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Police Suspected Gunman Charged With 59 Offenses; Police Release New Images And Video Of Person Of Interest In The Brown University Shooting; Donald Trump Ramps Up Pressure On Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro; Nick Reiner Charged With Murder In Parents' Deaths; Nick Reiner Charged With Murder in Parents' Deaths; Bondi Beach Memorials Grow, Alleged Gunman Naveed Akram Charged With 59 Offenses; Australian PM Says Massacre Appears to Be Inspired by Isis; Leaders Tout Progress Toward Peace Deal After Berlin Talks; Russia Demands Ukraine Abandon Any Bid for Future NATO Membership; Mexico's Efforts to Stop Violence Against Women Comes After Miss Universe Winner, Fatima Bosch Reported Online Abuse; New Documentary on Counting Crows Debuts Thursday on HBO Max; Cultural Heritage Artifacts Go on Display in Peru; Two New Metro Stations Open in Historic Heart of Rome; Christmas Train Running Nightly From Bogota to Chia. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired December 17, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:30]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, the surviving suspect in the Bondi Beach shooting is formally charged as the first funerals are held for victims of the attack.

President Trump orders a total blockade of oil tankers coming from and heading to Venezuela as he steps up pressure on its government.

And Colombians take a trip down memory lane as an historic rail line transforms into the Christmas train.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Appreciate you joining us, and we begin in Sydney, Australia, where in just the last hour, police charged the surviving suspect in the Bondi Beach massacre one day after he came out of a coma. We are about to show images of him that you may find disturbing. It shows a man thought to be 24-year-old, Naveed Akram at the time of the attack. He's now facing 59 offenses, including murder, attempted murder, and committing a terrorist act. His father was shot and killed at the scene.

The first funerals have been held for some of the 15 people killed in that terror attack. Heartbreaking, emotional scenes erupted earlier at the funeral of the late Rabbi Eli Schlanger. He had organized the Hanukkah by the sea event at Bondi Beach on that fateful day, known as the Bondi rabbi. His death marks a profound loss for the Jewish community at large.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RABBI ARON MOSS, NEFESH SYNAGOGUE AND COMMUNITY CENTRE: This loss is massive for the entire Jewish nation, but for our community here, and for Chabad of Bondi, the loss is unspeakable. For the thousands of souls that Rabbi Eli touched, we'll be forever grateful to have known him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The New South Wales Police Commissioner explained earlier, there may be delays in processing the crime scene in order to respect the rights of mourners.

CNN's Angus Watson is tracking all of this live from Sydney. He joins us now.

So, Angus, on this somber day in Sydney, we are learning the suspected gunman's being charged with 59 offenses. What's the latest on that? And how are the victims being remembered?

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: That's right, Rosemary. So 24-year-old Naveen Akram remains in hospital under police guard, their police have deemed him lucid enough to be charged. Of course, he was shot and critically injured as he attacked people here at Bondi Beach on Sunday evening with his father, Sajid, who was killed at the scene.

So, Naveed this afternoon will face a bail hearing by video link. Police will charge him with 15 -- police have charged him with 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, but they have also charged him with several terror offenses, explosive charges. Remember that the pair left IEDs in the car that they used when they drove up to the bridge behind me to launch their attack. They also kept ISIS flags inside their car. So, Naveen will be charged with possession of an illicit terror symbol.

Now, police will allege that Naveen caused death and injury in order to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community, and they believe that he was espousing an ISIS ideology in his violence, that he was impelled to do this by that violent ideology, and that he and his father traveled to the Philippines in November to the island of Mindanao in the south of the archipelago, where ISIS linked groups have been fighting with the Philippines military for the -- for over 10 years. There, it's believed that their father, son, pair, relieved -- received some sort of military training.

Now, behind me at the crime scene, this very complex crime scene, the families of the victims are being allowed inside to take a moment to grieve. Take a listen to what one of those family members told us earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHANA AMZALAK, FAMILY MEMBER OF VICTIM: Heart starts racing. You are trying to picture, or imagine the terror that went on. You're imagining everybody running. I'm imagining bodies on the floor, people wounded, everybody running for cover. I'm imagining my daughter -- my daughter-in-law, who is nine months pregnant, running with her mom and her toddler for their lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:05:26]

WATSON: Police believe that they may be able to open up the crime scene behind me to the general public in the coming hours, but they're not making any promises. This is a very delicate scene here in Bondi, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Certainly is. Angus Watson joining us live from Sydney with that report. Appreciate it.

Well, police in Rhode Island are asking for the public's help finding a person of interest in the mass shooting at Brown University on Saturday, authorities released this new image, along with video providing a zoomed in look at the person before the shooting at the Ivy League school. They're also warning people to avoid potentially harmful speculation about who the shooter might be. CNN's Danny Freeman reports from Providence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COL. OSCAR PEREZ, PROVIDENCE POLICE CHIEF: This enhanced video footage.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): the clearest pictures yet. Law enforcement releasing a new image and videos today, hoping this will lead to the capture of the Brown University shooter.

PEREZ: We're asking the public to look.

FREEMAN (voice-over): The images released by Providence police and the FBI appeared to show the person of interest hours before the shooting, wandering just blocks away from the university.

Newly enhanced video showing close up images of the individual police are looking to question. In one video, the FBI spotlights a person standing around before darting back in a different direction. Another shows the man running down a different street nearly two hours before the shooting.

PEREZ: We're asking the public to ensure that they can see them. They can see here that you want to focus on the body movements, the way the person moved their arms.

FREEMAN (voice-over): In some instances, the person appears to have a bag strapped to his body and is wearing gloves. In others, no gloves and no bag.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you believe that this person that we're looking at is your shooter? Is your shooting suspect?

PEREZ: Definitely, he's still a person of interest, and we're still investigating that to be able to get that answer, but we strongly believe definitely that's suspect in the incident and a person of interest.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Providence police also releasing this new image of the person of interest. Stocky build, black mask, black hat and a two toned jacket.

PEREZ: We believe that he was actually casing out this area to commit the crime.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Back on campus, FBI investigators moved in and out of the crime scene while trying to determine bullet trajectories.

PETER NERONHA, RODE ISLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL: There are dozens of agents, detectives, led by Providence police. Prosecutors from my office, working to put together and what you're seeing is just a portion of what they're working on.

FREEMAN (voice-over): These new leads come after the FBI director and local law enforcement announced the detention of a different person of interest and then released that person back on Sunday night. Rhode Island's attorney general criticizing the messaging of that initial capture on out front.

NERONHA: I think because people who aren't familiar and aren't experienced in investigations, got over their skis. I was very careful with my words, and the reason for that is you don't want to over promise and under deliver.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Local officials still acknowledging this investigation is complex.

MAJ. DAVID LAPATIN, PROVIDENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT: We're trying to do the best job we can, and some things we have to keep, you know, out of the public light until we're ready to come out with everything.

FREEMAN: Now, we also got an answer to a key question that many of us have had since this shooting took place. Is there any video from inside this building behind me, where this crime happened of the shooter in question? Well, according to the Rhode Island Attorney General, the answer is no, and the reason is because where this shooting took place, it was in the older back part of the building where there just aren't as many cameras.

The bulk of the video, according to the attorney general that they do have from inside this building behind me is of students fleeing the shooting into the newer part of the building immediately behind me here.

Danny Freeman, CNN, Providence, Rhode Island.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: Joining us now is CNN's Senior National Security Analyst, Juliette Kayyem, who was also a former DHS assistant secretary. Appreciate you talking with us at this time.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: So, as this urgent manhunt continues for the unidentified Brown University shooter, the only lead appears to be this new enhanced surveillance video of a masked man walking around the neighborhood for hours before the shooting and then after it. How close do you think investigators are to solving this?

Well, it's hard to know from the outside. They are clearly accumulating a lot more evidence to do the one thing that has to be done, which is get a visual of the killer that then can be circulated to the public, so that the public might be able to say, I know that guy, or I saw him yesterday.

[02:10:09]

The problem with the images right now is that they're either from the back, so you're only getting sort of the physical walking. Or, of course, he's covered or they're blurry, that doesn't mean they're useless. Someone who knows him, a parent, a sibling, someone who knows him well, would, with what's been released, be able to probably identify who that -- who that they know that person.

And I think what the FBI is trying to do, they have a large reward for information as well as these videos, is to really direct this towards people who may know him, may be able to identify him, and therefore may be able to give the FBI, finally, a name.

CHURCH: And of course, as this continues on, we have seen clear tension between the FBI and local law enforcement in Providence. What's at the core of this, and how might that tension -- how might it be hindering the investigation?

KAYYEM: Yes, it's not great. It's not great that it exploded out in public like it has been. I think the FBI essentially got ahead of where the evidence was, and the FBI Director Kash Patel, likes to sort of publicly make statements on X or other social media about an ongoing investigation.

So, what happened is they basically thought they had a person of interest. All the focus went that way because -- towards that person, because of the of the FBI sort of public pronouncements, and then that person ended up -- ended up not being the right person.

So, you've lost time, right? Everyone was looking towards this person of interest, but as significantly, you've lost confidence or the trust of the community that really is aching right now that needs this person to be found so that they can move forward.

CHURCH: And then, of course, Donald Trump has been asked, hasn't he why it's taking the FBI so long to identify the shooter, and he responded by blaming Brown University. What's your reaction to that?

KAYYEM: So, look, Brown University is going to have to figure out what happened. They are going to have to assure students and their family members that it's safe to come back in January. They're going to have to do an assessment of their video cameras and their response time, but none of that goes to the manhunt.

The manhunt is a law enforcement effort of which either the local, state or FBI agencies are in charge of. So, nothing Brown could have done would have gotten them to get this person faster. That is a argument, or that is what the FBI is responsible in doing. And blaming Brown was, honestly, was sort of like him blaming Rob Reiner for his own death. I mean, it's just -- it's a bla -- it's not helpful to what the community is going through.

CHURCH: Right. And then Juliette, of course, how can authorities be telling the people of Providence that the community is safe and not at risk, while at the same time, an unidentified killer is still at large?

KAYYEM: Yes, it doesn't make sense. I'll be honest with you. I mean, there's -- it's not consistent. On the one hand, they have no idea who it is they don't know what his -- what his next plans are, and yet, they're saying, move forward. That inconsistency happens a lot, though, you know, a city cannot remain under lockdown indefinitely, even if you don't find the person.

And I think what you're hearing from the mayor is, look, they're going to put resources out there. They want people to feel comfortable. And of course, the only way that the city and the community can actually move forward is when they find this person and make sure that the immediate threat is gone.

CHURCH: Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

KAYYEM: Thank you.

CHURCH: Donald Trump has ordered a, "Total and complete blockade of oil tankers to and from Venezuela." He made the announcement in a post on Truth Social referring to the blockade in all capital letters. It's the latest escalation from the U.S. president as he puts pressure on Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro.

President Trump also made reference to the size of the military fleet surrounding Venezuela, saying the U.S. had positioned, "The largest Armada ever assembled in the history of South America around the country."

Well, the Pentagon will not release the full video of a controversial military strike on an alleged drug boat, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF WAR: In keeping with long standing Department of War policy, Department of Defense Policy, of course, we're not going to release a top secret, full unedited video of that to the general public.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:15:01]

CHURCH: The Trump administration publicly released a clip of the initial strike, but it's the unseen follow up strike that sparked a debate over the legality of the administration's campaign in the Caribbean. Lawmakers from both parties have supported the release of the full video, and now Democrats are expressing their frustration of the administration's campaign in the Caribbean, lawmakers from both parties have supported the release of the full video, and now Democrats are expressing their frustration following a briefing on the matter with Trump administration officials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): This is the one of the least professional classified briefings I have ever sat in on with the least amount of legal and intelligence justification for what is happening.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): This briefing left me with more questions than answers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they're trying to run out the clock.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): It was really, I thought, a disappointing, disappointing presentation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Joining us now is CNN Military Analyst and retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Appreciate you being with us.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's good to be with you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, Colonel, on Monday night, the Pentagon struck three more alleged drug boats in the eastern Pacific, and then on Tuesday, an interview with Vanity Fair has President Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, revealing that these strikes were less about drugs and more about regime change, saying that, "Trump wants to keep on blowing boats up until President Nicolas Maduro cries uncle, and people way smarter than me on that say that he will." What's your reaction to this?

LEIGHTON: Well, I don't think that hitting these alleged drug votes is going to do the trick. If the effort is going to be focused on regime change, what really needs to happen is they need to go after much bigger fish, figuratively speaking, of course.

And what I'm talking about there, of course, would be something like the oil tankers. And so, there is a distinct possibility that, based on the president's Truth Social posting and some reporting, the distinct possibility is that he's going to go after the oil tankers.

So, basically, like that operation a few days ago that netted the large oil tanker that was flying the Guyanese flag. That is the kind of thing that we can expect to see. And if he's going to really blockade Venezuela, and you know, specifically with the purpose of going after those oil tankers, that would be more likely to create the conditions for regime change. It's definitely not a guarantee that it would happen, but it's certainly much closer to achieving that goal, as opposed to going after the small alleged drug vessels.

CHURCH: Right. And what is your view of that strategy, the regime change?

LEIGHTON: Well, I don't think it is the smartest thing to do at this point in time. I think there are a lot of other things that can be done when it comes to Venezuela, but there is certainly one aspect of it is, you know, certainly in Trump's camp, and that is the fact that Maduro lost an election, a popular election, and in that sense, he is illegitimately the president of Venezuela right now.

So, to effectively remove him is not a bad idea, but it should be done by the Venezuelan people. They are the ones that should be taking this into their hands, and creating conditions where Maduro leaves.

CHURCH: And Colonel, also on Tuesday, Senate Democrats are angry after attending a classified briefing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where they declined to show senators the unedited video of that controversial second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean on September 2nd that targeted two survivors. What's your response to their refusal to release this controversial footage?

LEIGHTON: I think it's a big mistake. No, I think what the administration is looking at is the possibility that if they do release the video, it could potentially lead to everybody, or at least many viewers, looking at it and saying there were, in fact, war crimes committed, so the administration is trying to avoid that.

And one of the key tells in this particular case is the fact that they changed their policy when it came to survivors, and they had a few of them a few weeks later, and those two that we know about at least were repatriated to their countries, in this case, Colombia and Ecuador.

So, it's pretty clear to me that they didn't want to have survivors, and really had no contingency plans for survivors, but that was a direct violation not only of the laws of war, but also of maritime laws. So that puts the administration in quite a bind, actually.

CHURCH: And Colonel, what more are you learning about Hegseth's plans for major power shifts within the U.S. military that, if adopted, would aid other efforts by the Trump administration to move resources away from the Middle East and Europe and apparently, reduce the number of generals. What's this all likely to accomplish as well?

[02:20:15] LEIGHTON: Yes. So, this is a, you know, very interesting development, and of course they'll tell you that it's a pre-decisional phase that they're going through right now. So they haven't made a final decision, but if they actually decide to reduce the number of four star slots that are -- four star general slots that are slated to command the unified command, such as European Command, African Command, Central Command, that's responsible for the Middle East, and similar commands, that really creates a problem, because it's really important for us to have a handle on what's going on regionally in each of those areas.

And Europe, of course, is critical at this particular point in time, as is the Middle East. And if we withdraw from those areas, as well as Africa, that's going to create a real problem.

CHURCH: All right, we'll see what happens there. Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you so much for joining us.

LEIGHTON: You bet ,Rosemary, thanks so much for having me.

CHURCH: The Pentagon is launching a new phase of its investigation into Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. The Defense Department is considering punishment for the retired Navy captain, which could be as severe as a court martial.

The expanded probe could take up to 30 days to complete. Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers released a video last month reminding service members that they have a duty to refuse illegal orders.

President Trump called the remarks treason. Kelly has said his statement is consistent with military training.

The number of countries facing travel restrictions into the U.S. is growing significantly after President Trump signed a proclamation expanding the list of countries with full or partial entry bans. Nationals from seven new countries were added to the full travel ban list, including Laos, Sierra, Leone and Syria, 15 additional countries, including Angola, Tanzania and Malawi, now face partial restrictions on travel to the U.S. The White House says the 39 listed countries demonstrate severe deficiencies in screening, vetting and information sharing.

Well, new details are emerging surrounding the tragic deaths of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele. We will have the latest on murder charges against their son, Nick, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:27:09]

CHURCH: The L.A. County D.A. is charging Nick Reiner with two counts of first degree murder, alleging he fatally stabbed his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. They could also result in the death penalty, but prosecutors have not said whether they will pursue it. The District Attorney's Office added it will consider the family's wishes before finalizing that decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATHAN HOCHMAN, LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Now, prosecuting these cases involving family members are some of the most challenging and most heart wrenching cases that this office faces because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The son of the famed Hollywood director was arrested near the USC campus on Sunday after police gathered evidence from the crime scene at his parents' home. CNN's Randi Kaye takes a closer look at Nick Reiner's troubled past.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK REINER, SON OF ROB & MICHELE REINER: Well, I think I'm lucky in the sense that I have parents that care about me when I would go out and do, you know, things like drugs and stuff like that. I'd feel a tremendous amount of guilt because I'd think, oh, you know, they're thinking about me right now.

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That was Nick Reiner in 2016, talking about his struggle with drugs and his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. Nine years later, at age 32, he's in jail, charged with their murders. Since he was a teenager, Nick Reiner battled addiction.

Here's why he says he turned to drugs.

N. REINER: I had no identity and I had no passions. And I think the reason I had no identity was because, you know, I have a famous dad and a famous grandpa. I wanted to etch out my own identity with a more rebellious, angry, drug-addicted sort of persona.

KAYE (voice-over): Nick is not only the son of legendary director Rob Reiner, but he's also the grandson of the famous comedian Carl Reiner. When Nick was living in his parents' guest house, he says he got so high on drugs, he destroyed part of it. He shared that story in 2018 on a podcast.

N. REINER: I got totally spun out on uppers. I think it was coke and something else. And I was up for days on end and I started punching out different things in my guest house. I think I started with the TV and then I went over to the lamp and then progressive, I just, everything in the guest house got wrecked.

KAYE (voice-over): In 2016, he told People magazine he had lived on the street instead of going to rehab, as his parents recommended. "If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless," he said.

In 2015, Nick worked with his father on a semi-autobiographical film called "Being Charlie." It's the story of an actor running for governor of California and his drug-addicted son. [02:30:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is this kid with the silver spoon in his mouth? And why does he keep cooking heroin in it? Total waste of a good utensil.

KAYE (voice-over): Nick co-wrote the film and Rob Reiner directed it.

ROB REINER, DIRECTOR: It definitely brought us closer together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was the most difficult part about working together for the two of you?

NICK REINER, SON OF ROB REINER: I mean, it was a pretty nice experience for me.

KAYE (voice-over): In September, Nick was photographed in this family photo at the premier of his father's comedy musical "Spinal Tap II." The LA Times quoted a family friend saying Rob and Michele Reiner did everything for Nick and put aside their lives to save Nick's repeatedly. Adding, they had never known a family so dedicated to a child.

Randi Kaye, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": New video shows the violent first moments of the Bondi Beach attack. We will have that, plus a look at the growing memorials for the victims of Sunday's massacre. That's next on "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:36:00]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Australian authorities have charged the alleged gunman who survived the Bondi Beach attack with 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder. Meanwhile, mourners are turning out in Sydney to remember the victims of the shooting. People lit candles and laid flowers at the Bondi Pavilion next to the world famous beach where Sunday's massacre unfolded, and a large crowd gathered for funeral services for the rabbi who had organized the 'Hanukkah by the Sea' event. More now from CNN's Will Ripley.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New dash cam video reveals the first minutes of the Bondi Beach massacre and two bystanders bravely trying to stop the attack. A husband and wife confront the older gunman, the father, Sajid Akram, leaving his car rifle in hand. Watch closely, the man in the purple shirt drags the attacker to the ground, wrestles for control, rips the gun out of his hands, swinging it almost like a bat. The gunman takes another rifle from his car, opening fire on the man and woman. Australian media is identifying them as possibly the first two victims of Sunday's attack. The video also reveals a crucial piece of evidence. Look at the windshield. You see that black flag bearing what appears to be the logo of the Islamic State.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: It would appear that there is evidence that this was inspired by a terrorist organization, by ISIS.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Investigators are now looking beyond Australia. Police say the shooters recently traveled to the Southern Philippines, a region long plagued by ISIS-inspired violence. Philippine officials say the pair arrived on November 1st for military-style training, leaving nearly four weeks later. Returning to Australia just over two weeks, before opening fire on Bondi Beach.

RIPLEY: More than 24 hours after the shooting, Bondi Beach remained an active crime scene. You have police tape blocking off the whole area. There's this outdoor cinema where people basically dropped their stuff and ran. The whole area kind of feels eerily frozen in time.

NAVEED AKRAM, ALLEGED GUNMAN, BONDI BEACH SHOOTING: This will come for you on the day of judgment.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Video is also emerging of the younger gunman, the son, Naveed Akram.

AKRAM: Allah will reward you for whatever action you do in his cause. Inshallah, this will save you on the day of judgment.

RIPLEY (voice-over): A Sydney-based Islamic street preaching group confirms Akram appeared in a handful of videos in 2019, handing out pamphlets during public outreach. The group says Akram was just 17 at the time. They insist they've had no contact with him since. In a statement, the group says it is horrified by the attack and appalled by the actions of both father and son.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're allowed to have strong views, but to go and do that, it's just wrong.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Lockey (ph) told CNN affiliate Nine News, he's a former coworker of the younger shooter he calls Nav. He says Nav quit his brick laying job about a month ago and often talked about his love of hunting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looked like he could handle a gun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, yeah. Well, he had. Like, we used to talk about going shooting down at Crookwell, and he'd say that -- he actually said to me once, I said, oh, we should go for a shot down there one day. And he goes, oh, I don't know if that'd be good for you. And I thought, oh, OK. That's a bit weird. But yeah, he was a bit of a weird cat.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Will Ripley, CNN, Bondi Beach, Australia. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: President Trump says a peace deal in Ukraine is closer than ever before, and world leaders have touted significant progress following recent talks in Berlin. CNN's Senior International Correspondent Ben Wedeman has the latest.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After days of intense meetings between Ukrainian and European leaders and American envoys, there is much talk of progress toward ending the nearly four- year-old Russian war on Ukraine. One of the main sticking points remains security guarantees.

[02:40:00]

Ukraine is determined not to repeat the bitter experience of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum signed by the U.S., Russia, and Britain whereby Kyiv gave up its Soviet-era nuclear weapons in exchange for guarantees of its borders and sovereignty. Those security guarantees proved to be worthless.

Kyiv is seeking something along the lines of NATO's Article V, whereby signatories would be obliged to come to Ukraine's defense in the event of an attack. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has indicated he is willing to relinquish aspirations for NATO membership, one of Russia's demands, while European leaders say they're ready to lead a multinational peacekeeping force in Ukraine. Russia has already indicated it is refusing any role for NATO troops on Ukrainian soil. For its part, the U.S. with international participation would oversee a ceasefire monitoring mechanism.

Now, Ukraine is also hesitant to surrender parts of the Eastern Donbas region it controls to Russia, a part -- one of -- part of the original American proposal. Ukraine will submit its revised and refined version of President Trump's peace plan to Washington in the coming days, and the Americans will then in turn run it by the Russians. And then the real negotiations will begin.

Now, Monday, German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz made a much more modest proposal, a Christmas truce, to which the Russians said no.

I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Rome.

CHURCH: Mexico's most ambitious effort to curb gender violence, coming up the incidents that sparked a national debate and the push for more protections for women nationwide. Back with that in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:46:59]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Mexico's president is condemning the actions of lawmakers after a brawl in the Mexico City Congress. Several members got into a physical altercation during debate to end Mexico City's Transparency Institute, a legislative session recessed after the violence. The ruling party eventually approved the measure. On Tuesday, Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, expressed her disapproval and called on public officials to avoid inciting violence and to maintain composure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Yes, it's very bad. What happened yesterday was unacceptable. Honestly, I call on all deputies from every group. There's no reason to resort to violence. I believe this should not happen. You can oppose a proposal; you can even take over the podium. We did it ourselves at one point against certain laws. But resorting to acts of violence is condemnable. It shouldn't happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meantime, Mexico is taking steps to increase protections for women and strengthen penalties for gender-related crimes after a series of prominent harassment incidents. CNN's Valeria Leon reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: Fatima, Fatima. [Foreign Language].

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The attacks against Fatima Bosch have finally eased, at least back home in her native Mexico.

CROWD: Fatima, Fatima.

LEON (voice-over): The warm reception at her first public appearance in the state of Tabasco just weeks after winning the Miss Universe crown stands in stark contrast to what the 25-year-old faced online. The government says Fatima reported death threats and harassment, a form of digital violence that affects more than one in five women in Mexico.

A new study by the Citizen Council for Security and Justice shows digital violence against women has surged by two-thirds over the last year, a reality Fatima publicly denounced on social media. Her decision to speak out praised by Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's first female president.

SHEINBAUM (through translator): Women look their best when we raise our voices and take part, says the president. That's about recognizing our rights. My respect to this young woman.

LEON (voice-over): Since Sheinbaum herself was assaulted in public last month, she has proposed a constitutional reform to toughen penalties for crimes against women, a package of 17 laws already approved by the Senate and the most ambitious effort yet to curb gender violence.

MARIA DEL ROCIO CORONA, MEXICAN SENATOR (through translator): This bill aims to stop a reality that has been normalized through silence and the macho culture that still exists. LEON (voice-over): A culture of misogynist violence that has followed Fatima even after her crowning.

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The harassment Fatima faced emerged in response to a corruption scandal involving the Miss Universe pageant leadership. She has stressed that her win was not due to outside influence, instead highlighting the personal impact.

FATIMA BOSCH, MISS UNIVERSE 2025: I'm here to speak up and I am here to the philanthropy -- to do philanthropy. So it's like really hard, all the things that are going on, because sometimes I think that people forget that we are humans.

LEON (voice-over): A message that has a struck chord with women across the country. Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

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CHURCH: Still to come, what could become a new tourist attraction in Rome, two new metro stations that go deep below the historic heart of the city. We will take a look inside.

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CHURCH: The Counting Crows became one of the most popular musical acts of the early 1990s with hits like "Mr. Jones" and "Round Here." Now, a new documentary debuting Thursday on HBO Max, which shares the same parent company as CNN, looks at the band's rise to fame and the pressure that came with their explosive success. Rick Damigella has a preview.

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RICK DAMIGELLA, CNN NEWSOURCE JOURNALIST (voice-over): Counting Crows steps into the modern age of celebrity just as it is exploding. "Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?" delves into the band's and singer Adam Duritz's history.

AMY SCOTT, DIRECTOR, "COUNTING CROWS: HAVE YOU SEEN ME LATELY?": They were catapulted into overnight fame based off their first record. And so, it captures this sort of pivotal crossroads through interviews and it's kind of -- it's Adam's story about artistic integrity in the spotlight and how hard it was to navigate that.

ADAM DURITZ, LEAD SINGER, COUNTING CROWS: "Mr. Jones" is about dreaming about being a rock star, but it's also about how it's not going to turn out to be what you think it is.

SCOTT: Talking with Adam was thrilling. He's, I mean, as you can tell in the film, he is an exceptionally great storyteller. He is really funny. He's extremely thoughtful.

DURITZ: L.A. was like a real refuge. The only people I really knew were people that worked at the Viper. Even though I was famous, who cares? There's Jack Nicholson, had Mexican food with Allen Ginsberg.

SCOTT: This film is not what you would expect. And I would say if you're a fan, you're going to be surprised by a lot of it. If you're not a fan, I would challenge you to watch it because I think you'll learn a lot about this person and his artistry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As the front person, Adam took all this angst and transcended it through music.

DAMIGELLA (voice-over): In Hollywood, I'm Rick Damigella.

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CHURCH: Peru is celebrating its cultural heritage with a new display of artifacts that date back thousands of years. The country's foreign ministry handed over nearly 350 items to the Ministry of Culture on Wednesday. They include archeological pieces returned voluntarily by U.S. citizens and academic institutions. Others were seized by the New York District Attorney's Office. Some of the ceramics, textiles, and ritual objects come from pre-Inca civilization.

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CLAUDIA ALEMAN, DIRECTOR, CULTURAL HERITAGE, PERUVIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (through translator): All are important, but the oldest and the one I would highlight is the piece that opens the representative exhibit, a vase, a sculpture from the Cupisnique culture that developed on Peru's coast and is approximately 3,000 years old.

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CHURCH: After years of delays and budget problems, two new metro stations have opened in the heart of Rome in Italy. The stations go down four underground levels and they feature archeological treasures discovered during construction, such as ancient clay vessels, Roman walls and wells. Commuters and tourists can now ride the underground through layers of the city's history and exit to a view of the Colosseum.

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MARCO CERVON, ENGINEER AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGER (through translator): At the Fori Imperiali Station, the chosen setup is very distinctive compared to that of other stations. The effort to integrate the transportation infrastructure with the archeology and architecture of this station has been an extremely important challenge.

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CHURCH: A holiday tradition is up and running in Colombia with the opening of Bogota's Christmas train known as the Savannah Train. It runs its Christmas route each night from the capital to the city of Chia, about 10 kilometers to the north. Passengers can enjoy a pyrotechnic show and interact with Santa and a crew of elves during the ride.

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CLARA ONATRA, PASSENGER (through translator): It's a joy because for our child, Christmas is magic, and we feel happy to be here on the Christmas train. Plus, we're sharing time with family, cousins, uncles, grandparents. We're so happy to be here.

CAMILA ABRIL, PASSENGER (through translator): It brings me childhood memories because when I was a child, my parents brought me here to the (inaudible) train. Then it brings me nice memories. I think it's a nice place to share with family.

ORLANDO BARBOSA, PASSENGER (through translator): In my time, I did the Bogota (inaudible) trip when the train was at its peak. Since then, we've dreamed of returning to these types of activities on the railways. It's beautiful for families, grandchildren. We had so much fun. We're very happy and full of Christmas spirit.

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CHURCH: Lots of fun. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more "CNN Newsroom" after a short break. Stay with us.

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