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Christians around the world celebrate Christmas; Russian Attack on Kryvyi Rih Kills One Person; Russia Sentences Eugene Spector to 15 Years in Prison for Espionage; Past and Present Panama Leaders Sign Declaration for Panama Canal Control; Trump to Begin Executing Plans on Day One; Notre Dame Choir Performs. Aired 12-12:30a ET
Aired December 25, 2024 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead, Christians around the world gather to celebrate the biblical birth of Jesus and pray for peace. While in Syria, the burning of a Christmas tree has sparked demands for better protections for Christians from the Islamist-led rebels now running the country.
And --
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CHURCH: The Notre Dame Choir in Paris treats CNN to a special performance at the newly restored cathedral.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us. It is 7:00 a.m. in the West Bank City of Bethlehem, where Christmas celebrations are underway.
Worshippers gathered at the Church of the Nativity for Midnight Mass, led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. The biblical birthplace of Jesus has scaled back celebrations since the Hamas attack on Israel and the war in Gaza. The mayor says Israeli restrictions suspended tourism and the closure of its gates have left the city in severe isolation.
Christians in Gaza City celebrated mass at the Latin Church of the Holy Family. The church has served as a shelter for the small religious minority during the war in Gaza.
Pope Francis made a phone call to Christians at a Catholic Church in Gaza City to wish them a Merry Christmas. He will deliver his Christmas address to the world in just a few hours. More now from CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb.
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CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Pope Francis formally began the Catholic Church's Jubilee year in St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve. The Jubilee is an ancient tradition which is focused on forgiveness and pilgrimage. And during the year, 35 million people are expected to travel to Rome.
The pope began the Jubilee with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica, which is normally cemented shut, but has been opened for this special celebration. The pope was wheeled up to the door, it opened, and pilgrims filed in behind him, touching the bronze panels, as is tradition.
According to Catholic teaching, those who carry out certain spiritual, charitable acts and go through a holy door will receive an indulgence which is related to the forgiveness of sins. The pope is hoping this Jubilee can bring hope to a troubled world. And in his Christmas Eve homily said he wanted the Jubilee to be a time where peace and justice reign.
And the pope is also called for the Jubilee to be a time when richer countries forgive the debts of poorer nations and for prisoners to be offered amnesties or pardons. The day after Christmas, the pope will travel to Rebibbia prison on the outskirts of Rome and become the first pope to open a holy door in a prison, something that he hopes sends a message to governments across the globe.
Now, this Jubilee year is like to test of the 88-year-old pontiff. And he has determined that the message of the Jubilee should resonate across the globe.
Christopher Lamb, CNN, London.
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CHURCH: Christmas is taking on a special meaning this year in Syria. The country's Christian community is celebrating the holiday for the first time since the fall of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad. But there's a sense of caution as the country is now being run by Islamist rebels.
A group of men set fire to a Christmas tree in a Christian majority town near the City of Hama on Monday night. No one has claimed responsibility, but a rebel flanked by Christian priests promised to punish the perpetrators.
Video of the tree burning sparked protests in the capital Damascus and elsewhere. Demonstrators marched toward a church demanding better protection for Christians.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DANIEL ASSI, SYRIAN CHRISTIAN FROM HOMS (through translator): Whoever is saying we are a minority, we are not. We are here from the beginning. Christianity was present in Syria from the beginning. We will remain in Syria and we will live as Muslims and Christians together. We do not seek sectarianism. We do not want anyone to come near us. We will remain committed to our cross and we do not want anyone to attack our churches. We do not want Chechen groups to attack our churches. We are Christians and we have rights like any citizen in Syria.
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CHURCH: Ukrainians are doing what they can to mark the Christmas holiday despite the war with Russia.
Air raid sirens interrupted Christmas celebrations in a very foggy Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tried to raise spirits with an address to the nation saying Russia has failed to take the Ukrainian people's light, faith, and humanity.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The way we are fighting today for the main symbol of this holiday, for hope and for the triumph of life, on our land and every city and town, including Pokrovsk, the divine music composed there and the evil that Russia brought there sharply illustrate the difference between us and them.
We strive to create, while for some, the meaning of life is to sow death. We seek harmony, seek justice. We want peace. All we need is to live peacefully in our own land, to see the sun, our sky, and in it, a Christmas star not Iranian Shaheds or Russian missiles.
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CHURCH: A Russian attack on the City of Kryvyi Rih shows that Moscow holds nothing sacred, according to Ukrainian officials. One person was killed and eleven others injured after a ballistic missile struck an apartment building in a densely populated part of the city on Tuesday. Ukrainian officials are conducting rescue operations and they expect the death toll to rise.
The U.S. State Department says it's monitoring the case of an American citizen imprisoned in Russia and convicted of spying. State media has not released many details about why officials believe Eugene Spector is guilty. CNN's Nada Bashir brings us the latest.
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NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yet another U.S. citizen has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term in Russia. Eugene Spector, who was born in Russia and later moved to the U.S. and received citizenship, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday on charges relating to espionage, according to state run media. Now, Spector was already serving jail time in Russia after he pled guilty in 2020 to enabling bribes to an aid of Russia's former Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. According to an independent Russian outlet, Mediazona, who had a journalist inside the courtroom, Spector was on Tuesday sentenced to 13 years in a maximum-security penal colony and also received a fine of more than $140,000.
Details of the espionage charges against Spector have not been made public, but he is one of a host of U.S. citizens serving jail time in Russia. In October, 72-year-old Stephen Hubbard, originally from Michigan, was sentenced to almost seven years in prison for allegedly fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine, according to state run media. And in July, Robert Woodland, a U.S. citizen of Russian origin, was sentenced to more than 12 years in a maximum-security penal colony for drug related charges.
Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.
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CHURCH: Three former presidents joined Panama's current leader in a joint declaration asserting the country's control over the Panama Canal. This comes after President-Elect Donald Trump threatened to retake the waterway for the U.S., accusing Panama of charging exorbitant rates to use the canal. CNN's Gustavo Valdes has more on Panama's reaction.
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GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump's suggestion that the United States should retake control of the Panama Canal was met with some protest in Panama. Some people went in front of the U.S. embassy, many of them were union workers, the people who helped ship vessels crossed from one ocean to the other. They believe it is an insult to suggest that the canal should go back to the United States.
President -- Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino sounded a little bit more dismissive of the idea. He said that the canal and all the area around it belongs to the Panamanian people and suggested that perhaps Donald Trump should learn more history.
JOSE RAUL MULINO, PANAMANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): That is a manifestation of gross ignorance of history. So, all those speculations and all that range of eventualities that are not going to happen, well, I leave them there as totally irrelevant issues and quite bordering on historical incoherence with what the Panama Canal has been, is, and will be.
VALDES: He also highlighted the contribution of the canal to the global economy he highlighted. Now, some recent improvements to the canal that allow for larger ships to cross the oceans and he says that is a big revenue for the Panamanian government. So, he doesn't believe that the United States will retake control. He actually had support from three former Panamanian president who signed a letter in support of the Panamanian position. Now, it is not clear what Donald Trump can actually do to retake control of the Panama Canal. He's worried about the fees charged. The fees are charged accordingly to the size of the vessels that cross over. He's also suggesting that China has increasing influence in the region. And that is another reason why the United States should retake control.
It is true that China has been increasing their presence in Latin America. But that is also because perhaps the United States has not been investing as much as the Chinese government has been doing in the last few years.
Now, at the end of the year, December 31st, the Panamanian government is going to celebrate 25 years since the United States handed over control of the canal.
Gustavo Valdez, CNN, Saltillo, Mexico.
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CHURCH: And the Panama Canal is just one of the topics Donald Trump is focusing on as he prepares for his second term in office. Our Steve Contorno looks at some of the things Trump is promising to do soon after he returns to the White House.
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STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: With less than a month until Donald Trump takes office for the second time, his plan for his first 100 days is to is starting to take shape while we still have a lot to learn about how he intends to execute his agenda, his early targets have already been made clear. He is going to be heavily focused on the issue of immigration with plans for mass deportations, restarting the border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border and closing down some activity there as well.
He also will extend the Trump tax cuts set to expire at the end of 2025. Implement new tariffs on foreign goods. He has already threatened a 25 percent tariff on Mexico and Canada. And he also said he will review the cases of some of the January 6th offenders and potentially pardon those who he considers nonviolent offenders.
Trump, meanwhile, has made a series of pledges for day one, including ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. Bringing back the U.S. hostages that are being held by Hamas and opening up the U.S. to more oil exploration. How he intends to do that remains to be seen, although we are expecting a flurry of executive orders on day one.
Steve Contorno, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.
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CHURCH: We are learning more about the man accused of murdering a sleeping subway rider by setting her on fire. When we come back, the disturbing new details emerging from the case.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Haitian journalists say two reporters were killed and several others wounded on Tuesday after gang members opened fire on a hospital. This is the chaotic scene right after the attack. Journalists had gathered at the largest public hospital in Port-au-Prince, which was set to reopen after gang violence forced its closure. Around 85 percent of Haiti's capital is estimated to be under gang control. One powerful gang coalition took responsibility for the attack, saying it had not authorized the hospital's reopening.
Disturbing new details are emerging in the case of the man accused of setting a woman on fire and killing her on a New York subway train. The suspect, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, was arraigned Tuesday on murder and arson charges, but he did not enter a plea. CNN's Gloria Pazmino has more.
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Gloria Pazmino, That's right. We're learning more about the suspect. His name is Sebastian Zapeta Khalil. He's 33 years old and is originally from Guatemala. We are told by Customs and Border Patrol officials that he entered the United States in 2018. He was initially deported, but he re-entered the country. And recently, while he's been here in New York City, he has checking -- he has been checking in and out of homeless shelters, including the most recent one, a homeless shelter for men with substance abuse issues.
Now, the suspect appeared in front of a judge in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Tuesday where he was formally arraigned on murder in the first- and second-degree charges, as well as arson. This is all in relation to that horrific incident, which took place on Sunday morning inside of a subway train in Brooklyn, police officials tell us that the suspect was inside the train, along with a woman who appeared to be asleep at the time.
They say he walked over to her, pulled a lighter out of his jacket pocket and lit her on fire. The woman was burned alive. As this was happening, the suspect stepped out of the train and sat down on a bench on the platform and watched as the woman was dying.
Now, we've also learned some more additional details and they're somewhat graphic from this arraignment. We know that there is evidence which shows the suspect actually fanning the flames, using a T-shirt to fan the flames as the woman was becoming engulfed in fire. Now, the cause of death for this victim, who still remains unidentified, has also been determined. The city's medical examiner has ruled the death a homicide, and she's -- and they said that the cause of death was a result of smoke inhalation, as well as thermal injuries.
Now, the suspect was remanded back into custody. He is expected to appear in court again on Friday.
Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.
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CHURCH: Christmas carols return to the restored Notre Dame Cathedral.
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CHURCH: Hear more of this exclusive performance from the Cathedral's choir just ahead.
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CHURCH: U.S. President Joe Biden shared an uplifting Christmas message to Americans. The president was not on camera, but he spoke over this video showing a tour of the White House decorated for the holiday season. Biden's message highlighted the religious aspect of Christmas. He called on everyone to take a few moments of quiet reflection and look at each other as, quote, "fellow human beings worthy of being treated with dignity."
Watching football on Christmas Day has become a tradition in the United States. But this year, there's a twist, you can only see the Steelers Chiefs and the Ravens Texans NFL games on Netflix. And the streaming service has some serious star power lined up to attract holiday viewers. There's one concern though, whether Netflix will crash under the weight of expectations. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister reports.
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ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (VOICE-OVER): With star power so big --
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WAGMEISTER (voice-over): -- on a holiday so beloved, Netflix's first foray into the NFL might just be called the second Super Bowl.
CARYON MANNO, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Anytime a game is on in our household, we're around the TV and I think a lot of people feel the same way. So, it's a very interesting proposition that Netflix is bringing to the table.
MARIAH CAREY, SINGER: This Christmas we all get our wish.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Mariah Carey opens each of the two Netflix Christmas games.
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WAGMEISTER (voice-over): With the recorded version of her holiday mega hit, "All I want for Christmas is You."
Then a touchdown for Netflix as Beyonce performs a live halftime show during the second game between the Texans and Ravens in her hometown of Houston.
MATT BELLONI, FOUNDING PARTNER, PUCK: Netflix did a really smart thing and getting arguably a bigger name for the than Kendrick Lamar, who is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, to headline the Netflix Christmas Day halftime show.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): And what about that other star in the stands? With the Chiefs and Steelers kicking off the day, Taylor Swift may just be the gift that keeps on giving. Possibly back to cheer on Travis Kelce, just as she did last Christmas. Great for the NFL and Netflix, maybe not for the NBA, which traditionally owns the Christmas audience.
MANNO: The NFL is king, you know, and if they find a way to become easy to find on Christmas Day, you could not blame NBA executives for being a little bit concerned about what that might mean for the ratings of their holiday slate.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): But as Netflix continues its push into live programming, the streaming giant has something to prove. "The Love is Blind" reunion had major technical glitches, as did the recent Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight.
BELLONI: The NFL is not going to be as forgiving as Mike Tyson and Jake Paul if there are technical glitches.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Netflix has one key advantage, it's global. Both Christmas games will be available worldwide, streaming in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. And the NFL has made clear it wants to expand overseas.
MANNO: More than 250 million subscribers globally, 80 of those in the United States and Canada. So, if it goes well for Netflix, I'd imagine that they would continue to be interested in upcoming live sports rights, and that'll continue to shift how and where people watch.
WAGMEISTER: Now, Netflix appears to continue getting into the sports game just over the last week, announcing that they have acquired the rights to the FIFA Women's World Cup for the year 2027 and 2031, which is a huge deal in the sporting world. And it's really no surprise that Netflix wants to continue with live sporting events because in this TikTok age where viewers are everywhere, sports remains one of the few things that families get together, and it always delivers a good rating. Back to you.
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CHURCH: The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris will hold its Christmas mass in just a few hours. The 12th century landmark recently reopened its doors after more than five years of reconstruction from the devastating fire of 2019. CNN joined Notre Dame's choir for one of their very first performances in their restored cathedral with their rendition of "I Saw Three Ships."
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CHURCH: Beautiful. Well, Santa Claus swapped his sleigh for a surfboard in Cocoa Beach in Florida. Well, make that hundreds of Santas. It's an annual charity event that brings together the surfing community with those who love all things Christmas. Aside from those in attendance, the event also had nearly 13,000 worldwide viewers on a live Facebook stream. Surfing Sanders has raised nearly $400,000 for a variety of good causes since it began back in 2009.
I want to thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Here's wishing you all Happy Holidays. Africa Avant-Garde is next.
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