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U.S. Federal Reserve Signals Fewer Rate Cuts in 2025; Lawmakers Forced to Rethink Spending Bill as Shutdown Looms; Israel Launches Retaliatory Strikes on Houthis in Yemen; Russia Detains Uzbek Suspect Over General's Assassination; Putin to Hold Annual Press Conference in Coming Hours; House GOP Probe Concludes Liz Cheney Should Be Prosecuted; Verdicts Expected Hours from Now in Pelicot Case; Ghanian Supreme Court Rejects Challenges to Anti-LGBTQ Bill. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired December 19, 2024 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[00:00:36]
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Rafael Romo live in Atlanta.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, world markets react to the grim U.S. prediction about inflation next year under a second Trump presidency. Vladimir Putin prepares for his annual news conference to the Russian people. We'll hear from an expert on what to expect. And the verdict is expected in the Gisele Pelicot mass rape trial, considered one of France's darkest cases in recent history.
And we begin with the global economic uncertainty ahead of Donald Trump's second term in the White House. The U.S. Federal Reserve, rattled by the possibility of tariffs that could keep inflation high for the next several years. The Fed cut interest rates by a quarter of a point on Wednesday, as expected, but the Central Bank is now forecasting only two rate cuts next year instead of four.
That sent Wall Street into a selloff. The Dow fell more than 1100 points, extending its losing streak to 10 days, the worst since 1974. Markets in the Asia Pacific region are also lower. Japan's Nikkei, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong and the Shanghai Composite are all in negative territory. U.S. Fed chair Jerome Powell says economic growth and the job market look good for next year but stubborn inflation could mean fewer interest rate cuts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEROME POWELL, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR: We've had a yearend projection for inflation, and it's kind of falling apart as we approach the end of the year. So that is certainly a large factor in people's thinking. I can tell you that might be the single biggest factor is inflation has once again underperformed relative to expectations. It's still, you know, going to be between two and a half and three. It's way below where it was. But you know, we really want to see progress on inflation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: CNN's Marc Stewart is live in Beijing with a look at how Asia Pacific markets are reacting.
What are you learning, Marc?
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Rafael. It's just after 1:00 in the afternoon here in Beijing. And we have been tracking the markets across Asia since they opened early this morning. And indeed, we are seeing some declines. A particular interest to me is the Hang Seng in Hong Kong, as well as the Kospi in South Korea. We have seen declines there. Interesting, though, in Japan, while we are seeing a slight decline, things seem to be fairly stable as the Bank of Japan actually announced an interest rate decision today. A decision to hold things stable.
But as you mentioned, the U.S. Fed chair, Jerome Powell, is one of those individuals whose words and messaging can certainly cross and have impact across the oceans. He has sent this message that inflation, which has been an issue in 2024, may likely extend into 2025, whether it be because of tariff talks or unknowns in financial policy, the cost of borrowing money is going to cost more, and that creates some trepidation and turbulence, whether it be on Wall Street or in the markets here in Asia.
It means the cost of borrowing money is going to cost more. So for individuals who are thinking about making some kind of big purchase, whether it be an automobile or something related to electronics, those prices, the prices that you will pay on your credit card statement will likely remain higher than we have seen in the past. And for companies, corporations, whether they be in the U.S. or here in Asia, it means making investment will also cost more.
So that is some of the reason why we are seeing this trepidation in the markets, not only in the U.S. but here in Asia. Now, Wall Street certainly had hoped for more cuts and that certainly always a possibility. The Fed chair is a very data driven man, so perhaps we could see more than those two cuts. But at the moment his future guidance is very hawkish, as Wall Street investors would say.
I did hear from one trader today who felt that some of this is, quote, "way overreaction." And in fact, this may prompt more buying. So it will be interesting to see how the U.S. markets open later. There's also this possibility of what's known as a Santa Claus rally that we see closer to Christmas.
[00:05:07]
When investors and traders do begin to feel some optimism and we see things rally.
So, Rafael, that's certainly a possibility. It's one that Wall Street, as well as investors on main street certainly would like to see happen.
ROMO: That would certainly be good news. Thank you very much, Marc Stewart, in Beijing.
It's back to the drawing board for U.S. lawmakers who had a bipartisan deal in place to fund the government through mid-March, but saw it completely fall apart Wednesday when Donald Trump came out against it. The incoming president has even threatened any Republicans who backed the plan and it all comes with a potential government shutdown looming on Saturday.
CNN's Manu Raju has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump torpedoing a carefully negotiated bipartisan compromise to avoid a government shutdown by the end of the week. This negotiation had happened behind closed doors for several weeks, and ultimately a deal was reached. It came out just last night. That deal, about 1500 pages in length. It had a whole wide range of provisions. But the most significant part it would extend government funding until mid-March to avoid a shutdown.
Now, throughout the course of the day, anger began to build on the right. Republicans, particularly conservative members, said that it was a bad deal that Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House, cut with Democratic leaders and cut with the White House. They pointed to a number of provisions that they did not like in there. There were some politically toxic measures as well, such as raising the salary, giving a salary increase to members of Congress.
But perhaps most significantly, it was Elon Musk who came out to oppose the bill very loudly, calling on members who vote for the bill to be essentially lose their elections. And it wasn't just Musk. After Musk came out in his opposition, then Donald Trump himself came out opposed to the measure. He and J.D. Vance issued a scathing statement over this bill. He attacked the bill and he also added a highly complex issue on top of it.
He is now demanding that Congress raise the national debt limit, avoid the first ever debt default. That could have happened next year. He wants that done now because he doesn't want to deal with it when he's president, even though doing so is a highly complicated issue that will be very difficult to resolve in just two days. That's one reason why Republicans and Democrats alike have concerns, including this Republican senator.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Are you frustrated?
SEN. KEVIN CRAMER (R-ND): I'm very frustrated. Can you tell?
(LAUGHTER)
CRAMER: But I'm frustrated with a smile.
RAJU: I mean, are you frustrated with the president-elect? CRAMER: I'm frustrated with his team to not have engaged sooner than
this.
RAJU: Do you think Trump should have made his demands earlier?
CRAMER: Well, that would have been very helpful. Yes. I mean, maybe he hadn't thought about it until just today, but, yes, that would have been very helpful.
RAJU: Is it realistic to raise the national debt limit in two days?
CRAMER: I would not think so. I would not think so. But, you know, it's almost Christmas. It's amazing what people might do to get home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Now, how this gets resolved remains an open question, but there is considerable concern and frustration within the ranks. Republicans don't think it's realistic to add the national debt limit. Democrats say they don't want to negotiate, and if they do negotiate on the debt limit, they're going to demand a whole host of measures that probably will go too far for Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
So how this gets resolved remains a major question, as yet another crisis moment begins to engulf Washington.
Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMO: Turning now to the Middle East, where the Israeli military says it has struck Houthi targets in Yemen just hours after the Iran-backed militant group launched its latest attack on Israel. The IDF says the airstrikes on ports and energy infrastructure in the capital Sanaa were in retaliation for Houthi missile and drone attacks over the past year.
Israel says a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted early Thursday morning in central Israel. The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the attack. Tensions between Israel and the Houthis have escalated since the war in Gaza started last year.
Health officials in Gaza say Israeli attacks killed dozens of Palestinians on Wednesday, adding new urgency to the revived ceasefire negotiations. U.S. officials, joined by mediators from Egypt and Qatar, are making intense efforts to advance the talks, and even Hamas appears to be optimistic about a potential deal.
More now from CNN's Jeremy Diamond.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is optimism in the air. Significant diplomatic activity in the region and a clear sense of momentum towards a potential hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. But will there actually be a deal? That is indeed the question at this moment, as we are seeing a number of officials arriving in the Middle East to try and get this deal across the finish line.
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The latest arrival in the region appears to be the CIA director, Bill Burns, who has been the top U.S. official in these negotiations for months now. He often travels and arrives in the region at critical junctures in the process, and this does indeed appear to be one of those critical moments yet again, following visits by the National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan last week. President Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk also in the region.
And of course, we've seen an Israeli delegation, Hamas delegations in both Cairo as well as in Doha, Qatar. And accompanying this flurry of diplomatic activity, you also have the rhetoric. We've heard optimism from the Americans, from the Israelis, from all sides, really, saying that they believe that we are closer than ever to a deal. Hamas also joining that optimistic rhetoric yesterday in a statement saying that they believe a deal is, quote, "possible."
A Hamas source also saying that the state of talks is, quote, "positive and optimistic," but they are also offering a note of caution as so many others involved in the process are as well. Hamas saying that a deal is possible as long as Israel does not continue to make additional last-minute demands in this process. And all sides are really urging caution even as they are sounding an optimistic note because we have seen so many times before, these two sides get very, very close to a potential agreement. But ultimately a deal not falling through.
But officials in the region believe that conditions are now at their ripest for an agreement to actually take place, and there's no question that it is very much needed as we are watching in Gaza over the last 24 hours. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 38 people have been killed, more than 200 have been injured. And of course, the humanitarian conditions in Gaza certainly not improving. Much needed aid would get in if a ceasefire were to go in place.
And then, of course, there are those 100 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, about half of whom Israel believes are still alive. Their fate, of course, also hanging in the balance.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMO: In just a few hours, Russian President Vladimir Putin will address the nation in his annual press conference, but it's unclear whether he will talk about the assassination of a top general in the streets of Moscow. Russian officials have detained a man who allegedly confessed to planting the explosive device that killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his aide on Tuesday.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen brings us the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Russian state media has named the suspect that the Russian Investigative Committee says has been arrested as 29-year-old Uzbek citizen Akhmad Kurbanov.
Now the Russian authorities are saying that he is suspected in connection with the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who, of course, was killed when leaving his apartment yesterday by a bomb blast. And the Russian investigators are saying that they believe that Kurbanov was recruited by Ukraine's intelligence service, the SBU. They say that he was told to get an electric scooter and then was given a homemade bomb and parked the scooter with the bomb in front of the door that later the general, together with an aide, would come out of.
Now, as part of this plot, the Russians say that Kurbanov also got a car-sharing car, rented a car-sharing car, and parked it outside of the door of that building as well. They say that that car was outfitted with a camera that had a live feed that went straight to the city of Dnipro in Central Ukraine where it was monitored by Ukrainian security services. And when the general left his building, that is when the bomb was detonated.
Obviously, General Kirillov was killed yesterday when he left his apartment building. That blast seemed to be massive. When we were on the scene, we saw that even in the houses adjacent to where this blast took place, that windows had been shattered there. Russian politicians obviously irate about all this. The Kremlin came out to say that all of this shows that Kyiv, as he put it, does not shy away from terrorist methods.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMO: Jill Dougherty is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and CNN's former Moscow bureau chief. She is with us from Washington tonight.
Jill, thank you very much for being with us. You've attended this press conference many times in the past and have seen how Putin addresses all kinds of questions during this marathon event. Do you expect him to address something as embarrassing, to put it mildly, as the assassination of Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov? Is Putin, in a way, obligated to acknowledge what happened -- Jill?
JILL DOUGHERTY, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: I don't think that he actually is. I mean, this is something, it's embarrassing. It's very important because that general was a very important general. And I would tend to think, I could be wrong, that he would not.
[00:15:02]
It all depends on the questions and some of those questions obviously, are already kind of, you know, prepared. He will answer what he wants to answer. But I think the overall idea, you know, that he has to answer, even if it's not objectively stated, is that he is the protector of Russia. And if these things are happening, you know, the war continues in Ukraine, the drones that are hitting Moscow, this assassination, and then economic difficulties, I think on some level he's going to have to address some of that.
ROMO: And along the same lines, if you allow me to go on this topic a little bit more, Trump's pick to be envoy for Ukraine says Russia and Ukraine are ready to, quote, "tap out." This is what a retired General Keith Kellogg said in an interview with FOX Business. Let's take a listen together.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. KEITH KELLOGG (RET), INCOMING SPECIAL ENVOY TO UKRAINE AND RUSSIA: When it comes to Ukraine and Russia, I really do believe this is going to get solved within the next few months, because he's the only person who could do that, is President Donald J. Trump, then he will do it. They're tired of killing each other over there. This is time. As the president said in September when Zelenskyy came to Trump Tower. And I think he can pull it off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: Do you agree with General Kellogg that the Ukraine-Russia war can be solved in just a few months, Jill?
DOUGHERTY: No, I don't. Intentions are one thing, but this is a very complex issue. And I think when, you know, when he says tapped out, yes, both sides are tired. But Russia is not stopping. And the Ukrainians want to continue to defend their country, and there are issues. I think the longest issue, and the biggest issue is to, for Ukraine is to guarantee its security and how you do that? Even if the war were to end, what happens after the war?
What happens after the fighting? How is Ukraine secure? Does it simply give up and let Russia take its land and, you know, prevent it from joining NATO? These are really tough questions. So no, I do not think it can be solved quickly. And yet I think you're going to find that effort by the incoming administration.
ROMO: You may remember this, Jill, that during last year's press conference, Putin showed defiance by saying that Russia would either get an agreement to put an end to the war in Ukraine or would solve it -- would solve the conflict by force. The war is still going on. What are some of the main topics besides what we have discussed before, that you would expect Putin to address this time?
DOUGHERTY: You know, his press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said that Russians are not particularly interested in international issues. And I think what he means by that is, and I agree with it, that there are a lot of domestic issues. There is very high inflation. You know, bank rates are very high. Things cost more, et cetera. And there are a lot of Russians who want to know, number one, you know, when will the war end? When will inflation end? You know, prices are rising, et cetera. They have a lot of domestic
concerns that go beyond, I think the bigger issues, let's say the international issues that journalists might be interested in. So I think you're going to get a lot of questions from average Russians who will say, you know, when do we live better? What's going to happen here? When does inflation go down? These are real issues for Russians.
ROMO: Jill Dougherty, thank you so very much.
A verdict is expected just hours from now in a horrific case in France. Dominique Pelicot accused of organizing the mass rape of his wife Giselle for nearly a decade. Plus, Donald Trump's long running feud with Liz Cheney heats up. Why his allies in the House say Cheney should be prosecuted for her role in the January 6th investigation.
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ROMO: Donald Trump has long claimed that members of Congress who investigated the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol should go to jail. And now a House Republican investigation into the attack is siding with Trump and going after former GOP Congresswoman Liz Cheney for her part in probing Trump's role in what happened that day.
CNN's Brian Todd reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: Liz Cheney, a total loser.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The former and future president posting on Truth Social at 3:11 Wednesday morning., quote, "Liz Cheney could be in a lot of trouble." Donald Trump's response to a new report from his Republican allies in the House, which recommends that former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney should be prosecuted by the FBI for her role investigating the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: This is just the first of many attempts to seek revenge and retribution, as Donald Trump has put it, for the January 6th report.
TODD: That report, issued in 2022, asserted Trump incited the rioters who stormed the Capitol, and Cheney, serving as vice chair of the committee, was often seen as one of the leading public faces of the investigation.
LIZ CHENEY (R), FORMER WYOMING REPRESENTATIVE: President Trump summoned the mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack.
VIVIAN SALAMA, NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: He has deep grievances with Liz Cheney as she spoke out against him at a time where most Republicans were not willing to do that. And he believes deeply that she tarnished his legacy. TODD: Trump has repeatedly personally insulted Cheney, including just
before the election, calling her a warmonger, imagining how she would do if she faced combat.
TRUMP: She's a radical war hawk. Let's put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrel shooting at her. OK?
TODD: The new report from House Republicans accuses Cheney of colluding with Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Trump White House aide who became a star witness for the January 6th Committee after ditching her Trump provided lawyer.
CASSIDY HUTCHINSON, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE AIDE: I overheard the president say something to the effect of, you know, I don't care that they have weapons.
TODD: House Republicans implying Cheney might have broken the law by engaging in back-channel communications with Hutchinson.
REP. BARRY LOUDERMILK (R-GA): Did Liz Cheney commit suborn perjury, which is when she's encouraging someone to not tell the truth?
TODD: But one legal analyst says this.
HARRY LITMAN, LEGAL ANALYST: Nothing wrong happened. They communicated with a witness and helped her get another lawyer.
TODD: By calling on the FBI to go after Liz Cheney, Trump's House allies could be looking to Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist picked by Trump to be the FBI director who has vowed to take retribution on Trump's enemies.
SALAMA: He is largely viewed even among Republicans as being a yes man, essentially, and will do whatever Donald Trump asks him to do.
TODD: One analyst sees this report as more about message sending than about whether Liz Cheney or anyone else actually broke the law.
SABATO: This is a warning to all of us about what is coming in the next four years. He's at the peak of his power, and he intends to use it and use it fast so that he has four full years to crush his enemies.
TODD (on-camera): Liz Cheney responded by saying that the new report intentionally disregards the truth and instead fabricates lies and defamatory allegations in an attempt to cover up what Donald Trump did. Cheney said that January 6th, quote, "showed" Donald Trump for who he really is, a cruel and vindictive man.
Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson, the former chair of the House January 6th Committee, said in a statement that the new report is filled with baseless, conclusory allegations rather than facts.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ROMO: Ron Brownstein is a CNN senior political analyst and senior editor for "The Atlantic." He joins us now from Los Angeles.
[00:25:05]
Ron, welcome. Does it come as a surprise at all that House Republicans have decided to recommend that Liz Cheney be prosecuted by the FBI for her role in the investigation into the attack on the U.S. Capitol. As you may remember, many people dismissed it during the presidential campaign as just political talk when Trump suggested he would try to prosecute his political opponents.
What do you make of this?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, I think it's a signal that, as on many fronts, really on all fronts, that people who discounted a lot of the things, the more extreme things that Trump said during the campaign as bluster or campaign rhetoric, I think, are in for an awakening. You know, I think Trump, like most elected presidents, tries to do the things that he said he was going to do.
And so, you know, you look at what's happening here, he is talking about pardoning the participants in the January 6th insurrection and prosecuting the investigators. And I think, you know, there's a certainty on the pardoning. And this is a very clear threat on the prosecuting. And what's important here is the broader context. I mean, this comes at a moment where Trump, in a variety of ways, is signaling, as Larry Sabato said in Brian Todd's spot, that he intends to use the power of the presidency to go after people he thinks have wronged him.
And this report today is a signal, a very clear signal that rather than restraining him in any way, House Republicans at least are going to be cheering him on and possibly encouraging him to move in that direction.
ROMO: Yes, it certainly appears to be that way. Now, what do you make of Trump's post on Truth Social? It was the wee hours of the morning saying that Liz Cheney, quote, "could be in a lot of trouble" and at the same time praising Congressman Barry Loudermilk on what he called a job well done.
BROWNSTEIN: Well, this is the way Trump, you know, this has been Trump's behavior really throughout his political career. He tries to keep his fingerprints more often than not off of these kinds of, you know, commands, really. But, you know, there really is no separation here. I mean, that tweet or post is a very clear indication to his subordinates of what he wants to see done. And he has, you know, throughout, I mean, you know, whether it's kind of the, will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest school of leadership, where he doesn't necessarily order someone to do something that violates norms or kind of busts through traditional limits on arbitrary exercise of presidential authority, but he leaves no doubt of what he wants them to do.
ROMO: Ron, is there a real possibility that this can turn into something serious for Cheney? Or is it a situation where House Republicans are pursuing this because it plays well with their base, the Republican base?
BROWNSTEIN: Look, you know, none of us, none of us, you know, have the gift of prophecy. But as I said, I think it's a mistake to assume that there are any limits here. I think the country is very quickly entering a new era where what we thought were limits on the arbitrary exercise of presidential power, the selective marshaling of government power against enemies, is all going to be tested.
You know, we lived through the Nixon era with his enemies list. The fact that he's putting Kash Patel at the White House and -- at the FBI and sought to put Matt Gaetz at the Justice Department, I think is an indication that Trump is very, you know, very intent and very serious about moving in this direction. And we are going to learn very quickly what boundaries and guardrails there are, because, you know, as you can see on really every front, he is feeling empowered. He is feeling that the guardrails that restrained him have fallen.
ROMO: Right. I want to share with you part of the reaction from Cheney, who said that, quote, "Their allegations do not reflect the review of the actual evidence and are a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth."
BROWNSTEIN: Yes.
ROMO: "No reputable lawyer, legislator or judge would take this seriously."
Do you believe the American judicial system has enough of a spine to put an end to an investigation if it's politically motivated?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. And you know, something, anything that can get five Supreme Court justices behind it can go forward. You know, whether it's a policy or an investigation, and we just don't know what the boundaries are for those six Republican appointed justices on the court. You know, no one -- I don't think anyone envisioned a ruling on presidential immunity as sweeping as they handed down last year.
And for that reason, I mean, that's one of the reasons why I think you can't rule anything out. You would think, on the face of it, something like this would not get off the ground as well as other things that Trump has talked about during the transition, like deporting the U.S. citizens, kids of undocumented immigrants.
[00:30:12]
But really, all of that depends on whether at least two of the Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices are willing to break with him and the dominant opinion in their party, and we just don't know what they will do until they are faced with those situations.
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: It remains to be seen, of course. Ron Brownstein, thank you very much for the opportunity.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me. ROMO: A key House panel has voted to release the Matt Gaetz ethics
report in a stunning reversal, according to several sources. The House Ethics Committee secretly voted to release its findings on the former Republican congressman.
It covers a years-long investigation into allegations against Gaetz, including claims of sexual misconduct and drug use. When the committee voted last month not to release the report, Gaetz, who was President- elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, withdrew himself from consideration. He has denied the allegations, calling them a witch hunt.
A court ruling in Ghana moves one of the strictest anti-LGBTQ bills on the continent closer to becoming law. Coming up, the effect it's already having on the community and its supporters.
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ROMO: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rafael Romo.
In the coming hours, a French court is expected to hand down verdict -- verdicts in what's considered one of the darkest cases in the country's recent history.
Prosecutors say Dominique Pelicot organized the mass rape of his wife, Gisele, for almost ten years, drugging her and inviting more than 50 men to assault her at their home.
CNN's Melissa Bell has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The verdict is due on Thursday in the Gisele Pelicot rape trial, a trial that has gripped not only people here in France --
BELL (voice-over): -- but well beyond the borders of the country, as well.
A mass rape trial, at the center of which was Gisele Pelicot's remarkable decision to waive her anonymity and, therefore, those of her alleged rapists.
BELL: Fifty of them have been present in court for more than three and a half months now. One fifty-first man still on the run.
Police say there are other men in some of the videos that were taken by her husband that haven't been identified.
BELL (voice-over): Many of the videos shot by Dominique Pelicot shown in court over the months and at the heart of the sentences that are being sought.
He faces 20 years in jail. Many of the other men, as well. Some of the sentences requested are down to four years.
[00:35:01]
The point of Gisele Pelicot, she said, making -- waiving her anonymity was the idea that shame should change camps. And that, given the attention that this trial has had, certainly seems to have been the case, regardless of what sentences --
BELL: -- may be handed down on Thursday.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMO: Ghana's Supreme Court has rejected two challenges to an anti- LGBT rights bill, clearing the way for it to become law. It would impose prison sentences on members of the LGBTQ community and their supporters.
The president had delayed signing it, pending the court rulings. CNN's Larry Madowo has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: If it is signed into law, this bill will be one of the strictest anti-LGBTQ laws anywhere in Africa. And that is saying something, though its name is much more innocent sounding.
The Human Sexual Rights And Family Values Bill, that's its official name, and it was supported by Christian, Muslim, and traditional leaders in Ghana. It passed unanimously in Parliament.
That explains just how popular it is.
MADOWO (voice-over): And many in Ghana are supportive of this Supreme Court, essentially deciding that they cannot stop it until it's officially a law.
I've been reporting in Ghana twice this year, and I know that many people support this bill. But activists, those that work in the LGBT human rights space say even before it has become a law, there are already serious consequences.
ABENA TAKYIWAA MANUH, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTRE FOR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE: It is a sad day, and it has implications for the LGBT community. Even without the passage of the bill, people have been attacking members of a certain community, and I think that just this pronouncement, this kind of formalism, this resort to constitutionalism, actually put at risk the life and health of certain members of the community.
And of course, some of us who are human rights defenders.
MADOWO (voice-over): Ghana's outgoing president Nana Akufo-Addo, has less than three weeks left in office. So, if he does not sign it, he would kick the can down the road and leave that as a problem for the incoming administration of President-elect John Mahama. MADOWO: Amnesty West Africa asking him not to sign it into law, saying
it does not just infringe on the rights of one group but on the rights of all.
But one of the lawmakers who was the biggest supporters of the bill, helped to bring it to parliament, Sam George, tweeted that "It is done. To God be the glory."
Gay sex in Ghana was already punishable with up to three years in prison, but this makes it even harder to even identify as LGBTI in Ghana. It criminalizes the promotion of LGBT rights in the country.
And that is why it's getting -- it's getting a lot of criticism.
However, the Finance Ministry in Ghana had already warned that, if this were to become law, Ghana risked losing out on $3.8 billion from the World Bank, another $3 billion from the IMF. These are funds the country badly needs for an economic revival.
But for the men on the street, they think it needs to become law.
Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMO: Much more still ahead, including --
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ROMO: Paul McCartney makes a triumphant return to London after taking his Got Back Tour on the road and overseas. Stay with us.
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ROMO: Paul McCartney returned to the stage in London on Wednesday night.
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PAUL MCCARTNEY, MUSICIAN (singing): Money can't buy me love. Can't buy me love. Everybody tell me so. Can't find me love.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMO: Sir Paul and his band kicked off the first of two nights at London's O2 arena with the Beatles classic, "Money [SIC] Can't Buy Me Love" before playing a three-hour set.
The music icon is wrapping up an international tour with shows in England.
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MCCARTNEY: Well, hello, London! Here we are. OK. Well, we've been -- we've been all over South America and France and Madrid and even Manchester. And here we are, back home in London.
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ROMO: McCartney is back at London's O2 arena for a second night on Thursday, the last scheduled performance of the year.
A tablet inscribed with a version of the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament has sold for more than $5 million. Sotheby's New York says there was more than ten minutes of intense bidding for the artifact.
The stone dates back about 1,500 years and is not the one of the biblical tablets Moses received. It lacks the third commandment, "Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain."
It was discovered in 1913 during excavations for a railway line in what's now Southern Israel.
Sotheby's says the anonymous buyer plans to donate it to an Israeli institution.
There's less than two weeks to go until the world rings -- rings in the new year. And in New York, they're getting ready for the big countdown.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one. Happy new year!
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ROMO: That's the official 2025 sign that will appear in Times Square on New Year's Eve. The LED-powered numbers will stay on the ground until Monday. Then the sign will be put up on 1 Times Square, where it will light up when the clock strikes midnight to welcome in 2025.
I'm Rafael Romo. I'll be back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM, but first, WORLD SPORT starts right after the break.
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