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South Korea Court Issues Arrest Warrant For Impeached President Yoon; Families Await News At Muan Airport After South Korea Plane Crash; The U.S. Treasury Says Some Computers Were Breached By China- Backed Hackers; Jimmy Carter's State Funeral To Be Held On January 9; Thousands Of Bodies Found In Syria's Mass Graves; 5 Charged In Former One Direction Star Liam Payne's Death; India Successfully Launches Its First Space Docking Mission. Aired 1-1:30a ET
Aired December 31, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello and a very warm welcome. I'm Paula Newton. Ahead here on CNN Newsroom. A South Korean court issues an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. We'll have a live report ahead.
Plus, grieving families camp out at Muan International Airport waiting for more information about their loved ones following the tragic South Korea airline crash and tributes from around the world following the death of former President Jimmy Carter. State funeral will be held on January 9th.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Paula Newton.
NEWTON: In a truly historic turn, South Korea issues an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol amid a month of political tumult and chaos. The president was swiftly impeached and suspended from power after he issued a short lived martial law decree earlier this month. He's facing charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion.
Yoon's martial law decree led to public protests and mass resignations from his cabinet. CNN's Marc Stewart has more now.
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MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: According to investigators, the arrest would take place within seven days after the warrant issued. But it's a deadline that could be extended. So we're just going to have to and see on all of this. But it is important to emphasize the context in all of this. Even though President Yoon is essentially suspended, stripped of his powers, he's still South Korea's president and he's still entitled to stay at the presidential residence.
This is not something that suddenly happened out of the blue. This all stems from an investigation that was launched after President Yoon's declaration of martial law on December 3. The nation's Corruption Investigation Office issued three summons asking for its cooper in the probe, but he has refused. That's what led to this arrest warrant. It's an investigation focusing on charges of abuse of authority and insurrection after he announced martial law.
During his short lived martial law, Yoon allegedly ordered his defense minister to arrest several high ranked politicians, civil activists and even judges. He's also accused of obstructing operation of the National Assembly with military forces.
Yoon's attorney is fighting back, calling the issuance of the arrest warrant illegal and invalid, hinting that the president will likely not comply with the warrant. He said the suspended president will confidently respond when the due process goes on. So for now, we are just going to have to keep watch on this potential arrest. Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.
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NEWTON: Meantime, investigators are still working to identify victims from the deadly plane crash that killed 179 people over the weekend. Families of the victims are literally camping out at Muan International Airport until they get information on their loved ones who were on board. CNN's Mike Valerio reports.
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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the unmistakable outcry of grief heard throughout South Korea's Muan International Airport. Families unable to absorb the anguish of the Jeju Air catastrophe. Hundreds of relatives huddling in the departure hall waiting for news of whether their loved ones remains are found.
A friend of a couple killed in the crash said he came here to confirm for himself. His friends of 30 years are simply gone. I have nothing to say, but it's tragic, he told us. I watch the news all day and for now they say bird strike could be the cause. I'm so shocked and hurt. I cannot even put it into words.
VALERIO: Now so many people have chosen to stay. They're not going anywhere. And that's seen evidenced by all of these tents that go from here pretty much to the end of the terminal. They go back three tenths to the edge of the check in counters. You see food deliveries throughout the day. Let's keep going this way. And the echoes of grief.
VALERIO (voice-over): The scenes inside are just a short drive from the cataclysmic crash site. The tale of the doomed airliner still jutting above the field, a mountain in the middle of the debris. More than a thousand people now mobilized to sift through pieces of the plane.
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The crash scene is absolutely harrowing. Just a few steps away, you can see where the doomed Jeju Air jetliner careened through the embankment and burst into flames. And more than a day later, you can still see forensics teams in their white suits combing through the debris along with members of the police force as well as members of the South Korean military.
Now, to my right, you can see soldiers looking through the fields and around them. To give you an idea of the force of this crash, a full football field away from where we're standing. You can see mangled, twisted chairs thrown from the jetliner. A representative of the victim's families urging an even larger response.
PARK HAN-SHIN, REPRESENATIVE OF JEJU AIR CRASH VICTIMS' FAMILIES (through translator): What I want to request from the government is to increase the manpower so that the recovery can be carried out more swiftly. I hope my siblings, my family can be recovered and returned to us, even if only 80 percent intact.
VALERIO: For now, Muan remains the epicenter of a nation in mourning, the weight of unspoken farewells and quiet desperation made unbearable by an absence of ANSWERS. Mike Valerio, CNN, Muan, South Korea.
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NEWTON: Miles O'Brien joins us now. He's a CNN aviation analyst and science correspondent for PBS NewsHour. I really am interested in your insights. I do want to point out that before we go down, you know, what is a very complicated crash investigation right now, clearly the families are in absolute agony, Miles, all of them wondering what all of us want to know, how could this happen? Because normally if it was a bird strike of this kind, it wouldn't normally bring down an entire aircraft in and of itself.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Pretty unusual scenario, Paula. Yes. A single engine lost on a modern airliner is pretty much a non- event. You shut down the engine and you get to a runway as soon as you can. But the aircraft can fly one engine with no problem almost, you know, as long as the fuel holds out, so to speak. So something else happened here, clearly.
And was it the loss perhaps partial or total of power on the other engine as well, which put this aircraft in a situation where the crew felt compelled to get on the ground very quickly and that changes the dynamic significantly.
NEWTON: I'm going to lean on your experience as a pilot now in terms of what's going on in the cockpit. You know, many have pointed out that, look, it could be quite chaotic, obviously, but also that there's a cascading, a domino effect that takes over. Can you explain what this crew, who apparently was very experienced, would have been going through?
O'BRIEN: Yes, it's an experienced crew, and these are not unlike the scenarios that they train for in simulators on a regular basis. But the real world is the real world. And when you're startled by an impact by birds, and these are big migratory birds and that part of the world, potentially we don't know for certain, one of them might have even struck the windscreen for the pilots. And that could have had tremendous impact as well. But you're about to land, and there's a startling effect by all that
the standard operating procedure for the airline might be in that situation, abort the landing, get everything stabilized as best you can, and diagnose the trouble before attempting a landing. And maybe that's what happened. That would have been sort of their muscle memory in this scenario.
In retrospect, in a situation like that, it might be the better part of valor to get on the ground as quickly as possible. But procedures and training come into play here, and a lot of the experience they've had in simulators may have been what dictated what they did.
NEWTON: You know, we have been getting some information here on the details so far, what we know in terms of the mayday call that went out. And I'm wondering what stands out to you and how complicated of an investigation do you think this is right now? Because many are suggesting that, look, they have the data recorders, the cockpit recorders. They will have a fulsome report on this quite quickly.
O'BRIEN: I think that is correct, Paula. I think in this case, what the cockpit voice recorder, which captures the conversations and the oral warnings that they heard on that flight deck are going to be exactly what cracks this case, if you will. I think what stands out to people in the world of aviation is why the fast long belly landing that implicates the possibility that the crew felt it needed to get on the ground quickly and possibly had, for all intents and purposes, a glider.
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An aircraft that couldn't produce power, which would put them in a position where they'd want to extend the amount of distance they could glide, which would mean you wouldn't put the landing gear down and you wouldn't use the flaps and you want to make sure you make the runway first and foremost. So that scenario is quite possible one way or another.
Perhaps they lost significant power in both engines, making it a glider, making them want to do whatever they could to get back to that Runway. But again, that cockpit voice recorder is going to unlock that mystery pretty easily.
NEWTON: Yes. And that will be certainly news that the family will be awaiting. As I said, they live through this agony, especially given so many of them are holidaymakers, really just trying to get some respite and relaxation. Miles O'Brien for us, as always, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
O'BRIEN: You're welcome, Paula.
NEWTON: Now the U.S. Treasury Department is sounding an alarm over what it's calling a major incident. Treasury officials notified lawmakers on Monday that China state sponsored hackers infiltrated several department workstations. The hackers gained access by using a stolen key for a third party software service provider. Now a Treasury official says that company notified the department of
the breach earlier this month. A source tells CNN that Treasury officials plan to brief the House Financial Services Committee next week in a classified hearing.
Funeral plans are coming together former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who turned who died Sunday at age 100. Five days of services will begin this Saturday as Carter's motorcade will travel past his boyhood home in Plains, Georgia. He will lie in repose at the Carter Center in Atlanta later in the day.
Carter will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol from January 7th through the 9th, ahead of his state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral next Thursday. Carter will be laid to rest in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, at the same location his wife Rosalynn was buried during her death last year.
Now U.S. President Joe Biden will deliver the eulogy. He has designated January 9 as a national day of mourning when Carter ran for president in the 1976 election. In fact, Biden was the first senator to endorse him.
And we do turn now to a major loss for journalism. Veteran journalist and former CNN anchor Aaron Brown passed away on Sunday at the age of 76. That's according to his family. He gained prominence for his live coverage of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
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AARON BROWN, FORMER CNN ANCHOR: For those of you just joining us, let's Just briefly recap what we know. About an hour ago, about 8:45 Eastern Time, one plane crashed into the tower, the World Trade center tower on the right.
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NEWTON: Brown won the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for his 9/11 coverage. He also played a major role in shaping CNN's evening news format. His producer remembered him saying Aaron's approach to news and storytelling was driven by the facts, but his delivery was always deeply human. CNN, of course, sends its condolences to his family and loved ones.
Now earlier I spoke with Brown's former Newsnight senior producer Jon Auerbach on his impact and his legacy.
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JON AUERBACH, FORMER NEWSNIGHT PRODUCER: For the first part of the decade of this century, Aaron was the face of news. Whether it was 9/11, whether it was the Iraq, Afghanistan invasion, Katrina, Indonesia, Aaron was front and center of everything. And I think for viewers, his sort of calm demeanor, not yelling at you, not being hysterical, sort of gave everybody, I don't want to say a sense of calm because it's hard to say there's a sense of calm in the midst of this chaos. But it certainly didn't make people feel any worse or more concerned
about things. They knew they were getting the story. One of the things Aaron always stressed, I think, to reporters on the air and to his staff and to guests, that it's OK to say I don't know as answer because that's truthful and that's what we know at the time.
So if you don't know the answer, say you don't have answer and you move on to something else. And I think that's something that also viewers learn to appreciate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Jon Auerbach there remembering his friend and former colleague. Ahead for us, blaming Russia. Azerbaijan's president points fingers after the plane crash that left dozens dead. Details on that and the fate of the flight records.
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NEWTON: The flight recorders are so called black boxes from the deadly crash of an Azerbaijani passenger plane are headed to Brazil where they'll be analyzed by international experts as well as Azerbaijani authorities.
Now, the aircraft that went down on Christmas Day was made in Brazil. Meantime, Azerbaijan's president has accused the Kremlin of unintentionally shooting down the jet and then trying to cover up the cause. More now from CNN's Clare Sebastian.
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CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, an unwelcome diplomatic spat is emerging from Moscow.
ILHAM ALIYEV, AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT (through translator): The Russian side must apologize to Azerbaijan. Secondly, it must acknowledge its guilt. Thirdly, those responsible must be punished, brought to criminal responsibility and compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state to the injured passengers and crew members.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Of those three demand, Russia's investigative committee did promise to find those responsible and punish them, Azerbaijan state news agency reported Monday. A U.S. official and international experts believe a Russian air defense missile may have brought down the plane, killing 38 passengers. And there was an apology of sorts.
Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace, came the carefully worded Kremlin readout of Putin's call Saturday with Azerbaijan's president. It also noted that as the plane tried to land in Grozny, Russian air defenses had been working to avert a Ukrainian drone attack. But as Azerbaijan's President Aliyev attended a funeral for the pilots
in a crew member killed in the Christmas Day crash Sunday, still no admission from Russia that its air defense forces may have been responsible.
ALIYEV (through translator): The facts indicate that the Azerbaijani civilian plane was damaged from the outside over Russian territory near the city of Grozny and almost lost control. We also know that the use of electronic warfare put our plane out of control.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Just over four months ago. It was all hugs and smiles with President Aliyev as Putin visited Baku to talk business. Russia needs its former Soviet ally more than ever as a buyer of its oil and gas and key transport route to Iran, an increasingly strategic partner.
WILLIAM B. TAYLOR, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: President Putin has had some bad times in the past couple of weeks. He's lost Syria, he's had this problem, he's had ships sink in the Mediterranean, he's had a general killed in Moscow. So President Putin is really on the defensive. Maybe he's looking for a way out. I don't think he's in the mood now to accept responsibility that his military is so incompetent.
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SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Over the weekend, more funerals this for a 13- year-old victim. The crash as the Kremlin's PR challenge deepens. Claire Sebastian, CNN, London.
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NEWTON: Sirens blared in Israel Monday as the military announced it intercepted another missile launched from Yemen. Iran-backed Houthi militants have fired -- frequently fire drones and missiles toward Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza. And Israel has been retaliating with strikes against Houthi targets inside Yemen. Israel's ambassador to the U.N. issued what he called a final warning to Houthi leaders, telling them to pay attention to what's happened to their allies.
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DANNY DANON, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: I'm saying to the leadership of the Houthis, I have a message for you today. Perhaps you have not been paying attention to the lessons of this past year. Let me remind you what happened to Hamas, to Hezbollah, to Assad, and towards those who sought to destroy us. This is not a threat. It is a promise. You will share the same miserable fate.
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NEWTON: Meanwhile in Gaza, winter weather is making already miserable conditions even more painful. Heavy rain has flooded camps for displaced people with water seeping through the thin tent materials, soaking mattresses, blankets and clothing. The Gaza Health Ministry says five newborns and a two year old have
already died from the cold. And the U.N. warns more children's lives will be lost in the coming days when it gets even colder. Temperatures in the enclave can reach lows of around 10 degrees Celsius, or about 50 Fahrenheit.
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IBTISSAM AL-ASSAR, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN (through translator): I swear we swam. I have three children and my daughter is sick with a permanent condition. I'm scared about her with the little children dying. I'm afraid my children, my boys covers are soaked all night. I'm up trying to cover them and warm them up. I swear we've had enough. It's too much.
ALI DALFALLAH, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN (through translator): Those who don't die from the war will die from the cold, hunger and thirst. And we have become desperate from this life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now to an emotional reunion in Ukraine's capital.
There's a joy there, as you can see, as families of released Ukrainian prisoners of war embrace their loved ones. Ukraine's president says 189 former captives returned home Monday, exchanged for some 150 Russian troops. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the former captives include soldiers and officers from frontline areas and two civilians from the port city of Mariupol.
Now, according to Syrian state media, authorities have discovered another mass grave believed to contain hundreds of bodies. And a warning, we're about to air images you may find disturbing. The latest alleged mass grave was found in the former rebel stronghold of Aleppo. Syria's Interior Ministry says DNA testing will be done in an effort to identify the bodies.
Syrians have been discovering what was thought to be mass graves across the country since the fall of the Assad regime. Some 150,000 people in Syria are unaccounted for. That's according to the International Commission on Missing Persons, which says most of them were kidnapped or detained by the Assad government and its affiliates.
Rights groups in Kenya say more than 50 people have been arrested during protests over alleged government abductions. Protesters and police clashed Monday with officers firing tear gas to disperse crowds in the capital, Nairobi.
Now, over the weekend, Kenyan President William Ruto promised to stop the abduction of government critics after initially denying they were even happening. A judge in Nairobi has ordered the immediate release of six people who are missing.
OK. Still to come for us, India launched its first space docking mission. Why it key for India's future space plans.
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NEWTON: Five people are facing charges in connection with the death of Liam Payne. The former One Direction singer died in October after falling from the balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires. Three people have been charged by Argentinian prosecutors with manslaughter, including Payne's manager. Two others have been charged with supplying Payne with drugs during his hotel stay.
He had an alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system when he died. Payne spoke openly about his struggles with addiction and his mental health. He was 31 years old.
In what's thought to be one of the largest ever thefts from a British home, police say a burglar stole more than $12 million worth of jewelry and designer bags from a home in London. It happened in the area of the Avenue Road, one of the city's most exclusive addresses.
Police say the thief made off with Hermes handbags and custom made jewelry, including a 10 carat diamond ring and a bracelet bearing the name Shafira. Police say most of the jewelry is unique in design and should be easy to identify.
An Indian made rocket blasted into space on Monday carrying two satellites on the country's first ever space docking test flight. The test of the docking technology is expected to take place in a week, but the India Space Research Organization is calling the mission successful so far.
The space agency says docking technology is crucial for India's space ambitions, manned travel to the moon and a planned space station for that country. A successful docking in space would make India the fourth country to achieve the milestone, along with the U.S. China and Russia.
And I want to thank you for joining us. I'm Paula Newton. CNN Academy is next.
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