Transcript for Year in review: ABC News team reflects on global stories that drove 2018

Welcome to a special year end edition of ABC new lives worldview. Tony eighteen and an a year jam packed with a global headlines they had that. Historic summit in North Korea a wore no wedding with an American princess and remembered how the entire world rallied around a miraculous he rescue in Thailand. Well ABC news has been a right there to bringing the story firsthand and this week we're talking to our correspondents about what is like for them to be there in the middle of all of the action. The program began with Marcus Moore who spent an entire week in Mexico alongside the thousands of migrants that formed back caravan north. Over the course of the week they covered hundreds of Michaels here he tells us a bit about what with. This was the very first time. I was able to see with my own eyes. A bit of the journey that these people of being on. Long before they reach the US Mexico border and I can tell you it is a it is a long is a very arduous journey and certainly one full of of of unknowns and and real risk my main my mission. Was to report back. To anyone who would listen anyone who would watch what was really happening. On the ground. In Mexico have been hearing from the president. And others that included dangerous people. And and and thugs and people with diseases. I can tell you that in in my time with the care of and I did I did not see that Mike came away with the side this this feeling that I'll only desperation. Would. Compel someone. To pack up and leave the only country they have known. Com with their child who is defenseless. Armed adventure into the mill that is full of risks and then there's no guarantee that you'll actually make it. Into the US in fact bomb in all likelihood. The chances are very slim that any of these families are these young men are children. Will make it into the US to stay something else. That that really touched me. Or that moved me as a journalist was. Seeing young moms who live there with their children and children. In the midst of this. What has to be one of the hardest decisions. And their mom or dad had a date. Was to pick up and leave and take them with them in the kids seem to be. Oblivious to it we showed up at a facility that was opened up. Four for migrants. Arrest. One night and it that the building was empty and there was a mom with her two kids and they had little cards. Think they were playing cards of some sort. But it was something that the mom had and it seemed to to occupy. The kids one of the things one of the other things I noticed about the caravan is that it. It didn't seem to BE. Organized in the sense that. People really didn't know where they would be going from one day to the next people would say oh I don't know. Ominous scene from day to day it was. Just a guessing game in the sense about where they would would go next. And there was a point where a pass by this this group of peoples all young men. And they they were huddled around a map. And we're discussing what what was the best route on and it seems. Like from day to day that's how the decisions were made on exactly where they would go. In what the route would be but it was really revealing to me. How determined. People were. They look at that map because there we go somewhere. They wanted to stay in this town they were determined to make it to the north. As we look into 2019. This is not going anywhere. There will still be. Families that we'll still be. Young men and women who were risking it all. Despite the the death. That they made a face. They try to cross. Through a desert. Markets like we saw the conditions you were working and were top thank you thank you so much for covering such an important story for us. Are now what a year it was for the royals remember that. Untraditional. Royal wedding they took that trip down under an even. Own royal baby on the way anything is foreign correspondent James long Nguyen was there every step of the way here's more from that was. Huge anticipation full Harry and Megan's weddings I mean it equaled that all of us will and case but they simplicity of the next to Diane dimension because. All of Megan and everything that she was bringing to the rule found that matters Aaron and he's ray she's double C said. All the details around a wedding everyone was just fascinated but in the week running out to the knees was. Hijacked I'd say you're really buying. All of the kind of goings on with Tara in family situation particularly house solve. To Saudi talking to the gossip website TMZ. He seemed to just kind of want to spit is guts to DMZ gain in the days running up. To the wedding and everyone was really surprised because normally in these situations difficult founding members on told by the tonics to you Connick keep a lid on it. In this case Kensington Pius was unable to stop. Thomas Markell from talking to Tanzi and sent every night we basically have these new headlines on one day he did a photo shape that was the knees the next day he apologized for doing the fantasy and not with the news. And the next day. It was his duel as on the dual Tess amount half sister to Magid. Who is commenting on ball from father. And so news really I think it was unfortunate because you know federal loans to focus on what was going to be a really happy day. And there was a lot of chopped about Megan's family I was I see inside wins a causal won't be any position that ABC had. That is actually in just across from the chapel site. We were able to sit and wait as. As a league kind of guests percent stands there abouts of 16100 members of the public have been invited to name comes town at picnics. It says it was a really cut a fessed up Tuesday. And then I think poverty for me the most incredible line and what have tapes of the first one was when she came in. And why I'm a bit of a crime but when she came Ain T handles like divine. And there was a moment when she attend the cold and the son had come in through two one of the high wind dies of some George's chapel and hit through the veil. And he had a top night as she came down the I'll it was just. Magnificent and and then the other linemen for me was the salmon by the Costa. And no one has ever that's it though would for the role thumbing his of the a seven might not it was thunderous he was incredible the American bishop. Whose voice reverberated around the the courtyard outside where we were everyone was its rules. Rules are generally couldn't think of a better place. To announce. The the upcoming. Baby. We rule summons to a government building in Sydney. And there's some kind announced in the knees be made and so we will huddle around a conference fire and and and we conduct that pennies kind of dropped says Jason the head of press tale. Is it starts to speak and he's like I just need you tonight and then he starts to read the past statement. Royal highness they watched the Sussex is expecting a baby. This the loss they'll. All of the royal pull. On wall and hateful it Spain yet it was brilliant I mean that it was sixteen days but they had to fit 76 engagements in today sixteen days across. Full countries. I mean we do something like I think I counted twenty flights. The eighteenth nineteen date period. It was it was pretty exhaust days there's union Gekko about a sleep does Jim make as to Aaron midnight in Australia thought it was a lot of fun and you know when you're in these places went thousands of people have come out to sea. Megan Harry at also Condit insisted to C he's following them around say. Being pulse of that rule bubble was was just amazing I think from April Rudy one of the best days in the middle Tonga and we had to be part of the rule convoy because we rule we'd all be on the same plane. Let's say it was meg and harried police out riders and and the couple that the press buses. But all along the right from the apple to town. Basically every single school child when in Nevada to Los anyway. Pats come out to welcome the rule policy and withstanding income of one meets at intervals along the ride waving cheering clapping. That was incredible just for miles and miles and miles we want to say people hired him that we are hiring funds we had a bit of fun I think at one stage admiral and illustrated with a boomerang. I think practicing with my boomerang let's see if this works. Well. I'm. In the studio you know not crazy James he had as very nervous I had no idea you had the ring skills very impressed. James what I think hearing that I'm still in thing me jealous of the trip he went on and I hope that we can you know. Possibly wearing together at some point. I now was a huge year for North Korea and US relations for the first time ever a sitting US president met face to face with the North Korean leader. In June president Robb and North Korean leader Kim Jung. Took part in a summit in Singapore. ABC news Seoul bureau chief June he'd show wasn't Singapore for the historic summoning his asked some fascinating insight into what it. It's like I was one of the biggest stories of the pair. And we prepare to for a very long time the summit was in June but. The trump can summit was canceled just before about a month before it actually happened trump castle ounce and Kim Jung and sent his top eight to Washington to save the summit. If you look at the businesses also Baylor cashing in on the summit itself we went to restaurants and we saw a special trump can. Men used like the child hamburger and condemn and rice pool dish and in the bars also had little decorations on their cocktails with. Trump can't US North Korean flag sign it and what night Kim Jung and came out late and that was a total surprise. Is he was the same at a time and then suddenly came out. To just pick up toward the city's so we had reporters chasing him. In Singapore. And it was huge chasing game but you it was a very fun experience. If you look at the trump Kim summit agreement. There are three key. Factors air land North Korea will work towards complete denuclearization. Of the Korean Peninsula and second US and North Korea will work together to build the peace Ricci Hmong cream peninsula. And North Korea promised to recover. Remains of the US soldiers who died during the Korean war in immediately. Send them over which was done so banality if you look at the first to complete in Asia and the work towards peace. They're very they wording so. We would say that those two are still yet to be done. President Tom though right now seems to be. A winning game. North creates. Slapped and trapped with sanctions at the moment. They're the ones who is desperate and who's in a hurry and they do want to get around with it but. Trump president trump I think he has other this president some did say that he will meet him. This son. Jamie thanks so much it's it's fascinating to see how something so historic finely came together like that. I now we gonna move onto the crisis in Syria back in April the United States and European allies launched airstrikes there after a suspected chemical attack was ordered. NBC senior foreign correspondent Ian panel has been going mysterious since 2011. And this year he practicing what looked like after a racist was pretty much defeated. First cost of incident went eleven and then fall what was it to sense of the protest movement into. Terrible civil wool. Going back on repeated trips every a couple of months. Between twelfth and thirteenth when he fourteen. As crisis started to him Tuesday significant threats it became too dangerous for journalists and some of them captain tragically some killed. By the terrace. So that pointed to carry cases covering Syria from outside eight. Until the war gains crisis began in Iraq yeah. So last year 27 team woodland that fold but not line for ABC news. Into Iraq which was the haunts. The capital of the circle kind of place devices and then went back and that's. Prices have been pushing much defeated. You know gone just yet but pretty much of the Susan and Wentz the the State's of the city in the states in the country. Do do at times in sending torrents to vote 2013. Wolves it will insanely dangerous you insert yourself in cities like a weapon in the middle of the apple. And it was 360. Degrees of war artillery shells landing around to present ascent deployed to attack helicopters are dropping these barrel bombs filled with Chrysler's isn't completely random. Form of attack so precise in any. Meaningful way soul. And any to put Fy two jets. Now also to attack civilian and areas. So those are off to many times we've found ourselves on the ground. There's gum fights colonel ranches. Their bombs landing in hospitals as full of kind of kids who. Told Apollo by shrapnel C kind of witness terrible scenes and you also expects its current trying to sleep but not with the sound of this kind of war ranging. It's oh. So yeah that would times when it was kind of insanely dangerous however. We felt it was important because we didn't go in now. And tell the story give voice. To the suffering of people that in the world wouldn't now the rich expectation or hope months of being for the world would act. All we have to do was show them what was going on kind of room with a my goodness that's terrible. Then that should be Prussia to tune in to be able to do something to stall the slow that didn't happen. But people can't say they didn't. We will witness to. Essentially ethnic cleansing taking place and massed mad day if not genocide in Syria. And police that was documented. At least those people's voices well but we met one guy who was a farm but he become. Like a medical examiner and here's that taking this whole body parts in the eighties and everything aboard is that discovery he said he's been doing acts. This is July. 28 team. He said he been doing it full two months every single day today and he reckoned he be doing it probably through the rest of the so that was the price of victory against our basis. And as well you where the end of the people should know that ice is still hasn't been defeated and the US military in assessments. Devices in Syria and Iraq. Is that they still represent the greatest threats then I'll kinda advocate. In Iraq even though they've been driven maps of these it is now still that payoffs to the end there are many different difficult elements mean seeing children suffering. Above all else it's on this thing. There was one moment we were in the school of being taken by rebel finances. And his body of the day teenage ago. Lying on the fuel. In one rooms and there was one finances and crying quite Jan. Icahn amassed huge walls and he didn't she just from bolting from one of the many. And that's thousands of people just being comic courts up in the warning just seeing some made that it was a point two which are hopelessness. With sexing it. And here is a young woman who represented new threats to any. Neither side tools and phonics. Governments sold. She just being cool so so man many people that we got and most striking things that she's by the Akamai Twitter account. And the coolest people I used to follow. How will listen all of them tweaked and normal. For me that's a pretty. Chilling. Precedents exist. So sobering to see the devastation that's thank you so much again. Are another story that really dominated global headlines and 2018. When the murder of Washington Post columnist jamarcus OG he was last seen alive in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Molly hunter went to Istanbul in talks us about some of the challenges in covering the story as yes. The biggest challenge is actually just getting information so we got very little that first week. He went missing on October 2 and the original information we got that first week was very very sketchy and all the Turks. Really started making Jonathan the biggest challenge was just getting any thing reliable and on the record. And we didn't get anything on the record rally for almost a month. After he you've got the Turkish government and you got the Saudi Arabian government not only at a secretive U governments are not reliable they regularly lie. And neither had a great. History or great track record with telling the trick to journalists for the magically opened Pratt. Or even protecting journalists aren't a free press and mart journalists and Allen Turkey right now than any other country. At present airline does not you know respect her champion journalists and as for the particularly odd case where. He came out kind of has the protector adds. In the supporter of Jim hawkish anti sources are golds at the beginning of that story. And basically what the Turks are editing is leaking to journalists so inner. Airline sources would start leaking to Reuters to the Washington Post and that's kind of the nature of these leaks but he's singled mean he doubles sources. But if you're getting golden sources from inside of aired a one circle a lot of these papers were just going forth and so the Washington Post was leading the charge in his first couple of weeks. I'm a information trickled out so we know that there were negotiations behind closed doors with the saudis that the Turks. At with the Americans. And if those negotiations were going the way at the Turks want today. The Turks and release more information and leaked more information they played a master class they dominated this story. The version of events that we note featuring now and that is come out and evidence his continued to be presented to support that narrative. Was the Turkish version and you learn pretty quickly that basically the media was just upon between these two government. This saudis as we know had a much less. Consistent and less reliable version of events honestly. And they first said he walked out on his he had no idea he walked in the consulate and you watch out attic and respect. And then they continue to change their version of events and in the next couple of weeks. Finally saying that there is a fist fights and sort of altercation and and then admitting how little that weren't that yes he was killed inside the conflict and then finally saying yes it was premeditated but that took four weeks. And and to wrap that entire process. The Turkish government. Incredibly reliable. And certainly wouldn't trust mine a lot of stories had presented consistent. Facts that lined up after those are so the government definitely weren't forthcoming as the sources and reporters who got the leaks and at ABC. Add the people responsible for getting those leaks where that rate Turkish Texas and producers and reporters. And so credits can then certainly because of the world's media just parachuted into Istanbul not a lot of media organizations actually an appearance in Istanbul of course. Links mauling. Are right now we have to end the show on a high notable about doing to lift the miracle in Thailand and those twelve soccer players and their coats over miraculously rescued from that cave. After being trapped for more than two weeks so we need to bring Indian long but now he was the only corresponded to exclusively sit down the entire team. Here's a first hand account of what experiences like. So we went on three different jennies originally I was that follow up bouts I think two weeks and then McCain by then went back for about ten days and then I'm. Came back to the UK and in the final Jenny whenever for a week but he did the entity. With Albert that Ty had this sense that the boys would definitely gonna make their way out and it was irony ever amounts of time and so it was tense. Bots. I think it was kind of expectant. Jubilation if you like and we every day that Paul Austin. We've with a dive is getting closer and closer and closer to the boys. I'm the atmosphere outside the cave just became. Acting kind of Wheatley got hacked via rather than kind of sather if you and then of course came the night that. They found the boys and law and then the race course goes on to get them allow time but I think the death of the the death of the town ABC it was definitely a remind this is not going to be it was extraordinary to see the first ambulance come out we believe that The Bus Boys. From that cave. In. Not ambulance but the race was all to see if we get the rest now but it was an amazing thing enlisted in now. Fields. And it's and we didn't know precisely when we see the I'm minutes with basically just kind of a waiting game I was live actually. All on. Brian and Kelly. The ABC shine. When I was being else to question but one of the sudden. We salute kites flying behind us now with what a wonderful mother. For so long we have talked about the Thai boys has this kind of connect agree. Then finally era was able to sit in front of them and I got tonight and a little bit as individuals and that was really special. Because obviously they were very very different young men and then. It was quite fun to see that different characters and I think this most special thing about being with them was seeing the blink and the bomb that they had with their courage. You know we've had a lot about how the coach managed to keep them alive but it wasn't really until I met the mold but you've really got a sense of just how place this bond. Me was the Thai government. Very very keen to make shoes of them properly that we won. Upsetting them in any way that money can read live. A little of their kind of the ordeal they went rule originally that would seats hair but. About Powell before the boys turned up and an official said on you can't have seats because you'll be blocking the picture is he can see there's a picture of and then the old king and his son the current king and you panel block the heads all of the cane or a moment of Thailand. That or so you can see it as Buddha and other statutes say. You you'll about the show due to disrespect fees that figure is by covering them when in an interview the boys themselves have come and become basically kind of line a celebrity's a major snubs its day and time on the top of sources say to us we just want to make sure the boys have a normal life. I think it's going to be difficult then to date that we'll see. I think the most important thing the island as a report of just professionally is that it's OK to show a law to paction. In a story when you're covering something like this in that we worry amendment in this age of fate can use and whether or not on utilize nations of being impartial. If it. Giving us their opinions role in the knees. But I think there's a really fine line between having an opinion on having passion the pineapple thing happen because. On the day of the rescue we rushing off to move away from the K I run down to the cross our eyes and realized that the best place to be was in fields just opposite. The crossroads tend out that was upon ample grave. And as we listed that I'd just bent down picked up a pineapple salute to my fights it would it but then. And I said onto its not pictured and tended to a cop to a and extended to mean the convention and nationally around Taina and then they called me mr. pineapple pineapple prints of one occasional pineapple cane which is or permission. There find out all off they will never forget that while James wasn't the only correspondent Eric covering the cave rescue ferocity BC we had. An entire teen on the ground including her chief national correspondent Matt got men who wrote a book on his experiences here's more from. In the initial days especially first two weeks. There were 101000. People were involved. In supporting the rescue there were people who were working in the kitchens there were aid workers they were medics. Thousands of people everywhere all of them focused on this one task and to see so many people from all over the world come together. Working together is pretty incredible support of the locals was. Persisted throughout. Not only us but they allowed their own rice paddies and field to be completely flooded by all the water that was being pumped that the cave. And we build dozens and dozens and dozens of farmers who lost their crops to give those boys fighting chance to survive. And they did it with out complaint I didn't know the degree to which the US special tactics team had a role in planning and executing and convincing the Thai government. To go ahead with the rescue mission also didn't know. How likely those rescuers thought it was to fail I mean this is how the divers put it they were reasonably confident that. They could make it out themselves alive they were reasonably confident they could bring out a boy Adam McKay. They were not confident that could bring out a boy alive. And that's really what all the mines they they didn't think their own rescue would work this had never been done there was zero precedent for this. The history of guiding the history of rescues it was a six hour round trip for the very best people in the world. There are pulling boys who were on the verge of starvation had eaten at twelve days. Who were emaciated had been exposed to light had been breeding 15% oxygen to of them had pneumonia. Many of them were traumatized and they were taking them through the most arduous cave died in the world at the time they just addicted make it. All. As parent I really enjoyed being the advice the boy's parents if you want to hold educates tonight we gotta let go. Also just love the fact that these gates helped rescue themselves they kept their heads meditated. Track to find a way out and even though it wasn't successful. You're active. Actively trying to help themselves and I think that help their mental state. And in the stories of the divers are credible. I'm people who really took sack made sacrifices. And took risks that they would have done. If these were not young boys whose lives are on the line ban. Sometimes people can pull out for you may stuff all that does about. Lives in this.

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