intensifying anger as israel's criticism of the white house, well, becomes a little more personal. >> home for the holidays, some of the freed chibok school girls reunite with their families for the first time in years. >> and a healing moment marking a painful history. japan's prime minister offers his condolences at pearl harbor. hello and welcome to our viewers here in the united states, and of course all around the world. i'm rosemary church. >> and i'm george howell. "cnn newsroom" starts right now. ♪ 3:00 a.m. on the u.s. east coast. the relationship between israel and the current u.s. president, well, you could say it is rocky

at best, but in its waning weeks the obama administration will layout its vision for something that's long-been out of reach, middle east peace. >> america's top diplomat, john kerry, is expected to speak about that vision in the coming days. this comes as relations between the obama white house and israeli benjamin netanyahu are hitting a new low. >> prime minister benjamin netanyahu doubling down on criticism of not only president obama but also diplomatic moves against the security councils that voted for this resolution. he said his diplomatic steps aren't going too far. he called them, quote, responsible and vigorous actions. prime minister benjamin netanyahu accusing president barack obama of working behind israel's back to put forward the u.n. resolution critical of settlements in the west bank and

jerusalem. the two have had a rocky relationship and in its final days is quickly deteriorating. netanyahu hasn't hold back at all. >> as i told john kerry on thursday, friends don't take friends to the security council. >> reporter: speaking to cnn, one of many israeli officials who made the accusation but not offered evidence. >> look, it is an old story that the united nations gangs up against israel. what is new is that the united states didn't stand up and oppose the gang up. what is outrageous is that the united states was actually behind that gang-up. i think it was a very sad day and really a shameful chapter in relations. >> ambassador, what is the evidence that the united states is behind the gang-up? i have heard it a lot. >> we have clear evidence of it. we will present the new evidence to the new president. netanyahu turned to donald trump who urged him to veto it and then turned to twitter. at to the u.n. things will be

different after joon january 20th. he followed up, the big loss will make it harder to negotiate peace. too bad, but we will get it done anyway. netanyahu hasn't just lashed out at the u.s. israel called in the u.s. ambassador and the ambassadors of ten other countries that voted for the u.n. resolutions, but those countries met with the foreign ministry, only the u.s. ambassador met privately with netanyahu, one more statement directed at president obama before he leaves office. >> reporter: so why now? prime minister netanyahu knows he only has a few more weeks before he has president-elect donald trump in office to work with. he has made it clear he is looking forward to obama being out and trump being in. this, other than being a parting shot at obama, may have local politics mixed in. obama is not popular with netanyahu's voters, and he may be playing to them as this

unfolds. oren liebermann, cnn, jerusalem. >> i spoke with the jerusalem post and asked him what has prompted so much anger of this nong binding resolution. >> israel is trying to prevent another resolution between now and january 20th. netanyahu taking such measures that have been described by members of parliament as his tear ya' has taken the steps because there's a possibility when the french have a conference on the 15th of january where the secretary of state john kerry is supposed to make a very important address on middle east issues, that that address would then be taken in the remaining five days before trump takes over to the u.n. security council to become another resolution that israel sees as handcuffing it, israel sees as hindering a possibility of a peace process in the future because it gives the palestinians hope they will get their way from the international community and won't have to give

anything up in talks where there would be give and take. >> gil hoffman, chief political correspondent speaking with me a little later. donald trump says he will give up his charitable foundation to avoid any possible conflict of interest when he becomes president of the united states. that day january 20th. >> there are claims that the foundation is less charitable than most and may have even broken the law. cnn's dana baesh has more. >> the president-elect's team is trying to figure out what to do about his vast business interests, even trump-owned properties like mar-a-lago where is he staying for the holidays. they're off to a tough start. a christmas eve announcement about shuttering the trump foundation hit a road block.

the new york attorney general who is investigating the foundation's alleged violations said through a spokeswoman the trump foundation is still under investigation by the office and cannot legally dissolve until that investigation is complete. a "washington post" investigation reported the foundation spent $258,000 to settle legal problems unrelated to the charity and trump separately used charity money to buy a six-foot tall portrait of himself. a former gop white house ethics attorney says dissolving the foundation could take time. >> you need to make sure the foundation is completely independent of your for-profit business enterprises. you cannot have self-dealing in foundation, and i don't know whether the rules were violated here or not. >> believe me. >> reporter: regardless of the investigation, ceasing operations on the trump foundation is hardly a heavy lift. trump hasn't donated since 2008 and it has no paid staff. the real question is how trump will separate himself from the

for-profit trump organization, a worldwide empire including trump golf, international realty, trump winery and trump hotels. the law does not require a president to divest himself from business interests, but potential conflicts abound. people could try to influence the president by staying at his hotels, for example, and the most difficult hurdle could be the clause of the u.s. constitution which specifically prevents elected officials from accepting present or money from foreign governments or leaders. >> there are a lot of problems that i think president trump could deal with by selling off his business interests or giving them over to a trustee, a blind trust so the trustee can figure out how to dispose of these properties, and he could focus on being president. >> reporter: a press conference intended to detail how trump will sort all of this out was scheduled for two weeks ago, but that was delayed until january to give them more time.

>> an attorney for the trump organization tells cnn it is continuing to re-evaluate various transactions they are involved in to take measures to comply with all conflict laws. ethics experts say the only real iron clad way to separate the trump administration from the trump business is putting it in a blind trust, but the president-elect is resisting and instead sources say he is leaning towards finding a way to let his two eldest sons run the trump organization. >> dana bash, thank you for the reporting. donald trump is defending his efforts, misspelling a word but still saying the following in it. i gave millions of dollars to the donald j. trump foundation, raised or receives millions more, all of which is given to charity and the media won't report. >> well, donald trump says there's no way president obama could have beaten him in this year's election if he were eligible to run for a third term. >> mr. obama claims his message

of hope and change, that that could still win despite the fact the democratic party lost so much, was defeated in november. here is what the president told cnn senior political commentator david axelrod. >> in the wake of the election and trump winning, a lot of people have suggested that somehow it really was a fantasy. i am confident in this vision because i'm confident that if i -- if i had run again and articulated it, i think i could avenue mobilized a majority of the american people to rally behind it. >> joining from washington is cnn political analyst josh rogin, also a columnist from "the washington post." josh, good to have you with us. president obama said monday he would have beaten donald trump had he run for a third term, run again for the presidency.

trump says no way. who do you think is right here? is president obama reading the electorate correctly or is he misreading what happened in this election? >> yeah, i think what president obama is referring to is the fact that hillary clinton lost a lot of districts, especially in the traditionally blue rust belt that president obama had carried twice. it is a subtle dig at hillary clinton for not doing more to keep what he thinks of as the obama coalition together. now, seeing as it was the obama coalition, there's reason to think obama could have held it together, but in that fictional race who knows what might have happened? the bottom line is president obama doesn't want hillary clinton's loss to be a reflection on his legacy, that's what he is trying to do here with that sly kind of comment. >> let's talk about the president-elect's response. he did respond saying the following, quote, the world was gloomy before i won. there was no hope. now the market is up nearly 10% and christmas spending is over a

trillion dollars. your thoughts there? >> yeah, president obama's a very popular president right now, his approval ratings are over 50%. you know, i guess the fact that donald trump won the election gives credence to his claim that most americans thought it was headed in the wrong direction. the fact he also lost the popular vote shows it wasn't a clear mandate or a clear message one way or the other, and the fact that christmas spending is up probably has nothing to do with the donald trump win. it is more something like the rooster taking credit for the sun rise. >> josh, let's talk foreign policy, specifically the situation between the obama administration and israel. john kerry is expected to layout the administration's vision for the middle east peace process. kerry has been to israel and the palestinian territories now more than a dozen times in his tenure, but most tellingly that came in the first year. those efforts appear to have lost steam. this is how the israeli prime minister now describes the latest turn of events as the

u.s. declined to veto a u.n. security council criticism of israeli settlements in the west bank. listen. >> over decades american administrations and israeli governments have disagreed about settlements, but we agreed that the security council was not the place to resolve this issue. we knew that going there would make negotiations harder and drive peace further away. >> netanyahu even said that friends don't take friends to the security council. how would you interpret what's going on here? >> reporter: it is just a collapse of what was already a very bad, shaky and unfriendly sort of personal relationship between president obama and prime minister netanyahu. i think the obama administration had a list of things they might do in the final days to try to set the stage for progress in the middle east peace process. the first thing that they did, which was to not veto this resolution condemning settlements, has already become a major crisis in u.s./israel

relations, not to mention u.s. relations with the united nations. john kerry's second effort here to sort of layout the parameters of the middle east peace process is going to fall upon deaf ears in israel. they decided they don't want to work with the obama administration anymore. they're mounting a challenge against the u.n. and all of the countries that supported in resolution, and they're just going to wait for the trump administration. so why would they listen to john kerry when they can get better terms in only a month? >> josh rogin, thank you for your insights. >> any time. and we turn to the political landscape in south korea now and some lawmakers there are quitting the ruling conservative party and forming their own. the 29 lawmakers were members of the president's party. >> they now say those who remain loyal to president park gun hay. the party will be called the newly formed conservative party.

if you will remember, the president was impeached over a major corruption scandal. to nigeria, after more than two years in boko haram captivity, 21 school girls will bring ring in the year with their family. >> they were kidnapped back in 2014. cnn has the exclusive story of the girls' journey back home. >> reporter: after almost two-and-a-half years in boko haram captivity, at last it is time to go home. having covered the chibok girl's abduction from the very beginning, i'm going to make the long journey with them. >> you're going home. how are you feeling? somebody tell me, what is the feeling in your heart right now? you're happy? >> reporter: for all of the talk of excitement, some of these girls are also nervous. >> don't be nervous, don't be

afraid. okay? you hold your faith. you hold on to your faith, okay. okay? the same faith that kept you all those months. >> reporter: with the girls on the move, there are more smiles as they chat and giggle freely amongst themselves. once we land, the girls are welcomed by some of the chibok community leaders as well as the governor. the road to chibok too dangerous to travel after dark, the girls spent the night at a local hotel. outside, a large security cordon is put in place. inside, with their journey delayed, they gather in one room to do what they were unable to do while in bock owe haram captivity. ♪ >> i learned they were singing local christian hymns. while in captivity their christianity was not tolerated

by the boko haram terrorists. >> what have you been doing since you were in abuja? >> translator: in abucha, we are very grateful, we are grateful for them because they have done good for us. and then when we are in abuja we are blamed, we are playing football. we have english clash that we are learning how to speak english and writing very well. >> you guys look so different since i saw you in october. how are you feeling now from that time to now? >> we are feeling beautiful since we came. we -- >> reporter: you can tell me. you can tell me, because you are beautiful. >> reporter: the next morning a military convoy ex courts the

girls to chibok, a place that holds the promise of long-awaited family rue unions and memories of a fateful night. so the convoy has stopped in a town which is about an hour away from chibok. the movement through these parts, such a well-armed convoy, is drawing attention from passers by. >> reporter: as we enter chibok town, locals wave excitedly, welcoming their girls home. the moment of reunion eventually arrives. the room almost vibrating with the sound of unbridled joy. but for some waiting parents, heartbreak. these women have come looking for their daughters who are still being held by boko haram. they had thought their children were among the group who were

coming home for christmas. >> there has been such an out pouring of grief amid the joy. the piercing screams of mothers realizing indeed they're not to be reunited with their daughters on this day, which has turned what should have been an overwhelmingly happy moment into a bittersweet one. for rebecca and her father the nightmare is over and her father is overcome with feelings of gratitude. given all they have endured, the mental and physical abuse at the hands of their captors, this reunion moves this community a step closer to wholeness. ir isha sesay, chibok, nigeria. >> she has been on the forefront of that story with her

reporting. the personal touch she has given drives it home. >> that whole emotional journey for those girls. next year on "cnn newsroom" fans are saying goodbye to george michael a day after his sudden death. more on the british singer's rise to star dom and his personal struggles. back in a moment. ♪

♪ wake me up before you go, girl ♪ ♪ don't leave me hanging on like a yo-yo ♪ ♪ can wake me up >> i think it is fair to say the music of george michael from wham to the solo career that he had, his music brought people to their feet. >> just incredible. fans are holding on to those tunes as they say goodbye to the late british pop star. ian lee reports. >> reporter: it is a familiar scene in 2016, fans grappling with how to say goodbye to an icon. while many of them never knew george michael personally, they pay tribute as if they were old friends. ♪ yes, i've got to have faith >> reporter: the pop superstar's sudden death at just 53 years old has come as a shock to his fans around the world. the singer reportedly died of suspected heart failure at his

home in hartfordshire, england. is death is being treated by police as unexplained but not suspicious. it comes after a close call in 2011 when he was hospitalized with acute pneumonia. at the time he spoke about his feelings of gratefulness for being alive. outside his home, fans have gathered to mourn. a lot of the heart felt tributes talk about the impact he had on their lives for many people. he was the soundtrack of their youth, something they want to share with their children. >> what is your favorite george michael song? >> last christmas. >> reporter: why do you guys like it so much? >> well, it is a bit new to us really because we're all used to, like, bruno mars and that, but dad has been saying, oh, you have to listen to the '80s songs, they're really good. >> reporter: these three sisters came to lay flowers. for them it is like losing a family member. >> i mean he was -- we liked him

for -- he was just class. we grew up with him. we're his age, where he's our -- he's our idol. always will be. >> yes. >> we'll never forget him and his music will live on. >> reporter: over three decades and more than 100 million record sales later, the world now says its goodbyes to george michael. ian lee, cnn london ♪ goodbye ♪ goodbye >> and earlier i spoke with entertainment journalist holland reed about a difficult period in george michael ace life. >> 1998 was a bad year for him. he was forced to come out and declare his sexuality as a guy man. >> yeah. >> that was because of the arrest. he was arrested for soliciting sex from a male undercover officer. >> yes. >> in a california bathroom. >> yes. >> then he had more run-ins with the law.

he had a bad car accident. >> yes. >> he was never able to overcome those problems, was he? why was he not able to ride that all out? >> gosh, if i had that answer, you know, it is so unfortunate. this was a man that donated all of his proceeds for the song "last christmas" to band-aid. this was a person that worked hand in hand with elton john. he was an advocate. he raised so much money for charity off of his own talent. for him to only be kind of dragged through the media over controversy, again, the sting operation which made him -- forced him to come out. coming out isn't for eerveryone and for him being a public figure and giving so much to the community and the world and then have to address something that's so personal in a way that just -- you know, he even said himself he was not ashamed. he was not ashamed of his sexuality. he was ashamed it came out in such a stupid and ridiculous way. again, with the drug abuse, the

addiction, the issues he had just in his personal life, i hope we can look at that and go, that was just a small part of his existence, his time here, that he did so much good. he did so much for charities, for human rights. >> entertainment journalist holland reed talking to me earlier. it has been 75 years since japan attacked pearl harbor and now the nation's prime minister is about to visit a memorial to the u.s. battleship bombed there. what his historic visit to pearl harbor means for relations between the united states and japan as "cnn newsroom" continues. ♪

♪ and a warm welcome back to our viewers here in the united states and of course around the world. i'm rosemary church. >> i'm george howell. this is "cnn newsroom" with the headlines we're following for you this hour. the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is suspending ties with the embassies of 12 u.n. security councilmembers. the council accused a resolution condemning settlements last week. israel is furious with the united states which it accuses of initiating the measure. the united states denies that. chicago's deadliest year in two decades got worse over the holiday weekend. police are investigating 27 shooting incidents, a dozen of which were fatal. the united states third largest city has seen 753 homicides so far this year. the flight data recorder from the russian military plane that crashed in the black sea, that data recorder has been

found. this is according to russia's state-run news agency. the country says there are no signs of terrorist attack was behind the crash. the plane went down minutes after takeoff. all 92 people on board were killed. in the coming hours, zin zoe abe will be the first japan prime minister to visit pearl harbor. accompanying him president obama. >> he is in hawaii where he has laid wreaths at two cemeteries on monday. acheena jones talked to an eyewitness about the attack about the japanese leader's historic visit and what it means to him. >> reporter: 95-year-old robert lee says he's glad to see japanese leader zin zoe abe making the trip. >> i think it is a greatest thing in the world. we have gone through quite a bit of healing. >> reporter: he remembers well the day of the surprise attack

75 years ago when more than 2400 people lost their lives. >> it is very vivid in my memory, very much so. >> reporter: still a young man, just two years out of high school rotc, he looked on from his bedroom. later dashing to his front lawn as japanese bombers flew low over his home, headed for battleship row. >> i grabbed my 22 caliber target rifle and shot off 16.22 caliber lead shots at the planes. >> thinking that it would work? >> of course not. it wouldn't kill a mouse. >> he watched as the uss arizona just a mile away exploded. >> it was that orange, red orange color. about three seconds, and then it exploded. the fire went up hundreds of feet from this, from the whole ship, and the crackling of the

fire was overwhelming. >> reporter: as those who could fought back, lee helped to wash the oil off sailors to jumped to safety, their ships under attack, later helping transport the injured to treatment facilities. by midnight he had joined the military, serving domestically throughout the war. it was a long, emotional day that left lee angry, but he isn't angry anymore. >> hate is the greatest destroyer of anyone. the idea that you can harbor hate will destroy you. >> reporter: it is that understanding the president celebrated at hiroshima. >> since that fateful day we have made choices that give us hope. the united states and japan forged not only an alliance but a friendship that has won far more for our people than we

could ever claim through war. >> reporter: a message prime minister abe is certain to echo as he pays tribute at this watery grave, now a sacred site. athena jones, cnn, honolulu, hawaii. joining now to talk from singapore is andrew staples, the director of the economic corporate network, north asia. good to have you with us. >> thank you, sir, for speaking with us. now, how significant is this visit by japan's prime minister coming as it does after president obama's visit to hiroshima and what does it say about u.s./japan relations? >> it comes at an interesting time for prime minister abe and for japan and japan/u.s. relations as you mentioned. as we heard earlier, president obama visited hiroshima earlier in the year, and it was the first time for a u.s. president to make that visit there. in to sense you can see it is a

reciprocal act by prime minister abe. but it goes deeper than that. prime minister abe's policy is looking shaky of late, particularly with the election of mr. trump who will be coming into office next year. there's serious concerns about the state of the relationship between japan and the united states. >> and just, you know, pushing on that point, you know, this is a time where we have seen the russian president visit japan. so, you know, talk to us just about the state of affairs when it comes to the u.s. relationship. >> reporter: well, the relationship between japan and the united states goes back a long way, and as we heard a little earlier on from president obama this is more than an alliance, it is a deep friendship that's been in place throughout the post-war period. president putin's visit last week, actually part of the legacy of the second world war

and territorial claims north of hakado, actually it was seen widely disappointing for abe in terms of getting any kind of concrete can achievements signed at that meeting. so abe is certainly keen to have something of a more positive foreign policy event with this visit to hawaii. it is very interesting. it will play very well in washington. it should play very well with the trump team as well. it will certainly go some way to countering some of the criticisms that japan in the post-war period, particularly abe himself who, let's remember, is something of a hawkish nationalist, that japan hasn't atoned for its actions in the second world war. this visit will go a long way to countering some of that. >> now -- >> sorry, go ahead. >> you did mention the administration of president-elect donald trump,

how might that change japan/united states relations do you think? >> well, this will go back to two key issues. first of all, security, which is the relationship with the united states is absolutely fundamental to japan's security, and the economic issues particularly around trade. prime minister abe put the trans-pacific partnership, tpp, at the heart of his structural foreign program. unfortunately, president-elect trump has said that he won't sign that agreement, and this has left abe and japan in something of a difficult position. in terms of security, president-elect trump has been talking about the need for allies such as japan and south korea to be paying far more to host u.s. troops, ushering something in -- something of a more transactional nature into those relations as well. on the other hand, prime minister abe, as i mentioned

earlier on, is a nationalist. he has been pushing for a much greater defense budget, and we saw the budget proposed last week which will be the fifth straight year of an increase in defense spending. prime minister abe wants to reinterpret the constitution to allow japan to engage in mutual defense, to play a more proactive role. all of this will play very, very well with the incoming u.s. administration. and so this visit i think will really be seen positively in those terms as well. >> it is historic just to see these two leaders, one visiting the other country and vice versa. andrew staples with "the economist corporate network north asia." thank you so much. >> thank you. and in less than a month donald trump will control the u.s. nuclear arsenal. >> why some world leaders though worry about his plans for the future. stay with us. ♪ we live in a pick and choose world.

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welcome back to "cnn newsroom." india has test fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile. the significance is this. that weapon would put beijing and other chinese cities within range. >> it comes as world leaders are concerned the u.s. could expand its nuclear arsenal under president-elect donald trump. our pentagon correspondent barbara starr has more. >> reporter: less than a month before he takes command of the u.s. nuclear arsenal, the world still is not sure what president-elect donald trump meant with his tweet, the united states must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes. a trump administration move to expand the nuclear arsenal would be a stunning and unprecedented reversal of both democratic and republican foreign policy

largely set by ronald reagan. >> a nuclear can war cannot be won and must never be fought. >> the only value in our two nations possessing nuclear can weapons is to make sure they will never be used, but then would it not be better to do away with them entirely? >> reporter: reagan overcame his own opposition to arms control can, sat down with mikhail gorbachev and negotiated nuclear arms limits. but trump doubled down, commenting to a tv morning anchor in a dramatic statement delivered in a surreal, festive setting. >> he told me on the phone, let it be an arms race because we will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all. >> any time any president talks about a nuclear arms race it should be alarming for the whole world because the last thing we need are more nuclear weapons,

more fissile material out there. >> reporter: vladimir putin already signaling he won't bankrupt his economy on a nuclear race. >> if 2001 accelerates and speeds up the arms race, it will not be us. i would say that we will never, if we are in an arms race, we will never spend too much. >> reporter: but putin is moving ahead. >> the russians in the last few years have increased the capacity -- the capability of their systems dramatically. >> reporter: it is not known if trump has been briefed and if he believes the u.s. intelligence assessment that russia is testing and possibly getting ready to field a new nuclear capable ground launched missile, a potential violation of a 1987 treaty negotiated by reagan and gorbachev. >> under president putin the russians have violated that agreement. they have not admitted it and they have not yet to our knowledge fielded those weapons, but once they do, that will be an immediate threat to our european allies and probably on

president donald trump's watch he will have to do something about it. >> reporter: so where do things stand now? the europeans indeed are nervous and the north koreans may well be planning another underground nuclear test. barbara starr, cnn, the pentagon. >> barbara starr, thank you. now to talk about the fastest animal on land, researchers say it is at risk of going extinct. they say that only about 7100 cheetahs still exist in the world. >> they wanted status changed from what it is now, vulnerable to endangered to better protect them. cheeltas, which hunt across a vast amount of land are facing increasing threat as humans encroach on their habitat, hunt them and kill their prey a migrant woman journeys through latin american trying to reach a better life in the u.s. for her growing family.

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thousands of migrants are traveling to latin america, hoping to head north for a better life in the united states, but it is a long journey and that journey is proving to be a ripe opportunity for human traffickers to take advantage of them. >> cnn's freedom project has the story of one pregnant woman who is hoping to give her child the american dream before it is too late. shasta darlington has the story. ♪ >> reporter: costa rica is known for its vast beaches and rugged rainforests, a destination that draws tourists from all over the world. none of that is why 22-yard yolanda is here. she agreed to speak with me on the condition that we not show her face on camera. >> translator: my situation has been very difficult since i left brazil. i have been on the road almost

three months. >> reporter: she says she is originally from congo, she and her husband among tens of thousands of migrants from around the globe, crisscrossing south and central america in their struggle to reach the united states. >> translator: a lot of roads, lots of bus rides and a lot of walking, too. through brazil, peru, panama and colombia for arriving in costa rica. >> reporter: she arrived four days ago hoping to receive a pass, the document she and her husband need to enter costa rica and transit north to the next border, only to discover they have to wait six weeks for an appointment with costa rican immigration officials as the government copes with an unprecedented influx of migrants. >> we are absolutely overwhelmed with this situation, and we are doing our best to protect the human rights of the people who are coming to costa rica.

>> reporter: yolanda takes me to the make-shift hostel where she is staying just a short walk from the border. her options are limited. without paperwork she doesn't have access to government shelters yet. >> translator: i'm staying at a hostel that has more than 50 people. we pay $5 a day. the situation is very difficult. sleeping on a mass tress on -- on a mattress on the floor. >> reporter: making matters even more challenging, yolanda is seven months pregnant. she hasn't seen a doctor in two months and she is worried. >> translator: i hope to leave soon for my turn to come quickly so i can see a doctor. i don't want my baby to be born on the road. if i have to spend a month here, i don't know what will happen. >> reporter: yolanda says she left congo for brazil where she

lived for a year working in a restaurant. when she and her husband lost their jobs they decided to leave, dreaming of a better life for themselves and the daughter they hope will be born in the united states. the odds are not in their favor. tens of thousands of migrants are on the move throughout central and south america, and experts say many are at risk can of human trafficking. >> from here north the nicaragua border is closed. it is much more difficult to get into mexico. there is some serious criminal elements that will prey on them along the way. >> reporter: officials believe a majority of the migrants are actually from haiti, even though most say they're from congo. as one migrant told me off camera, here congo isn't a country, it is a pass word for haitian migrants. >> the people that i've spoken to claiming to be from congo who -- who barely even know the

capital and don't know the dialects spoken in the congo and don't know the football jersey of the congress co and all of t things, they typically are convinced people from the congo can't be deported to the congo. >> reporter: that's because it is cost cans a lot more for governments in the americas to deport people to africa than to haiti. it is also easier for haitian to pass themselves off as congolese because like haiti it is a french-speaking country. when i first met yolanda i asked her the name of her hometown and she couldn't quite pronounce it, brazaville, the capital of congo. and as i watched her and her husband walk away i couldn't help but wonder about where they came from and where this journey will ultimately take them. shasta darlington, cnn on the coasta reekan/panamanian border. >> just one of many difficult stories we have to tell you. on wednesday we will introduce

you to a young woman who was tricked into sex slavery and the organization she cred can i thin thinks -- credits for changing her life. >> reporter: she told me they give you a passport and give you money for your family and if you didn't like the place you could go back. i asked her what type was available there and she shed work as a waitress or office, nothing to do with pros tugs. >> reporter: it was a lie. she says she was immediately forced into sex slavery, held against her will, forced to have sex with as many as five men at a time and paid nothing. >> and hear how she managed to escape and where she is now. that's wednesday on our "freedom project" series, pair list journey only on cnn. >> we thank you for being with us for this hour. i'm george howell. >> i'm rosemary church. remember to connect with us on twitter. the news continues next with isa

soares in london. soares in london. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com . .

the diplomatic fallout grows following the anti-israel resolution at the u.n. the jewish state putting limits on working ties in countries in favor of voting for it. we have a live report from jerusalem. donald trump unleashing on twitter going after the u.n. and the media and president obama. and historic moments on tap in hawaii. japanese prime minister set to visit the