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World Witnessed The Fall Of al-Assad's Regime; Trump Appears In A Post-Election Interview Ahead Of His Second Presidency; Notre Dame Cathedral Finally Reopens, First Mass Was Held After Five Years; Taylor Swift's Era's Tour Made Its Final Stop In Vancouver. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired December 09, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, the world reacts to the collapse of the Assad regime as Syrian rebels promise a new future for the country. What that could mean not only for the Middle East, but the U.S. as well.

Donald Trump sits down for his first TV interview since winning the election. Hear what he says about tariffs, immigration and retribution against his political opponents.

And Taylor Swift closes out her Eras tour. We will look at the unprecedented impact of the musician's success.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us.

And we begin in Syria, where CNN's team in the capital of Damascus heard strikes in the early hours of Monday morning after the fall of Assad's regime. It's not immediately clear who carried out those strikes.

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On Sunday, the leader of the rebel forces in Damascus delivered his first public remarks since their takeover of the country. Abu Mohammad al-Jolani says defeating the Assad regime is a, quote, "victory for the entire Islamic nation."

Syrian state TV celebrated the fall of President Bashar al-Assad on the evening news hours after he was overthrown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translator): Welcome, after 50 years of injustice and the Ba'ath Party rule and 13 years of crime, tyranny and displacement, and after a prolonged struggle in the face of all facets of the occupier's forces, the operations unit of the military leadership announced today, December 8th, 2024, the end of this dark era and the beginning of a new era for Syria. Hello to our viewers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: A source tells CNN that Assad, a key ally to Vladimir Putin, fled to Moscow with his family where they were granted asylum. After the rebels took the capital, they said they were actively searching for Assad. Some of the fighters, along with civilians, were seen ransacking his official residences.

Syrians around the world are celebrating the end of Assad's regime in parts of Lebanon, Turkey, Libya and Greece. They held up the rebel flag marking the beginning of a new era.

Well U.S. President Joe Biden called the collapse of the Assad regime a quote, "fundamental act of justice." He also offered a blueprint for how the U.S. plans to support the Middle East in this moment of instability in remarks from the White House on Sunday.

He said he plans to engage with Syrian groups as the country transitions toward a new government. But Biden warned that the U.S. will remain vigilant and closely watch the rebel group's actions. He also vowed to protect U.S. troops in the region and continue their mission against ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: We'll support Syria's neighbors, including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel, should any threat arise from Syria during this period of transition. I'll speak with leaders of the region in the coming days. I had long discussions with all of our people earlier this morning. And I'll send senior officials from my administration to the region as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: As the world awaits a transition of power in Syria, all eyes are on the main rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, is a former Al-Qaeda affiliate that's been designated as a foreign terrorist group by the US, United Nations and several other countries. The group is led by Abu Muhammad al-Jilani. The U.S. has placed a $10 million bounty on him. Senior U.S. officials say that significant portions of al-Jilani's group maintain strong links to ISIS.

Al-Jolani addressed the terrorist charges against him and HTS in an exclusive interview recently with CNN's Jomana Karadsheh.

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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: People listening to this are going to wonder why they should believe you. You are still a specially designated global terrorist by the United States with a $10 million bounty on your head. Your group is a prescribed terrorist organization by the United States, by the U.N., by the E.U., and others.

[03:05:09]

ABU MOHAMMAD AL-JOLANI, LEADER OF HAYAT TAHRIR AL-SHAM (HTS) (through translator): I say to people, don't judge by words, but by actions. I believe the reality speaks for itself. These classifications are primarily political and at the same time wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: U.S. forces conducted airstrikes on more than 75 ISIS targets in Syria on Sunday. A Pentagon official says F-15 fighter jets A-10s and B-52 bombers targeted ISIS leaders, operatives and camps. The strikes were part of an ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade and defeat ISIS, and to make sure it doesn't try to reconstitute itself amid the instability in Syria.

And Israel's Prime Minister has ordered troops to seize the buffer zone that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria. They have begun using heavy equipment to reinforce an engineering barrier in that buffer zone. Benjamin Netanyahu went to the Golan Heights and said Israel's presence in the zone will be temporary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus offers great opportunity, but also is fraught with significant dangers. One of them is the collapse of the separation of forces agreement from 1974 between Israel and Syria. This agreement held for 50 years. Last night it collapsed.

The Syrian army abandoned its positions. We gave the Israeli army the order to take over these positions to ensure that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel. This is a temporary defensive position until a suitable arrangement is found.

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CHURCH: Joining us now is CNN's Paula Hancocks, joining us live from Abu Dhabi. So, Paula, what is the latest on what's happening inside Syria right now?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, we've certainly been seeing scenes of celebration, of jubilation in Damascus and in many of the cities across Syria as residents come to terms with the fact that more than 50 years of brutal Assad dictatorship is over.

There are concerns. We have been hearing them voiced by those on the ground. But at this immediate moment, the scenes of jubilation and the feeling of relief appears to be prevalent.

Now, we've seen images of celebrations in the street, also of some of the residents of Bashar al-Assad being ransacked in Damascus. We've seen images of children going into these former residences, the palaces. And we've also seen images of people coming out carrying furniture.

So certainly some of the looting has been happening within Assad's residence itself. But the celebration is the most immediate reaction that we are seeing. And it's not just in Syria, given the fact that millions of Syrians had to flee during the brutal crackdown after 2011.

And they are in a number of different countries around the world. We have seen celebrations in those countries. We spoke to one Syrian in London.

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UNKNOWN: I can't speak for all Syrian people, but I can confidently say the majority of Syrian people probably didn't think this was going to happen, not even in their dream. So it's very surreal. And I think the happiness is shared amongst all Syrians all around the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: We're also seeing less and less presence of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. We're seeing posters being pulled down and burned. We're seeing statues of his father being toppled as well. So there really is an effort across the country to wipe away any reminder of this brutal dictatorship.

Now, we have heard, as you said, Rosemary, from the HTS leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. And he did try and sound a conciliatory note to all minorities within Syria. There are obviously concerns that some minorities may not be represented, may even be targeted within Syria.

But we heard from al-Jolani saying it's a new chapter in the history of the region and saying it is a victory for the entire Islamic nation. So certainly when it comes to what he is saying, it is a message of conciliation and a message for all Syrians, he says, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Paula, what's been the response in the region to these fast-moving events in Syria, and what's being said about this in the United States?

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HANCOCKS: Well, we're certainly seeing every country in the region watching very closely indeed to see if there is going to be any repercussion, most notably those that share a border with Syria.

When it comes to the United States, we did see the U.S. President Joe Biden give his blueprint, his idea of a future Syria, saying that the United States would be supporting this push for reconciliation, for democracy, but also pointing out that ISIS is still going to be their primary target within Syria.

There are U.S. troops in Syria that have been targeting ISIS for some time. In fact, some 75-plus ISIS targets were struck by the United States on Sunday as Damascus was falling. So we hear from the U.S. President that is the main concern.

Let's listen to what else he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I might say it again. Sovereign Syria with a new constitution, a new government that serves all Syrians. This process will be determined by the Syrian people themselves. And the United States will do whatever we can to support them, including through humanitarian relief to help restore Syria after more than a decade of war and generations of brutality by the Assad family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: The senior U.S. official does say that there are concerns that significant portions of HTS may still have some links to ISIS. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Paula Hancocks, joining us live from Abu Dhabi.

Russia has requested an urgent private meeting of the U.N. Security Council in the coming hours in response to the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria. Moscow is also concerned for their own assets still there, specifically military bases and diplomatic institutions.

State media reports Syrian rebels have guaranteed those will remain safe and that Russia hopes for continued dialogue. It's unknown how those talks will go, given the close relationship between ousted President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Iran's foreign ministry is weighing in on the unfolding events in Syria. Iran, another key backer of Assad, says it will respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but not without some caveats.

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ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Our interaction with the group that took over Syria will depend on their behavior, on what policy will they adopt against the Islamic Republic of Iran? What policy will they have against the Syrian Shiites? What will be the distance between them and the Zionist regime? What will be the distance between them and the terrorist groups? And how will they behave?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meanwhile, the Iranian ambassador to Syria warns that the fallout from the collapse of Assad's regime could spark a conflict involving regional countries and Turkey that will be beyond American control.

Well joining us now live from London is Fawaz Gerges, a professor at the London School of Economics and the author of "What Really Went Wrong - The West and the Failure of Democracy in the Middle East." Thank you so much for talking with us. So what concerns or hopes do you have about Syria's future now that

Bashar al-Assad's regime has fallen and the rebel forces are in control? And what needs to happen next?

FAWAZ GERGES, PROFESSOR, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE: I mean, this is a moment of hope for the Syrian people. Syrians are rejoicing in their new freedom. After five decades of brutality and dictatorship by the Assad family.

So I think we should really appreciate the depth of the Syrian people's joy and the sense of finally they can breathe.

Syria, I think, could go two ways. Sadly and tragically, and I hope I am wrong, it could really descend into all-out social, political, and ethnic conflict.

Similar to what happened in Yemen after the Arab Spring uprisings and similar to what happened in Libya and other places. The other way, and I hope that Syria will travel this way, is to begin the process of healing, to establish an inclusive, diverse, functioning government that tackles the vast challenges facing Syria.

[03:15:00]

I mean, Syria has a broken economy, deep scars. 300,000 people have been killed since the war started in 2011. 500,000 people injured. You have six million refugees, no trust. The various communities are very anxious about the future. So there are huge challenges facing Syria and the Syrian people.

And I hope that the rough coalition of the opposition basically begin the process of laying out a government that takes into account the aspirations and the fears of the Syrian people.

CHURCH: The White House is focusing on next steps in Syria. President Joe Biden says the key objectives will be to support Syria's neighbors, prevent ISIS from reconstituting itself, and to promote the U.N.-backed transition to an independent Syria.

What is your reaction to President Biden's approach compared to that of President-elect Donald Trump, who says this is not America's fight, so the U.S. should not get involved?

GERGES: As you know, Margaret, President Trump wanted to pull out American forces in Syria at the last year of his presidential terms. There are about 1,000 American troops on the Iraqi-Syrian borders. So we know exactly, President Trump said, there is nothing in Syria, only death and dust.

He really doesn't care about Syria, about the Middle East. Well, he doesn't really care about anyone except himself. But President Biden, obviously, he is very much concerned about the transitional period in Syria.

He wants a diverse government. He wants an inclusive government. He wants to make sure that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by Abu Mohammad al- Jolani, accepts a kind of an inclusive government, does not really establish an Islamic Emirate, similar to what happened in Afghanistan.

And he is very much concerned about the resurgence of ISIS. Just in the past 24 hours, the United States carried out about 75 bombings of targets of ISIS. So there is the likelihood, the risks, that ISIS could use this particular transitional moment to basically go on the offensive.

All in all, I think the most important point President Biden really made was that the United States will work with the United Nations in order to really help Syria transition to a new moment, a moment of hope.

Remember, Margaret, American sanctions on Syria in the past few years have pauperized the Syrian people, have pauperized even the followers of Assad. 80 percent of the Syrian people require humanitarian aid. So lifting the American sanctions, working with the United Nations, could really help Syria and the Syrian people to overcome the vast and challenging economic conditions facing the Syrian people.

CHURCH: Fawaz Gerges, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

After the break, Donald Trump discusses political enemies and pardons in his first major TV interview since last month's election.

Plus, the latest on the hunt for the person who killed a health insurance CEO in New York. We're back with that and more in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Want to check other stories we're following now?

Donald Trump addresses policy and pardons in his first major television interview since his election win. The President-elect says he will look at issuing pardons to January 6th rioters on his first day back in office.

But he's leaving room for his appointees to decide whether to go after those who led investigations into his conduct during the Capitol attack. Trump was pressed on whether he would direct his picks to send political opponents to jail.

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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: For what they did, honestly, they should go to jail.

KRISTEN WELKER, "MEET THE PRESS" ANCHOR AND MODERATOR: So you think Liz Cheney should go to jail? Everyone in the committee--

TRUMP: For what they did, I think anybody voted in favor--

WELKER: Are you going to direct your FBI director and your attorney general to send them to jail?

TRUMP: Not at all. I think that they'll have to look at that. But I'm not going to -- I'm going to focus on drill, baby, drill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Trump also previewed his plan to place additional tariffs on major trading partners like Mexico and China. He argues the U.S. is subsidizing those countries and tariff hikes will create a more equitable economy. But Americans could pay the price.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WELKER: Can you guarantee American families won't pay more?

TRUMP: I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow.

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CHURCH: Meanwhile, Trump is still pledging to launch mass deportations of people who immigrated to the U.S. illegally. But he also suggests he's open to working with Democrats to protect dreamers brought to the U.S. as children.

Trump also addressed international topics that could play a major role in his presidency. Regarding Syria, he posted on social media that, quote, "this is not our fight and that Russia was no longer interested in protecting Assad." Trump also wrote that Russia's war with Ukraine has left it weakened.

Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris on Saturday. And in another weekend post, the U.S. president-elect wrote that Zelenskyy and Ukraine want to make a deal to, quote, "stop the madness from the ongoing war."

Trump is now tapping his personal attorney to serve in a top advisor role. The president-elect announced on Sunday that Alina Habba will serve as counselor to the president for the incoming administration. Habba represented Trump in multiple legal cases during his presidential campaign. On social media, Mr. Trump praised Haber for her unwavering loyalty.

[03:25:03]

Well there will also be one less Trump in the White House in January. Eric Trump's wife, Lara Trump, announced she is stepping down as co- chair of the Republican National Committee.

She shared on social media that the group accomplished all three of the goals she set out to accomplish, surpassing fundraising goals, ensuring election integrity and improving voter turnout. Trump has not announced her next move yet, but told the Associated Press she would not rule out a run for the Senate. Authorities in New York are combing through evidence as the man who shot and killed a health insurance CEO remains on the run. On Sunday, divers once again searched a lake in New York's Central Park, hoping to find the gun used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

In another part of the park, police found the gunman's backpack with Monopoly money inside. The NYPD has released more pictures of the alleged shooter, believed to have left the city. They're trying to confirm his identity.

Millions of Syrians at home and across the world are at a critical juncture. Still to come, I will speak with an expert about the mounting humanitarian concerns as the country, devastated by more than a decade of civil war, faces an uncertain future. Back with that and more in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

Syria's former President Bashar al-Assad and his family have fled to Moscow after rebel forces toppled his regime. Russian state media says they have been granted asylum in Russia.

[03:30:03]

Russian state media says they have been granted asylum in Russia. The leader of the rebel forces in Damascus delivered his first public remarks since their takeover of the country. Abu Mohammed al-Jolani says defeating the Assad regime is a quote "victory for the entire Islamic nation."

U.S. President Joe Biden called the collapse of the Assad regime a moment of risk and opportunity. He also offered a blueprint for how the U.S. plans to support the Middle East in remarks from the White House on Sunday. President Biden vowed to protect U.S. troops in the region and continue the mission against ISIS.

After ordering the Israeli military to take control of a buffer zone abandoned by Syrian forces, Benjamin Netanyahu sought to reassure the world that it was a temporary measure. He said it's needed to ensure the safety of communities in the occupied Golan Heights and citizens of Israel. He also said he extended the hand of peace to those in Syria who seek to live in peace with Israel.

The rebels are in charge now as Syria enters an era of uncertainty. I spoke to CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger and asked him what comes next in terms of leadership in Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: We've seen the rule of the Assad family for more than half a century. And it's been brutal. And in the Syrian civil war, by the U.N.'s estimates in 2021, so a bit outdated, already 580,000 people have been killed, hundreds of thousands injured, millions displaced.

So no one is going to shed a tear, Rosemary, for Assad being in exile in Moscow, which is where the Russians say he has ended up tonight.

But that leaves open the question of who's going to rule the country. And the lead rebel group that was behind this was known a number of years ago as al-Qaeda in Syria.

They have since said that they've transformed themselves and they're no longer Sunni hardline al-Qaeda adherents, much more of nationalist tendencies. Other rebel groups joined who have differing views as well.

So the question is, can these terror groups with leaders who are on the U.S. terrorism list, bounties on their head, actually turn around and govern?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Saudi Arabia is affirming its support for Syria and says it is satisfied with the positive steps taken to ensure the Syrian people's safety. The kingdom statement comes after Russian, Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers met in Doha on Saturday.

They were together trying to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict. They expressed concern for the Syrian people, even as events on the ground move forward at an unexpected pace. Turkey is particularly concerned about potential refugees.

Millions of Syrians have sought refuge in other countries since the civil war began in 2011. The majority have settled in Turkey, nearly three million, more than seven million are internally displaced.

And we go now live to Damascus, where I'm joined by the ICRC Head of Delegation in Syria, Stephan Sakalian. Appreciate you joining us.

STEPHAN SAKALIAN, HEAD OF DELEGATION IN SYRIA, ICRC: Good morning.

CHURCH: So what will the fall of the Assad regime mean for the already dire humanitarian situation in Syria?

SAKALIAN: Well, at the current moment, what we can say is that, as you rightly remarked, that the situation in Syria was already extremely dire in humanitarian terms. So there is a lot of uncertainty about what's coming next.

Here in Damascus, there is a certain normalcy or return to the calm that happened since yesterday, which was quite a hectic day. But a lot of questions are remaining among the population. Is it safe to move and to go to hospital or to possibly soon send children to school? Is it possible for humanitarian organizations like the ICRC to carry out their emergency operations, for example, bringing urgent medical aid to some hospitals who are in high demand? Is it possible to have access to basic commodities?

The prices are going very, very high for the past days with a high level of inflation up to 40 percent for some very basic items.

[03:35:05]

And of course, is it possible to move across the country? Because many places are still affected by front lines, ongoing hostilities, problems of law and order. And there is a lot of question marks that still remain among the population.

CHURCH: So what are the greatest needs for the Syrian people right now? And what level of help do they need and how much are they actually getting at this time?

SAKALIAN: Well, first and foremost, I think it's very important to remind that in such a situation, there is a call to all the parties in the country to ensure that the civilian population is respected because safety is not back in all the places of Syria.

And we really call all parties to respect the civilian population, to protect the civilian population, to ensure its movements in the safest possible way. There are huge movements of population as I speak.

And of course, we call all parties also to maintain the continuity of public services, of hospitals, of schools, of water and electricity facilities. So all this needs to continue, although we are in a kind of transition moment, in a moment of many unknowns. We also call, of course, to have all humanitarian organizations granted access.

When you ask me about the needs, yesterday we received here in Damascus many calls from some hospitals, from health facilities asking for urgent delivery of medication and emergency medical items. Because of the situation, it was not possible to deliver because there was no safety for the organization to move and reach these hospitals.

But we need to make sure that safety is restored, that movements are granted and that humanitarian organizations have the possibility to move goods and people to deliver on the most emergency needs.

CHURCH: And what are your main concerns as the country works through this massive shift from Bashar al-Assad to a new leadership, whatever that ends up looking like, whatever it ends up being?

SAKALIAN: Well, there is a lot of questions, as I said, that will have to be answered and that we will have to monitor in the coming days. But as I said just before, the country is not back to normal.

There are still, for example, in the coastal areas of Tartus and Latakia, some problems of law and order. And as long as security will not prevail, it will be very difficult for the population to go back to some kind of normalcy, let alone for the humanitarians to try to deliver on their mission.

If we look at the north and the northeast of the country, there are still ongoing hostilities between different groups, and it will be difficult in such conditions for the people, for example, to go back home. A lot of people are willing to go back home or to move from one region

to another, and it is not safe yet to do so. There is, of course, another problem, which is, as I said, the resumption of the public services. We need to ensure that public services, essential and critical infrastructures are not only spared but can function.

So all this will require the different parties to the conflict to find some arrangements, to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, and to, of course, let humanitarian organization work, which is very difficult for the moment due to the uncertainties about both safety, but also pipelines, routes and possibilities to move goods and people around the country.

CHURCH: Stephan Sakalian, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it.

SAKALIAN: You're most welcome. Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: Absolutely.

Well some Syrians rushed to the notorious Sednaya prison in Damascus on Sunday, searching for their loved ones, after rebel fighters stormed the prison and released all the detainees. Videos show hundreds of men shuffling out of the overcrowded prison, known for its inhumane conditions. The rebels were seen breaking down walls with sledgehammers after finding prison cells that appeared to be hidden.

A 2023 report by the United Nations Human Rights Council detailed, quote, "widespread and systematic patterns of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in Assad's detention facilities."

South Korean prosecutors have banned President Yoon Suk-yeol from travelling overseas amid an investigation into his attempt to impose martial law last week and potential insurrection charges. President Yoon publicly apologized on Saturday, but it was too little too late as his party is set to seek his resignation and they're pushing for his suspension.

While it only lasted six hours, the emergency declaration caused widespread anger across the country, sparking memories of the decades South Korea spent under a military dictatorship.

[03:40:06]

Coming up after the break, a weekend full of celebrations has kicked off a new era for Notre Dame Cathedral, open to the world for the first time in five years. Back with that in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Jay-Z is calling the sexual assault allegations levered against him heinous and idiotic. A woman is already suing rapper Sean Diddy Combs, now she's updating that lawsuit to include Jay-Z, whose real name is Sean Carter. The woman alleges that both men assaulted her at a party in the year 2000 when she was just 13 years old. Jay-Z is married to singer Beyonce and says he is being blackmailed. The long-awaited reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral arrived this

weekend with lots of fanfare as world leaders and tourists alike flocked to Paris. The first mass was celebrated Sunday, marking a new era for the gothic masterpiece.

Melissa Bell takes us to the weekend's exciting opening.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris once again opened for worship. The very first mass held on Sunday after a devastating fire ripped through the cathedral in April 2019.

The grand opening ceremony was on Saturday night. 50 heads of state attended, including President-elect Donald Trump and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had a chance to meet for the first time since Donald Trump's reelection at the Elysee Palace before the ceremony. Then that ceremony inside Notre Dame to celebrate its reopening, but the consecration of the altar and the cathedral as a whole not until Sunday morning, allowing that first mass to take place. What we understand is the plan is now for three masses a day to be held each day for the next six months.

[03:45:02]

Such do they believe the appetite of the faithful will be to return to Notre Dame restored. One of the main architects of the restoration explained to me not so much to its grandeur of five years ago, but beyond that, to the grandeur of what it was in the 19th century when it was last fully restored at the time when that spire that collapsed so dramatically in 2019 was built.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The American Airlines has extended its suspension of flights from Miami to Haiti indefinitely after one of its planes was hit by gunfire last month. It's one of three U.S.-based airlines whose planes were hit by bullets last month amid rampant gang violence in Haiti.

American Airlines previously suspended daily service between Miami and Haiti through February, but no return of service date was included in the new announcement. The airline says it will continue to monitor the situation and customer demand.

Taylor Swift's Eras tour has come to an end. Just ahead, a look at the history made during the singer's nearly two-year adventure sharing her music with the world.

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[03:50:02]

CHURCH: Taylor Swift has wrapped up the concert tour that made her a billionaire. The pop star held her final performance of the Eras tour Sunday night at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. Swift told her audience more than 10 million people saw her perform throughout the nearly two-year run.

Eras is considered the highest-grossing tour of all time, believed to have made an estimated $2.2 billion.

Sarah Chapelle is the fashion writer and creator of the blog "Taylor Swift Style". She joins me now from Vancouver. Sarah, you were at the final show in this record-breaking Eras tour. How was it? How did Swift end this run?

SARAH CHAPELLE, AUTHOR OF "TAYLOR SWIFT STYLE: FASHION THROUGH THE ERAS": It was an absolutely incredible final run for Taylor's monumental and incredibly historic Eras tour. I live in Vancouver. I'm a local Vancouver author who just wrote a "New York Times" best- selling book on Taylor's fashion evolution, and it was an incredible honor to be able to see the artistic feat that is the Eras tour conclude in my backyard.

CHURCH: So anything special or unique about her final performance in Vancouver, do you think?

CHAPELLE: Well, there definitely was a lot of filming equipment happening in Vancouver during these final run of shows. So whatever she has up her sleeve that she was filming for this final run of shows, I'm sure that fans around the world can't wait to find out what that is.

CHURCH: And you have blogged about Taylor Swift's fashion since 2011. And as you mentioned, you've written a book about the various eras of her career. This tour had so many wardrobe changes, didn't it? And stylish looks highlighting each chapter of her musical closet. So how has she married fashion with her music? And what does her look say about each era?

CHAPELLE: For sure. So ever since the beginning of her career, Taylor has used both her lyrics and her fashion to communicate a message. They're the two communication tools that she has the greatest amount of control over.

Her lyrics are obviously this emotional evocation for fans to hear her story, but her fashion is really what brings it to life. And we see that play out on the Eras tour as she goes through each of the eras that have defined her entire career.

The Eras tour does such an incredible job of really demonstrating the visual legacy of her entire career-defining discography up on that stage. And she does so beautifully through so many stunning high-end designer costumes from Versace and Roberto Cavalli and beyond.

And she does such an incredible job at epitomizing the evolution not only of her career musically, but also fashion-wise and all the different versions of herself that she's been over all of her eras.

CHURCH: Yes. And as you've been speaking with us, we've been looking at some of those images. It's just incredible. And you, of course, have built a community with your blog posts on Taylor's fashion. And as you know, Swifties, they're quite an incredible group.

They want to know everything about their favorite singer and rely on you for some of that information. What's it like for you to be part of this journey with a legion of fans? And how were you received on her tour stops?

CHAPELLE: Oh, it's been an absolute incredible honor. I've been a fan of Taylor's music myself since I was since 2006. So Taylor's music has been the soundtrack to over half of my life. So I come at this documenting her fashion and writing this book from a unique perspective of both journalist and reporter, but also as a genuine lifelong fan. And I really hope that comes across in all aspects of my work, both online and of course in this book.

Fashion is such a pivotal way that Swifties can kind of communicate our fandom to one another in silent ways. You go to these concerts and you just see, you know, miles upon miles of sequins and sparkles and smiles and joy.

And we're all, you know, this one giant community and you're able to spot one another across a room. And that's through fashion, which is such an incredible expression of identity and the things that we're most passionate about. And in this case, that's obviously Taylor.

CHURCH: Yeah. And it is this giant community, isn't it? Can you put the Eras tour into historical context? Just how massive was it and what's next for Taylor Swift? How could she possibly top this?

CHAPELLE: The thing about Taylor is that I think that she will always forge her own path. She always has, ever since the beginning. So whatever is next for her, I'm sure is going to be exactly where she needs to be and that fans can't wait for that next step in her journey, that next era for her.

But for sure, I think Taylor's music obviously brings us all together, that emotional aspect of things.

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But her fashion and the visual legacy that she's left behind, you know, the reclamation of girlhood and celebrating it through her visuals is something that I think so many of us find joy in and want to embrace and want to lean in. And it's this opportunity with the Eras tour to be able to truly be the embodiment of that joy and of that celebration.

I can't understate the magnitude that is the Eras tour economically for every city that she has stopped in, emotionally for every single fan who's been lucky enough to be able to attend, myself included, tonight and all three nights of the Vancouver show dates, but also for Taylor herself as well in terms of career spanning, number of songs included in a show, length of show, and you know, number of designers and costumes utilized. She's never worn this many costumes and costume variations for a tour.

And it's been a pleasure for me to document it both online through "Taylor Swift Style" and in my book, "Taylor Swift Style."

CHURCH: Well done. Well done indeed. Sarah Chapelle, thank you so much for talking with us. I appreciate it.

CHAPELE: Thank you.

CHURCH: And thank you for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. CNN NEWSROOM continues next with Max Foster in London.

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