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Assange Strikes Plea Deal With U.S.; Details Emerge In Deadly Russian Terror Attacks; Chinese Lunar Probe Returns From Far Side Of The Moon; Kenyan Parliament to Debate New Finance Bill Amid Nationwide Protests; Kenyan Troops Due in Haiti This Week to Tackle Gang Violence; Atlanta Submits Bid to Host Sundance Film Festival; Freaky Friday Stars Reunite for Sequel to the 2003 Film; Nosferatu Draws Blood in a Creepy New Movie Trailer. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 25, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:42]

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming on CNN Max. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. Just ahead. Julian Assange said to walk free. The Wikileaks founder striking a plea deal with the Biden administration ending his years long standoff with the U.S.

As the war in Gaza ships to a new phase a second front is heating up in Israel's north, as tensions with Hezbollah hit a boiling point.

And horror in Russia. A martial arts fighter is accused of being among the gunman who attacks places of worship and police in Dagestan, killing at least 20.

Well, we're going to go right now to Beijing and our Steven Jiang where a Chinese space object is returning to earth as we speak. China's lunar probe has completed its historic mission to the far side of the moon. Steven, what can you tell us?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes. And I think we're all watching the live feed from state media and that little black dog with now its main parachute open is a descending as we speak now. So momentarily, we're expecting the reentry vehicle of this lunar probe to land somewhere in Inner Mongolia in northern China. This little black dot is indeed actually going to potentially benefit mankind.

This is a favorite phrase of Chinese space officials. They're known sometimes for hyperboles. But in this case, I think they actually have a point because what this mission has accomplished is of course, a historic first, for the first time, samples from the moon's far side has now been collected and then now brought back to Earth. This probe is expected to bring back up two kilograms of dust and rocks from the moon's South Pole-Aitken basin.

That has an impact crater formed some four billion years ago on the side of moon that is never visible to Earth. Why is that scientifically important because, unlike on Earth, a lot of the evolutionary evidence has been destroyed by the movements of our plate tectonics. The moon's far side because of it's never visible to Earth is almost like a frozen record, according to many experts of what it was like in our early solar system.

So, once these samples have returned to Earth, they will be studied first by Chinese researchers. And then eventually the government here will allow access to these samples by international scientists as well. And all of them, of course, will be studying very carefully of the results of the analysis of the samples trying to understand, better understand the evolution of not just the moon, but also of the earth and of our solar system.

Now, practically and strategically speaking, this could also help China of course, potentially explore the utilization of resources on the moon. And that, of course, could give it a leg up in this increasingly heated space race with the United States as well. Not to mention each progress they make in these sample return missions will help them perfect their command-and-control aspects of these space submissions as well to help them eventually put human astronauts on the moon.

Their stated goal, of course, is put their astronauts on the moon by 2030 at the same time, as we know, NASA is also trying to return the astronauts to the moon as well sometime around 2026. So, there is quite a race there as well. As you can imagine now, and this is a moment very much celebrated here. A lot of jubilation and a lot of nationalistic fervor in this country. Remember, earlier this month, this Lunar Lander images of it, displaying a Chinese flag and then apparently drilling on the moon surface the character of drone which means China and Chinese really going viral here across the country.

Because as we mentioned, this is quite a major step forward in their very ambitious space program making China step closer to realize the scope as stated by their leader Xi Jinping to establish themselves as a dominant space power. Anna?

[02:05:02]

COREN: Steven, we should remind our viewers we are looking at live pictures from CCTV of this Chinese space probe coming back down to Earth as you say. It contains the first ever samples of dust and rock from the far side of the Moon. Do we know from scientists what is on board that probe exactly dimensions, how many bits of rock that they have managed to collect?

JIANG: I think these things are probably closely guarded scientific secrets right now. But what we didn't know -- what we do know is how fascinating intricate this collection process was because involved a drill and a robotic arm. And as I said, they collected samples from this sprawling region on the far side of the moon. And upon collection, a -- an ascender actually scooped up these samples from the lunar surface and then transfer them in lunar orbit to a reentry vehicle. That reentry vehicle is actually what we are looking at right now

because it is descending to Earth after separating from its Lunar Orbiter. This process, of course, is extremely complex, which is another reason why China is very proud of its achievement because it is a late comer in the space race. And now of course, it's not only catching up but also trying to get ahead of the United States and other countries.

As we mentioned, this, of course, comes only five years, some five years after China became the first and still only country of the world to make a soft landing on the far side of the moon. Now of course, they are making further progress by collecting samples from the far side of the moon and bring them back to Earth. Anna?

COREN: And Steven, we are still waiting for that balloon to hit the Earth. But this is somewhere in Inner Mongolia. We saw a truck a little bit earlier, driving no doubt to where this is about to hit the Earth. Can you talk us through the area? What is there? Who might be waiting for it?

JIANG: Yes. I think Inner Mongolia is known for its grassland. I think a lot of Chinese media and experts have mentioned how complex and complicated this process is in terms of determine the precise landing location of this of this craft because weather conditions actually changed constantly in that part of the country. So that of course, they have pointed as another evidence of China's scientific prowess.

And as we are looking at this picture, I think a lot of Chinese viewers are also comparing their space achievements to that of the United States. And it's not lost on a lot of Chinese viewers because when this is -- as this is happening, of course, the U.S. is facing new challenges in its crewed missions to the space as we know two American astronauts are currently stuck in the International Space Station because of the Boeing Starliner is new problems with helium leaking.

So, this -- the Chinese are always trying to brush aside this concept of a space race and competition with the U.S. I think even the NASA director has acknowledged this is very much. The Chinese pace of progress is very much.

COREN: It has just landed. It has just landed.

JIANG: Another historic moment and this country's very ambitious space program, I think. They would definitely say they are achieving great success in this aspect. Another point of celebration in this country.

COREN: No doubt. A great deal of pride being filled right across China as we speak. So please that we could capture those live pictures of it -- of it at that landing safely. No doubt. Crews will be heading there to collect what is inside that probe. Steven Jiang, we really appreciate the reporting. Thank you so much.

We're turning to other big news that we are following today. After more than a decade of fighting extradition to the U.S., the long that strange legal battle for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appears to be coming to an end. According to newly filed court documents, the man accused and one of the largest ever breaches of classified U.S. government material has agreed to a plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department which will allow him to avoid an American prison.

Well, video from WikiLeaks shows a black van carrying Assange from London's Belmarsh prison where he spent the past five years to Stansted Airport where he boarded a plane. Assange is set to appear in a U.S. court in the Northern Mariana Islands on Wednesday. He's expected to plead guilty to a single charge for his role in publishing hundreds of thousands of leaked U.S. military documents and diplomatic cables in 2010.

[02:10:08]

Many of them contain highly sensitive data on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After the hearing, Assange is then expected to return to his native Australia. CNN's Ivan Watson is following the developments and either would appear that Julian Assange has managed to wait out the U.S. Justice Department. What are we learning about this plea deal?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sure. And we're just learning a statement from the Australian Prime Minister that the Australian High Commissioner to London is apparently accompanying Julian Assange, as he makes this long journey from the U.K. all the way to this U.S. territory in the Northern Mariana Islands. It is certainly a fascinating twist in Assange's long saga where he has completed more than five years of incarceration in largely solitary confinement in Belmarsh prison in London.

And now this announcement of a plea deal that he has agreed to or he is about to agree to plead guilty to one count. There is going to be an appearance scheduled before a U.S. federal judge inside pan. That's one of the islands in the Northern Mariana Islands as part of this plea deal. Take a look at the document that the letter that U.S. prosecutors sent to that judge where they announced we anticipate that the defendant will plead guilty to the charge in the information of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States.

The letter goes on to say that both parties have agreed and would like to have the guilty plea and the sentencing to be completed in a single day and that the defendant opposes traveling to the continental U.S. It does appear that the U.S. prosecutors have agreed to that. The prosecutors we understand have called for a sentencing of five years in prison. And that is about how long Assange has been in that London jail.

So, it's assumed he'll get credit for that time served and will likely be released to Australia. WikiLeaks, his organization is celebrating this already saying Julian Assange is free trumpeting that. And listen to what his wife had to say to a camera not long ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STELLA ASSANGE, WIFE OF JULIAN ASSIANGE: Throughout the years of Julian's imprisonment, and persecution, an incredible movement has been formed. A movement of people from all walks of life from around the world who support not just Julian and not just us in our family but what Julian stands for, truth and justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: So, Anna, unless there are any-last minute hiccups, it does appear that Assange after this court hearing is likely to make it back to the country of his birth at potentially as a free man in the coming days. Anna?

COREN: Ivan Watson, we appreciate the reporting. Thank you very much. Well, joining me now from Canberra is Australian Senator David Shoebridge. Senator, great to have you with us. You have continuously been campaigning for Julian Assange's release. What was your reaction to the news and what has been the reaction in his native Australia?

DAVID SHOEBRIDGE, AUSTRALIAN GREEN PARTY SENATOR: Well out there are millions of Australians with a tear in their eye at the moment that thought that Julian will come home and I know that was very much the feeling in my office. And many of the close supporters of Julian, you know, his brother has been, you know, constantly campaigning and his dad has been constantly campaigning, his wife and his kids.

And they've been joined by millions of Australians. We're just so glad that this terrible saga will finally come to an end and Julian will be able to come home and, you know, spend that time with his family. Go for a bush walk, maybe have a barbecue and go to the beach because he deserves that.

COREN: His mother said in a statement, this shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Have you spoken to his family?

SHOEBRIDGE: Well, I mean, obviously his family is in close contact with not just myself but with others, his brother and his -- and his dad in particular. And the courage of his wife Stella is -- has been extraordinary. Yes, it is about quiet diplomacy. But I think it's far more about millions of ordinary people across the planet who actually prize truth telling. Who think it's important that governments are held to account, that militaries are held to account.

And they write what WikiLeaks and what Julian Assange has done. Truth telling can be very inconvenient for people in power. But Julian Assange stands for that principle that a -- that a truth can be more powerful than any government.

COREN: He has managed to wait out the U.S. Department of Justice.

[02:15:03]

I wonder if you have any insights into this bleed plea deal? And do you think it's a case of the Biden administration wanting to put this to bed? A saga that has dragged out for too long as we heard from the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese?

SHOEBRIDGE: Well, I think this in part reflects the fact that people in Washington from across the aisle and not just Democrats, but across the aisle and realize that it's important to stand up for brave reporting. It's important to stand up to the ability of people to hold governments to account. As an Australian Senator, I never thought it was legitimate that the United States government could seek to prosecute an Australian citizen who was never on U.S. soil for the so- called crime of sharing the secrets of the United States military.

What Julian Assange showed was some pretty awful appalling instances of the United States military in Iraq in a war which my government was complicit in and also involved in. Incidents like the Collateral Murder video, I don't believe that it was ever a legitimate act from the United States government to seek to prosecute an Australian citizen, who was not on U.S. soil, who had no connection with the United States for sharing that information. And, and I am very glad that Julian is finally able to come home.

COREN: Senator, many in the United States do see this as a slap on the wrist for what Assange did. What is your response to that?

SHOEBRIDGE: Well, many of the suggestions from the United States security agencies that this put people at risk and put lives at risk and been tested in U.S. courts and found to not have substance. No government should be immune to the critical review of their actions. No government should be able to hide crimes like what we saw in that Collateral Murder video, from global scrutiny and from criticism.

Julian Assange is not just one individual, he actually stands for a really important truth. And it's important to the United States democracy like it's important to the Australian democracy, that governments have to be able to respond to truth telling and the response shouldn't be to put the truth tellers in jail for the rest of their natural life. And I think millions of people around the world have reacted to that and have joined the campaign to free Julian Assange.

COREN: Senator David Shoebridge, we appreciate your time. Thank you.

SHOEBRIDGE: Pleasure speaking.

COREN: Well, still to come. The death toll rises from the terror attacks on churches and synagogues in southern Russia as authorities identify the gunman involved, including several related to a regional official.

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COREN: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. In Washington, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is meeting with top U.S. officials who are hoping talks will help bring a better understanding of Israel's plans for the war in Gaza and it's planned in the north where tensions are flaring between Israel and Hezbollah.

[02:20:08]

On Monday, Gallant sat down with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken who emphasized the need to stop the war in Gaza from becoming a wider conflict. The two also discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal. Gallant's visit comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told local media on Sunday that he was prepared to agree to a temporary pause in fighting in exchange for the release of some hostages.

And that the war would continue after a ceasefire with the goal of eliminating Hamas. That move appears at odds with a recent proposal that would result in a permanent ceasefire. One day later in the Knesset, Mr. Netanyahu said the war would not end until all hostages are returned to Israel and insisted he wasn't walking away from the proposal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translator): We are committed to the Israeli proposal that President Biden welcomed. Our position has not changed. The second thing which does not contradict the first, we will not end the war until we eliminate Hamas. And until we return the residents of the South and the North safely to their homes.

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COREN: Former Israeli ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren joins me now from New York. Ambassador, great to have you with us. Let's start with this very public spat between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Biden administration. I mean, I think we can all agree that this is not helping anyone.

MICHAEL OREN, FORMER ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Good to be with you, Anna. And that is a fact, it is not helping anyone except for maybe Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran. And that is why it is very, very important to put the spat behind both the United States and Israel to address the issue of whether arms and munitions supplies from the United States to Israel have been held up for whatever reason.

It could be simply bureaucracy going on in Congress. But it should be it should be resolved as soon as possible. And to the greatest degree possible distances between Israel and the United States and there will be differences should be held behind closed doors so that our common enemies will not take advantage of.

COREN: Yoav Gallant, he of course is in Washington. He met with the CIA director and the Secretary of State on Monday obviously stalled ceasefire negotiations are top of the agenda, as well as plans for the day after and then the threat of full-scale war on the northern border with Hezbollah. What are you hoping will be achieved from these talks?

OREN: Well (INAUDIBLE) Gallant has come to the United States on the eve of a very explosive situation in Israel. Since October 7th, not only Hamas attacked Israel, but also Hezbollah. Hezbollah came what they said was to the aid of Hamas and trying to destroy Israel. And since then, thousands of Hezbollah shells have rained on the northern part of Israel, that's the Galilee about 80,000 Israelis are now homeless. And this shellfire is sort of crap creeping southward toward the city of Tiberius along the Sea of Galilee and approaching Haifa, one of our largest cities. And that's an intolerable, intolerable situation. But what is Israel to do about it? Hezbollah is about 10 times the threat of Hamas, Hamas had about maybe 15,000 rockets. Hezbollah has between 150 and 170,000 rockets. They are much longer range. They're heavier rockets and they're extremely accurate.

And Hezbollah's fighting force is probably about four times the size of that of Hamas. And Hezbollah has been massacring Syrians for the last decade. So, they're very, very adept at that. So, this is a strategic threat, tactical threat, and the danger that it -- with Israel can no longer withstand this war of attrition. You know, these people being kicked out of the houses -- out of their houses by the tens of thousands.

(INAUDIBLE) going to have to strike back, that could indeed trigger a regional conflict in which Iran would be involved. Even Iranian pro- running militias in Iraq and Syria, even as far south as Yemen. The Houthi missiles can reach Israel as well. And so, the Minister -- Minister Gallant is discussing with his American counterparts how this could be avoided. How can you somehow avert this regional conflict in which the United States could be involved in this madness?

You can't -- you can't sort of gainsay that, that is a real possibility. I don't speak -- I'm not -- I'm not in the government. But I would seem to stick with two ways you could perhaps avoid this conflict. One is by enabling Israel to complete the battle against Hamas. Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas believes that the times on slide so he's rejected the ceasefire. Hezbollah says if Hamas rejects the ceasefire, it will reject the ceasefire.

So, Hamas must be defeated as soon as possible. Certainly, pressure put on Sinwar to accept that ceasefire.

[02:25:05]

And another way is that the United States to say to Iran and Hezbolla, we're not going to sit passively and let this happen.

COREN: On Sunday, Ambassador, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the intensive phase of Israel's war against Hamas was about to end. Although he made it very clear that fighting would not stop until Hamas was eliminated. Now, is this because of the shift in focus to the northern border and to Hezbollah, and the fact that Israel needs to prepare for possibly a new front or is it because Hamas can no longer function as a -- as a fighting unit?

OREN: And the answer to both those questions, Abba, is yes. It's also because Hamas has largely defeated as a military organization. It can no longer mount the type of attacks on Israel that it did in the first month of the war. There's almost no rocket fire coming out of Gaza right now. But also, Israel has to shift its military attention to the north, including tens of thousands of Israeli reservists who have been called up and are prepared to take whatever action is necessary to defend the north and to restore simply Israeli controlling the sovereignty to the Galilee region and 80,000 people back to their homes.

So, it's -- the answer is both. It's that the fighting in Gaza on a large scale is winding down and insurgency will continue there. But the major battle now is on the northern border against Hezbollah. And beyond that against Iraq.

COREN: Ambassador Michael Oren, we'll have to leave it there. But we thank you for your insights and your time.

OREN: Thank you very much. Be will

COREN: The death toll from Sunday's attacks on churches and synagogues in Russia's southern Dagestan provinces now up to 20 with almost 50 others wounded. Russian authorities have identified five of the attackers including a mixed martial arts fighter and relatives of a regional official. New details now from CNN's Nick Paton Walsh. And a warning, some of the images in his report are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

It's the horror of Putin rose to power pledging to eradicate, but still nearly a quarter of a century later haunts him now. Pitched battles in the southern region of Dagestan where likely Islamist militants' attacks Jews and Christians in synagogues and churches over hours in which police struggled into the night to gain control. We still have an incomplete picture of what sends security services into a frenzy Sunday, as evening prayers began.

But it is clear the flames spread along Dagestan's coast down to this synagogue in southern Derbent. And the police were also targeted. Their ranks stripped thin by mobilization to Putin's other war in Ukraine. Russia security services keen to emphasize their swift reaction, releasing this video of them securing the assumption of Our Lady Cathedral in Makhachkala. Dagestan used over two decades to scenes of mangled metal and police hunting militants.

But this time, absorbing whether Putin's war in Ukraine had taken away the security forces from their own home streets. And the disturbing news that three of the gunmen were related to a local official. One his son, another a nephew, and a third cousin, a local MMA fighter. A key victim, Father Nikolai pictured here, apparently having his throat slit amid reports there was a hostage standoff for a while.

The deaths announced so far, mostly police leaving questions as to whether more civilians have been killed when they came to evening worship. And the main suspect here, ISIS-K yet to claim the attack and officials slow to name them.

Of course, we understand who is behind the organization of these terrorist attacks, he says. We understand what the organizers were trying to achieve. Extremism has long cursed Dagestan, the Boston bombers partially linked back to here, and its militants in 2013. Police have long been ferocious in their response, fueling yet more extremism analysts say. Yet in 2022, protests are rotted and so many Dagestani men were sent off to Ukraine. And so now, the old agony of terror, perhaps made worse by police being thinned out for Putin's long war of choice. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN London.

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COREN: Still to come. A new finance is a building Kenya has young protesters ready to shut down the nation's capital. We'll explain why the bill has Generation Z upset.

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[02:32:40]

COREN: Welcome back. In the coming hours, Kenya's parliament is set to debate and discuss amendments to a controversial finance bill that has sparked nationwide protests for more than a week. Protesters argue the bill would raise the cost of living. But the International Monetary Fund insists it is a necessary move to reduce Kenya's budget deficit and government borrowing. One protester had this to say to lawmakers.

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ANNE MWANJA, PROTESTER: Kindly (inaudible) and reject that finance bill. It is not to the edification of young people. You are oppressing us and you had promised us to do good by us. That is not really doing goodbye by us. So kindly, kindly and just reject that finance bill. We don't want it to be amended, but we want it to be rejected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: After the death of one protester and concerns over the disappearances of others, groups have declared days of rage and a total shutdown on Kenya on Tuesday with plans to occupy parliament in Nairobi. Officials have ordered all protests to be finished by sunset or 6:30 p.m., whichever happens first.

Well, let's discuss this with Stella Agara. She's a tax justice activist, and a governance and youth development specialist. She joins me now from Nairobi. Stella, thank you for joining us. Explain to us the level of angst amongst protesters and why they are continuing to take to the streets.

STELLA AGARA, TAX JUSTICE ACTIVIST: There are many reasons why this -- that amount of angst amongst the protesters, one of the reasons is the fact that last year, when the same conversation was being held, many of them did not know the impact of some of the proposals that was made in the finance bill of 2023-2024. And so, they started feeling the pain of it in around the month of September last year, and they realized that this is something that they really need to engage with in a deep way.

Number two is the fact that there is a group of young people that were weakened during the campaign period of the president. He kept on referring to the unemployed youth and was talking about them as hustlers and he said he was going to work for them. Unfortunately, he has made very many promises to them that he has not kept. And right now, they feel the need to be able to speak back to him and tell him, you promised one, two, three things and they are not happening.

The other thing is that the current finance bill 2024-2025 has made certain proposals that are going to heavily affect those -- that group of young people, especially some of them who are finding their own way to fend for themselves because the government has not provided employment for them.

[02:35:00]

It is going to be -- previously, there are proposals that are going to be affecting women and caregiving roles, including the taxations on diapers and sanitary towels. I should also mention at this point that there is also a fundamental issue with the changes that have already been made as of -- after the voting that happened on Thursday because some of the ladies that have been left in that document will still eventually transfer the cost to the consumer.

Kenyans are in a very tight place and they are finding extreme discomfort in having to lead with one bill a day and the government is coming back for more. The IMF may not be privy to this information but the Kenyans are being (ph) -- we expect that at least to the government should be able to understand this.

COREN: Stella, the government of President Ruto is cash-strapped. I mean, that is a fact. And the IMF has said that if it is to access more funding then it needs to meet revenue targets. So, what is the answer?

AGARA: You know, if I went to my bank to ask for a loan today, one of the things that they will have to check is my credit report and see whether I'm actually worthy to receive a credit. Kenya's government is cash-strapped, not because of taxation, but because of the wastage that is happening in Kenya. So if the IMF was serious about addressing the issues of overexpenditure in Kenya, then they first of all should be targeting corruption, the random corruption especially that takes a lot of resources out of the government which -- the resources that are available to build our economy.

Number two is the fact that these taxes do not necessarily have to be collected from the poorest person in the society. Currently, the feeling is that these taxes are going to collected from the poorest person. The understanding is that it is going to be wasted. Austerity measures are being imposed on the citizens. Unfortunately, the same austerity measures are not being seen to be lived by the leadership of this country. And this is what the Generation Z are not happy about. This is what Kenyans are very unhappy about.

COREN: OK. Well, Stella Agara, we are going to have to leave it there, but the protests are continuing despite the tear gas and the water cannons, they seem to be only gaining momentum. Stella Agara, joining us from Nairobi, thank you.

Well, the first Kenyan troops assigned to tackle gang violence in Haiti are being deployed in a matter of hours. They are set to arrive in Haiti later this week. That is according to the U.S. State Department. Kenyan President William Ruto held a departure ceremony on Monday for the first contingent of troops being deployed to the Caribbean nation. Kenya volunteered last year to lead an international force to tackle violence in Haiti.

Gangs control most of the capital there and have carried out widespread killings, kidnappings, and sexual violence. The Haitian government requested the help and the United Nations authorized the force last year. It's been delayed by court challenges and the deteriorating security situation in Haiti.

Stay with "CNN Newsroom." We'll be right back in just a moment.

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[02:40:40]

COREN: After attracting Hollywood studios, Atlanta has now set its eyes on the Sundance Film Festival. The city has submitted a bid to host the prestigious event beginning 2027 and pledged a $2 million budget behind the effort. Officials have also launched a website that details what the city has to offer. Usually held in Utah, the film festival's contract is set to expire in 2026. The event attracts more than 100,000 visitors every day.

More than 20 years after the release of the movie "Freaky Friday," a sequel is in the works. Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are currently filming "Freaky Friday 2." I think that might be the name of the movie. They are uprising their roles of mother and daughter who switched bodies in the original, the produces are keeping most details about the plot under wraps. But Disney did reveal some points about the sequel, saying it takes place years after the original and Lohan's character now has a daughter of her own. It is scheduled to release in 2025.

An iconic vampire is returning to the silver screen. Well, this is the new trailer for the remake of the classic vampire film "Nosferatu." It is based on the 1922 German take on Dracula, also called "Nosferatu." Director Robert Eggers says, his goal was to make an old-school gothic movie that was actually scary. And film star Bill Skarsgard is the king of vampires. He previously played Pennywise, the clown, in the "It" films. It is slated to release Christmas Day.

Well, thank you so much for joining us. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. "World Sport" is up next. Then I'll be back in 15 minutes time with more "CNN Newsroom." See you then.

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[02:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

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