Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Truce Holding Between Syrian Govt and Druze; Trump Authorizes Release of Some Epstein Documents; Outage in Eswatini Over Arrival of Foreign U.S. Deportees; Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency; President Lula Criticizes Trump Over Tariff Threats; U.K. Voting Age Proposal; House Passes Trump's DOGE Cuts. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired July 18, 2025 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:00]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: It was but a brief glimmer of improved relations between Israel and Syria, not now. Ahead on CNN Newsroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMED AL-SHARAA, SYRIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): He accused Israel of trying to destabilize Syria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: That accusation from serious interim president comes as Israel portrays itself as the defender of minority rights in the region.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And the talk keeps coming, and now the talk is about a bawdy birthday letter allegedly sent by Double Trump to Jeffrey Epstein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two 25-year-olds who each escaped North Korea when they were teenagers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Journey of a lifetime from the most repressive country in the world to the brink of fame in the world of K-Pop

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with John.

VAUSE: Continuous ceasefire in Southern Syria appears to be holding even though the interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa accuses Druze militia groups of a number of violations. And while Israeli airstrikes on Syrian government targets appear to be on hold, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not rule out further military action, saying Israel will continue to act as necessary to defend and protect the Druze-Arab minority in Syria. Netanyahu adding recent Israeli airstrikes are a direct result of Syrian government forces in the Suwayda area, south of the capital and home to the Druze community.

Earlier this week, deadly violence erupted between Druze and Bedouins in Suwayda with Damascus sending in the military to restore calm. With a ceasefire in place, government forces have now completely withdrawn. But according to Syrian state media, many Bedouin families have been forcibly displaced from their homes. CNN's Jeremy Diamond begins our coverage.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, a ceasefire has taken effect in Syria as the Israeli military has stopped bombarding the Syrian capital. And we've also seen Syrian military forces withdrawing from the southern city of Suwayda. That city of Suwayda, which is a stronghold of this Druze minority that lives in Syria, Israel, and Lebanon was the source of violence in recent days as clashes broke out between the Druze minority and Bedouin tribes in the area with Syrian government forces also getting involved.

The United States then intervened to try and broker this ceasefire and seems to be at least partly responsible for taking hold. The Syrian president, for his part, said that his government is not afraid of war, but that it is putting Syria people, quote, "above chaos and destruction." He accused Israel of trying to destabilize Syria and sow division. And he vowed that his government will protect the rights of the Druze.

Now, the Israeli prime minister, for his part, took credit for the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Suwayda, which came just hours really after the Israeli military began striking the Syrian capital of Damascus, including hitting the Syrian defense ministry itself in Central Damascus.

The prime minister saying that this ceasefire was achieved through Israel's intensified military operations, touting Israel's strength which he said was aimed in two parts. First of all, at Israel's own domestic security interests, meaning protecting Israeli national security by preventing Syrian troops from being in that area of Southern Syria. And secondly, aimed at protecting that Druze minority in Suwayda.

This is a very tenuous ceasefire however. We've already seen previous ceasefires break down very quickly. And already, we are seeing reports of attacks on Bedouins in Suwayda, as well as reports of Bedouins being forced to flee the city. A very, very tenuous situation. And of course, in the background of all of this are these nascent talks between Israel and Syria aimed at establishing some kind of a security arrangement. The United States, that seems to have been their primary objective here in brokering the ceasefire to try and get those talks back on track.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: The Israeli prime minister says stray ammunition is to blame for a fatal strike on Gaza's only Catholic church. The Holy Family Church was hit by Israeli fire Thursday, killing at least three people and leaving several others injured, according to Palestinian officials. Prime Minister Netanyahu says, Israel deeply regrets what happened, an investigation is underway. We have more details now from CNNs Nada Bashir.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, and yet another civilian tragedy in Gaza after Gaza's, only Catholic church was damaged in a strike on Thursday morning, according to the Latin patriarchy of Jerusalem, who said the Holy Family Church was hit directly by a tank. The parish priest is also said to have been injured in the attack.

[00:05:00]

Now, the Israeli military has said it is aware of reports regarding damage caused to the church in Gaza City, as well as casualties at the scene, adding that the circumstances of the incident are under review.

In the Vatican Telegram, the pope said he was deeply saddened, renewing his call for an immediate ceasefire, and expressing his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation, and enduring peace in the region.

The church is known internationally for its close connection with the late Pope Francis, who would call the parish almost daily from the beginning of the war in Gaza.

Nada Bashir, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: The U.S. president has fired off a furious response to a new report on the Jeffrey Epstein saga. He's now ordering the Justice Department to release any and all relevant grand jury testimony on the Epstein investigation. The U.S. attorney general says that could happen as early as Friday. This comes just hours after The Wall Street Journal reported on what it called as a bawdy letter from Donald Trump to Epstein for the late pedophile's 50th birthday.

According to the Journal, the letter is framed by the outline of a naked woman. The newspaper reports the letter concludes, happy birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret. President Trump quickly denied writing the letter or drawing the picture. He told the Journal, this is not me. This is a fake thing. It's a fake Wall Street Journal story. I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women. It's not my language. It's not my words.

He went on to post on Truth Social, The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch personally were warned directly that the supposed letter they printed was a fake, and if they print, they will be sued. Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it, but obviously, did not have the power to do so.

Questions about Donald Trump's relationship with the disgrace financier flared up again last week when the Justice Department announced there was no Epstein client list and that it did not plan to release any more documents in the investigation in an effort to shut down the lingering conspiracy theories about Epstein's death back in prison in 2019.

Well, there is growing outrage from the small country of Eswatini after the Trump administration sent foreign deportees there in Southern Africa. The government confirmed five migrants sent by the U.S. are now being held in isolated units in the country's jails as a result of high-level talks. The Trump administration says the five deportees are nationals from Cuba, Jamaica, Yemen, Laos, and Vietnam. Adding their home countries refuse to take them back.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said they were convicted of various crimes including child rape, murder, and robbery. The move has been met by widespread public anger in Eswatini. One opposition party tells CNN, our country must not be treated as a dumping ground for those deemed unfit to live elsewhere. The government says there are no timelines at present for repatriation.

Live now to New York, Raul Reyes, attorney, immigration analyst and a CNN opinion writer and person who stays up late for us, which is very much appreciated. Good to see you.

RAUL REYES, CNN OPINION WRITER, ATTORNEY AND IMMIGRATION ANALYST AND CONTRIBUTOR, USA TODAY: Good to see you, sir.

VAUSE: OK. Well, a spokesperson for Homeland Security confirming that the five individuals, let's go again, from Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, Yemen, and Vietnam, all individuals described by Homeland Security as depraved monsters, so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refuse to take them. They've arrived from the U.S. in Eswatini.

And now, this is a country which the State Department says has credible reports of arbitrary and unlawful killings, torture and cruel inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment by the government, extensive gender-based violence, sexual violence, workplace violence, child marriage, forced marriage, human trafficking. I mean, this goes on and on and on. Poverty is widespread. And Eswatini, just for the record, has the highest rate of HIV infection in the world.

We should note a flight from the U.S. to Eswatini takes about 33 hours. So, why send them there? And what's your reaction to this move by the White House?

REYES: Well, to be honest, I'm not surprised by this move. What these are known as third country deportations, which is something of a misnomer because when we use the term deportation, that means sending people back to their country of origin. And what's happening here is the U.S. government seems to be sending people to places like South Sudan, to Eswatini, to El Salvador, seemingly very random. And a lot of people may wonder, is this even legal? And the answer is, as far as U.S. law is concerned is, we don't even know. The Supreme Court has yet to rule on this because this issue is still going through the lower U.S. courts.

But in the meantime, in June, the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for these type of removals because they said, until the issue is decided, the Trump administration can go ahead and send deportees to these unsafe, dangerous conditions.

[00:10:00]

And at least under international law, my take is that this seems to be a violation of our Geneva Convention agreements convention against torture in which we are not supposed to send people back to dangerous conditions where they could face in inhumane treatment or risk to their lives.

VAUSE: And Eswatini officials have said that at some point they want to send these five deportees or inmates back to their own countries, there's no timeline as of yet. But if those countries won't accept them coming from the United States, why would they accept them coming from Eswatini? It doesn't make a lot of sense right now.

REYES: Right. That's one of the most illogical aspects of these third country deportations. If the U.S., which is obviously one of the most powerful wealthiest nations in the world cannot achieve these deportations, why would a small nation like South Sudan or Eswatini be able to do it?

And then when you look at the cost, the U.S. government sent a jet with support personnel, pilots, Homeland Security officials halfway around the world to deport five individuals. And you have to wonder if that's really even worth it. And add to that is a Homeland Security says these are dangerous, convicted criminals, but we don't know whether they -- whether indeed they are or whether they have already served their sentences in the United States. And is this sort of an additional punishment?

And whether they have served their punishment in the United States also matters because detainees do not have protections -- constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishments, but prisoners in the U.S. do. So, if these individuals have served time, have been convicted and served time in the U.S., then this could be -- we could be looking at potential constitutional violations as well.

And this all comes as -- big picture, this all comes as Trump's approval ratings on immigration are hitting record lows. It's his signature issue. And the latest Gallup polling shows that 60 plus -- I think it's 65, 68 percent of Americans disapprove of how this administration is handling immigration.

VAUSE: And Eswatini is among elites, what, nine third party countries which have agreed to accept flights from the U.S. with these deported migrants. Others have also been approached as well. Here's a map of it. The red ones have accepted the flights. The yellow ones have been approached by the Trump administration.

And looking at these countries, especially sort of, you know, in Africa they share a number of traits here. There there's poverty as well as governments, which like accountability. Not a lot of strong institutional protection for anybody, let alone prisoners from another country.

REYES: Exactly. And when you look at these countries, whether you're talking about Libya, Moldova, you know, these different kind of the countries in Africa, what they do have in common is that they are generally poorer nations, generally unstable and very vulnerable to pressure from the United States and/or some type of payment.

We know that when the United States sent prisoner -- deportees to be imprisoned in El Salvador, the governor of El Salvador, I believe, received I think the figure is 15 million to house them for just a year. So, again, you have to wonder like, is this just worth the money -- the monies that the United States government is putting out?

And then at the heart of these issue is, are these individuals -- and whether these are dangerous individuals or just people who might have been in the country without authorization, we don't know. But we do know that for most international observers, human rights experts, legal analysts, would say that even having a criminal conviction does not justify this type of extreme removal effort.

It's just -- it really seems to be quite inhumane and the -- a danger -- one of the dangers I see is that the U.S. is potentially creating this type of worldwide gulag of people we have deported to remote places with no accountability and no concern for their wellbeing, which all individuals, criminal or not, are entitled to under our international law and treaties.

VAUSE: The United States has a role of setting an example around the world. And this is the example, which is being said, that does seem to be of concern, Raul. As always, thank you for being with us. We really appreciate your analysis here. Thank you.

REYES: Thank you.

VAUSE: Take care. Well, after the break, paging Dr. Gupta. Paging Dr. Gupta. We have a medical examination of the president, the U.S. president. There's bruising on his legs and hands, and Dr. Gupta will break it all down for us in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:15:00]

VAUSE: President Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The president underwent a recent medical examination after noticing mild swelling in his lower legs.

For more now on the president's prognosis, here's CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, we're talking about chronic venous insufficiency. Venous referring to the veins. We know arteries carry blood away from the heart. Veins return blood back to the heart. When there's a problem with the veins, as the president's diagnosis suggests, that means that blood cannot return as easily and people often develop swelling, swelling around the ankles, and that's what's gotten a lot of attention lately.

[00:20:00]

Now, I will point out, back in April, the president had a physical exam and there was no mention of venous insufficiency, no mention of swelling at that time. So, now, fast forward three months, we know there is a significant problem and that is really what prompted this exam, this swelling that has occurred over the past few months.

They looked at his blood, no evidence that there was any problems that should be causing this. They look for blood clots, which can sometimes block the veins, making it harder for blood to return through the veins, no evidence of blood clots. They looked at his heart to make sure the heart had good function and that it was pumping blood well through the body, that appears to be the case. And they did an ultrasound of the legs, and that's how they diagnose this -- again, this chronic venous insufficiency. So, that is the diagnosis.

The goal of treatment really is to try and decrease that swelling and move that blood back up through the body, sometimes simply elevating the legs at night. So, sleeping with a couple pillows underneath your ankles and your feet, that can sometimes be helpful. Using things like compression socks, that can be helpful as well. And obviously, encouraging the person, in this case, the president, to walk around as much as possible. Sitting, that tends to be something that can make this venous insufficiency worse.

So, non-life threatening, pretty common problem, especially as you get older. And also, probably has nothing to do with what we've seen with his hands. People have noticed bruising on his hands, really, you know, going back several months, even to February. The doctors commented on this as well and said basically, this looks like it is primarily irritation to his hand. Maybe due to lots of handshaking on top of the fact that he takes aspirin as a blood thinner. Those things in combination could cause that bruising that we see in his hands. They try to cover that up with makeup. But you can see that bruising on his hand there in those images.

Again, common problems, non-life threatening. But guys, that's a little bit of a sense of what the president's dealing with.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Dr. Sanjay Gupta there. Thank you. Well, the back and forth between the Brazilian president and the U.S. president continues with Lula da Silva now criticizing the White House for attempting to meddle with the Brazilian justice system. This comes as Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50 percent tariff on Brazil, and again on Thursday expressed support for former Brazilian presidents, Jair Bolsonaro, the man once called the Trump of the tropics, who's facing trial for allegedly trying to overthrow the incumbent president, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.

In a letter, President Trump claims Bolsonaro is a victim of an unjust system. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, shot back on Thursday that Mr. Trump is, quote, "certainly not trying to be emperor of the world," which is what Lula Inacio da Silva accused him of during an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): What we cannot have is President Trump forgetting that he was elected to govern the U.S. He was elected not to be the emperor of the world. It would be much better to establish a negotiation first and then to reach the possible agreement, because we're two countries that we had very good meetings and we have good relations for 200 years. And so, he's breaking away from any protocol, any liturgy that should exist between the relations between two heads of state.

It was very unpleasant. We are trying to talk with the people there, but we're also preparing ourselves to give an answer to that. What I've been saying publicly is that we will use all the words that exist in the dictionary in trying to negotiate. If we don't manage to reach an agree, I can reassure you that we will go to the World Trade Organization or we can gather group of countries to respond, or we can use the reciprocity law that was passed of this bill by the National Congress. This is how it's going to work.

I regret that two countries then have an historical relationship of 201 years preferred to be fighting through judicial means because one president does not respect the sovereignty of the other president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The Brazilian president there speaking to Christiane Amanpour. We'll take a short break. When we come back, lowering the voter age in the U.K. Could 16-year-olds soon have a say in who actually runs the country? More on that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:25:00]

VAUSE: Welcome back. I'm John Vause. Let's take a look at today's top stories. CBS canceling one of the most popular late-night shows on American television. "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert " will end next year. CBS says the decision is solely for financial reasons and not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters at the parent company Paramount.

U.S. President Donald Trump was being diagnosed with a chronic condition in the veins in his legs. Looks of swelling led him to receive a doctor's examination. The White House also says recent bruising on the back of the president's hand is caused by frequent hands shaking and taking aspirin as a blood thinner.

And a notorious drug kingpin will face federal weapons and drug charges in the U.S. Ecuador's highest court approved the extradition of the man known as Fito. He was serving 34 years for homicide and narcotics trafficking, but escaped jail last year. He was on the run until being caught last month.

What's being described as the largest expansion of voter rights in the U.K. in decades could soon be a reality with voting age lowered to 16. If parliament approves the plan, it could be a place for the next general election. CNN's Max Foster has details.

[00:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: 16-year-olds are allowed to vote in some other European countries and it's not entirely new in the U.K. either because in national elections in Scotland and in Wales, parts of the U.K. 16-year-olds can vote there. And all the evidence is that when they do vote, they tend to go towards left-leaning parties. So, the Scottish National Party, for example, north of the border in Scotland.

The question is, would that be reflected in wider U.K. elections? Because whilst younger people tend to vote towards the left here in parts of Europe, there's also a rise in young male voters voting for the right. So, it could cancel out.

And overwhelmingly, when younger people are allowed to vote, the turnout tends to be quite low. So, it doesn't have a huge impact normally. But here in the U.K., a very fractious political scene, it might be enough to tip the balance. The question is, would they vote for the ruling Labour Party? Some of the Labour Party want this move because they feel the Labour Party will benefit or will go further left to the Green Party. So, lots of questions.

Academics in the U.K. also pointing out some other interesting things that happen as well when 16-year-olds are allowed to vote. First of all, they get more involved in the political process of the younger age and there is some evidence to suggest that they're more likely to vote later on. So, it does stimulate democracy generally.

Also, quite interesting to see some research as well that when 16- year-olds are allowed to vote, their parents are more likely to vote as well to set a good example. So, it's going to be an interesting experiment, if you like, this next U.K. election, if indeed this does come into force.

But frankly, the U.K. hasn't been terribly engaged in this. It wasn't the one of the most popular manifesto promises from this government, but they're going ahead with it anyway. It's not a huge debate, but it could be interesting at the next election.

Max Foster, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Well, this just in, U.S. House Republicans have passed a request by President Trump for more cuts in the federal budget. The bill was delayed Thursday with calls from a number of Republicans for more transparency in the Jeffrey Epstein case. The cuts bill is expected to cancel $9 billion in already approved funding for foreign aid, that's most of it, actually $8 billion, as well as another $1.1 billion for public broadcasting.

The final vote tally was 216 to 213. Republicans Mike Turner and Brian Fitzpatrick voting against it. U.S. House Rules Committee also voted to advance a non-binding resolution demanding the release of Epstein related materials. So, that will go nowhere.

When we come back, the K-Pop craze taking on a new direction. Just ahead, we'll hear from the members of 1Verse about their journey from North Korea to the verge of musical start.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:35:00]

VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. From rags to riches doesn't seem to cut it when describing the story of two 20 somethings who are now on the verge of global success in the world of K-Pop. As CNN's Mike Valerio reports, their story begins in the most repressive country in the world, North Korea.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They are two North Korean defectors who could be on the verge of K-Pop superstardom.

Meet Hyuk and Seok, two 25-year-olds who each escaped North Korea when they were teenagers. They're now living in Seoul, determined to launch the next great K-pop band.

VALERIO: You both have come so far from North Korea. What parts of your journey have affected your music the most?

HYUK, 1VERSE MEMBER (through translator): After coming to South Korea, I like writing down lyrics or phrases that I wanted to remember. A teacher saw me jotting things down and said, you seem to like writing, why don't you try rapping?

SEOK, 1VERSE MEMBER (through translator): I liked music when I was in North Korea. I liked singing songs or lyrics about mothers. I also wrote lyrics of songs I used to sing.

VALERIO (voice-over): They're both members of the group 1Verse with band mates, Aito from Japan, Kenny from California, and Nathan from Arkansas. Seok and Hyuk have trained for more than two years now, united in a love of songwriting.

VALERIO: What's a lyric that comes from a memory and when you sing that lyric, it hits pretty deeply? SEOK (through translator): In "Shattered" there's a high note part, who's going to save us now? That line reminded me that sometimes we all need someone's help.

HYUK (through translator): Our songs come from our own stories and experiences. They're like puzzle pieces we put together.

VALERIO (voice-over): They already have more than 22 million likes on TikTok and are planning to debut in America, perhaps even teaming up with U.S. artists down the road like we saw with Bruno Mars, for instance, and K-Pop icon Rose.

VALERIO: If you two could collab with any American sensation, Ariana Grande. J-Lo, Mariah, who would it be?

HYUK (through translator): I really liked Post Malone songs when I was younger. I'd love to work with him.

SEOK (through translator): The first person that comes to mind is Charlie Puth.

[00:40:00]

VALERIO (voice-over): For Seok and Hyuk, taking a leap into the unknown from unlikely beginnings is something anyone can relate to. And through their music, they hope fans worldwide will find the same courage daring to dream.

HYUK (through translator): When those people see that we came from tough circumstances and manage to grow and share something with fans, I think that process itself can be meaningful and give others the courage to try.

VALERIO (voice-over): Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Thank you for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm John Vause. I'll be back with more news at the top of the hour. That's about 19 minutes from now. In the meantime, please stay with us. World Sport is next after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:00]

VAUSE: Voting rights in the U.K. may soon be extended to 16- and 17- year-olds, plans by the Labour government to lower the voting age in time for the next general election. If approved by parliament, the national voting age in the U.K. would then be in line with Scotland, Wales, and the Channel Islands. The government says the change is all about future proofing democracy.

Authorities in Athens have charged five people in the brutal murder of a college professor who has shot multiple times at a pointblank range in what one source described as a likely hit job. CNN's Melissa Bell reports. The suspects include the ex-wife of the UC Berkeley professor and her current partner.

[00:50:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Gunned down on the sunny streets of Athens on the 4th of July. Przemyslaw Jeziorski, a top marketing professor at Berkeley in California, was meeting his children who'd been living in Greece since the divorce in 2021.

Known as PJ to his friends, he was killed just days after attending a custody hearing in the Greek capitol. Now, his ex-wife and four others, including her current partner, were taken to court on Thursday facing charges in connection with his murder.

This was the scene on the street near the ex-wife's home on the day of the shooting. Police say Jeziorski was shot at close range in the chest and neck by a mask man in black. A senior police source now telling CNN the ex-wife's boyfriend has confessed to the murder.

In the confession leaked to Greek media and seen by CNN, the main suspect says, we all knew Przemek had a lot of money, and we were afraid that in the end he would take the children away completely. We were both afraid that he could take them away from Greece forever.

The lawyer for his ex-wife says she denies any connection to the murder, but three other suspects from Bulgaria, Albania, one of whom is a minor, have confessed to being accomplices. None have yet formally entered pleas, and CNN is unable to reach out to their attorneys.

Jeziorski was an economist and a professor of marketing at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. His colleagues describe him as a kind and generous man who loved teaching.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody's just completely devastated. If there is any positive side is that I got to see all the comments and got to learn how he was loved. I knew he was great, but seeing what others say about him just makes me think that he was a hundred times better than what I even thought.

BELL (voice-over): Jeziorski's family have raised money to help bring his body back to Poland and pay for lawyer in Greece. His brother said, our family is heartbroken and we are doing everything we can to ensure that justice is served. Jeziorski's 10-year-old twins hold American and Polish passports and are currently in protective custody in Greece.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: We shall pause our coverage here. We'll take a short break. Back in a minute. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Memo to Santa, put the store -- I put the sled in storage for now. There's no snow in the official hometown of Father Christmas in Finland. The area is actually experiencing a heat wave. CNN's Allison Chinchar has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Santa's helpers are trading snow for swelter in Finland. As temperatures in the northern town of Rovaniemi, the official hometown of Santa Claus on the Arctic Circle, are reaching over 30 degrees Celsius or 86 degrees Fahrenheit. And the Finns are soaking up the rare hot weather.

[00:55:00]

TOIVO KOIVU, ROVENIEMI RESIDENT AND DJ: It's pretty good. I like it. It's hot. I don't think it's this hot too often here.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): Summer temperatures typically fall around 20 degrees Celsius, or 68 degrees Fahrenheit in Northern Finland, but this warmer weather is only becoming more common and even rivaling parts of mainland Europe.

KOIVU: I was on a vacation for a few weeks going down through Europe with the Interrail with a few of my buddies, and it was very hot and we thought that when we would come back to Finland it would be cooler, like normally. But no, it's actually the same weather as down south.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): It might be time for Santa to retire his sleigh and pull out a floaty instead.

Allison Chinchar, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Here's something for anyone facing a long drive on a long desert road, little music, "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Yes, it's the highway making the music. It's in the UAE. And the music comes from strategically spaced grooves in the pavement. As tires hit the rumble strips, the resulting vibrations actually produce the melody.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMAD AHMED, MOTORIST: First time I saw this, and it's my first time I drive at this music street, it's very interesting and very enjoyment. I really recognize it's Beethoven part maybe music.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Similar musical highways already in place in the United States, Japan, Hungary, but this is, believed to be the first permanent musical road in the Arab world.

Thank you for watching. I'm John Vause. Please stay us. CNN Newsroom continues with Kim Brunhuber after a very short break. I'll see you right back here after the weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:00:00]