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Hala Gorani Tonight
Syrian Army Says It Has Entered Flashpoint City of Manjib; Trump Announced U.S. Withdrawal Last Week; Two Vietnamese Tourists Killed When A Roadside Bomb Hits Tourist Bus in Egypt; Trump and Congress Are Deadlocked Over Border Wall Funding; US Homeland Security Chief to Visit U.S.- Mexican Border; European Union Struggles to Stem the Flow of Immigrants; New Details In Sexual Assault Allegation Against Spacey; U.S. Stocks Up After Week Of Wild Swings; Oldest U.S. War Veteran Dies At 112; Celebrating The Spirits Of The Season. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired December 28, 2018 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00] HANNAH VAUGHN JONES, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. This Friday live from CNN London, I'm Hannah Vaughn Jones in for Hala Gorani. Tonight,
a complicated battlefield gets even more chaotic. Kurdish forces turn to the Syrian government as U.S. troops plan to withdraw. Is this a first
result of Donald Trump's retreat? And the U.S. President threatens to close the entire southern border as part of the government shutdown
showdown with Democrats. Plus, Europe's only migrant crisis is far from over. What the British government is saying about people crossing the
English Channel just since Christmas.
We start with a very fluid situation in Syria. Government troops say they have answered a call for help from Kurdish fighters and have entered a town
near the Turkish border. Here's the picture of the Syrian flag saying it in Manbij. They want protection after the U.S. said they'll withdraw
troops acting as a buffer. The U.S. military disputes Syria's claim that government troops are inside the city but a source tells CNN they are,
indeed, moving closer. As all this is happening, Syrian rebels backed by Turkey say they're moving towards the front lines of Manbij, as well. This
shows the heavily armed rebels gathered near the city. They say they're ready to launch an operation to, quote, liberate Manbij. Let's bring in
Ian Lee to walk us through these developments first. Ian, let's just get things straight to start off with. The Kurds who are the traditional
allies of the United States are now asking Assad, the Syrian President and his troops, for help to keep the Turks out.
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. When you look at what's happening around northern Syria, basically what you're seeing is everyone
staging for the day the United States decides to leave, to fill that vacuum. The YPG, part of the SDF, the Syrian Democratic forces, allies
with the United States in fighting is, well, they feel vulnerable and so they're looking for who can help them. And they have had an on again/off
again relationship with the Syrian government. And so, it's no surprise that they're looking at them to help fill that void when the United States
leaves so that when the Turkish forces along with the Syrian rebels look across the battlefield they look at the Syrian government as well as their
Russian allies which would probably make the Syrian rebels and the Turks think twice to attack and that's what exact the YPG is hoping will happen.
JONES: And, Ian, you're in Israel at the moment. Give us an idea of how the Israeli government is reacting to its very, very close ally the U.S.
pulling out of Syria. This all happening very much on Israel's doorstep, as well.
LEE: Yes. I think the United States pulling out of Syria is making many Israeli officials nervous. We have heard from several Israeli politicians
and mill tear leaders that have sharply criticized the U.S. decision. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has been more even keeled coming to the
U.S. pullout saying it will affect Israel but at the same time Israel can defend itself and maintain the red lines it says it has in Syria basically
making sure that Iran doesn't entrench itself inside of the country. They have carried out air strikes recently to that effect. So, they seem to be
pretty much continuing the course that they have been on. The United States has said that they'll fully support Israel but it does leave that
vacuum. That does make it uncertain about what is going to happen next for Syria. Hannah?
JONES: Ian Lee, thank you very much. For more on the evolving situation on the ground, let's go to analyst John Kirby who's in Washington and joins
us now. Good do see you. Hot on the heels of the U.S. announcing, President Trump announcing that there would be a withdrawal of troops from
Syria, we now see this movement of other power players in the region, as well. My understanding is that they were going to hold off from any
movement into northern Syria and attack if you like on the Kurds. With this new development in the last 24 hours, can the U.S. trust Turkey?
[14:05:00] JOHN KIRBY, CNN MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC ANALYST: No. And I don't think actually when it comes to what was going on inside Syria we
ever really could trust Turkey to keep their interests aligned with ours. Look. I think they long wanted to go into Manjib with the backed rebel
forces. I don't think it's going to evolve quite as quickly as maybe the headlines have said it will. I think you have the Syrian army now
approaching from the south. You have Turkish backed opposition forces around the north and the Kurds in the middle to negotiate a better outcome.
I don't think it's going to come all that fast. But look. We have never been able to rely on Turkey's word. Their promise to, you know, eliminate
ISIS inside Syria, they can't do that. Frankly, they don't have any interest in doing that. The primary goal is squashing the Kurds and
interesting to see how it plays out as everybody looking for new partners with our pullout. We are leaving a big vacuum as was reported that
everybody will try to fill.
JONES: Of course, so much is made of this seeming U.S. betrayal of the Kurds who have fought beside them so hard for so long, as well. Now it
seems they're lambs to the slaughter now. What impact does that have on future U.S. operations
within this region now that they presume bring can't turn to the Kurds for support?
KIRBY: Not just the Kurds, too. The Syrian Democratic forces, there were thousands of Arab fighters, as well. It was sort of a -- it was a group.
We have sent a strong message on a couple of levels. We abdicate any leadership or outcome in Syria. We are turning our backs on that country,
regardless of what the President says of what he can do from Iraq. Number two, we sent a strong signal to those who have aligned with us that we are
an unreliable, unpredictable, somewhat chaotic partner to have. And so, as we're starting to see, people are now even those who are working -- worked
with us are now looking for other partners. Number three, this is a big one, is that the future of the Middle East, you're starting to see a real
geopolitical shift here and might have [14:05:00] seen this week the UAE established -- re-established the embassy in Damascus. That's a huge
signal because UAE was backing rebel fighters against Assad. It says they think Assad's here to stay and he is the future of Damascus and Syria in
terms of leadership. Number two, that they're willing to ally with him to counter Iran and Turkey. You're starting to see a bipolar arrangement now.
Turkey and Iran are aligned against the Sunni Arabs and it is going to be a return to an Arab influence in Syria we haven't seen before.
JONES: John, final thought on this then. You mentioned just now that the U.S. lost any leadership authority within the region. If Turkey isn't
capable of ridding ISIS as it's said, as Erdogan said to Trump he'll do, could the U.S. reenter into the fray?
KIRBY: There's a lot to that question. I think it's highly doubtful given the President, his commitment to pull out and I think it would be very
difficult for him to, you know, backtrack on that decision. If you're asking me in terms of physical space and time, yes. You could put special
operation forces in in a short time. They don't need a lot of support. An advantage, of course, in the military quiver to be a quick arrow to shoot
and I don't see politically how that happens under this President and I think they try to manage the ISIS problem now remotely from Iraq. That
gets more difficult. Your question gets to the real issue here of is and footprint in Syria and much smaller and nimble. It was easy to strike -- I
shouldn't say easy. Easier to strike from Iraq when they were in great numbers, had infrastructure, they had -- they were overt, larger targets,
more fixed targets to hit from the air, remotely from Iraq. One of the reasons we put boots on the ground in there because they were dwindling in
number and we wanted to eyes on to have real good time sensitive targeting data on them. That will be lost.
JONES: We appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Now, breaking news from Egypt. The interior ministry there says a roadside bomb hit a tourist bus in Giza near the Pyramids. Let's get to producer of
CNN for the details on this now. Joining us from Cairo. What are you learning so far about this tourist bus hit in a tourist area?
[14:10:00] SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN MIDDLE EAST PRODUCER: That's right, Hannah. Just after 6:00 local time a bomb hidden along the roadside where
the pyramids located, homemade bomb went off hitting a tourist bus, it was carrying 14 Vietnamese tourists. Two of them were killed according to the
interior ministry. Bomb hidden along the roadside where the pyramids located, homemade bomb went off hitting a tourist bus, it was carrying 14
Vietnamese tourists. Two of them were killed according to the interior ministry. Ten others wounded and in addition, two Egyptians, the bus
driver and a representative of the tourism company wounded, as well. Of course, this is a major concern to a company reliant on the tourist economy
and the interior ministry said they'll send police to the scene to investigate the cause of the accident. They have struggled with issues of
terrorism, particularly from the Islamic state. This hit will be sure to concern the country.
JONES: And just briefly, we know it's two Vietnamese tourists killed in this incident. Does it mean that those authorities have been contacted by
the Egyptians?
ABDELAZIZ: We are still in the very early stages, Hannah. As I said, it's been about three hours. We do understand that the interior ministry has
already begun investigating and you know that the government of Egypt will be contacting the Vietnamese authorities and unclear what's taken place and
of course with them being Vietnamese nationals, it is important for the countries to work together for information for the loved ones and still
waiting to find out more.
JONES: All right. Thank you so much for updating us on the latest from Egypt. Thank you.
Now, to other news this hour, U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be in increasingly frustrated with the government shutdown and the situation at
the U.S./Mexico border. He is tweeting furiously about it. A few hours ago, he threatened to completely close the southern border if Democrats
don't give him money to build his wall. He also said he would cut off aid to several central American countries if they don't do more to slow the
flow of migrants heading to the U.S. let's bring in White House reporter Sarah Westwood for more on this. First of all, the claim to close the
border entirely, is that within the President's ability?
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: It's not clear that President Trump has the authority to seal off the southern border and also not clear
whether the administration has done any kind of assessment that would look at what kind of economic impact the decision could have and not the first
time the President has made this threat previously when his back has been against the wall sort to speak on the immigration agenda and he's
threatened to shut down the southern border, threatened to send the military and did carry out a plan to send U.S. troops to the southern
border. And he's threatened to cut off aid to Central American countries whose people cross into the U.S. illegally. At the moment, there looks to
be no way out of the shutdown. January when House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is expected to take the gavel and perhaps, we could see some
movement on a possible deal at that point.
JONES: Yes. I was just going to ask, Sarah, then, what would it take to break the deadlock on Capitol Hill at the moment? Could it be that the
thousands of unpaid federal workers currently affected by this partial shutdown that they could kind of like revolt and appeal to the President or
would it be that the President has a weak hand, indeed, come January 3rd when the Democrats have the House?
WESTWOOD: Well, of course, that hand is already looking weaker with each passing day as Democrats get closer and it is a great point about the
thousands of worker who are going to stop receiving a paycheck because they have been furloughed as the government is partially shuttered and
increasing pressure on this administration to cut some kind of deal with Democrats that reopens the government as the weeks drag on and some of the
people furloughed start to run into financial troubles. It is not an insignificant number of people who are going to be going without paychecks.
And the President doesn't have a whole lot of leverage at this point given that half of the congress will soon be controlled by Democrats.
JONES: Sarah, live for us in Washington, thank you very much, Sarah.
The U.S. Homeland Security Secretary will get a firsthand look at the situation at the border with Mexico today. Kirstjen Nielsen is making the
trip following the deaths of two young Guatemalan children in U.S. custody. Nick Valencia is in the border city of El Paso, Texas, for us. What is
Kirstjen Nielsen expecting to see and do on this visit?
[14:15:00] NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hannah, she is very cagey about the details but we do expect her to meet with health officials here
local and officials of customs and border protections and moving on to Arizona tomorrow. She's also going to be looking at the medical
screenings. It was part of a series of measures of what she called measures to keep another migrant from dying in custody. We assume she is
in the process of making the tours and not given details about the visit. What is happening here today right where I am standing in front of the
greyhound bus station is we continue to see migrants dropped off at just a steady stream of them all day. It was just a short time ago we saw 15 to
20 migrants dropped off by volunteers that included no fewer than 5 children, one of them a baby. What's particularly frustrating to the
charities is not coordinated with I.C.E. and what happened in the past. I spoke to a program director of a nearby church in New Mexico who says that
over the weekend they reached out to I.C.E. to let them know that they had resources available for migrants, as many as needed to be cared for. Still
they were dumped on the streets of El Paso.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANSELMO DELGADO-MARTINEZ, EL CALVARIO METHODIST CHURCH: We were ready. We had staff all ready to take in refugees on Christmas Eve
and Christmas day. And the next thing we know we are watching the news and watching them dropping them off in the streets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALENCIA: And here as I'm reporting, more migrants going inside the bus station. Most of them have been in CPB custody for several weeks if not
months and those I have talked to said they had tickets bought by family members or volunteers to reunite with their families. Hannah?
JONES: Nick, what is the priority for authorities at the moment? Is it that there's concern over the health conditions that these kids who are
trying to cross the border are arriving with? Or, is it the conditions within which they are held once they're in U.S. custody?
VALENCIA: I mean, to be frank about this, Hannah, it seems that they're just trying to keep their head above water right now. It was earlier this
week I spoke to an official saying they're completely overwhelmed and we should note that there's a partial government shutdown happening right now
in the United States and that's affected CPB, the very agency that's tasked with securing our borders and stretched thin affected by furloughs and
don't have the manpower to begin with at full capacity and now fewer resources and Nielsen is expected to highlight the medical screenings and
not only overwhelmed in the charities but the CPB facilities.
JONES: Certainly are. Nick Valencia live for us in Texas, thank you very much, indeed, nick.
President Trump is using the death of a police officer in California to make an argument for more border security. The alleged killer was caught a
short time ago but when he was still at large Mr. Trump tweeted about it highlighting the fact of a manhunt for an undocumented immigrant suspected
of shooting a police officer. The police officer Singh was an immigrant from Fiji with the department since 2011 and shot during a routine traffic
stop.
Still to come tonight, up and down. Over and over. Just why have the U.S. markets been volatile this week? We're live at the New York stock
exchange. Hopefully with the answers for you, next.
[14:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: Welcome back. Police in Sudan's capital fired weapons into the air and used teargas to break up a tenth straight day of protests. The people
have taken to the streets across the country protesting fuel shortages and skyrocketing inflation. So far, more than a dozen people have been killed
with hundreds more injured. The U.N. called for an end to the excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
Now, we turn attention to the political unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of Sunday's Presidential election there. With an Ebola
outbreak and elections delayed in several cities that violence has spiked. Michael Holmes reports.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Firing live rounds into the air and teargas, as well, security forces try to disperse protesters. Angry over
their exclusion from a long-awaited Presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As the country votes for a new leader on Sunday, voters
in these three cities will have to wait months to cast their ballots. They happen to be opposition strongholds against the outgoing President who's
been in power since 2001.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They need to get us another President. And if that doesn't happen, we will create chaos starting from
today until solution is found. If it calls for us to die then so be it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The electoral commission said the postponement is due to violence there and an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the east of the country, reportedly
the second deadliest in history and the opposition say that is' a pretext to take away their vote. Demonstrators are attacked in an isolation
center, 24 patients fled. In the country's capital, supporters of a leading opposition candidate marched on the headquarters of the electoral
commission demanding the three cities be allowed to vote in Sunday's election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PIERRE LUMBI, CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR, LAMUKA OPPOSITION COALITION (through translator): The people who have already been very patient, who have
accepted three postponements and a two-year wait, are now saying enough. The electoral commission crossed a red line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: This election is meant to lead to the first Democratic transfer of power in the country, originally scheduled in 2016. Repeated delays
sparked violence that have killed dozens and then last week another postponement reportedly due to problems deploying voting materials. Now
scheduled for Sunday, final results are expected in January. Although it's unclear how votes in the three excluded cities would ever be factored into
the election. Michael Holmes, CNN.
JONES: Here in the U.K. the home secretary declared a major incident after a spike in migrant arrivals across the English Channel. Every day this
week my grants have been making the crossing from France. Mostly in small rubber boats. He said he asked for an urgent call with the French
counterpart to address the situation. Meanwhile, in Spain, a ship of more than 300 African migrants has docked after days at sea. Other places
refused the boat to enter after they were rescued off Libya a week ago. As this steady stream of migration into Europe continues the continent's
leaders are grappling with how to handle it. Immigration is a topic that's as divisive as ever. Simon Cullen has more now.
[14:25:00] [14:25:00] SIMON CULLEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 2015. The height of Europe's migrant crisis. More than 1 million refugees arrived on
European shores. Many fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOUSEF KARAJAKES, SYRIAN REFUGEE: I lose everything there. I lose my wife and I lose my daughter. I lose my family. They're dead. In the bomb. In
the war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CULLEN: The influx presented an unprecedented challenge for the European Union which struggled to support member states bearing the brunt
particularly on the eastern border. As they tried to move west, countries along the route began building border fences. Setting the scene for
violent clashes between migrants and police. Since then, the number of migrants trying to each the EU has been falling. But thousands of people
continue to arrive each month. Most coming on boats across the Mediterranean from North Africa, refocusing the migration pressure points
on Italy and Spain. Italy's new government in particular reacted with force banning some migrant ships from docking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): My executive is the people of the right to come to arrive in Italy by plane, maybe first class, not on boats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CULLEN: Italy's anti-migration government is not alone in Europe. Others like Austria, Hungary and Poland adopted a similarly hard line.
JONES: This is truly historic change in Europe and I think when you're living amid it sometimes you lose sight of how significant it is.
CULLEN: The effects are already being felt. For years, the European Commission tried to find a long-term solution to the migrant debate and
stark differences remain about the best way forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TUSK, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COUNCIL: We can no longer be decided to solve the problem of illegal flows and those who want to use it for
political gain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CULLEN: With European parliamentary elections scheduled for May analysts warn there's little incentive for promise.
JONES: There are a number of EU governments and parties that have a vested interest in ensuring that the European commission and the European
parliament and council do not resolve the question of external border security.
CULLEN: The last time Europeans elected members of parliament in 2014 the key issue was the economy. This time around, it is immigration. According
to an opinion polling by the European commission, it ranks alongside terrorism in voters' minds. This means that for the year ahead this is
where the political battle lines will be drawn. Potentially driving even deeper divisions within the EU and changing how Europe responds to
migrants. Simon Cullen, CNN, London.
JONES: Still to come on the program tonight, new details emerge in a sexual assault allegation against the actor Kevin Spacey. Police say they
now have evidence.
Plus, historic firsts, trade wars and a dramatic rescue. We take a look back at the top stories that shaped the world in 2018.
[14:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: Welcome back. It is a wild week for U.S. markets. Wednesday saw the Dow skyrocket while a nail biter on Thursday saw the markets
dramatically dip before clawing back the losses in the afternoon. Lets's take a look at how they're doing right now.
Up positive territory around about 100 points or so. Just shy of 100 points now.
Let's get straight to the center of all this now. The New York Stock Exchange. Our Alison Kosik is standing by for us. As she has been doing
all this trading day. Alison, good to see you.
So we are, what? About an hour and a half out from the closing bell. There was much talk beforehand of whether we were going to see a third
consecutive daily gain. Is that likely at all or is it too soon to tell?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT: You know what? After what happened yesterday, that's anybody's guess. You have to remember,
yesterday we saw the Dow have solid -- have solid and negative territory. I'm talking about with 600-point loss that was a raise and then the Dow
ended up 260 points.
So, yes, we've got an hour and a half to go. We're seeing the Dow in positive territory but really anything could happen. And it really have
been watching stocks searching for direction today. They've been moving from gains to losses to gains again all day
So that volatility still happening though not in that exaggerated form that has certainly defined the week. It's been more in a narrow range. We
shall see where things end up in about an hour and a half.
But still those worries continue to weigh on Wall Street. That's the type of worries including a slowing global economy, of unresolved trade
situation between China and U.S. and then rising interest rates. All of that continues to weigh on sentiment that's helping to cause the
skittishness.
And I haven't even mentioned what's happening in Washington, the government shutdown. And then the question of whether Fed chair, Jay Powell is going
to be able to keep his job next year. So all of these uncertainties are keeping Wall Street on edge more than usual. Hannah?
JONES: Why the extremes, Alison? Why do we see a 650 drop-off on Monday? A 1,000-point gain on Wednesday. And then today, now we're back to these
kind of like marginal movements. So 100 points up and down. But why are we getting this vast range of fluctuation?
KOSIK: Well, some of it maybe year-end positioning. I mean, you're looking at investors ready to close the book on 2018. And when we saw that
jump of 1,000 points on the Dow earlier this week and then the next day, there will be solid high volatility.
It's probably a lot of investors trying to grab some of those profits off the table. But I think if you think more broadly, I think all of the
issues I mentioned are really causing uneasiness and uncertainty in the market and it's uncertainty that doesn't sit well with the market and that
helps increase the volatility that we've seen.
You know, what I'm hearing, you know, into next year, we could expect volatility to really be the norm. Hannah?
JONES: All right. Alison Kosik live for us, the center of it all, New York Stock Exchange, in New York. Thank you.
KOSIK: Sure.
JONES: Now, New York City, staying with New York, is known for its vibrant lights, but people weren't quite prepared for the night sky to suddenly
pulse blue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My God. Look at the sky.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Now, this was all caused by a power company mishap in Queens. The phenomenon is known as an arc flash. The eerie display drew crowds of
onlookers throughout the area and had many on social media asking whether aliens had arrived. Rest assured, they haven't. The instance caused brief
power outages and flight delays, though.
Amazing pictures there.
Now, new details are emerging about sexual assault allegations against the actor, Kevin Spacey. Police now say there is video evidence that he
allegedly groped a busboy at a restaurant back in 2016 and Spacey has responded with a video of his own.
Our Miguel Marquez has the details. First though, a warning. This story has some sexually explicit language.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN SPACEY, AMERICAN ACTOR: You trusted me even though you knew you shouldn't.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The video titled "Let me be Fran," posted to the Kevin Spacey's Twitter account shortly after indecent
assault and battery charges brought by a then 18-year-old accuser whose mother spoke out on his behalf last year.
HEATHER UNRUH, MOTHER OF ALLEGED VICTIM: In July 2016, actor Kevin Spacey has sexually assaulted my son.
MARQUEZ: Spacey in his video doesn't address the charges. He performs the video in a kitchen, Santa Claus apron on and in Frank Underwood character
from the Netflix show "House of Cards" that Spacey starred in for five seasons until he was fired after several allegations of sexual misconduct
surfaced.
SPACEY: You wouldn't believe the worst without evidence, would you? You wouldn't rush to judgments without facts, would you? Did you?
MARQUEZ: Netflix had no comment about the video whose timing, tone and substance were jarring given the charges the actor knew were coming. There
was a hearing in the case four days before Spacey posted the video.
[14:35:10] SPACEY: Conclusions can be so deceiving.
MARQUEZ: One piece of evidence Spacey's accuser has against the 59-year- old actor says the complaint is video of the assault itself. The accuser's girlfriend when interviewed by the police says she received a Snapchat
video from her boyfriend showing Spacey touching the front of the accuser's pants by his crotch.
UNRUH: Kevin Spacey bought him drink after drink after drink. And when my son was drunk Spacey made his move.
MARQUEZ: Her son, the accuser, admitted to police he told Spacey that night he was 23. Not his real age of 18. According to the complaint. He
says the assault happened late night after his shift as a busboy at Nantucket's Club Car Restaurant.
UNRUH: The victim, my son, was a star struck, straight 18-year-old young man.
MARQUEZ: The accuser claims after several drinks Spacey asked sexual questions, exchanged phone numbers, then tried to get him to his house.
Then in a packed bar, the accuser claims, Spacey used his left hand and started rubbing his thigh and eventually sexually assaulting him for about
three minutes.
UNRUH: Nothing could have prepared my son for how that sexual assault would make him feel as a man. It harmed him. And it cannot be undone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Let's get a closer look then at all of this. Miguel Marquez joins us live then from New York. Miguel, we heard in your report there a lot of
what the prosecution are going to be saying or accusing Mr. Spacey of. But I understand that we've also had a court hearing which is given us
something of preview as to what the defense are going to argue here. Tell us more.
MARQUEZ: Yes. So on the 20th, there was this hearing, a very sort of perfunctory hearing but the defense, Mr. Spacey's defense lawyer, got to
asked the officer or the trooper, the state trooper of Massachusetts, who filled out the complaint, got to asked him some questions and there was
some revealing information there.
One that the video that the accuser says he has is about one second long, perhaps even less. The accuser also was -- wasn't able to identify which
shirt he was wearing that night. The entire incident taking place over about 70 minutes. Came out in this hearing and the accuser apparently had
as many as 10 drinks during that 70-minute period.
He also represented himself as 23-year-old to Mr. Spacey. But not just that but said he was studying business at Wake Forest University. So there
was a -- there was a whole sort of discussion in court or questioning in the court like this was a young man who was coming on to Kevin Spacey and
wanted to hang out with him so Mr. Spacey may have, you know, jumped to that conclusion and become sexual with him so that all of that is sort of
in that background.
The other thing that we now know is that on the 7th of January, Mr. Spacey will be in court in Nantucket to be arraigned on this. It was unclear from
that hearing whether he would or not. We thought he might be able to waive that appearance. But it seems that Mr. Spacey will in fact be in court.
JONES: And when he does appear in court then, could he find, Mr. Spacey this is, could he find that this somewhat bizarre video that he posted
online of him in his Frank Underwood "House of Cards" character, could be used against him in some way?
MARQUEZ: I don't think so. I mean, I don't know. I'm not a lawyer. I don't think it will probably come into play. But it is from a PR point of
view, you know, the -- there was a hearing on the 20th so his lawyers were clearly aware. He was clearly aware that this -- something legally was
coming his way.
On Monday, Christmas Eve, the Boston Globe breaks the story about these charges coming. And within minutes, about 20 minutes or so later, he posts
-- he himself, posted this video to his Twitter account. It doesn't -- it was just jarring. It's just -- if all this wasn't happening, you think,
oh, maybe he just wants his job as Frank Underwood back. But in the context of this, it just raised a lot of eyebrows.
JONES: Yes. Certainly did for all of us watching this court case unravel.
Miguel Marquez, thanks very much, indeed. We appreciate it.
MARQUEZ: You got it. Take care.
JONES: Now, still to come on the program tonight, America's oldest man has passed away at the age of, get this, 112. What was his secret to a long
and healthy life? Find out after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:57] JONES: Welcome back. From a dramatic and daring cave rescue to the brutal murder of a journalist, CNN's Clarissa Ward takes us through the
top eight stories that made global headlines through 2018.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: In Thailand, rescue crews are searching for a missing youth soccer team and their coach. They're believed to be trapped
in a cave.
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 12 boys and their coach trapped deep inside the cave by sudden monsoon
flooding. While many feared the worst, rescuers from all over the world converged on the cave searching for signs of life. Ten days into the
mission, success. The team found huddled on a ledge, an unforgettable chorus of little voices.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many of you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thirteen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thirteen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brilliant.
WARD: But the threat was far from over. A Thai diver died during the rescue effort. And with more monsoon rain coming, the boys' parents waited
on pins and needles as did the rest of the world until --
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Jubilation in Thailand.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All 12 boys every child is rescued from that soccer team has been rescued from that flooded cave in Thailand after 18 days.
WARD: Number seven. A migration movement becomes a humanitarian crisis. Some 7,000 Central Americans fleeing violence and poverty in their home
countries, walked thousands of miles to the U.S.-Mexico border. Many saying they want asylum in the United States. President Trump taking a
hard line against the caravan.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No nation can allow its borders to be overrun and that's an invasion.
WARD: The situation is slowly simmering for weeks since the caravan drew closer, finally reaching a boiling point at the border.
BLITZER: Happening now. Breaking news. Border escalation. President Trump is defending the use of teargas against migrants who rushed for the
U.S. border.
WARD: Thousands of asylum seekers are still there waiting and hoping in makeshift camps and shelters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She says, if she goes back to Honduras, they'll kill us.
WARD: Number six. In March, a former Russian spy and his daughter were found on a park bench in Salisbury England. Poisoned with the toxic nerve
agent, Novichok.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter are in critical condition. They were found slumped over on a park bench.
WARD: After investigating, Britain said the Russian government was behind the attack.
THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The two individuals named by the police and CPS are officers from the Russian military intelligence service.
WARD: Russian President Vladimir Putin denied those claims. The accusation provoke diplomatic expulsions and sanctions against Russia.
Number five.
[14:45:00] A jolt to the right in European politics. In Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Austria, and Italy, populous far-right political parties made major
gains in legislative elections.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're now to the election results in Hungary that is the like in nationalist, the ringing alarm bells in some European capitals.
WARD: Nationalism, Islamophobia and Anti-Semitic attacks surge. Fueled by anger about immigration and mistrust of the elites.
So when you talk about the elites, and you talk about finance, is that another way of saying, Jewish people?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WARD: A CNN poll found that 28 percent of Europeans think that Jewish people have too much influence over finance and business across the world.
Number four.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three years of civil war. Yemen is now the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
WARD: Famine, water shortages, a deadly cholera epidemic. And by some estimates 85,000 children under the age of five had died from malnutrition.
People don't often think of this war as an American war, but many Yemenis do.
A plane from the U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition struck a bus carrying them, dozens died.
Munitions experts tell CNN, this was a U.S.-made Mark MK82 bomb.
Critics call Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman the architect of the war. Now, for the first time in two years, the U.N. has forced the warring
parties to the negotiating table. The stakes are high, almost 12 million people are on the verge of starvation.
Number three. The brutal murder of a journalist sends political shockwaves across the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are getting more information coming in right now on the death of Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. He walk in to
the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2nd, he was never seen again.
WARD: Saudi officials released several shifting accounts of what happened. Evidence, including an audiotape revealed chilling details Khashoggi's
killing was premeditated. The assassins even bringing a body double to pose as the murdered journalist.
Take a look, same clothes, same glasses and beard similar age and physique, everything except the shoes.
The CIA and other U.S. allies concluded the Saudi Crown Prince ordered the murder. President Trump unwilling to hold him accountable.
TRUMP: Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't.
WARD: Number two. Unprecedented dialogue on the Korean peninsula.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The leaders of North and South are about to meet to negotiate a peace settlement and denuclearization, President Moon shaking
hands with Kim Jong-un.
WARD: And in June, the first ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and North Korean leader.
TRUMP: We're ready to write a new chapter between our nations.
WARD: North Korea's Kim Jong-un also promising to end his nuclear program, including shutting down a major missile testing site, but in the month
since little progress and recent satellite images suggest North Korea is moving ahead with its ballistic missile program.
Despite all this, President Trump projects a positive front and plans are still in the works for a possible second summit between Trump and Kim.
Number one. An American president upending the traditional world order. 2018 presented diplomatic challenges and in some cases major missteps
clashing with allies and flirting with foes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Trump lashing out at the NATO summit insulting Germany and calling our NATO allies delinquent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president directly undermine the precision of Theresa May --
CURNOW: Calling the Canadian Prime Minister quote, "Very dishonest and weak."
WARD: But it was Trump's summit with President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki that drew the most scrutiny, especially his response when asked about
Russian interference in the U.S. election.
TRUMP: I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial
today.
WARD: While the president touts his chemistry with world leaders.
TRUMP: In fact, I'll get that little piece of dandruff off.
WARD: Some worry he has become an international punchline.
TRUMP: My administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country. America's -- so true.
WARD: 2018 ends with more uncertainty about America's role and influence in the world, and a public rebuke.
[14:50:04] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Breaking news. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis quits. In a stunning letter to the President of the United States,
the four-star general calling out President Trump for not backing American allies for supporting authoritarian regimes.
WARD: And for a president who likes to proclaim America first, 2019 will be a true test of where his priorities stand among American allies.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Clarissa Ward there with the look back at the top stories of the year.
Now, America's oldest man and its oldest World War II veteran has died at the age of 112. Richard Overton from Texas volunteered for the United
States army back in 1942. He served in an all-black unit in the pacific. And in 2013, he was invited to Washington by President Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He was there at Pearl Harbor when the battleships were still smoldering. He was there at
Okinawa. He was there Iwo Jima where he said, "I only got out of there by the grace of God." Today, Richard still lives in the house that he built
all those years ago. Rakes his own lawn. And every Sunday, he hops in his 1971 Ford truck and drives one of nice ladies in his neighborhood to
church.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Richard Overton died after being hospitalized for pneumonia. He survived as long as he did despite a daily habit of ice cream and cigars.
His advice for making it past 100? Keep yourself occupied and connected to God.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD OVERTON, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: Stay busy. And talk to the Lord and live with the Lord. Don't live with the people. Live with the Lord.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Our thoughts with his family. We'll be right back here at CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: Welcome back to CNN. Now, one Hungarian liqueur has been a toast to the country's culture for centuries with its exotic secret recipe. This
distillery provides a tradition for the holiday season, as we learn now in "Destination Budapest."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): At this historic distillery in Budapest, more than a million liters of Unicum are aging in 500 barrels.
FRANK ODZUCK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, UNICUM: It's a very sophisticated drink because herbs and spices from five continents come in time year from
very exotic countries, so we have roots from Malawi (ph), for instance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unicum was first produced more than two centuries ago as a remedy for indigestion. It was created by Jozsef Zwack, a doctor at
the court of Vienna for the king of Hungary. The Zwack family began commercial production of the liquor in 1840.
ANNE ZWACK, CO-OWNER, UNICUM: I do some of the herb mixing. Of the most secret part of the whole recipe. Traditionally, it was the women in the
Zwack family who did that. And so I have taken it over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The secret recipe has survived turbulent times. Production was interrupted by the Second World War and afterwards, the
business was seized by the communist regime producing which produced an inferior imitation of the liquor after the family smuggled the recipe out
of the country.
ZWACK: The family, of course, lost everything. It was no compensation involved in this confiscation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Past communism crumbled at the end of the 1980s, Anne Zwack and her late husband finally managed to back control of the company
and the family remains heavily involved today.
[14:55:07] More than a third of all liquors sold in Hungary come from the Unicum distillery. The drink has an established part of Hungarian culture
and along with the glittering Christmas markets add a spiritual seasonal spirit to Budapest at this time of year.
JONES: And finally tonight, the last Friday of 2018, we here at CNN London are saying goodbye to a very dear friend and colleague. After 21 years
behind cameras and audio booths, and in sat trucks, director Jerry Kaufold is moving on.
Jerry, pictured here, was in the field when President Trump met President Putin in Helsinki earlier on this year. You can see him there pretty
excited to have Chris Cuomo, I think, is in the front of the camera behind in there.
This next picture is Jerry in his usual spots coming up in a second in the control room operating the audio board. He is the reason that Sarah
Westwood and I can hear each other every night. Sarah who I was talking to from Washington earlier on in the program.
And here's Jerry working his magic at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. And we had to find a photo of him, of course, with the Hala
Gorani team at HALA GORANI TONIGHT team. They were covering a tough story in Brussels throughout this picture.
But, as always, Jerry's experience, dedication and unique sense of humor saw them through.
Jerry come on through. This is your last shift with us. From a personal note, can I just add kindness beyond measure and professionalism beyond
words? Thank you so much. Thank you so much for all the work that you've put in here and for all the kindness that you've shown so many of us over
the years. And for all of us. You're on your last shift. And hopefully you'll be back for more. But for all of us in the last shift, we are just
so proud to have had the privilege of working with you. I think we can put it there.
Thanks, jerry.
Thanks, also, to all of our viewers for watching tonight. Stay with us here at CNN. Quest holiday highlights is up next after a check on the
headlines.
END
