecution a, quote, "political hijacking" and a low point in the history of our country. "Yet I persevered against all odds and won." CNN's Evan Perez picks up the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Special Counsel Jack Smith asked federal judges overseeing the two criminal prosecutions of Donald Trump to drop those cases, citing the longstanding Justice Department rules that forbid prosecuting a sitting president.

Now Smith made the filings in Washington, D.C., where the election subversion case was filed against Trump, and with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta which has a pending appeal of a ruling dismissing charges in the classified documents case.

Smith says that he consulted with lawyers from the Office of Legal Counsel, which serves as the in-house law firm for the administration, and determined that Trump is covered by that shield against prosecution even now as president-elect.

Smith says in his filing, "The department's position is that the Constitution requires that this case be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated. This outcome is not based on the merits or strength of the case against the defendant."

Smith requested that the classified documents case continue for two of Trump's co-defendants, who are accused of helping him obstruct the investigation.

[00:15:07]

Judge Tanya Chutkan quickly granted Smith's request to dismiss the January 6th related case, quote, "without prejudice," meaning that the dismissal applies only while Trump is president. Chutkan wrote, "The dismissal without prejudice is also consistent with the government's understanding that the immunity afforded to a sitting president is temporary, expiring when they leave office."

So, does that mean that the cases against Trump could be revived after he leaves office? That's anyone's guess. Once Trump is president, he also could order his Justice Department to kill the cases for good.

Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Well, let's now go live to Los Angeles and bring in attorney and legal affairs commentator Areva Martin.

Areva, good to see you. As we know, it's unconstitutional to pursue prosecutions against a sitting president. But will Donald Trump ever be held accountable?

AREVA MARTIN, ATTORNEY AND LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: It doesn't look like it, Anna, based on the ruling today by Judge Chutkan in that New York district court, and we know that the district court in Florida had already dismissed the classified documents case. It's unlikely that Donald Trump will ever be held accountable for the charges that were filed against him by grand juries or presented by grand juries in these two federal cases.

COREN: What about the repercussions for Jack Smith? I mean, he has said that he will resign before Trump takes office but Donald Trump has made it perfectly clear that his administration will go after him.

MARTIN: It's not clear, Anna, what's going to happen not only to Jack Smith but other prosecutors who have filed claims not just against Donald Trump but those in the Trump orbit. As you just indicated, Trump has made it very clear that prosecutors that have been involved in cases against him are on his hit list or targets for retribution once he is in office and once he's in control of the Department of Justice.

And we know the appointee that he has selected, Pam Bondi, for attorney general has also said that she believes in going after prosecutors that have prosecuted cases against Donald Trump. Jack Smith's resignation doesn't necessarily shield him from any kind of targeted action from the Justice Department under Donald Trump.

COREN: These two felony cases involved years of intensive investigation. I mean, why wasn't more achieved? And I guess the question is, who is responsible for that?

MARTIN: Well, there are a lot of folks pointing fingers at this moment, Anna, and some are pointing the finger at Merrick Garland, saying that he waited too late to appoint Jack Smith and that the prosecution regarding the 2020 interference case was well known, that the facts, the evidence, were well-established and that Jack Smith was at a disadvantage by the time he actually filed those cases. That it was always known that Donald Trump was running for president.

He had been president before so it was well-known that he had a probability or there was some high probability that he would be reelected. So a lot of folks are looking at Merrick Garland saying that he is responsible for not moving forward faster in a time period that could have allowed for the cases to be concluded before we got to the November election.

COREN: And I guess if they were concluded, if Trump was found guilty, would it have made a difference to the election result?

MARTIN: You know, it's hard to tell. Obviously, judges aren't in the habit because this is historic and we haven't seen anything of this nature but it's hard to imagine that a judge even if there were convictions like the 34 convictions in the case involving Donald Trump that is related to the, you know, fraud case that he's been convicted in that state court in New York, that court delayed the sentencing hearing.

So not clear that a federal court judge would have sentenced him, given the pending election. It just looks like Donald Trump is getting every advantage, every benefit from being wealthy, from being a former president, from being someone who's running for president. He's getting every privilege afforded to folks in that position that are not, those privileges are not afforded to your everyday defendant.

COREN: Areva, once Trump leaves office, and I know it's hard to imagine considering he hasn't even yet been inaugurated, but could these cases be pursued in the future?

MARTIN: Yes, again, not likely, Anna. The realistic situation here is that Donald Trump will not ever be held accountable for his actions in terms of interfering with the 2020 election, or for the mishandling of classified documents.

[00:20:02]

And it's not clear that the state court action in Fulton County, Georgia, involving the interference in the 2020 election, that that case will move forward. There is a five-year statute of limitations for these cases. Some are arguing that that statute should be towed while he's in office. But again, highly unlikely that he leaves office four years from now and that these cases are somehow revived.

What's the more probable outcome is that a new Department of Justice comes in and dismisses the cases, and forbids anyone in the Department of Justice from taking any action to preserve evidence or to preserve anything that could result in any kind of prosecution after Trump leaves office.

So it just looks like, again, Donald Trump's privilege as a billionaire, as a former president, as someone who was president- elect, and let's face it, as a white male, is giving him, again, immunity in ways and again privilege in ways that other defendants in our criminal justice system aren't afforded.

COREN: Areva Martin, as always, we appreciate the analysis. Thank you so much.

MARTIN: Thank you, Anna.

COREN: Ukraine's capital city is fighting off new Russian drone attacks. The mayor of Kyiv says Moscow is launching Iranian-made Shahed drones from different directions. Well, this comes as battles escalate in Russia's Kursk region. The White House says Ukraine used U.S. supplied ATACMS ballistic missiles there.

Well, this video posted on social media Monday purports to show explosions from those missiles. The White House says the U.S. gave Ukraine permission to use ATACMS in Kursk to defend themselves on a, quote, "immediate need basis." And Russian state media reports that a British man fighting for Ukraine in Kursk has been taken prisoner. Well, British officials say they are doing what they can to help him.

In Pakistan thousands of protesters are defying police orders and tear gas to demand the release of their imprisoned former prime minister. The latest on the unrest just ahead. Plus, a stunning election outcome in Romania. Coming up, why hundreds of students in Bucharest are protesting the first round of voting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COREN: In Pakistan, supporters of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan continue to face backlash as they approach the capital. On Monday, police fired tear gas at demonstrators who have been marching towards Islamabad.

Well, this is the latest clash between security forces and Khan supporters. More than 4,000 have been arrested since Friday according to Khan's PTI Party. The former leader has been in jail for more than a year and faces dozens of criminal charges which his party claims are politically motivated.

Well CNN's Mike Valerio is following developments from Seoul.

[00:25:03]

Mike, I guess the question is why now? What has sparked these latest protests?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's all of this rage, Anna, that has been building up for months and months now. And there have been judges that have banned gatherings recently. And you've seen this outrage culminate in a crescendo of the images that we are seeing right now. So, and really when it boils down to it, there are three main demands that protesters who are on the streets.

Have the first one, the central one in the introduction of this story, they are calling for the release of the former prime minister, Imran Khan, from prison. He's been behind bars since August of 2023 on charges which his supporters say are bogus, and his supporters, Anna, are also demanding the release of people whom they deem political prisoners. So that's point one. Point two, they are demanding the repeal of an amendment to Pakistan's constitution. Amendment 26, which makes it easier, essentially for the government to appoint superior court justices and handpick those judges and justices in cases that deal with politics.

And then the third matter they also are calling elections this past February a, quote, "stolen mandate." They have all of these seats in the parliament that they are saying to those in power, hey, we won these seats fair and square. They are saying that the elections held this past February were not free and fair. So they are asking for a return of the, quote, "stolen mandate." So the government is rejecting all of these demands.

They are trying from their point of view to maintain law and order and look at what we have been seeing since essentially Sunday. I think some of the most striking images, Anna, are big containers that you would see on ships at ports, on the backs of giant trucks blocking many of the main arteries in and out of Islamabad. Cell phone service, mobile phone service also cut. internet service cut to many swaths of the city gatherings of more than five people have also been banned for at least two months,.

So we have at least one police officer whom our reporting has been able to confirm dead so far. A local hospital told our CNN team on the ground a few hours ago they received five bodies, but we're being careful with that. Four of those bodies from law enforcement, one civilian. The circumstances around their deaths remains unclear right now.

But, Anna, you know, as the sun begins to come up over Pakistan and another day of protests is right, you know, imminently approaching us, we're waiting to see if these clashes escalate what will be the response of the government? Can this last much longer for the capital of Pakistan? And a city of more than one million people -- Anna.

COREN: Mike Valerio, thank you for the update.

A large crowd of students held a rally in Bucharest Monday after a stunning outcome of Romania's presidential election. Romania's far- right presidential candidate won the most votes in the first round of voting and will face a center-right opposition leader in a presidential election runoff on December 8th.

The NATO critic, who has praised Russia, campaigned largely on the soaring cost of living in Romania. Romania will also hold parliamentary elections on December 1st that will determine the country's next government and prime minister.

Well, still to come, crowds cheered on Gisele Pelicot in France on the final day of the trial against her former husband, now a court will decide if he spends decades in prison for allegedly organizing her mass rape during their marriage.

Plus, thousands of people are working to put their lives back together after a massive fire tore through shantytowns in Manila.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Welcome back to our viewers watching around the world. I'm Anna Coren. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

[00:31:21]

Well, French prosecutors are asking for the maximum sentence for Dominique Pelicot, the man accused of organizing the mass rape of his former wife over ten years of their marriage.

Prosecutors say he's fully responsible for crimes committed against Gisele Pelicot, who's become a face for women and sexual abuse survivors amid the public trial. She was greeted with cheers and flowers as she exited the courthouse on Monday.

JACQUES PIERRE, PARTNER OF FEMINIST ACTIVIST NADIA GUENT: She's a heroine, a heroine, a very, very brave person. Very dignified, very dignified.

Each time I see her pass in front, I think she stands tall. She's very dignified and magnificent. That's what she is. I'm full of admiration for that woman.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COREN: Well, Dominique Pelicot, who is 71, could face up to 20 years in prison. Activists are pushing for harsher punishments for the dozens of other men accused.

Well, CNN's Saskya Vandoorne has more from outside the courthouse.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: I've just come out of the courtroom, where no cameras are allowed inside, and prosecutors have requested a 20-year prison sentence against Dominique Pelicot.

And it's really only when you're inside that the sheer scale of it hits you. Row after row of men, most accused with aggravated rape against Gisele Pelicot, who's sitting just a few feet away from them with her head literally held high.

Across the room from her sits the man accused of organizing these rapes: her husband of 50 years, Dominique Pelicot his eyes are often closed, and his hands are resting on a cane.

As for the men on trial, some seem to share friendly exchanges while others just keep to themselves.

Many of the defendants could get a maximum of 20 years, angering women's rights campaigners, who have come here asking for heavier prison sentences.

After months of hearings, this case really has whipped up emotions not only here in France but around the world, with many calling for change.

Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Avignon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Sixteen people are missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea along the Egyptian coast on Monday.

Egyptian officials say 28 passengers were rescued authorities are still investigating what caused the boat to sink, but Egyptian meteorologists say there were warnings of high waves and rough waters in the area.

Well, thousands of people are now homeless after a massive fire in a Manila shanty neighborhood. CNN's Julia Chatterley shows us how those people are trying to piece their lives back together.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): A blazing fireball erupts in Manila, filling the air with smoke and flames. What looks hellish from the air is far more destructive on the ground.

Officials say the raging fire burned for nearly eight hours on Sunday, incinerating about a thousand makeshift homes in the city's largest slum.

About 8,000 people have lost their homes. Smoke was still seeping from the debris as residents picked through the ash and rubble to find anything unscorched by the fire.

But for many, it's a total loss.

ELVIRA VALDEMORO, MANILA RESIDENT AND SHOP OWNER: I feel bad, because we have no livelihood and no home. Everything is gone. We don't know how we can eat. We're in a very bad situation and it's almost Christmas.

CHATTERLEY (voice-over): Some tried to escape the fire by sea, piling their belongings on rafts as the fire spread to the edges of the seaport, where the slum is located.

[00:35:04]

Manila's mayor urged people to evacuate to a temporary shelter, where the displaced can get meals and supplies. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but faulty wiring and gas canisters have sparked previous fires.

And the densely populated slums, often filled with shacks made of flimsy and flammable materials, are no match for a fire of this size and ferocity.

Julia Chatterley, CNN New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: New developments in the Menendez brothers' bid to regain freedom. Coming up, why a judge pushed back their resentencing hearing to early next year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Well, there are new developments in the Menendez brothers' bid to leave prison.

A California judge has delayed the resentencing hearing for Lyle and Erik Menendez to give the incoming district attorney time to review the case.

The brothers are serving a life sentence for the 1989 murder of their parents. Well, CNN's Jean Casarez looks back at the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) emergency.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lyle Menendez made the original 911 call.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's the problem?

LYLE MENENDEZ, CONVICTED FOR KILLING PARENTS: Someone killed my parents.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pardon me?

L. MENENDEZ: It's true (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were they shot?

L. MENENDEZ: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were shot?

L. MENENDEZ: Yes.

CASAREZ (voice-over): A wealthy Beverly Hills couple, dead in their home. It was 1989. Their sons, Lyle and Erik Menendez, were 21 and 18 at the time.

Law enforcement was working to track down who committed this horrific crime when Erik's therapist's mistress said she knew the truth. She overheard Erik confess to the crime, and all of it was on tape.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I planned the perfect murder. I carried out the perfect murder." Do you remember telling Diane Sawyer that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Law enforcement got the recorded therapy sessions, and in March 1990, Erik and Lyle were taken into custody. Three years later, it went to trial.

LESLIE ABRAMSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I want to see him walk down a street. Not in chains, not in shackles. And not with a deputy sheriff standing next to him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were human beings, and they had the right to live.

CASAREZ (voice-over): The brothers admitted they killed their wealthy parents with shotguns one night, as they were watching television at home.

L. MENENDEZ: I ran around and shot my mom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where did you shoot her?

L. MENENDEZ: I just reached over, and I shot her close.

CASAREZ (voice-over): But they alleged it was after years of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their father.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, do you recall the first time that he wasn't nice during the sex?

ERIK MENENDEZ, CONVICTED OF KILLING PARENTS: Yes. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you were 11. [00:40:00]

E. MENENDEZ: I was 11.

CASAREZ (voice-over): The jury deadlocked during deliberations. A mistrial was declared.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are still unable to reach unanimous decisions.

CASAREZ (voice-over): The retrial began in 1995. Lyle chose to not testify this time, but Erik did, saying the brothers had been repeatedly raped by their father for years. But Erik and Lyle were both convicted.

DOMINICK DUNNE, JOURNALIST: Both brothers guilty of murder in the first degree. There was no weeping of -- that was at all visible or audible.

CASAREZ (voice-over): They each got two life sentences without the possibility of parole, and so far, have served more than 30 years.

DAVID CONN, PROSECUTOR: We felt all along that it was a strong case, and eventually, they would be convicted of first-degree murder. I felt satisfied that they were sentenced to life in prison for the rest of their lives.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Appeals have gone nowhere, but now the defense asks that this verdict be looked at with a fresh set of eyes.

MARK GERAGOS, MENENDEZ ATTORNEY: I think we're at a point now where any reasonable person taking a look at this case believes they should be out.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: And before we go, Adele has finished a 100-show residency in Las Vegas. The series of concerts, Weekends with Adele, began at the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace two years ago.

She says she chose to do that instead of touring to keep her 11-year- old son's life normal.

The singer bid a tearful farewell to fans this weekend, saying that she doesn't know when she'll be back on stage. She told them that she loves them and will miss them terribly.

First lady Jill Biden welcomed her fourth and final White House Christmas tree, pulled in on the traditional horse-drawn carriage.

The massive tree was inspected by the first lady and her grandson, Beau.

Biden called this year's tree a symbol of hope. Hurricane Helene destroyed thousands of trees where it was grown, but this one stood strong.

Jill Biden took the opportunity to express gratitude to those working to rebuild after this year's hurricanes, and for her husband's health.

Well, thank you so much for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Anna Coren. WORLD SPORT is next. Then I'll be back in 15 minutes' time with more news. See you then.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:15]

(WORLD SPORT)