Return to Transcripts main page
Isa Soares Tonight
Nigeria Says a Christmas Day Strike on Terrorist Targets in Nigeria's Northwest was a Collaborative Effort with the U.S.; Zelenskyy to Meet Trump in Florida on Sunday; Two Killed in Car-Ramming and Stabbing Attack in Northern Israel. Aired 2-2:30p ET
Aired December 26, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Lynda Kinkade in for Isa Soares. Welcome to a special edition
of tonight. Nigeria says a Christmas day strike on terrorist targets in the country's northwest was a joint effort with the United States.
The U.S. military says it killed multiple people in ISIS camps. Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth posted a cryptic message of more to come, giving no
additional details. Nigeria says it approved the strikes in Sokoto State, adding that they were aimed at protecting innocent civilians, whatever
their religion may be.
But U.S. President Trump says his focus is on Christians. He wrote on social media, quote, "I have previously warned these terrorists that if
they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there will be hell to pay." And tonight, there was.
Islamic militants have repeatedly targeted Christians and Muslims who don't share their extremist views. Nigeria's Foreign Minister says his country is
open to outside help in combating the insurgents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YUSUF TUGGAR, FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER, NIGERIA: Any country that is willing to work with Nigeria based on our moral precepts and ethical
considerations and respect for our territorial integrity and sovereignty, we're prepared to do so, and we demonstrated this yesterday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Our Larry Madowo is following developments from London and joins us live. Good to have you with us, Larry. So, this was a joint effort
between the U.S. and Nigeria. Both countries have signaled additional strikes may occur. What more can you tell us about this operation?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We don't know when these extra strikes will occur apart from the cryptic message from the U.S. Secretary of
Defense Pete Hegseth, saying more to come. What we do know is that these attacks, one of them was a missile, was a Tomahawk missile from a Navy
vessel.
And we saw this video released by U.S. Africa Command and the U.S. military, we don't know when it was filmed or where, but that's all we have
to go with. We've also seen some video of the aftermath in Sokoto State in the northwest of Nigeria.
It hit an area known as Jabo, which has not seen any militant attacks in the past and caught many of the villagers by surprise. There was no major
damage there, and the U.S. has not given an assessment of the damage. They said that multiple terrorists were hit.
We're waiting to hear more information. But we also heard a TikTok from the Nigerian Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar. He told CNN, that he had a 19-
minute call with the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, he then called President Bola Tinubu, who okayed the attacks, and he called back Marco
Rubio, had another five-minute conversation before these attacks took place.
The way the Nigerians are framing it is that they collaborated with the United States in this. However, they disagree about how the Americans are
messaging this, claiming that they were targeting terrorists who primarily target Christians in the country. This is what the Nigerian Foreign
Minister told CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TUGGAR: It was a collaborative effort between Nigeria and the U.S., and President Tinubu gave the go-ahead before it took place, and we don't see
it violating our sovereignty or territorial integrity, which is very important, and it is not about religion, it's about the protection of lives
and property of Nigerians and our neighbors as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: It's not about religion, the Minister says. And that is the point of disagreement, because the Americans are claiming that they did this to
protect Nigerian Christians who are being systematically killed, and that they were facing an existential crisis as President Trump said in the past.
The Nigerians simply say there's no evidence of that, and they -- security problem in the Sahel targets both Muslims and Christians. Lynda.
KINKADE: All right, Larry Madowo for us in London, appreciate that update, thank you. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he plans to meet
with his counterpart, Donald Trump, this Sunday in Florida. He's cautioning that it may not lead to a firm agreement to end Russia's war on Ukraine,
but says the two sides will finalize as much as possible.
President Zelenskyy this week signaled a willingness to compromise on a number of key issues in the negotiations, and he floated the idea of a de
facto demilitarized zone in eastern Ukraine. Our Kevin Liptak reports.
[14:05:00]
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Lynda, just the fact of this meeting getting on the calendar, I think will be considered a win for the
Ukrainians. Remember, it wasn't that long ago that President Trump said he didn't think he would be useful to have a meeting with President Zelenskyy
until he thought that they were close to reaching a peace agreement in Ukraine.
And there have been intensive talks underway, including down here in Florida over the last week or two, to try and get this deal across the
finish line. Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, the President's envoys and all of this meeting with the Ukrainians, meeting with a delegate from Moscow to
try and sort of merge these plans and try and come up with something that all sides could agree to.
Now, what Zelenskyy has said is that there will be a broad range of topics discussed at this meeting. He says there are certain things that only can
be agreed to between the leaders, and that he wants to work on some of the nuances of what Washington is agreeing to as part of all of this.
And now for President Trump's perspective, clearly, he's eager to get this across the finish line and get this finalized. But I think there will be
some massaging, perhaps to do -- to try and convince Zelenskyy to agree to some sort of territorial concessions, because that at the end of the day,
is the biggest sticking point in all of this.
There is one other sticking point, which is the fate of the Zaporizhzhian nuclear power plant, currently occupied by Russia. They haven't yet sorted
out how that's going to be resolved, but it is the territorial concessions that I think are proving to be the most difficult part of all of this.
And you have not heard Moscow and Vladimir Putin back off from some of their Maximalist demands, including that Ukraine give up the entire Donbas
region as part of this war. And so, that's certainly on the table as the two men get down to talk. Now, Ukraine has come up with its own 20-point
peace plan, essentially sort of coming up with a proposal for President Trump.
And then perhaps on to Moscow, includes affirmation of Ukraine's security, talking about these security guarantees that the U.S. and Europe will be
able to provide Ukraine as part of this war, a development package for the -- you know, billions and billions of dollars it will take to rebuild
Ukraine once the conflict ends, and then discussions about withdrawing Russian troops from certain parts of Ukraine.
I think the goal in all of this is to try and keep up the momentum, to keep President Trump engaged in all of this as the talks proceed. But of course,
I think the big question that is not going to be answered on Sunday is whether Putin will sign off on all of this, and whether Moscow can agree to
this multi-point plan that the President has proposed.
They will not be represented in this Mar-a-Lago summit. And so, it remains to be seen when, if at all, they will sign off on an end to the war. Lynda?
KINKADE: Our thanks to Kevin Liptak there. Well, Israeli police say two people were killed in a car-ramming and stabbing attack in northern Israel.
They say a Palestinian man from the West Bank is responsible for a rolling terror attack. They say he ran over a male pedestrian in Beit She'an and
then stabbed the young woman near Ein Harod before a bystander confronted him.
The Israeli Defense Minister has ordered a military operation in the suspect's hometown. A new video shows the moment an Israeli reservist
soldier ran over a Palestinian man while he was praying in the West Bank. And I need to warn you, the video is disturbing. The footage was obtained
by CNN, and it shows a Palestinian Muslim man praying on the side of the road when he was rammed by that quad car, it was near Ramallah on Thursday.
The Palestinian man eventually gets up. Well, the Israeli military says the same reservist soldier had been spotted firing his weapon while dressed in
civilian clothes in the area earlier that day. CNN's Matthew Chance is in Jerusalem. Matthew, good to have you with us.
I want to start with that attack in northern Israel, a Palestinian man accused of carrying out a series of deadly attacks. What more can you tell
us?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, pretty horrific, right in the north of Israel with this Palestinian man who,
according to police, rammed a 68-year-old Israeli man on the street in that northern town, killing him, went on to attack a 16-year-old boy, injuring
that boy and then stabbing a teenage woman as well and killing her.
So, at least two people are dead. The police have identified the suspect as being from a West Bank town in the occupied West Bank. And as a result of
that, there have been, you know, various responses from the Israeli government.
First of all, you know, right-wing members of the government of Benjamin Netanyahu have restated their calls for a toughening of anti-terror laws in
this country, for instance, by instigating the death penalty for people who carry out attacks like this.
[14:10:00]
It's a law that's already being debated in the Israeli parliament. Also, on the military side, you know, in the -- you know, shortly after this attack
took place, the military ordered its forces into the town in the West Bank, where the suspect is believed to be from, and they're going to be
conducting operations there of the kind we have seen escalating over the course of the past several months.
We're talking about them targeting what they say are terrorists and terrorist infrastructure that often results in house demolitions and things
like that. And so, you know, a lot of tension on the West Bank and in Israel because of these latest incidents.
KINKADE: Yes, and speaking of that tension in the West Bank, I want to ask you about that other incident. A reservist accused of driving a quad bike
into a man who was praying. Matthew, what are authorities saying about that? How are they responding? And what more do we know about that
attacker?
CHANCE: Yes, I mean, this was -- this was yesterday. And it was -- it's pretty horrific actually, in the sense that, you know, you see this pretty
compelling video of this Palestinian man kneeling down praying, and an Israeli reservist soldier on a quad bike, basically driving into him and
knocking him over quite forcefully.
He gets up afterwards, and sort of shakes himself off, but it's the kind of incident that, you know, is really symptomatic of the kind of violence that
many Palestinians complain about, that's being sort of, you know, perpetrated against them sort of in the West Bank.
In fairness, the Israeli authorities are pretty, you know, appalled by it as well. We've got a statement from the Israeli Defense Forces, the Israeli
military saying that the incidents are under review, and based on the findings, the matter will be transferred to the relevant authorities.
So, they say they're investigating it. But in the meantime, they've also basically confiscated the individual's weapons and kicked him out of the
reserve service as far as I can make out. And so, they have taken some action, more action maybe coming.
But yes, you know, again, underlines just how tense it is in the West Bank and in Israel between Israelis and Palestinians.
KINKADE: Yes, it certainly does. Matthew Chance, good to have you, give us those updates on both those incidents. Thanks very much. The severe Winter
weather is being felt across parts of the United States. Coming up, the latest on the dangerous California floods and a potential snow day on the
east coast.
Plus, we'll take you live to the place where a $1.8 billion lottery ticket was sold. And we'll tell you why it may take years to find out who won that
giant prize.
[14:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. We are keeping a close eye on severe weather on the U.S. west coast. California is reeling from a series
of deadly storms. Severe weather has been blamed for at least four deaths since the storms began last weekend.
Emergency crews warn some areas could see more flooding today as the heavy rain continues. And the rain is expected to let up by the weekend. But many
people remain under evacuation warnings and orders. Los Angeles City Fire Department captain says some people were told to shelter in place, but
wound up needing to be rescued.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADAM VANGERPEN, CAPTAIN, LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Yes, we tell the people that it's -- whenever we -- these are specific homes that were
identified to be the most at threat. So, we actually are -- LAPD police officers went, they did door-knocking. They left fliers on there.
They made every attempt to get a hold of people. Many of the people did not want to leave. They say they've been through this before. But what we tell
people is that we can't predict what's going to happen with nature. So, we're getting a large influx.
We're anticipating we could have up to inch and a half tonight, which is on top of what we've already had. So, the ground is already saturated, so, we
just really want people to know that if you get an order to evacuate, you need to heed that and leave immediately because there could be a lot of
debris flow heading your way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, out east, a Winter storm is set to hit the mid-Atlantic after bringing freezing rain and ice to the Great Lakes. New York City
could see its biggest snowfall in years. Well, we still don't know who won the second biggest lottery in U.S. history on Wednesday.
The prize on Christmas eve, the Powerball, of course, rose to $1.8 billion. And while the winner has not yet been revealed, we do know where the ticket
was sold. In Cabot, Arkansas, which is a small suburb of Little Rock. Our Rafael Romo is in Cabot, Arkansas. In fact, he's just outside the
convenience store that sold that winning ticket.
Good to have you there for us, Rafael. So, it must be a great deal of excitement in that town. What do we know so far about the winning ticket,
and how long could it take until the winner steps forward to claim the jackpot?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's going to be a while. Happy holidays, Lynda, how are you? It's just so much excitement in this town
because they told me that they never won anything before. And the lucky winner or winners, Lynda, it could have been a group of people as well,
bought their ticket at this Murphy USA gas station.
We are in Cabot, Arkansas, population 27,000, located about 25 miles northeast of Little Rock, the state capital. I've been talking to people
here, and like I was telling you before, what they tell me is that nothing like this had ever happened before locally.
Well, now, they say that has surely changed. The winning ticket was sold at this gas station behind me, and according to Powerball, the jackpot on
Christmas eve was $1.8 billion, billion with a B, with an option to take a one-time payout of almost $835 million, making it the second largest U.S.
lottery jackpot ever.
The winner or winners will have to go to the Arkansas Scholarship Lotteries downtown office to claim their prize within 180 days of the drawing. What
should the lucky winner be doing right now? This is what Sharon Strong; the Executive Director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery and an attorney
herself, told me about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARON STRONG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARKANSAS SCHOLARSHIP LOTTERY: I would be talking with my financial adviser. I would probably get some accounts set
up to invest that money and to, you know, maybe set up a trust. And, you know, I may not come -- I would -- I would definitely lock the ticket away
in a -- in a safe place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: In other words, Lynda, lawyer-up the store that sells the winning ticket gets a 1 percent commission here in Arkansas on the prize. But that
commission is capped at $50,000, which is the amount this Murphy USA gas station will get. Arkansas is one of a growing number of states that allow
lottery winners to remain anonymous.
Since 2021, the state has allowed winners of prizes over half a million dollars to shield their identities, though, those names become public after
three years. So, in other words, Lynda, we may have to wait until 2028 to know who won that incredible prize. Now, back to you.
KINKADE: Yes, it will come out, I'm sure, if in such a small town, if someone all of a sudden is buying a private jet. In terms of payment
options, how much can they take as a lump sum or, you know, can they spread it out over years? What typically will happen?
[14:20:00]
ROMO: Yes, lump sum, which is very popular for a lot of winners of the lottery. It's about $835, and that's because here in the United States, you
have to factor in taxes and fees. So, they have the option of doing that. So, from $1.8 billion, you get 835.
There's also an option where you will get annuity for 29 years. That amount if that is the choice that they want to take. Whoever won this prize would
have to be figured out according to their individual situation in life and their tax bracket and all of that. So, most people, I would probably say,
would get the $835 million. Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes, and they will be in the top tax bracket from now here -- from now on. Rafael Romo, good to have you with us. Appreciate it.
ROMO: Yes, of course.
KINKADE: Well, a movie about the music of Neil Diamond is just ahead. The new film with Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman is based on a real life couple
who paid tribute to the American singing superstar. My conversation with Hugh and Kate is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. Hollywood royalty Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson star as Lightning and Thunder in a new movie that features the songs of American
legend Neil Diamond. It's a love story about a tribute band in the film that has already earned critical acclaim, winning awards and nominations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(HUGH JACKMAN SINGING IN SONG SUNG BLUE MOVIE)
HUGH JACKMAN, AUSTRALIAN SINGER & ACTOR: Tell your mama, girl, we can't stay long.
(KATE HUDSON & JACKMAN SINGING IN SONG SUNG BLUE MOVIE)
We got things we've got to catch up on.
KINKADE (voice-over): Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson bringing music and messy, honest love to life in the film "Song Sung Blue", inspired by a true
story about a Neil Diamond tribute band.
JACKMAN AS MIKE SARDINA: I'm not a songwriter. I'm not a sex symbol. I just want to entertain people.
HUDSON AS CLAIRE SADINA: I don't want to be a hairdresser. I want to sing, I want to dance, I want a garden, I want a cat.
KINKADE (on camera): What resonated with you and what hit home when you first read the script?
KATE HUDSON, AMERICAN ACTRESS & SINGER: Yes --
JACKMAN: It's real family showing up with some regrets, with some left turns, with some difficulties. And yet, they're still showing up for each
other.
KINKADE: Well, what was the biggest challenge in putting this film together?
JACKMAN: Well, getting it made, everyone turned this film down except one. Universal Focus.
JACKMAN AS MIKE SARDINA: We should call ourselves Lightning and Thunder.
KINKADE: And I heard you two felt like a married couple making this movie.
JACKMAN: Yes.
HUDSON: Yes.
KINKADE: How did you build that chemistry?
JACKMAN: Oh, it was thankfully easy.
HUDSON: But this love story is central. Like, if it doesn't work, the movie doesn't work. So, it was our job to make sure that we were --
KINKADE: The same stage --
HUDSON: You know, that we had that connection. And thank God, thank God, thank God it was you.
(LAUGHTER)
(HUDSON SINGING IN SONG SUNG BLUE MOVIE)
HUDSON: Take my hand, sweet Lord, walk with me this day.
[14:25:00]
KINKADE: Congratulations --
HUDSON: Thank you --
KINKADE: On your nomination for the Golden Globe --
HUDSON: Thank you very much --
KINKADE: Why do you think this was a bit of a breakout for you in terms of showcasing all of your talents?
HUDSON: Well, I don't think these roles come around very often. There's musicals and there's -- you know, dramatic stories and things like that.
But this kind of walks this line of entertainment and drama and art.
KINKADE: You did such a fabulous job with the Milwaukee accent.
HUDSON: I would slip into it sometimes, even when we're doing press.
(HUDSON & JACKMAN CONVERSING IN SONG SUNG BLUE)
HUDSON AS CLAIRE SARDINA: Just try it.
JACKMAN AS MIKE SARDINA: I told you, I'm lactose intolerant.
HUDSON AS CLAIRE SARDINA: I know, but it's just a little gas --
JACKMAN AS MIKE SARDINA: I can't eat cheese.
HUDSON: We had a great dialect coach. He kept us in line.
KINKADE: How is Kate's Australian accent?
JACKMAN: It's not if --
HUDSON: It's awful. It's my -- it's my -- it's my -- that's the hardest one for me.
JACKMAN: There's not many people do it well, right?
KINKADE: No, not --
JACKMAN: No --
KINKADE: Many people --
HUDSON: No --
JACKMAN: No --
HUDSON: No --
JACKMAN: No --
(HUDSON & JACKMAN SINGING SWEET CAROLINE AT A BAR)
KINKADE: And I loved when I saw you two just pop up at a bar, beer in hand, and start singing.
JACKMAN: It was so great, we went down to Old Mates, which is a good bar --
HUDSON: Also what a great bar?
JACKMAN: Yes --
HUDSON: But it's literally like you step into Australia when you're -- I mean, everyone's Australian.
KINKADE: Where do we turn up to for the next performance at a bar?
HUDSON: Well --
JACKMAN: Well, we're touring the world.
(LAUGHTER)
KINKADE: Over the holidays and looking forward to 2026. Wishes and hopes.
HUDSON: I'm going back to Neil Diamond's house.
(LAUGHTER)
HUDSON: I've decided I'm spending the holidays with the Diamonds --
JACKMAN: Goal was to get invited --
HUDSON: On Cinema and sticks --
JACKMAN: To Kate Hudson for Christmas. That's the epic.
KINKADE: That would be gone. Like -- her family, I just feel like you just want to hug them all.
HUDSON: Oh --
JACKMAN: It's true --
HUDSON: Well, it depends on if we're playing games. If we're playing games, you won't want to hug us. We get really competitive.
JACKMAN: Really?
HUDSON: My mom leaves the room.
JACKMAN: There's a line in that movie, "dream huge". And I wish that for every single one of you for 2026.
(JACKMAN SINGING SWEET CAROLINE IN SONG SUNG BLUE MOVIE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All aboard!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: And that film is in theaters today. Well, we are one step closer to the end of the hit show, "Stranger Things".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This whole time, everything you've ever assumed about the upside down has been dead wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Three new episodes are now streaming on Netflix. This is the second installment of the fifth and final season. The finale drops on new
year's eve. And finally, before we go, Netflix gave Bridgerton fans the ultimate Christmas present, a new trailer for season four.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We begin another season. I should like great gossip.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The social season might look a little different --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, you must begin the proper way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dearest gentle reader --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: This season follows the second Bridgerton son, Benedict, as he searches for love in a Cinderella retelling. He sets out to uncover the
identity of the mysterious lady in silver he meets at a masquerade ball. New and old faces are returning for season four. The first installment
drops January 29th followed by part two on February 26th.
Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Do stay with CNN, "GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES" is coming up next, and I'll be back with more news in
about an hour and a half. See you then.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
