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Putin Visits India; Fallout Grows Over the Legality of Strike on an Alleged Drug Boat; Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo Signed an Agreement in Washington; French President Visits Chengdu On Last Day Of Trip; Anti-Hamas Militia Leader Killed In Gaza; Suspect Arrested In Pipe Bombs Planted In U.S. Capitol; World Cup Draw Set To Take Place In A Few Hours. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired December 05, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

Vladimir Putin in India for the first time since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It's the tightrope walk. India's prime minister will have to maneuver that many will be watching. We're live in New Delhi with the latest. Growing fallout over the legality of a September strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean carried out by the U.S. A reaction from lawmakers after a classified briefing. And a 2026 World Cup reveal is just hours away. We'll have the details.

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

BRUNHUBER: Russian President Vladimir Putin is in India right now for a high-stakes meeting with Narendra Modi. The Indian prime minister rolled out the red carpet for Putin, welcoming him with a special ceremony at the presidential palace. The visit comes as Modi tries to balance his trade relationship with the U.S. and his ties with Russia.

Ahead of the summit, Putin spoke to Indian media and vowed to take Ukraine's Donbas region by military or other means. One of the Kremlin's main demands for ending the war is for Ukraine to surrender territory in the Donbas, which Russia illegally annexed but has yet to fully conquer. Here's what Putin said when he was asked what would constitute a victory for Russia in the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (Through translator): We will finish it when we achieve the goals set at the beginning of the special military operation, when we free these territories. That's all.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: And joining me live now from New Delhi is CNN's Will Ripley. So, Will, let's start with this. Putin laying a wreath at the Gandhi Memorial. The symbolism there, a bit ironic, isn't it?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, because Mahatma Gandhi is synonymous with non-violence, and here you have the Russian leader who is waging one of the bloodiest wars in modern memory. Hundreds of thousands of people have died.

And yet that is not a main topic of discussion really at all here in New Delhi. Vladimir Putin is being welcomed as a friend of the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi. India has bought a significant amount of highly-discounted Russian oil ever since the invasion began. They were buying 2.5% of Russian oil before the war. Now, it's up to 35% at one point, at one count. So, obviously, the Indians have been taking advantage of a good price for Russian oil.

But President Trump and others in the West have accused India of helping to fund Vladimir Putin's war machine, and that's one of the reasons why President Trump slapped massive tariffs on India. There's going to be a U.S. trade delegation coming here next week to try to figure out if India can start out a trade deal with the U.S.

That interview that you showed a moment ago with Vladimir Putin, he also talked about this oil purchase issue. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PUTIN (through translator): As for India's purchases or purchase of energy resources from Russia, well, I would like to note and have already mentioned this publicly once, the U.S. itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants. That is also fuel, uranium for the reactors operating in the United States. If the U.S. has the right to buy our fuel, why shouldn't India have the same privilege?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: So, interesting to hear Vladimir Putin basically call President Trump and the United States almost hypocritical for criticizing those massive oil purchases. There are other items on the agenda here in Delhi as well. The two leaders are expected in the coming hours to ink new deals not only on energy, but also on trade. Prime Minister Modi trying to address the very large trade imbalance that exists between India and Russia, with India doing most of the buying, Russia doing most of the selling as things stand right now.

And then also, this is significant, we've known for a long time that Russian jets are the backbone of India's air force, Kim. But now, President Putin has actually talked publicly about this, Russia is looking to share technology with the Indian military, which will allow India to domestically produce fighter jets.

Sharing of military technology is something that only the closest, most cherished and trusted allies would do, and that's now something that could be announced here as a result of this meeting in New Delhi between Putin and Modi.

[02:05:00]

So, a lot of potential headlines coming out in the coming hours. It will be interesting to hear what President Trump and the White House have to say about this because, undoubtedly, they're watching this very closely.

The optics are very powerful, to see what a close friendship and relationship these two men have, everything from Putin's arrival and Prime Minister Modi taking the extraordinarily rare step to wait for him and greet him at the airport to the exchanging of gifts, Modi handing Putin a very famous Hindu scripture book.

They had a private dinner last night, more pomp this morning with the color guard, we saw the wreath laying, and just a red carpet welcome overall for Vladimir Putin, who is regarded as a pariah by much of the Western world but being embraced as a close and trusted and valuable friend here in India.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, we'll be on the optics. We'll be looking to see what is announced. And, as you say, the reaction from the U.S. as well. Will Ripley, thank you so much.

Ukraine's delegation is in Miami to discuss a plan to end the four- year-old war. The meetings follow lengthy talks in Moscow between Vladimir Putin, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as very productive and useful. The Trump administration has been pushing hard for Ukraine to surrender some of its territory in order to reach a peace deal with Moscow. Ukraine says it's committed to defending its land.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (Through translator): Today, Ukrainian representatives will continue talks in the United States with President Trump's team. Our task now is to obtain full information about what was said in Russia, what other reasons Putin found to prolong the war and put pressure on Ukraine, on us, on our independence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The U.S. Military says it has carried out yet another deadly attack on a suspected drug boat, this time in the Eastern Pacific, killing four people on board. U.S. Southern Command says the boat in international waters was carrying illicit narcotics and was operated by a designated terrorist organization. At least 87 people have now been killed in U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats as part of the Trump administration's efforts to fight drug trafficking.

Now, that strike came as Pentagon officials briefed U.S. lawmakers about a different strike, a deadly double-tap attack in September on an alleged drug boat. U.S. Navy admiral who oversaw that operation says two men who initially survived that strike didn't appear to have a radio or call for backup as they clung to floating remnants of the ship. Now, it's contrary to previous statements from officials who argued the survivors were legitimate targets because they appeared to be radioing for backup.

CNN's Manu Raju reports on the reaction from lawmakers after the closed-door briefing on the strikes.

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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Republicans and Democrats emerged from those closed-door briefings with top military officials sharply divided over these deadly boat strikes that occurred in early September that now becoming a source of major controversy because of the initial reports about how defenseless survivors were killed in a subsequent attack, something known as a double-tap strike.

And if it's a defenseless survivor, it could very well be a violation of the laws of war and what some say a war crime, particularly -- Democrats, in particular, are saying this could have been a war crime.

So, what exactly happened here? Because the secretary of defense has tried to distance himself from this attack and has said that it is the Navy admiral, Mitch Bradley, who was in charge of what happened in this attack and called for the second strike to occur. Now, Pete Hegseth has said that this is all done lawfully. The White House has defended this as well.

And the question is, what exactly happened? Because Bradley as well as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, came to Capitol Hill. They met with top Democrats and Republicans on key committees in a classified setting, showed them videos of the strikes.

Republicans emerged in line with the White House's defense. Some of the Republicans like Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said this was a lawful attack, a righteous attack, and said that the people, those two defenseless survivors, he said, were trying to flip that boat back over, get back onto the boat, and continue the drug trafficking. This is what the administration said that this is all about. The strikes in the Caribbean were to stop drug traffickers from coming into the United States.

Democrats had a sharply different view. They said that this was, in the words of Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat who's the top Democratic member on the House Intelligence Committee, he said this is the most troubling video he has seen in his time serving in the United States House. He raised major questions about the legality of it.

I did catch up with the top Democrat who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, after he had his own briefing in the afternoon, and he made very clear he has more questions about this, and he called for more information to be released.

[02:10:05]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU (voice-over): Senator Cotton said that this was a lawful attack that was carried out. In your view, seeing the videos here, was this a lawful attack?

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): I am -- I think the video was very disturbing. I am not going to weigh in on all of the questions about lawful morality, judgments, until I get all the information. I mean, some of the accusations that have been made, you know, whether this kind of action constituted a war crime, I can't think of a more serious accusation that could be made.

I do continue to have concerns that this pattern from Secretary Hegseth of putting our uniformed military in harm's way or under duress, as we saw from the inspector general report or how there seems to be a number of variations of this story, of how the facts are rolled out, how the reluctance to share with Congress for a strike that took place on September 2nd until December, the unedited video, I can at least comment on those actions. I think it doesn't do the secretary or our armed forces any service by holding back and not being transparent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Now, the question is, where does this go from here, and whether Republicans will continue to pursue this investigation? Roger Wicker, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, initially said he planned to move, look into this, and provide oversight over what happened here. But is he satisfied with this? He did not say. He refused to comment, leaving this closed-door classified briefing.

And will other Republicans side with Tom Cotton, the Intelligence Committee chairman, who said that everything seemed lawful and righteous, or will they raise concerns like some of the Democrats have, or will they stay quiet? All the big questions right now. The White House wants to move on from this, but Democrats want more information released. But will any more information be released? That's going to be the big question here in the Capitol.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Landmark peace deal. Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo agreed to end decades of conflict, but their leaders hinted at a tough road ahead. Plus, an Israeli-backed Palestinian militia leader killed in Gaza while trying to de-escalate a conflict. We will look at how his death poses a potential setback to Israel's post-war plans for the enclave. Those stories and more coming up. Stay with us.

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[02:15:00]

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BRUNHUBER: The presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a peace deal to end decades-long conflicts. They signed the agreement in Washington alongside President Trump. Leaders of both African nations spoke of their determination to uphold the peace. But as CNN's Larry Madowo reports, it will be a demanding road ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Despite President Trump claiming to have ended a 30-year war, you can tell how much the Congolese and Rwandan presidents don't trust each other based on what they said. President Paul Kagame was first to speak, and he said this deal has all the elements necessary to bring this conflict to an end once and for all. But also, he said this.

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PAUL KAGAME, PRESIDENT OF RWANDA: If this agreement falters and things do not work out as they are supposed to, the responsibility will not lie with President Trump but with ourselves. Rwanda, I know, will not be found wanting. I can assure you of that. Our only objective is and has always been for our country to be safe and secure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: President Tshisekedi was equally grateful to President Trump and the Americans for helping make what they are calling the Washington Accords possible. And he had a criticism, very subtle, but it's there for President Kagame and the Rwandan involvement in this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FELIX TSHISEKEDI, PRESIDENT OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: We do hope that with the same seriousness that the Republic of Rwanda will also respects fully the letter and the spirit of the commitments made here in Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: There have been many other deals to try and end the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The African Union has tried it. There's currently mediation happening in Doha, led by Qatar. In fact, the M23 rebel group, allegedly backed by Rwanda, are not a part to this. And when I spoke to the leader, Corneille Nangaa, in September, he said they don't trust President Tshisekedi. He's a crook. He used that word, crook. And they can't trust anything he signs because he has gone back on previous deals.

But the subtext here is what President Trump said about the U.S. signing separate bilateral deals with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: And we'll be involved with sending some of our biggest and greatest companies over to the two countries. And we're going to take out some of the rare earth and take out some of the assets and pay.

[02:20:02] And everybody is going to make a lot of money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: The signing of this deal in Washington alone will not end the war in the Eastern DRC. In fact, just this week, both sides accused each other of sabotaging this deal. The Congolese army claims to have come under attack in three separate areas. And in return, the M23 rebel group said they'd been attacked by the Wazalendo, which is an armed militia group allegedly backed by the Congolese government.

But what's significant is that President Trump has got these men at the table. This is significant. Even if it does not end the war, they have committed to it. And the world will be watching.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Lusaka, Zambia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And for more on this, I want to bring in Judith Verweijen, an assistant professor in political geography at Utrecht University. She joins me now from the Netherlands. Thank you so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it. So, this peace deal was just signed yesterday. You've been studying this conflict for more than a decade, right? I mean, what is the first thing you notice that's missing from this agreement?

JUDITH VERWEIJEN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY, UTRECHT UNIVERSITY: Yes, this agreement is, of course, a first step as the problems in the region are deeply rooted and are also broader than what is being addressed within this peace agreement.

So, one thing that is obvious is this has been a regional conflict at the level of the Great Lakes region as a whole. Yet Burundi and Uganda, which also have troops in eastern Congo, and there's also Ugandan and Burundian rebel groups that are active there, are not implicated in that.

Another thing that is obvious is also -- one of the problems has been the nature of the Congolese state, which isn't able to secure its citizens and provide public services, and has also been an important factor in ongoing conflict over the past 30 years. And, of course, this agreement also doesn't address that. Plus, the fact that the M23, the major rebel faction that is active in eastern DRC right now, is not implicated. But there's also 100 plus other armed groups that are roaming eastern DRC, which are also not implicated in this deal.

So, if anything, we could say it is incomplete. It doesn't address some of the key actors nor some of the key other drivers of conflict that are involved.

BRUNHUBER: OK. So, you've talked about what it doesn't do. Then, I mean, is it worth the paper it's printed on essentially? What does it actually do?

VERWEIJEN: Yes. It's, of course, seen as a first step. It contains measures to basically change the incentive structure. It's very much a deal that is oriented towards economic investment in the hope that some peace dividend will come out of that and that all parties also recognize that having a legal integrated economy eventually works in everybody's benefit.

However, there are many stumbling blocks, even towards implementing the regional economic integration framework that is a part of this deal. So, whether those incentive structures are really going to change remains very much up in the air at this stage.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. The stakes here, I mean, we haven't really talked about it. The scale of this war is often overlooked. I mean, what could peace mean for millions of civilians across the region there?

VERWEIJEN: Yes, this region has -- there's an ongoing humanitarian tragedy in the whole region, but also very bad economic conditions in some of the neighboring countries. And there's, of course, a fast potential to unlock. Young people here in eastern DRC, they are born in war. In their whole lives, they have not seen nothing else but war. And so, there's a high level of war wariness. Everybody longs for peace. And, of course, some sort of agreement does offer a glimmer of hope, although we first need to see whether it translates into actual results on the ground.

BRUNHUBER: Yes.

VERWEIJEN: That has, of course, been difficult because, you know, over the past days, heavy fighting actually resumed again. And so, for all those entrapped in conflict who are just faced with fighting on a daily basis, they first want to see an actual end to fighting before they can believe that this is going to bring anything good for them.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Good point. Before we go, you talked earlier about economic incentives in this agreement. I mean, President Trump announced mineral deals alongside this with American companies coming in to access rare earth minerals. I mean, based on your research on how resource extraction actually fuels conflict there, I mean, what concerns does that raise?

[02:24:59]

VERWEIJEN: Yes, like I said, at this stage, it's quite difficult. For instance, if we talk about the east where the conflict is, most sites of mineral extraction are currently occupied by either the N23 or other rebel groups. So, it will be very difficult to implement that agreement as long as there is no solution to all those other armed groups that are currently active.

There are also problems in respect of establishing -- convincing solid traceability schemes. And there is a quite difficult business climate in eastern Congo. That doesn't only relate to insecurity, but also other problems in relation to, we could say, corruption, difficult governance, but also lack of energy infrastructure and transport infrastructure.

So, doing business in eastern Congo is quite tough. And, therefore, there is hope that this will work out, but it's not going to be easy.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Hope for peace. But as you point out, the fighting continues. Judith Verweijen, thank you so much for speaking with us. Really appreciate it.

VERWEIJEN: All right. Thank you for inviting me.

BRUNHUBER: The French president is wrapping up an eventful trip to China. Still ahead, what Emmanuel Macron discussed with Xi Jinping during his three-day trip, including what they said about Ukraine. And after an investigation lasting nearly five years, a suspect in Washington, D.C. pipe bombing is under arrest. Just ahead, we'll go to Virginia to learn about what the main investigators say left bombs ahead of the January 6th riots in the nation's capital. Stay with us.

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[02:31:44]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

French President Emmanuel Macron is wrapping up his trip to China with a visit to Chengdu. The city is famously home to China's iconic giant pandas. It's been an eventful trip for Macron, who looked to secure economic cooperation with China. He also discussed Ukraine with China's President Xi Jinping.

Let me bring in CNN's bureau chief in Beijing, Steven Jiang.

So, obviously, lots for them to discuss. Let's start with Ukraine. That will be top of the agenda. Of course, Macron has been pressuring Xi to do more to end the war there. What's been the reaction so far?

STEVE JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right. Kim, you know from macrons and many Western leaders' perspective, China really has been providing Russia with this economic lifeline in the face of Western sanctions. And the two countries between Moscow and Beijing, their relationship has grown ever closer, not only economically, but also politically, militarily, with a lot of allegation of China, even, you know, basically propping up the Russian defense industrial complex, something Beijing has denied.

But obviously, Macron wants Xi to use that leverage to lean on his buddy Putin to at least stop these continuous attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, especially civilian energy facilities as winter approached. That's something Macron actually said in public on Thursday, saying at the very least, in his words, he hoped to see Xi join this efforts. Now the two sides. Just a short while ago, actually issued a joint statement and mentioned Ukraine specifically.

But I think the language is perhaps a lot more vague than Macron would have hoped. In this statement, both sides said they would support all efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire and also restoring peace based on international law. So, China is still very much not trying to assign blame and claim neutrality. And also remember, Xi Jinping has said repeatedly Chinas bottom line is a, quote/unquote fair, lasting and binding agreement. And now you know, sacrifice one party's security to guarantee another party's -- Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. And then take us through the economy as well. Obviously, a huge issue. So, take us through what's coming from those discussions.

JIANG: That's right. That's the other big ticket item, if you will, on Macron's agenda, just like Donald Trump, like the U.S. government, European leaders like Macron have grown increasingly frustrated over this trade imbalance. And they have seen, of course, Chinese manufacturing becomes more and more dominant in a growing number of fields flooding world markets, but including European markets with cheap exports, in some cases, of course, decimating local sectors and economies.

So that has indeed been one of their biggest complaints and grievances in the past, we have seen macron joining other European leaders trying to emphasize the need to de-risk from China to even raise the possibility of raising tariffs. But this time, during his trip, he has struck a more cooperative, conciliatory tone, really emphasizing the potential for win-win cooperation, if you will, in fields ranging from nuclear energy to aerospace and also emerging fields like A.I. and biopharmaceuticals.

[02:35:01]

But so far, though, even though he brought with him some three dozen corporate executives, we have not seen a lot of major deals to be signed. So, it's really a lot of platitudes, but not that much concrete progress being made. We haven't even seen, for example, what some had predicted a huge order from China of Airbus commercial jets. So that's why with a lot of these smiles and pageantry we are still not seeing too much substance.

But given where he is, Kim, in Chengdu, maybe the best he could hope for is bring back to France a pair of pandas because France just recently lost their last two pandas, sending them back to China. So maybe that's a front he could make some progress on -- Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, modest goals there, I suppose. Steven Jiang in Beijing. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

An Israeli-backed anti-Hamas militia leader has been killed in Gaza while trying to de-escalate a conflict in a public square. Yasser Abu Shabab was the leader of a group that controlled territory in Rafah. His militia was the most prominent Israeli-backed group that opposed Hamas. His death poses a potential setback for Israel's postwar plans, as Hamas tries to regain its foothold in the region.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: The leader of a prominent Palestinian militia in Gaza, backed and funded by Israel, has died. Yasser Abu Shabab, that militia leader was killed on Thursday, according to Israeli sources. The circumstances of how he was killed are still unclear at this time, but two of those sources said that Israel actually evacuated Abu Shabab to a hospital in southern Israel, where he was ultimately pronounced dead.

Abu Shabab has coordinated with the Israeli military and the Israeli government for months now. His militia was armed and funded by the Israeli government, in a move that was not run through the Israeli security cabinet notably, but was carried out with the approval of the current Israeli government led by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Abu Shabab was based with his several hundred militiamen, according to his group on the Israeli side of the yellow demarcation line inside the Gaza Strip and throughout this cease fire, his group has gone into the Hamas controlled side of Gaza to carry out raids, at times on that side. Hamas, which has previously vowed to target Abu Shabab, has not officially commented on his death, but a Hamas affiliated group on Telegram posted this message saying, "Like we told you, Israel will not protect you."

And so, while Hamas isn't yet claiming responsibility for having killed Shabab, clearly they want there to be a message out of this to any current or potential future collaborators with the state of Israel. And indeed, this will raise questions for other Palestinian militia groups or criminal gangs that may be considering participating or working with the Israeli government, with Israeli forces, about what could happen to them in those cases, or perhaps the limits of how much Israel can protect them from these kinds of actions.

But as I said, we still don't know the full circumstances of how exactly Abu Shabab was killed. Abu Shabab was also viewed as part of kind of Israels postwar governance plan of Gaza. We know that Israel has backed these armed gangs in the absence of a kind of broader postwar governance plan for the Gaza Strip. We are now waiting to see when those next stages of that postwar governance plan that at least President Trump and the United States have been pushing for, when those will begin to come into play, and when Israel will start to cooperate with the idea of an international stabilization force, for example, going into Gaza and a potential Palestinian technocratic government taking the reins of power from the Hamas government inside of the Gaza strip.

But this does remain a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. On Wednesday, we saw that at least five people were killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza. That, according to the Israeli military, was in retaliation for an attack carried out by Palestinian militants that wounded five Israeli soldiers.

The -- what we do know, though, is that there appear to have been civilian casualties as a result of that Israeli strike. Two children were among the dead, according to Gaza's civil defense, and at least 32 others. Other people were treated for injuries as a result of that strike.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Israel's military says it struck targets in two southern Lebanon towns. The IDF ordered the evacuation of two buildings it claims were being used by Hezbollah militants. Rubble and damage could be seen in the area on Thursday. The strikes came one day after Israel and Lebanon sent civilian envoys to a committee overseeing a fragile ceasefire. Each side accuses the other of breaking the ceasefire they agreed to a year ago.

[02:40:03]

After almost a five-year-long manhunt, Brian Cole, Jr. of Virginia was arrested on Thursday and charged in connection with pipe bombs found in Washington, D.C., the night before the U.S. capitol riot. Surveillance video showed a man placing bombs near the Democratic and Republican Party headquarters, but his identity wasn't clear.

CNN's Brian Todd has more from the scene of the arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're here at the scene of the suspect's home in Woodbridge, Virginia. We were told by neighbors this was a very loud and active scene when law enforcement first converged upon the house. I'm going to step aside a little bit and let our photojournalist, Linda Guarino, go past me. She'll zoom past me to the cul-de-sac here.

Now, the house in question is not the red brick house with the green shutters in the background. It is the house just to the right of it, where you see the side of it. The white siding there. That's the house of the suspect, according to everything that we are told.

And you see law enforcement vehicles and police tape all around there. And again, you know, neighbors here describe this as a very, very active scene when law enforcement first converged upon the scene.

One of the neighbors told us that he saw a lot of law enforcement vehicles, you know, basically coming down to the end of the cul-de- sac. He said he saw law enforcement personnel wearing camouflage, carrying automatic weapons, wearing SWAT team kind of outfits there, pointing the weapons at the house, going on a loudspeaker saying they were with the FBI, that they had a warrant. Again, this is the account of a neighbor who saw this.

When they got on the loudspeaker and said they had a warrant, they asked someone to come out. A woman came out, according to this man who witnessed it, spoke to the -- to the law enforcement officials there. She was not taken into custody. They spoke to her. She went in the house, according to this witness.

And then another woman came out of the house again, spoke to officials there. Then that woman went back into the house, he said. At that point he said law enforcement converged upon the front door. He did not witness the actual suspect being brought out of the house. But that's the account that he gave us. Very dramatic scene as they converged, first upon this house to

apprehend the suspect. We've also gotten some accounts from neighbors who would often see the suspect walking his dog. They described it as a very small dog. One neighbor called it a chihuahua.

That he was seen often, frequently walking the dog, often taking very long walks, but that he basically kept to himself. He was almost a reclusive figure. They said he didn't come out of the house very much other than to walk his dog. When they would say hello to him, he would say hello, but he would not speak to them. He was often seen wearing headphones as he walked the dog.

Again, described as someone who often kept to himself, in this, what they say is a very close neighborhood. We've spoken to four neighbors who live here who say this is a very tightly knit, close neighborhood. They often have barbecues that the HOA holds, often at the end of this cul-de-sac. And in those events, they often bring in law enforcement people, fire department people to interact with the community. They said it's a very close knit neighborhood, and just about all the neighbors described themselves as being very surprised, if not shocked, about what happened here.

Brian Todd, CNN, Woodbridge, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration is raising fears across the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security says raids in the New Orleans area are targeting violent criminals, who were released after arrests for serious crimes. But critics say federal agents seem to be racially profiling people.

Now, video of the suburb of Kenner shows masked agents detaining a man as his children and neighbors watch in shock. Have a look

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Be nice, be nice. You can do that. Oh my god! He is a good man. He provides for his family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Kenner's police chief says he's been trying to get help from the federal government for years, and welcomes the crackdown.

National Guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C. can stay in the Capitol for now. On Thursday, a federal appeals court temporarily froze a judge's ruling that would have forced the troops out. The district's attorney general urged the appeals court to reject the Trump administration's request that several thousand troops remain.

The presence of national guardsmen in D.C. came under renewed scrutiny after two troops were shot last week. One guard member died. The other remains in critical condition.

And we're just hours away from the draw for the biggest World Cup ever. We'll tell you why this promises to be an unforgettable tournament in more ways than one.

Stay with us.

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[02:49:05]

BRUNHUBER: Well, the Olympic flame for the next Winter Games has reached its host nation, Italy. The handover ceremony was held in Athens. The flames setting off on a 63-day journey from Rome through every region of Italy, passing 60 cities and 300 towns before reaching Milan for the opening ceremony on February 6th. The cities hosting the games with the Alpine resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, which last staged the Olympics 70 years ago.

The draw for next year's World Cup is just a few hours away. FIFA offered a sneak peek at preparations for the draw on Wednesday. An array of stars from the world of sports, films and music will be on hand. Tom Brady, Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum are among the big names that have a role to play. The draw will see teams assigned to one of 12 groups for round robin play, and then the top teams in those groups will eventually move on to a knockout round to decide the winner.

Now, the 2026 World Cup will mark many firsts for the tournament. It's the first world cup to be hosted by three countries, and the first to include 48 teams. But the buildup to the tournament has been marked by issues off the field.

CNN's Amanda Davies explains.

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AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three years ago, when Leo Messi and Argentina got their hands on the World Cup trophy in Qatar, we'd never seen a World Cup final or trophy lift like it.

GIANNI INFANTINO, FIFA PRESIDENT: The last one who lifted that is Leo Messi and here it is in the Oval Office.

DAVIES (voice-over): But here we are in 2025.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Can I keep it?

DAVIES (voice-over): It's long been called the greatest show on Earth but next year's edition of the FIFA men's World Cup should be greater than ever.

For the first time, with three host nations and more countries taking part than any other edition of the tournament.

We've had the minnows making major waves in qualifying -- Curacao, Uzbekistan, Jordan and Cape Verde amongst those benefiting from the expansion from 32 teams to 48 and set to make their debut. And let's not forget the big guns. Erling Haaland set to grace football's biggest stage at last with Norway. So, too, 18-year old sensation Lamine Yamal, with European champion Spain. And one final international bow for Egypt's Mo Salah, Argentina's Messi and, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Canada, Mexico and USA have been selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

DAVIES (voice-over): When the tournament was awarded to the trio of hosts in 2018, it was dubbed the United Bid. Times have changed, politically at least.

TRUMP: We are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

DAVIES (voice-over): With Trump's threats to annex Canada as the USA's 51st state and his far-reaching trade tariffs, this is a tournament playing out against the backdrop of the international politics.

REPORTER: How do you see the World Cup playing out with the, you know, the tensions you have with Canada and Mexico?

TRUMP: Oh, I think it's going to make it more exciting. Tensions are a good thing.

DAVIES (voice-over): Domestic politics are at play as well, with President Trump warning he could move games away from already allocated tournament venues in cities he deems not to be safe.

TRUMP: If we think there's going to be a sign of any trouble, I would ask Gianni to move that to a different city.

DAVIES (voice-over): From a fan perspective, two qualified nations, Haiti and Iran, are on the list of countries whose residents are currently banned from entering the United States. So traveling supporters won't be able to attend.

The Trump administration has confirmed only players, their immediate families and national team staff will be allowed with exemptions, quote, "very rare."

Questions about security after the 2024 COPA America final between Argentina and Colombia in Miami descended into chaos.

FIFA say ticket sales totaled nearly two million so far. And there's a hope that a prioritized visa process for fans from the non-excluded countries will smooth the way for more.

TRUMP: You've been my great friend.

DAVIES (voice-over): Never before have we seen FIFA's leadership so publicly, closely allied to the leader of its host country.

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has said their relationship is crucial. INFANTINO: I'm really lucky. I have a great relationship with President Trump, who I consider really a close friend.

DAVIES (voice-over): But never before have we seen a World Cup hosted in President Trump's America. And if the club World Cup celebrations in July are anything to go by, it's not only the football set to be center stage.

Amanda Davies, CNN, London.

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BRUNHUBER: And we'll be back with more after a short break.

Stay with us.

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[02:56:32]

BRUNHUBER: Well, now to a bit of peace and quiet. Think calming influences and feelings of serenity. That's how Pantone is describing its new color of the year, cloud dancer. The institute has described it as a very precise shade of white, with an equal balance of cool and warm undertones. Although to many of us, the color might just look like any other plain shade of white, pantone officials say it represents new beginnings and fresh starts. Not a bad color scheme, I guess, for starting the new year.

And art lovers and partygoers are gathering in Miami Beach, Florida to kick off the Art Basel. The art fair kicks off Friday with nearly 300 galleries from dozens of countries, and one unique installation involves wandering robot dogs. You see them, they're fitted with realistic looking heads of billionaires and artists like Andy Warhol. The creepy canines leave behind photos instead of typical pop waste.

And one of the most striking venues is a 50-foot revolving library and reading room that serves as a shared space for reflection during Miami Art Week. It includes 2,500 books. I could spend some time in there.

That wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Back in a moment with more news.

Please stay with us.

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