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Your World Today

Retail Going Green; Search For Santa; David Beckham To L.A.; Stealing the Grinch; Pope Benedict Prays for Peace; U.S. Troops Celebrate X-Mas; Bridge Collapse in Nepal

Aired December 25, 2007 - 12:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE BENEDICT XVI: May the birth of the prince of peace remind the world where its true happiness lies. And may your hearts be filled with hope and joy, for the savior has been born for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: A prayer for peace, the pope calls on world leaders to find the wisdom and courage to end conflicts.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Christmas in Baghdad. U.S. troops spending the holidays away from loved ones get a taste of home.

GORANI: And in search of Santa, Richard Quest travels far and wide to catch up with the magical man.

HOLMES: Six p.m. right now in Vatican City. It is 8:00 p.m. in Baghdad. Welcome to our report seen around the globe. I'm Michael Holmes.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani. From the North Pole to the South Pole, wherever you're watching, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

HOLMES: From the Vatican to Bethlehem to the deserts of Iraq, Christians around the world celebrating the birth of Jesus and praying for a more peaceful New Year.

GORANI: Pope Benedict XVI used his Christmas message to call for an end to world conflict, saying he hopes those suffering from poverty, injustice and war will find solace on this holy day.

HOLMES: Arwa Damon is following today's Christmas observances, joins us now from London.

What have you been watching, Arwa?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Michael, you know, every single culture has its own unique way of celebrating Christmas, but this year interjected into every holiday message was something of a somber reminder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAMON (voice-over): Pope Benedict XVI delivered his traditional Christmas message from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. Also delivering a grim reminder of global realities. Turning the spotlight on those less fortunate.

BENEDICT (through translator): On this day of peace, my thoughts turn especially to those places where the grim sound of arms continues to reverberate. The whole of the Middle East, especially Iraq, Lebanon and the holy land to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, to the Balkans and to many other crisis situations that are frequently forgotten.

DAMON: In Iraq, Christians were able to enjoy one of their calmest holiday seasons in years. Here, too, calls for unity and peace among Muslims and Christians. And while the call for peace may not have changed over the centuries, the method of its delivery most certainly has.

ELIZABETH II, QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: That it's possible for some of you to see me today is just another example of the speed of which things are changing all around us.

DAMON: If that was advanced half a century ago, take a look at this year. The queen is, once again, taking advantage of new technology with a YouTube appearance paying tribute to those serving abroad and also asking the world to remember the vulnerable amongst us.

ELIZABETH II: The familiar introduction to an annual Christmas carol service contains the words because "because this would most rejoice his heart." Now just remember, in his name the poor and the helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed, the sick and those who mourn, the lonely and the unloved. Wherever these words find you and in whatever circumstances, I want to wish you all a blessed Christmas.

DAMON (on camera): Here in London, it's more of a wet Christmas, although according to the lights, it's an enchanted one. Most people are staying indoors celebrating a traditional Christmas with their families.

(voice-over): From slightly unconventional celebrations on the sunny shores of Australia...

CROWD: Merry Christmas!

DAMON: ... to the traditions of the Vatican. From newly baptized Christians in China, to Jesus' birthplace. And this surfing Santa from a CNN I-reporter, the holiday spirit took on many shapes across the globe with a similar message on this day of peace. From the wise to those that are just beginning to learn about life, the hopes that this holiday season will somehow bring comfort to all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAMON: And while just about everyone has their own individual hopes and prayers, not only for this holiday season, but also going into 2008, I think the global message here is one for world peace, which does seem to remain ever elusive.

GORANI: All right. Arwa Damon, live in London, thank you -- Michael.

HOLMES: All right. It is the fifth Christmas for U.S. forces in Iraq, of course, it is five years since the beginning of the war. Some of those troops getting a little taste of home, quite literally. We're talking about turkey and trimmings in Baghdad. Also with them in Baghdad, Alphonso Van Marsh got the short straw, he's spending Christmas there, too.

But at least you're in the DFAC, the dining facility where you can get some decent food.

ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is right. Be it turkey, ham or roast beef, it is all being served. By the end of Christmas Day, some 24,000 meals will be dished out here. This is one of the biggest U.S. military dining facilities in the country. We've seen U.S. members getting that kind of morale boost, a nice hot meal, a Christmas meal...

(AUDIO GAP)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC PLAYING "O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM")

VAN MARSH (voice-over): This isn't Bethlehem, it's Baghdad, where these carolers are active duty soldiers separated from their loved ones at Christmas.

SOLDIERS (singing): We won't go until we get some, so bring it right here.

VAN MARSH: Crime scene investigator Jim Yingling is using a Web cam to see what his daughter and family are up to at home.

JIM YINGLING, CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATOR: She was telling me she was eating Chex Mix and that mom was making pumpkin loaves.

VAN MARSH: Army Specialist Justin Valieres shows me pictures of his new daughter e-mailed from his wife.

SPC. JUSTIN VALLIERES, U.S. ARMY: Just some of her first moments when she was born in the hospital laying there.

VAN MARSH: Amaya (ph) is 2 weeks old. She has never met her father, but Valieres is beholden, not bitter.

VALLIERES: That is probably like my best gift that I get for Christmas is just the anticipation, waiting, knowing that she was born and I can't see her. I mean, the picture was just -- it's hard to explain.

SANTA CLAUS: Ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas.

VAN MARSH: Meanwhile, Santa is doing his part to spread the Christmas cheer, visiting soldiers at bases around Baghdad.

SANTA: I just want to see the troops, hand out some candy canes, and make them smile.

VAN MARSH: Santa, who really is an Army Major with Rakasan (ph) 3rd Brigade, has the beard and the stuffed belly. He's also carrying a pistol. This is Christmas in the war zone. Here Santa travels by Black Hawk helicopter instead of reindeer and sleigh.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAN MARSH: Now, while a pistol-packing Santa may be traveling through various bases around Baghdad, a lot of U.S. service members, as I mentioned, are here in the dining facilities, Michael and Hala, just to get that hot meal, just to get that little bit of morale boost considering how far away they are from home. Want to introduce you to one private in the U.S. Army. This is Tamisha Holman (ph).

Tell me a little bit, when you're not in Iraq, where are you from, where are you based?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from Fayetteville (ph), North Carolina.

VAN MARSH: And what is it like being away from friends and family at Christmas?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really hard. I miss everybody and getting used to things out here. So it has been pretty hard.

VAN MARSH: If you had the chance to speak to your family back at home in the United States, if you could just kind of look into the camera and talk to them, what would you say to them?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would say hi to my mom and dad and family, tell them that I love them and I'm sad I'm not there for dinners and opening presents and everything. But I miss them very much.

VAN MARSH: Sure. And I can tell you, Michael and Hala, that is certainly a sentiment that we have heard over and over again. U.S. service members, many of them away for home from for the first time in a war zone and at Christmas, wanting to send their best and thanking those that are supporting the troops out there, for their time, their courage, their attention and hoping that they do, indeed, get home soon -- Michael and Hala.

GORANI: All right. Alphonso Van Marsh, live there on Christmas Day, at Camp Striker in Iraq. Thanks very much, Alphonso and all our team there reporting on Christmas celebrations for U.S. troops, as well as Iraqis because we have our Harris Whitbeck on that beat.

Iraqis themselves, how do Christians in Iraq view their situation? How are they celebrating today? Harris Whitbeck finds that there's a lot to be thankful for, but still a lot to be afraid of.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Christmas Eve at a Chaldean Christian Church in Baghdad. The congregation worships in Aramaic, the language spoken at the time of Jesus' birth. It is a far cry from just a year ago when many churches stood silent and empty because of the fear of attacks by Islamist extremists.

ANTISAR FARAJ, IRAQI CHRISTIAN (through translator): Thank God, this year is much safer and the situation is better, and God willing, the peace will be achieved soon.

WHITBECK: While attacks in general are down, things are still far from easy for Iraq's tiny Christian community. Bombings of Christian-owned businesses such as this one at a liquor store in Baghdad still occur. And there are still reports of kidnappings and murders of Christians.

(on camera): There was a time when Christmas could be celebrated with less fear in Iraq, but now, Christians are afraid to express their beliefs in public.

(voice-over): The living room in the Higmat (ph) family's dimly- lit apartment in Baghdad is nearly empty this Christmas Eve. They still remember past Christmases when houses were filled with visiting friends and tables groaned with food. Now, few venture from their homes.

ILHAM, IRAQI CHRISTIAN (through translator): We really do not go out very often. My children go to school and that is about it.

WHITBECK: The Higmats are practically the only ones left of their families in Iraq, all others fled to Germany. Doulet (ph) Higmat has only one Christmas wish this year. He says he'd like to go to Germany, too, to at least see his mother before she dies.

Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Meanwhile, Iraq has seen no holiday from the violence. A car bomb in the northern city of Baiji killed at least 23 people. People had lined up to get cooking gas cylinders at a police checkpoint. Insurgents typically use those checkpoints as targets. At least 80 other civilians were wounded. The U.S. military says U.S. troops, meanwhile, killed 13 insurgents in the past two days, the raids across Iraq have tracked al Qaeda operatives.

GORANI: Well, Turkey's military says its forces have killed between 150 and 175 Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, although Kurdish officials deny those reports. The military says that its air strikes hit over 200 rebel positions in the Qendil (ph) Mountain area of Iraq's Kurdish region. General David Petraeus in Iraq visiting the U.S. troops for Christmas commented on the recent Turkish air strikes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, CMDR., MULTINATIONAL FORCE IRAQ: The Turks certainly have a right to protect themselves from these terrorists. Having said that, there also has to be a sensitivity, obviously, to any incursion that would go beyond certainly those areas where there are just the PKK. And the PKK areas, by and large, are literally just PKK fighters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: All right. The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq there, General David Petraeus. Well, Turkey began targeting the Kurdish rebel bases after the militants launched several attacks across the border into Turkey.

HOLMES: Night has fallen in Nepal and that is cutting short the search for victims in a bridge collapse. As many as 200 people are missing in the remote region. The bridge apparently was overloaded with as many as 1,000 people. Only 15 bodies have been recovered so far, but that, tragically, could be just the beginning. Journalist Manesh Shrestha has been following the story for us. He joins us by phone from Nepal.

As night falls, one imagines that the rescue and recovery mission is all that more difficult, if not impossible.

MANESH SHRESTHA, JOURNALIST: Yes, it is, but the rescuers have not given up yet. They're still there and they're still looking for bodies, that's what I was told.

HOLMES: Tell us what you know about this type of bridge. We have a picture of it now that was sent in to us. So, tell us about the type of bridge and why so many people were on it.

SHRESTHA: Oh, there was a festival going on, so, that's why there were so many people on it. And Nepal had just come out of a 10- year-old conflict and this was the first time after the conflict that people would move around freely. So there were so many people there this year for the religious festival.

And there were a lot of children and women who were just standing on the bridge rather than walking across it. So that is another reason why the bridge was overcrowded. And the type of bridge, Nepal is a mountainous country, and there are not roads everywhere. So, people walk great distances and there are lots of rivers because Nepal is below the Himalayas.

And these bridges -- these bridges are the only way of crossing these rivers on -- crossing these rivers.

HOLMES: We are looking at these pictures now, as I say, it is our first real glimpse of the type of terrain we're talking about here. We're talking about hundreds of people missing. Why would that be so? Is -- the river, one assumes, is pretty cold, is it fast running? Give us an idea of what you know about the situation for those who would have fallen in? SHRESTHA: Right at the picture, where you see, there it is flat, but it comes from -- down from the mountains, you see, and right out there some time (INAUDIBLE) begins, once again. And those people who cannot swim -- a lot of people in Nepal cannot swim, so that is why it is -- and most of them were women and children standing on the bridge. And Nepal women are not encouraged to swim. So the ones who were saved were men. Most of them could swim to the river bank. But those women could not even do that.

HOLMES: And, Manesh, how many rescue workers are involved and is there a sense that they feel they might be able to rescue more people?

SHRESTHA: There are around 200 to 300 police and army -- army soldiers, but there are a lot of local people, as well, who are around. And they're also helping in the rescue efforts. So there are thousands of people around, still, late at night -- at this time of the night, too, just to see. And tomorrow it will be clear about the number of deaths because did not know -- when did not return home by tomorrow morning, then they will know that they are dead and there will be more search and rescue.

HOLMES: Manesh Shrestha in Nepal, appreciate your reporting. Thanks very much, joining us there on the line. Staggering, the potential of that disaster. Hundreds of people missing.

GORANI: All right. And we'll continue to follow that story and keep you updated on the death toll.

Still ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, going green for the holidays.

HOLMES: Is environmental awareness extending to the shopping sector as well? Why some say that green is the new black.

GORANI: Also ahead, the race for the White House, which candidate is surging and who is lagging behind? The latest polls, coming right up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: There is a Santa hat in the control booth.

GORANI: Welcome back to CNN INTERNATIONAL and YOUR WORLD TODAY, where we celebrate Christmas all over the world.

HOLMES: Sometimes oddly. We're covering the news the world wants to know, giving you some perspective into the stories of the day.

All right. Well, Christmas has most U.S. presidential hopefuls taking some time off from the campaign trail. I think the people of Iowa were quite pleased about that.

GORANI: Right. Even the presidential candidates have the good sense not to work on Christmas Day. But one candidate is still stumping for votes in Iowa, the Democrat Chris Dodd. HOLMES: Yes. There is something -- very little time to waste, of course, with the start of the nominating process now only 10 days away.

GORANI: Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider tells us which candidates are topping opinion polls, at least for now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): What do you think Santa has been doing all year at the North Pole? Polls, of course. "North polls" for nice little candidates, "south polls" for the naughty candidates.

Let's take a look at Santa's poll of polls to see who has been naughty and nice. Here's the national poll of polls for the Democrats, an average of four national polls taken in the last two weeks. Nationally Hillary Clinton has a healthy 19-point lead over Barack Obama, with John Edwards running third.

But the Democratic race looks very different in the early states. Four Iowa Caucus polls average out to a very close three-way race: Clinton 29, Obama 28, Edwards 23. Any of them could win.

The four latest New Hampshire polls show Clinton narrowly ahead of Obama. Two polls show Clinton leading, one shows Obama slightly ahead. One shows a tie in New Hampshire. Again, anything could happen.

And South Carolina, another close one. In two South Carolina polls, Clinton averages a narrow 3-point lead over Obama. Just one poll in Nevada, where Clinton leads Obama by 8. Clinton's front- runner status looks shaky in those early voting states.

Rudy Giuliani is ahead if you average the four latest national Republican polls. Four other candidates, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, John McCain and Fred Thompson are all bunched together behind Giuliani.

But in the early states, a different story entirely. In Iowa, Huckabee is ahead with Romney running second. Giuliani is a weak third. In New Hampshire, Romney is ahead, with McCain breathing down his neck. Giuliani is third. And Huckabee, a weak fourth in the Granite State.

But Huckabee is leading again in South Carolina, the first Southern primary. Thompson needs a win badly in South Carolina, but he's tied for third with Giuliani. Nevada is the only early voting state where Giuliani is ahead, and not by much.

(on camera): So are Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani the frontrunners? Only in national polls. But there's no national primary. Voters in those early states have seen the candidates up close, just like Santa Claus. So who do they think has been naughty or nice? They can't seem to make up their mind.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And you can stay on top of all the developments on the campaign trail from our Web site.

GORANI: Just go to cnnpolitics.com for the very latest on the candidates, the issues and the opinion polls.

HOLMES: Meanwhile, a short break here. When we come back, we'll check on the weather around the world.

GORANI: In Southern California, the fear right now is fire, once again, as strong winds and dry conditions lead forecasters to issue a red flag warning.

And then...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the place. I do hope Santa likes my card.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Our very own inimitable Richard Quest follows Santa to the ends of the Earth to deliver a very personal holiday greeting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back, everyone. You're with YOUR WORLD...

HOLMES: Merry Christmas.

GORANI: Merry Christmas.

(WEATHER REPORT)

GORANI: This is the Christmas edition of YOUR WORLD TODAY. And it only comes once a year.

HOLMES: Wow. I wouldn't have known seeing as we're both here working.

GORANI: The search for Santa is coming up.

HOLMES: That is coming up. Who better to go on that quest than Richard Quest?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: Santa, I'm on my way!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Richard Quest, stay with us. GORANI: Richard Quest!

HOLMES: He's off to the Arctic Circle. We had better take a break before we get to trouble.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: I'm lost, no sleigh!

(voice-over): Still no sign of the...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers joining us for more than 200 countries and territories around the world, including, this hour, the United States. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Michael Holmes.

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Hala Gorani. Here are some of the top stories we're following for you.

A Christmas Day message of peace from Pope Benedict who has called for just solutions to wars around the world. Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square to hear his speech. Queen Elizabeth has called for greater compassion for the elderly and vulnerable in her annual Christmas message. It's the 50th year in a row the queen has made her televised speech.

HOLMES: Night has fallen in Nepal and that is cutting short the search for victims in a bridge collapse. As many as 200 people are missing in the remote region. The bridge, at the time, was overloaded with as many as 1,000 people. Only 15 bodies have been recovered. Some of the bridge victims as young as five months old.

GORANI: A car bomb in the northern city of Viege (ph) has killed at least 23 people. People had lined up for cooking gas cylinders at a police checkpoint. Insurgents typically use those checkpoints as targets. At least 80 other civilians were wounded. The military says U.S. troops killed 13 insurgents in the past two days.

HOLMES: Well, going green seems to be the new trend this holiday season.

GORANI: Many retailers have been setting their sights on eco- friendly displays in their store windows.

HOLMES: Now there's a touting, energy-saving product. Ines Ferre reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIMON DOONAN, BARNEY'S NEW YORK: This window here celebrates the heros of green. Here we have every iconic celebrity associated with the green movement. INES FERRE: Simon Doonan is the design master behind one of New York's famed windows displays, Barney's, the upscale department store in Midtown Manhattan. It's a must on New York's window shopping circuit. He says this holiday season green is the new black.

DOONAN: Everyone this year has been talking about green every time you open a magazine, every time you turn on the TV. So this seems like the perfect year to have a green holiday.

FERRE: Barney's windows are filled with recycled cans and bottles, arranged to create a strong, environmental message. Their new catalog titled "Have a Green Holiday" features slogans like "green is groovy" and "join the green revolution."

And Barney's is not alone. Home Depot is touting its Eco-options line of environmentally friendly products, including energy saving LED light bulbs and others. And the symbol of Christmas itself, the giant tree at Rockefeller Center, is sporting energy-saving lights. Roughly 30,000 of them. The company says they save enough energy per day to light a 2,000 square foot or more than 600 meter home for a month. Whether you need 30,000 lights or just a few hundred, consumers say there's a simple reason to go green.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because it's the right thing to do. It really is.

FERRE: In a recent poll, nearly one in five consumers will purchase more eco-friendly products this year than in the past. Additionally, a "significant" number of people, 17 percent, are willing to pay more this year for green gifts and roughly the same percentage say they will shop at more green retailers this year.

STACY JANIAK, DELOITTE & TOUCHE USA: They're looking for retailers that are committed to the environment, that are talking about what they're doing, whether that's using alternative sources of energy, like solar panels on their stores or trying to conserve water in some way. Or if it's simply offering the consumers a little bit easier way to be green.

FERRE: Critics argue that simply buying green products is not the answer. That it just lines the pockets of one retailer instead of another. There is even a website with a rather, shall we say, direct message. The goal? Buy less, give more to charity.

Whether you plan to go green this holiday season or just celebrate a traditional white Christmas, well, that's up to you. But rest assured there will be many here in the U.S. thinking green as they spend their green.

Ines Ferre, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, we've sent Richard Quest on many odysseys the world over. GORANI: But today wouldn't be complete without seeing him in the Arctic Circle for an encounter with Santa Claus. So, without further ado, let's join them both in Lapland.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Lapland, the Arctic Circle. This is a real winter wonderland. And, of course, it's home to the one and only Santa Claus. I've had many, merry moments throughout this program, but no self-respecting Quest for the festive spirit would be complete without meeting the man himself. So, Berato (ph), I must go.

Santa. This isn't working. There must be a better way to find Santa.

These chaps seem to know their business. Well, at least they know where they're going.

Did you give up (INAUDIBLE). Santa, I'm on my way! This is the way to travel. Forget horsepower, I've got husky power! I've lost my sleigh!

Still no sign of the big man in the red suit. Oh, my luck might just have turned.

Santa's waiting for me. Come on! Come on! So good of Santa to send you, Rudolph, to help you show me the way.

This is the place. I do hope Santa likes my card. (INAUDIBLE) Santa Claus' office. I've arrived.

Santa!

SANTA CLAUS: Oh, Richard. Hello, Richard. Have a seat. How are you?

QUEST: Oh, I'm well, Santa.

SANTA CLAUS: And welcome to the Arctic Circle.

QUEST: It is lovely to be here. Santa, this is for you.

CLAUS: Is this your wishing list this year?

QUEST: It's a card for you, Santa.

CLAUS: A card for me. Can I look.

QUEST: You can, Santa, yes. It was made -- I designed it myself with the help of . . .

CLAUS: Oh, you have so many talents, Richard.

QUEST: Dear Santa, you must be rather busy what with Christmas on the way, from getting all those reindeers fed to tuning up the sleigh. Well, this won't just take a moment, I felt the need to pause and wish a merry Christmas to you and Mrs. Claus.

CLAUS: Thank you.

QUEST: Oh, yes. And it's possible, perhaps I could suggest, please take me off the naughty list, sincerely, Richard Quest.

CLAUS: Have you been good this year?

QUEST: Good?

CLAUS: Yes.

QUEST: Oh, yes, I was very, very good.

CLAUS: Comes with (INAUDIBLE) doesn't it.

QUEST: It does. What is your favorite piece of music to listen to as you're going around the world, up and down chimneys, eating your way through everyone's . . .

CLAUS: Christmas music, of course.

QUEST: Well, of course.

CLAUS: I mean when I got with the reindeer sleigh and the bells are jingling. Then, you know, it's jingle bells, jingle bells.

QUEST: Jingle all the way.

CLAUS: And then when it's a very nice, beautiful, quiet moment. Just a moment of the misty blue and then you hear "Silent Night." What can be more beautiful?

QUEST: It's far from serene in Santa's main post office. Here the elves are working around the clock, opening and answering the hundreds of thousands of letters from children around the world. I'd better make myself useful.

What are some of the things that children are asking for this year?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Puppies, Nintendo, beds (ph).

QUEST: How do they find their way here, the letters?

KATJA TERVONEN, ELF, SANTA'S POST OFFICE: Well, actually I think that most of the post offices in the world, they know that if it says in the letter, Santa Claus, North Pole, they will automatically direct those letters to our post office here at the Arctic Circle.

QUEST: Look at this, Father Christmas, North Pole. Mr. Santa, Cold Place, North Pole, Iceland.

I am Maria (ph) from the island of the Phillippines. I'm 11 years old. We belong to a poor family and can't afford to buy clothes, dolls, delicious fruits and foods every Christmas and this coming Christmas it's OK for me that we don't have these things because, as of now, my grandmother is sick and I want to help her. I'd like to bring her to the hospital for a full checkup and buy medicine.

Do you get many of these?

TERVONEN: Actually, we do have quite many of those, as well. Yes. Yes.

QUEST: Oliver in England is pushing his luck. And Oliver in England a list of 30 things he'd like, Santa. Ranging from a jump bike size 8, lots of money, Nintendo, oh, but he's priced it all up for Santa.

Sending a wish list to Santa is a time-old tradition. It's a chance for kids to hope and take part in the magic of Christmas.

QUEST: Thank you for helping make so many children's dreams come a little bit more real.

That's what this time of the year is really all about. Putting your troubles on hold, letting go and taking a moment to think about loved ones.

Is that the message that you want to leave me with, it's the thought.

CLAUS: Yes, sure. If you find somebody who's alone, who doesn't have close relatives, you know, living nearby and thing, then you could do a nice thing. It doesn't have to be anything spectacular. You know invite them for a coffee or a meal or help them to, you know, give them a lift to the shop or whatever. Do a nice thing, wish them a Merry Christmas, take them some Christmas card or flowers or something.

QUEST: Santa, happy Christmas.

CLAUS: (INAUDIBLE) Merry Christmas.

QUEST: For all you Scrooges and bah humbugs out there, take a look at this. It's actually quite are fun to believe. So let a little magic dust warm the heart.

FAMILY (singing): I wish you a Merry Christmas. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

QUEST: This journey has been fun and certainly uplifting. I've learned that the festive season itself serves a purpose. It brings communities together. As for the festive spirit, it's difficult to put your finger on exactly what it is. You can certainly feel it and, together, we can create it.

The festive spirit lives in each one of us. And when we let it out, it feels good. Whatever you're celebrating at this time of the year, a happy holiday season to you all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Ah, Richard Quest. Now our international viewers can stay tuned for Richard's special, "Quest For Festival Spirits." That's coming up next hour, CNN, 1800 GMT. Also the times there on your screen locally.

GORANI: 2007 saw a major transatlantic move. A British sportsman taking up home in Los Angeles.

HOLMES: Wonder who that was.

Coming up, we'll take a look at what David Beckham has done for the sport of soccer and for the L.A. paparazzi.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Now we're going to look back at the year in football, or soccer, depending where you live.

HOLMES: Football in most of the world. It was a year where Brazil and A.C. Milan star Kaka made headlines on the pitch as the best player on the planet.

GORANI: But off the field, another player dominated headlines like no other, even in the United States where they call it soccer. As Mark McKay tells us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK MCKAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One athlete found himself caught up in quite a whirlwind in 2007. Footballer David Beckham was cast aside, crowned a champion, paraded before an adoring public and humbled by the limitations of his own body, all in the span of a year.

DAVID BECKHAM: It's been an incredible experience the last two days. Bigger than I ever thought it could ever get. And I'm looking forward to arriving.

MCKAY: The mold for David Beckham's future was cast in January, when it was announced he'd be join Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy's on a five-year contract reportedly worth up to $250 million. Hailed as a savior for the MLS, Beckham's work with Real Madrid wasn't finished, even though his days with the premera (ph) club were numbered. While Coach Fabio Capello cooled on Beckham after the mid- fielder's side with the Galaxy, his mind was changed in route to Real winning a record 30 at the league (ph) crown on the last day of the season.

If it was a Hollywood-like ending for Beckham in Spain, his welcome to Hollywood couldn't have been scripted better. Beckham's lavish July unveiling by the Galaxy was a warm welcome to the United States that included a live, world sport interview with CNN's Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a long way from a wet Saturday at old trafity (ph) Manchester. How are you going to cope with this heat, man?

BECKHAM: Well, I've coached a bit for the last four years in Spain. So it's been close it this. But we're going to enjoy it, you know. What a better place to live.

MCKAY: As the Beckhams mingled with motion picture stars, the Englishman's enthusiasm to play for the Galaxy was tempered by a nagging ankle injury that initially saw him spend more time on the bench than on the pitch (ph). In August, Beckham finally tallied his first MLS goal, which brought with it much relief as the mid-fielder told us two days later in New York City.

BECKHAM: I was happy for myself just to actually get on the field and start playing again. Scoring the goal was an added bonus.

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HOLMES: I'd like to see him play a few more, actually. But, OK.

GORANI: Well, coming up, a new twist on a Christmas tale.

HOLMES: You could call this the Grinch who was stolen for Christmas.

GORANI: These boys certainly made Santa's naughty list with their antics. We'll tell you what happened next when we come back.

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HOLMES: Everyone getting into the shot.

Well, many people are probably familiar with the story of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

GORANI: But this time the grumpy green Grinch got nabbed himself.

HOLMES: Yes, let's take a look at what goes on. Two kidnappers eventually grew a heart and returned the Grinch, (INAUDIBLE).

GORANI: I was going to say, that's a question. Adam Owens from CNN affiliate WRAL has the story. Or does he?

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ADAM OWENS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The small town of Southern Pines is brimming with cheer, those warm fuzzy fuzzies felt this time of year. Down Broad Street the sidewalks are so fully dressed, shopkeepers compete for whose tree is best. This one is Chef Warren Lewis' (ph) design. The leaning tree with odd, green man behind.

WARREN LEWIS: We had the Grinch holding the tree. We had little Cindy Lou Who and Max and the sled up top.

OWENS: Dressed in bright red, as Santa or elf, one night the Grinch who stole Christmas went missing himself. Lewis quickly knew that something was wrong.

LEWIS: We came in that morning and the Grinch was gone.

OWENS: The boys who stole the Grinch didn't count on the Lomax (ph). He's the guy who owns the store next door. While they were down here messing around, he was up there looking down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was always a seeing eye watching, my mom had always told me that.

OWENS: Every moment a camera watches where they're at. They come at first to case out the place. They return, grab the Grinch and off they did race. You would think to yourself more often than not, the chef without a Grinch would be ping hot.

LEWIS: It was hilarious because they were just so busted.

OWENS: Chef Warren put the video on YouTube to view. More than 1,500 took a look. You could call that a view. A couple of those were not overjoyed. They were the parents of those two boys. They returned the Grinch right where they found it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told me he had been punished. That he'd been grounded.

OWENS: The shop owners did not press charges. In the end, they were more amused.

In Southern Pines, Adam Owens, WRAL News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: OK. Now to some of our favorite pictures of the day.

GORANI: And on this special day, naturally the focus is on videos about Christmas from around the world. They were far from home, but they still got to sit on Santa's lap. NATO soldiers serving in Afghanistan seemed in higher spirits as they celebrated Christmas. Many elves helped spread Christmas cheer. Many soldiers, though, say their wish is to spend the next holiday season at home.

HOLMES: And don't adjust the cuteness button. There's nothing wrong with your set. These pictures coming to us from South Carolina where a hospital delivery room has put its special deliveries in some special packaging. Santa even taking time out of his schedule to pay the families a visit. The moms and dads said they couldn't have asked for a better gift.

GORANI: And what a better way to mark the season than gazing upon nativity scenes and other holiday displays made of Frumaush (ph). That's what some people do in Lithuania, apparently. Does anyone eat the cheese? No one is saying.

HOLMES: See, if it was made of Swiss cheese, then it would be a holy scene.

GORANI: Yes, and it would be just a natural -- oh, yes, or it would be just a natural cave.

HOLMES: Yes. No. (INAUDIBLE).

GORANI: You wouldn't really have to carve it out.

HOLMES: The holy scene.

GORANI: We really, for our own good, need to go home.

HOLMES: I'm told this is -- yes, that's right. I'm told this is the Grinch in Crestered Bute (ph) sent in by a viewer. Nice powder there, by the way.

OK. And we would like you all to say cheese this holiday.

GORANI: Well, send us your pictures of Christmas celebrations or any other celebration you'd like. Enjoy pictures from other viewers as well when you log on to cnn.com and click on the i-Report logo.

HOLMES: Yes, to send your pictures or videos, just follow the directions on the web page. You can e-mail them as well as an attachment I think to ireport@cnn.com.

That will do it for this hour and you're relieved, aren't you? It's time to go.

GORANI: And he's Michael Holmes. I'm Hala Gorani. Wherever you are in the world, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope this is a good day for you. Our own Richard Quest goes in search of the holiday's festive spirit next.

HOLMES: Merry Christmas.

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