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Ukrainian Counteroffensive Success Is Not Limited To Lyman; Pope Francis Begs Putin To Stop "Spiral Of Violence And Death"; Bolsonaro, Lula Headed To Runoff After Tight Brazil Election. Aired 1- 2a ET

Aired October 03, 2022 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:25]

LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to CNN Newsroom. I'm Laila Harrak. Coming up, CNN visits the strategically important city of Lyman that was just taken back by the Ukrainian military. We'll show you what it's like there now.

Plus. Remember remembering all the lives lost in Indonesia's football stadium tragedy. We'll hear from some of the survivors plus what led up to the incident, and Brazil's presidential election heads to a runoff as neither candidate gets a majority of the votes.

We begin this hour in Ukraine, where forces are now eyeing more gains in the country's east after reclaiming control of the key city of Lyman in the Donetsk region. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country's military successes extend beyond the mind. And he's now seeing a growing list of recently liberated Ukrainian settlements. And that includes two in the Kherson region.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The story of the liberation of Lyman in the Donetsk region has now become the most popular in the media. But the successes of our soldiers are not limited to Lyman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: While nine NATO countries from Central and Eastern Europe are calling for a significant boost in military assistance for Ukraine and are expressing support for membership in the Alliance.

But NATO's chief says the decision on Ukraine's recent application for accelerated membership must be agreed upon by all NATO allies, while Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is also reaffirming NATO support for Ukraine and says the liberation of Lyman shows the country is making progress in the war.

A CNN team arrived in the city of Lyman just about 30 minutes after Ukraine's president declared it clear of all Russian troops. CNN's Nick Payton Walsh reports on the devastation left behind.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (on camera): The loss of Lyman has been a devastating defeat for Moscow. It sparked open bickering amongst Russia's elite on social media questioning as to how much Vladimir Putin could possibly have known that this was even happening. And it may well have very detrimental effects for their hold on occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk.

But here's what we saw inside that strategic town as the first television crew to enter this day.

WALSH (voiceover): It may not look like much, but this is where Putin's defeat in Donetsk began, a prize from the last century perhaps. But trains and tracks are still how Russia wages war today. Lyman, what's left of it, now freed of Russia.

WALSH (on camera): This is what it was all about the Central Railway hub here now in Ukrainian hands and devastated by the fighting. And this was such a seminal part of Russia's occupation of Donetsk and Luhansk. The concern for Moscow is the knock on effect this is going to have for their forces all the way to the Russian border.

WALSH (voiceover): On the town's edges, we saw no sign of the hundreds of Russian prisoners or dead that had been expected to follow Moscow strategic defeat here nor incited either. Perhaps they have already been taken away. Instead, utter silence. Only local bicycles on the streets. Several residents told us the Russians actually left in large numbers on Friday.

TANYA, LYMAN RESIDENT (through translator): They left in the night and the day people said I didn't see it myself. But they say they sat on their APCs and their bags were falling off as they drove. They ran like this.

WALSH: It would be remarkable timing that Russia fled Lyman in the very same hours that Putin was signing papers, declaring here Russian territory and holding a rally on Red Square.

A similar story in the local administration, where the only signs of Russia left are burned flags. They run away without saying a word to anybody, he says. But no work, no gas, no power nothing. The shops didn't work.

[01:05:05]

It truly feels as if there is nobody left.

WALSH (on camera): Ghostly silence here apart from occasional shelling and small arms fire, and it is so much of this town utterly destroyed. So many locals were told leaving when the Ukrainian push towards it began. But now it's this utter ghostliness in a place that's such a strategic defeating for Russia.

WALSH (voiceover): Gun fire in the distance. They're nervous some Russians may be left. Outside what's left of the court the constant change and violence is too much for some her husband just arrested.

Ukrainian troops we did see had already stopped celebrating. There is little time there on the move again. Another Russian target further east Kreminna in their sights. And those left in Lyman, a town cursed to have these bars of rusting steel running through it. A gathering the ruins to burn for fuel with winter ahead. Left in the wake of Russia's collapse here, a town they took weeks to occupy only hours to leave.

WALSH (on camera): Now the knock on effects are clearly already being felt Ukrainian troops. We saw very sparse in Lyman and we're told they'd already been told in large parts to move on the Dnipro One brigade we saw they're often moving on to the next target further east.

The impact of this strategic defeat being felt in terms of morale but also physically on the ground to in terms of further retreat by Russia. They're also feeling intense pressure on the southern front as well. An exceptionally bad week for the Kremlin on the front lines here, one that they've tried to control with bombast and rhetoric out of Moscow, but really some very stark choices and dark days ahead here for Russia and continued advances for Ukraine. Nick Payton Walsh, CNN, Kramatorsk, Ukraine.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRAK: While the United States is warning Russia against using nuclear weapons in its war with Ukraine, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin condemned Vladimir Putin's recent threats during an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: This nuclear saber rattling is not the kind of thing that we would expect to hear from leaders of large countries with capability. The guy who makes that decision, I mean, it's one man. There are no checks on Mr. Putin, just as he made the irresponsible decision to invade Ukraine. You know, he could make another decision. But I don't see anything right now that would lead me to believe that he has made such a decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well, this comes after recent comments from Chechen strongmen and Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov. In a Telegram post, he called on Russia to take more drastic measures, including the use of low yield nuclear weapons.

So, what would happen if Russia actually did use nuclear weapons? Well, according to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia, has almost 4,500 deployed and nuclear warheads, with about 1,900 considered non-strategic or tactical nuclear weapons.

Well, the tactical warheads have explosive yields of 10 to 100 kilo tons of dynamite as opposed to strategic nuclear warheads, which have explosive yields of 500 to 800 kilo tons. The lower yield weapons systems are designed for limited use, like destroying a column of tanks. The higher yield ones are designed to destroy entire cities, but using nuclear weapons on the battlefield is a dangerous calculation.

The bombs dropped by the U.S. on Hiroshima and Nagasaki back in 1945 were the equivalent of 15 and 21 kilo tons of dynamite but they instantly killed more than 100,000 people in the was locations with thousands more dying from the radiations from the blast.

[01:10:08]

CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force, Colonel Cedric Leighton joins me now from Washington DC. Sir, very good to have you with us. We're going to talk about the threat, the nuclear threat that President Putin has evoked. But before we do that, I was wondering if you could give us a lay of the land. What do you make of what's playing out in the battlefield right now?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITAYR ANALYST: Well, Laila, I think one of the big issues is the advances that the Ukrainian forces have been able to make in the northeastern part of the country, and that's beyond what they were already able to do around Kharkiv, just a few weeks ago, and we're specifically talking about the town of Lyman.

The fact that the Ukrainians have been able to retake that town which has been occupied by Russian since May is quite significant, and especially given the fact that President Putin of Russia has announced that that area along with the other parts of the Donbas and two southern provinces of Ukraine were annexed by Russia, according to him, that really makes for a very significant and dramatic impact that the Putin is -- that Putin's efforts and to the people that he is proclaimed this I know, really not worth anything, and that the Ukrainians are able to turn that back at least for part of the territory that the Russians have claimed.

HARRAK: Colonel, what is Russia's military strategy right now?

LEIGHTON: Well, that is a really good question. So what it was originally, of course, was to topple the Ukrainian government, but they've obviously failed in that. Then the next strategy, which they basically succeeded in, was to create a land bridge between the Donbas region and the southern part of Ukraine. So that was an early part of the war, war aim on the part of the Russians.

But right now, the strategy seems to be to hold what they've conquered, and to prevent the United States, NATO and other supporters of Ukraine, from actually providing further weapons to the Ukrainians, and from really prolonging the war on Ukrainian terms.

So what the Russians wanted to do is they want to hold territory, and they want to make sure that they can perhaps regain part of what they've lost. But so far, that's not working. The other part of the strategy seems to be to conscript as many military aged men as possible, move them into the war zone as quickly as possible and use them as part of the campaign. But that is something that is taking, I think, a much longer time than the Russian authorities expect. And it's going to be a very difficult thing for them to make work I believe in, given, given what we see right now.

HARRAK: President Putin has warned this week that Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons. That presents quite a dilemma for the U.S. and NATO, because how can they respond?

LEIGHTON: Yes, this is very difficult for the U.S. and for NATO. Because if the Russians use tactical nuclear weapons, so like they've hinted at, in Ukraine, you know, theoretically at least it's not going to be an attack on NATO soil.

But it does impact areas of Ukraine could potentially causing humanitarian catastrophe a further humanitarian catastrophe. And it could really result in some of the outlying areas and bordering areas being impacted by radiation or by other effects from a nuclear blast.

So the response would have to be well, more of preemption than anything else. And that I think would be one of the more difficult things and of course, the risk of escalation is extremely high in a case like this.

HARRAK: Well, on that subject, I mean, what would be the consequences for Russia if President Putin does decide to use nuclear weapons?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think we'd see a further authorization if I can use that term of Russia on the international stage. sanctions would most certainly be tightened to the possibility also exists, that there would actually be a limited NATO military response to a use of nuclear weapons even if it's confined to Ukrainian soil.

So the Russians would have to be very careful in doing something like this. If they do something for demonstration purposes only, like some people theorize that could potentially mitigate a Western response. But it would also show that the Russians were willing to use weapons that haven't been used in anger since World War II.

HARRAK: Now, if the use of nuclear weapons is essentially in this case, a political decision, essentially, President Putin would have to decide whether to deploy nuclear weapons. And he's becoming now more and more entrenched in his position. What's the way out? Is there an avenue for de-escalation?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think the avenue for de-escalation would run through President Putin. And if he is not willing to de-escalate, if he believes that he has to save face, so in that he has to maintain the fiction of victory in Ukraine. And it's going to be a very difficult road forward for Ukraine and for its western supporters.

So, this is something where we really I don't quite know what's around the corner. But what I think could be around the corner is some kind of a de-escalation and the searching for an off ramp, but that it does appear to be a long way off that corner may not be in sight just yet.

HARRAK: CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton, sir, thank you very much.

LEIGHTON: You bet Laila, thanks for having me. HARRAK: Pope Francis made a direct appeal to Vladimir Putin during his Sunday address, calling on him to end the war in Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS, HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): My appeal goes above all to the President of the Russian Federation, begging him to stop this spiral of violence and death, even out of love for his own people.

I address an equally hopeful appeal to the President of Ukraine to be open to a serious peace proposal. To all protagonists of international life and the political leaders of nations, I urge them to do everything in their power to put an end to the ongoing war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: And French president Emmanuel Macron condemned Russia's illegal referendums during a phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The two leaders agreed on the need for more sanctions against Russia and they also called for the release of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plants chief who was detained by a Russian patrol on Saturday.

Well, the seven Americans released during a recent prisoner exchange with the Venezuelan government and now safely back in the United States. Well, that's according to a U.S. State Department official.

President Joe Biden announced their return on Saturday saying they had been wrongfully detained for years. The group included five oil executives, members of the so called Citgo 6. In exchange, the Biden administration released two nephews of Venezuelan First Lady Cilia Flores. They had been sentenced in the U.S. to 18 years in prison on drug smuggling charges.

Next on CNN Newsroom, an unexpectedly close results in Brazil's presidential election. And that means a second round of voting at the end of this month.

And later, Mexico braces for Hurricane Orlene. We'll track the latest storm barreling toward the region in a live forecast.

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[01:20:18]

HARRAK: A high stakes presidential election in the world's fourth largest democracy is headed to a second round of voting. It's a somewhat surprising result in Brazil with nearly all the votes counted. Election authorities say the leftist former President Lula da Silva leads with just over 48 percent while the current president Jair Bolsonaro has just over 43 percent of the tally. Well, that means neither reached the 50 percent majority needed to win outright.

While it's a far better showing the polls predicted for President Bolsonaro, who performed about eight points higher than the latest numbers suggested he would. The runoff is now set for October 30. Both candidates express confidence at rallies after the runoff was announced.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): I want to tell you that the campaign starts tomorrow. I've never won an election in the first round. I want all of them in the second round, all of them.

Here in the second round what's important is the chance to think thoroughly on what you propose for society, to build a network of alliances and supporters before winning, for you to show to the people what will happen and who will win.

JAIR BOLSONARO, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I understand there was a vote for change for the people. But there are certain changes that could be worse. We tried to show this in the campaign but that didn't reach the part of the population. We will analyze it. We are moving forward where all is now equal and we will better demonstrate for the Brazilian people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: CNN's Shasta Darlington has more on the race from Sao Paulo.

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SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Left wing former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva came out ahead in Brazil's elections on Sunday but failed to cross that 50 percent threshold that would have allowed him to avoid a runoff. That means he's going to face off against his main rival, incumbent right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro in a second round of voting on October 30.

That also means resilience will have to face another month of the most polarizing electoral race in recent memory marred by political violence, and by Bolsonaro attacks on democratic institutions.

And then the end, Lula was ahead by about five percentage points. But that's not as much as the polls had predicted. This has been a campaign marred by political violence also by harassment outright attacks even on pollsters, the main issues around the economy.

We're talking about inflation, unemployment, even hunger. This has really played to Lula's strengths. He has vowed to repeat his economic successes of the past when he lifted millions out of poverty. Bolsonaro, on the other hand, has repeatedly reminded voters that after his two terms in office, Lula was arrested and put in jail as part of a massive corruption scandal. It those convictions were later unknown by the Supreme Court.

Bolsonaro also says the economic problems were more a result of the pandemic and that he's the man to turn these around. Brazilians now have another month to figure out who's their best candidate. Shasta, Darlington, CNN, Sao Paulo. (END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRAK: For some analysis on what this election means for resilience, I want to bring in Mauricio Santoro, a professor of international relations and political science at Rio de Janeiro State University and he joins us from Rio. So good to have you with us on this momentous evening day. Let me first get your reaction. Are you surprised by this outcome?

MAURICIO SANTORO, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, RIO DE JANEIRO STATE UNIVERSITY: Good evening, Laila. Yes, I'm surprised. Bolsonaro's performance was much better than anyone was expecting in the polls failed to capture how strong his political movement is among Brazilians right now, how he developed quite powerful social roots for his movement.

HARRAK: Where does he get the most support from?

SANTORO: Bolsonaro's typical voter is a middle classmen from the center south of Brazil, from the most developed and rich part of the country. Cities like Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, it's a very masculine movement. So there is a gender bias among his supporters. And it's usually among the middle class, the low middle class. And in contrast, the former President Lula is much better among poor people in Brazil, and in the poorest regions of the country such as Amazon from the northeast.

[01:25:02]

HARRAK: And what would you make of the performance, Mr. Lula's performance?

SANTORO: I think that Lula manage quite a good campaign and he did the right moves. He created a very broad alliance with people from the center, from the center left, a moderate discourse. But he failed to understand how strong Bolsonaro is among middle class Brazilians. And how powerful Bolsonaro discourses to many people in Brazil right now.

I mean, my counter today is much more conservative than it used to be five years ago, or 10 years ago, and the left is having a very hard time in trying to deal with these new political conditions.

HARRAK: So what happens now? What happens next?

SANTORO: So we are now going to have the second round of the presidential elections. And there's going to be one more first campaign, the next election will be on October the third, is going to be a much more tense second round than anybody was imagining just a few weeks ago. And it's going to be hard for all, because the excellent results that Bolsonaro (INAUDIBLE) today are going to reinforce his message that you cannot trust the false. He's going to make his supporters much more enthusiastic about the campaign. And it also increases the risk of political violence on the streets. And also the possibility that Bolsonaro is not going to accept the results of the election if he loses the vote.

HARRAK: Could Mr. Bolsonaro to your point contest the results if he loses in this decisive runoff?

SANTORO: Oh, yes, most definitely so. He has been talking about that this refusal for many years now. And he has the example in the model of Donald Trump in the United States to understand what he has to do.

So we're probably going to see that in Brazil as well, if Bolsonaro loses the election, with a very important difference from the United States that in Brazil the military and the police, they are very much engaged in Bolsonaro's political project. So we cannot say for sure that the armed forces we would stood out of politics of partisan conflict, if Bolsonaro doesn't accept the result of the election.

HARRAK: And conclusion, sir, what does this moment reveal about where Brazil is at this juncture?

SANTORO: Well, some of results of the election the first round, they showed us that Brazil is a much more divided and polarized society than we thought. And that's going to be much harder for the opposition to defeat Bolsonaro at the polls.

I mean, Lula is a super favorite to win. But it's not going to be an easy victory for him, and he will have to make a strong effort in the campaign to reach more centrist and conservative voters.

HARRAK: All right, Mauricio Santoro, Professor of International Relations and Political Science at Rio de Janeiro State University. Thank you so much for your analysis.

SANTORO: Thank you, Laila. It was a pleasure.

HARRAK: There is much more ahead this hour. Criticism is growing over the police response when a football match in Indonesia spiraled into chaos and violence. Those details in a live report from the region.

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[01:30:00]

HARRAK: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I am Laila Harrak and you're watching CNN Newsroom. The crackdown on anti- government demonstrations in Iran continue in several key cities. Riot police clashed with students at a prominent university in Tehran on Sunday. You can see in this social media video people shouting at police. Universities official newspaper reports that security forces fired less lethal pellets at large groups of students.

Let's bring in CNN's Jomana Karadsheh. She has been following this story very closely from Istanbul. What more have you been able to learn?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leila, just to put this all into context of what we've been seeing going on over the past couple of days, over the weekend. We saw thousands of university students across the country begin to stage protests on campus and also take to the streets into Iran and other cities. And on Sunday evening, we started getting information, reports coming out of some sort of an unfolding situation at Sharif University in Tehran. This is one of Iran's most prestigious universities.

And of course, it's very difficult for us to get in touch with people on the ground, to speak to eyewitnesses because of the restrictions on communications that the government has imposed, because of the Internet blackout that's going on in the country. But we started getting some video and started getting some information from local media reports, from the university's own newspaper as well as state media. And we tried to piece this together.

And it really paints a picture of a real violent crackdown it appears by security forces on this protest that was taking place at Sharif University. We've seen video that shows heavy security presence around the university campus, including some of the paramilitary forces also on the streets. And then there's this really terrifying video of these students with their backpacks on their backs. And they're just running across the car park of the university, very difficult for us to try and figure out what was going on.

But as you mentioned, the university's own publication, The Sharif Daily was reporting that the security forces used the less lethal yet still considered live rounds metal pellets against the students. Now, state media is reporting that the situation is calm, that the students were returned to their dormitories. But Laila, I have to tell you, there's a lot of concern about what may have happened to these students. If you look at what has been going on with this intensifying crackdown on protests, with mass arrests taking place, a rising death toll. So, a lot of concern about what may have happened to them. We are certainly going to keep on trying to get more information about the situation there.

But I can tell you as these protests enter their third week, clearly no sign of these very determined young men and women of stopping their demands if changed that has even grown much bolder now with calls for regime change, Laila.

HARRAK: Jomana Karadsheh reporting from Istanbul. Thank you so much for that update. Thank you.

Now, condolences are pouring in from around the world for those affected by the deadly stadium disaster in Indonesia.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

HARRAK: Hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil in Jakarta Sunday to honor the victims, at least 125 were killed and more than 300 injured when chaos and violence erupted during a football match over the weekend. Human rights advocates have condemned how the police handled the event and there are growing calls for accountability. Funerals have now begun for the victims, some of them children. One man at the match described the confusion and panic when police used tear gas on the crowd.

[01:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) AHMAD RIZAL HABIBI, ATTENDED FOOTBALL MATCH: Suddenly I heard people screaming and explosions. I didn't know whether it was firecrackers. Then, I felt it becoming more difficult to breathe, and my eyes got irritated. Then I saw smoke coming out from one corner of the stand. It's like a lot of people put into one container and then they sprayed tear gas into it through a small hole. How does it feel? You can imagine yourself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well, CNN Senior International Correspondent Will Ripley is following closely the story for you from Taipei. Will, how are people in Indonesia now trying to come to terms with what has been described as the deadliest disaster ever at a sporting event?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Or at least one of the deadliest disasters ever because of you know, you have seen - you haven't seen numbers like this in almost 60 years as Lima, Peru back in 1964. And look, it is clearly - you heard that man just say, you can imagine how it feels to be sprayed with tear gas. I've been sprayed with tear gas; I was outside, and I felt like I was suffocating. And I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction to get away from this cloud of gas that was basically choking me, or at least it felt like it was.

So, imagine if that is you with your children. And you're in a closed space, and there's lots of other people around you. And everybody has that same instinctive reaction. That is what happened. And that is why FIFA, the governing body of football bans the use of tear gas in stadium settings like that, because there can be updrafts, it can blow beyond the target area, as it did on Sunday, according to witnesses.

So, it is an excruciating time for those who are now having to bury their loved ones. We've seen - we're just starting to see the videos of these funerals that families are holding. There was - a huge show the candlelight vigil in Jakarta where people were holding up signs saying stop police brutality. And Indonesian soccer in mourning.

But there was also another vigil outside the gates of the stadium on Sunday, they were laying flowers for the victims. And burning candles vigil at the lion statue that was the local club symbol. But now that stadium is becoming a symbol of a human tragedy that's almost incomprehensible for those who were there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: Saturday night, East Java, Indonesia, two of the region's biggest football rivals, the atmosphere electric.

FIRZIE IDRIS, SPORTS JOURNALIST, KOMPAS.COM: The police already know that this is a high-risk match. There were no away supporters allowed. There was an increased police presence at the stadium.

RIPLEY: Indonesian football fans fiercely loyal, police prepared for brawls to break out. Nobody prepared for this. A crushing loss for the home team, fans begin hurling objects, police fired tear gas at the lower stands to prevent a rush for the pitch. Instead, fans rush for the exit.

IDRIS: They also got the effect of the tear gas that tread mass panic, mass stampede. We have - this is a tragedy that's never happened before in the history of Indonesian football.

RIPLEY: A tragedy made worse by the number of families with children caught in the stampede. Those who are here are mostly because of trauma says this paramedic, shortness of breath, lack of oxygen. Some suffocating, others trampled, dozens died almost instantly, many more at area hospitals. Medical teams tried to mend mangled survivors.

Many of our friends lost their lives because the police did not humanize us as this survivor. A human tragedy, Indonesia's president says must never happen again.

JOKO WIDODO, INDONESIAN PRESIDENT: I regret this tragedy and I hope this is the last tragedy of football in this country.

RIPLEY: He's ordering a full investigation, including the apparent use of tear gas banned by FIFA, football's governing association. Tear gas was not only inside the stadium, but also outside this survivor says we are all sick. Sorry for our friends. We asked for justice. The stadium was apparently filled beyond capacity. Indonesia's Chief Security Minister says 42,000 tickets sold in a stadium meant to hold 38,000. The numbers add up to Indonesia's deadliest football tragedy. The world's second deadliest stadium disaster.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: Financial aid will be given according to the governor of East Java to the families of those who were killed and also to those who were injured in this. But Laila, how do you put a price on the life of your parent or your child? And there are too many stories like that, stories that are yet to be told from inside that stadium on Saturday night.

HARRAK: Absolutely. Will Ripley reporting from Taipei. Thank you so much. Still ahead, this hour, Florida's hurricane was

[01:40:00]

response comes under scrutiny, why some believe officials could have done more to mitigate the damage.

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HARRAK: Days after Hurricane Ian levelled parts of Florida, officials are defending their early response to the storm. Many are rejecting criticism that Lee County waited too long to order evacuations before landfall, even though experts have long warned of destructive conditions in the area. Well, as we've seen all week, their predictions were right.

Lee County was seen - has seen rather some of the heaviest damage in the state. In fact, it accounts for more than half of Florida's storm related deaths. At last count, 76 people have lost their lives. Well, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is one of several officials defending Lee County's actions. He spoke about that with CNN as he visited another badly damaged community to the south. Nadia Romero reports.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis came right here to Arcadia, Florida to meet with the National Guard and to meet with people who live in this community, who've been blocked, trapped in this community because of all of the flooding, blocking this major highway behind me. This is Highway 70. It should connect to two bridges, you should be able to make your way down to Palm Beach and Fort Myers, Florida. But you can't right now unless you have a boat because there's just too much water.

And so, the governor came by boat here with other members of his staff to meet with the National Guard and to meet with people and shake their hands. And while he was here, I was able to ask him about Lee County's, their mandatory evacuations. That's where Fort Myers is. And that's the area that has the majority of those deaths that we're seeing are coming from Lee County.

Now they're mandatory evacuation or wasn't put in place until Tuesday, the day before the storm, and some people are questioning if that was just too late. This was the governor's response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON DESANTIS, FLORIDA GOVERNOR: I think for probably for various reasons, some people just don't want to leave their home. They're island people, whatever. But I think part of it was so much attention was paid to Tampa that I think a lot of them probably thought that they wouldn't get the worst of it. So, they - but they did it and I think it's easy to second guess them, but they were ready for the whole time.

ROMERO: Is that one of the things you'll be reviewing once we get out of the aftermath, people get their power back on looking at those evacuation orders because even Lee County, if they were to follow their own evacuation orders from what we reviewed, they should have had that mandatory evacuation order sooner.

DESANTIS: Well, but the issue though, is also that there were a lot of - they inform people, and most people did not want to do it. I mean, that's just the reality. So, you're in a situation, are you going to grab somebody out of their home that doesn't want to. I don't think that's the appropriate use of government. I mean, I think that that takes it a little too far.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: The governor went on to talk about the relief efforts that are coming to people who are in need, and you can see some of those efforts behind me. These are boxes of MREs that have been lined up here

[01:45:00] for people who are in need. Remember, we're talking days after Hurricane Ian hit, many people are still without power. They're running out of food, water and just unnecessary things like toilet paper, paper towels and diapers. This continues to be a concern for those who survive the storm. Now trying to survive the aftermath. Nadia Romero, CNN, Arcadia, Florida.

HARRAK: CNN's Jim Acosta visited Lee County, Florida to see more of the damage left by Ian. He met a woman who had just completed renovations on her home before the storm came in. She showed CNN what was left behind.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATTI MCIVER, HURRICANE IAN VICTIM: I want to show you something. My dad has done over 50, well there's no electricity. I have my cell phone.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh yes, I have a cell phone. I can put the light on in here.

MCIVER: My dad just tiled this for me.

ACOSTA: Your dad just did the tile work in here.

MCIVER: Oh, he's done it in like 50 percent of these homes.

ACOSTA: Oh, my goodness.

MCIVER: I just want to show you because I just got it.

ACOSTA: Oh, it's beautiful. He did a great job.

MCIVER: He tiled and left the tub in here. Just got a brand new like (inaudible) this was retiled, new vanity.

ACOSTA: It was great. Oh, my goodness.

MCIVER: That was a (inaudible) now. In here.

ACOSTA: Yes, absolutely.

MCIVER: I think you guys know.

ACOSTA: Of course. Oh, my goodness.

MCIVER: Another thing is (inaudible) police--

ACOSTA: There is a police car right there. But the water just came through here.

MCIVER: We did this one as well. And (inaudible) glass doors on here? He's 84-years-old.

ACOSTA: Yes. MCIVER: We repainted the bedroom. We're - didn't do the flooring yet, thank God, but people want to know, people that are here that can't see, what I mean. They just want to--

ACOSTA: And you're saving the flag there.

MCIVER: Saving the flag. It's muddy, but you know they're pretty. We kept this here for now. My dad got a flagpole over there. We're going to hang it up.

ACOSTA: Got to save the American flag.

MCIVER: Absolutely.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Well, if you would like to safely and securely help people affected by Hurricane Ian, who may be in need of shelter, food and water. Please go to cnn.com/impact, you'll find several ways you can help.

Parts of Southern Mexico are now preparing for Hurricane Orlene to make landfall on Monday. The Category 2 storm is expected to bring strong winds to the region and the National Hurricane Center predicts the storm surge will contribute to flooding as well as life- threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us now with more. Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Great seeing you, great working with you. We're watching the latest here with this particular storm here because it has weakened quite a bit in the past 12 or so hours and that is excellent news. Initially we had a Category 4 approaching portions of Mexico. The environmental conditions changing quite a bit, quite a bit of activity here in the mid-levels of the storm, wind shear that is breaking the system apart. So again, watching this system weaken on approach to land which is really an entirely different story than what we were watching with Ian, a couple of days ago.

So, it grew from a Category 1 to Category 4, landfall is expected come Monday afternoon and heavy rainfall, a storm surge threat certainly becomes the primary issues with the storm system. But look at that rapid intensification again leading up to this storm system approaching land but fortunately very different from Ian that saw its most rapid intensification occur just before landfall. This one took place again earlier on Sunday and now weakening on approach.

Now there are hurricane warnings prompted for Mazatlan home to about a half a million people, areas just south of Mazatlan, that's where we think the most likelihood scenario is for this system to make landfall and believe it or not, it is forecast to weaken even more as it approaches land. So, excellent news in that regard.

Still could see a storm surge in some of these coastal communities' approach about two meters enough to cause significant damage, but we do think landfall occurs south of Mazatlan, which is more sparsely populated.

Current wind speeds, 165 kilometers per hour, it is over warm waters but again, that wind shear and also dry air across this region is going to inhibit further strengthening, so this system really quickly falls apart. Very different to what we saw with Ian make landfall across Florida and essentially produce an incredible amount of rainfall over an expansive area. Here we have elevated terrain, the Sierra Madre Mountains certainly helped break this system down, so rainfall becomes more confined towards those coastal communities. So, we're watching that and also a couple other features across the Atlantic, we'll follow carefully as well.

HARRAK: Pedram Javaheri, thank you so much. Now in England protesters in the streets and a revolt in the ranks will have the

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latest from the Conservative Party Conference where the Prime Minister is under fire for her Truss-o-nomics economic plan.

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HARRAK: Protesters have been marching in the streets of Birmingham, England where the ruling conservative party has gathered for its annual conference.

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HARRAK: Prime Minister Liz Truss has sparked public fury with a plan for deep tax cuts that will benefit the wealthy while many families are struggling to get by. She's doubling down on those tax cuts despite a revolt among some members of her own party. While the prime minister will speak on Wednesday, the final day of the conference. Critics have called her plan a head scratching wager pro-rich and anti-poor and childish absurdity.

CNN's Nina dos Santos has more from London.

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NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Soaring prices and a plunging pound. Britain's economic prospects have soured significantly in just a few short days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: High tax high regulation socialism leads to a complete disaster.

SANTOS: After announcing a so-called mini budget which contained $48 billion worth of unfunded tax cuts, the International verdict on new UK Prime Minister Liz Truss's policies is damning. With critics calling on her to rethink her so-called Truss-o-nomics.

LIZ TRUSS, UK PRIME MINISTER: I promised I would deal with the soaring energy prices.

SANTOS: The IMF estimates that the plan would exacerbate already stark levels of inequality. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says that she's monitoring developments very closely. And the ratings agency Moody's has warned that parts of the new budget could threaten Britain's credibility with investors.

So, what do economists recommend should be done now?

SIMON FRENCH, CHIEF ECONOMIST, PANMURE GORDON: It's very much a self- inflicted wound in recent days, which is recoverable, but it needs grownup behavior from the government listening to smart people. So, one of the ways in which the government rebuilds his credibility as by inviting that watchdog back into the fold. Get them to - cost these proposals, and then you start to rebuild the idea that there is a plan underpinning what today it has been a series of sound bites.

SANTOS: Liz Truss slashed taxes in an effort to spur growth, or at least to contain a recession that the Bank of England reckons has probably kicked in already. But the UK is dealing with the highest rate of inflation among G7 countries. And Sterling's recent slide has made that problem worse. That's because Britain imports most of what it needs. And now those imports are fast becoming more expensive.

The bank has already raised rates rapidly to levels not seen since the financial crisis in 2008. For now, it has ruled out another emergency hike but on Wednesday, it began to buy up long dated sovereign debt. This after UK bonds or gilts became riskier than those of bailed out Eurozone nations like Greece.

Why would the Bank of England at this point get involved in essentially what is mopping up the damage of a big fiscal policy.

FRENCH: Well, they have a mandate not just for monetary stability and price stability, but also

[01:55:00]

for financial stability. And this is what they've justified their movements today on is the idea that markets were becoming dysfunctional. It was presenting a systemic risk for the UK economy, businesses struggling to get credit, insurers struggling to meet margin calls.

SANTOS: The shadow of the banking crisis has loomed large over London's financial district for more than a decade. But it's the memory of Britain's run on the pound of the 1980s that is today giving global markets and world leaders sleepless nights. This amid fears that the UK financial gamble could end up sending shockwaves much further afield. Nina dos Santos, CNN in London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Tennis star Novak Djokovic has now claimed his 89th career title, the Serbian star won the latest title his third this year in Tel Aviv on Sunday. Djokovic Missed the U.S. Open this year because he refused to get a COVID vaccine and therefore was not eligible to play.

This latest win means that Djokovic is the first man this season to win on all three surfaces, grass, clay, and hard court. It's the end of an era in Major League Baseball as St. Louis Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols played his final regular season home game, and he made it a day to remember, the 42-year-old first baseman hits his 700 and second career home run, he is fourth all-time on the home run list, behind Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth

Pujols has more than 2200 runs batted in, tying him with Ruth for second all-time, while the Cardinals honored their legendary player along with veteran catcher Yadier Molina in an emotional ceremony before the game.

Now before we go, congratulations are in order for 15 couples of the four-legged variety.

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HARRAK: Pet lovers brought their dogs to get married in a wedding ceremony in the Philippines on Sunday, or to get a blessing, special blessing that is to mark World Animal Day, the first in-person ceremony since the Coronavirus pandemic. There you go. Thanks so much for spending this part of your day with me. I'm Laila Harrak, do stick around. My colleague Rosemary Church, we'll be back with more news in just a moment.

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