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South Korea: North Korea Fired Two Ballistic Missiles; Putin: Most Dangerous Decade Since End Of World War II; CNN Gains Access To Power Plant Crippled By Russian Strikes; Source: Elon Musk Completes Twitter Acquisition; Amazon Stock Falls On Light Holiday Forecast; Security Forces Crack Down On Protesters In Iran's Mahabad; Uganda Records A Dozen New Ebola Cases; Russian Media: No Ukrainian Counterattack in Kherson; Israel-Lebanon Years-Long Battle over Maritime Borders; Interview with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen; Military Warns against Pressure on Time Frame for Peace Plan. Aired 1- 2a ET
Aired October 28, 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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[01:00:36]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Wherever you are this hour, you're watching CNN Newsroom live around the world. Coming up, Number 28. Kim Jong-un continues with an unprecedented number of missile tests. Two more just hours ago.
Even the darkness night will end. CNN exclusive, the frantic efforts to repair Ukraine's power stations left crippled by a flurry of Russian airstrikes. Elon Musk did it for us, buying Twitter for the sake of humanity, mixed speculation of mass layoffs for the social media company.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: There are new details this hour about North Korea's latest missile test. According to the South Korean military, Pyongyang fired two ballistic missiles. Both were fired into the waters east of the Korean Peninsula just a short time ago. That says South Korea wraps up its joint military drills on the East Coast. The North has called those exercises a provocation. By CNN's count, this will be North Korea's 28 missile tests this year alone. A dramatic increase and there are growing concerns a nuclear test might be imminent.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout following all of this for us live from Hong Kong this hour. So we know two missiles, not one, that's one development.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
VAUSE: What else do we learn?
LU STOUT: Yes, as tensions rising in the region, we have learned that North Korea this morning has fired two more ballistic missiles. This is its 28th such test so far this year. It comes just days after the start of the South Korean Jordan Marine, Navy and Air Force amphibious landing operation drill that's due to wrap up today. And it also took place today's missile launches ahead of a planned U.S.-South Korea Air Force military drill, a large-scale drill that will kick off on Monday October the 31st.
This is what we learned from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier today. Two short range ballistic missiles were fired by North Korea roughly around noon local time. We do have a statement from the JCS, saying that they are indeed on alert. According to the JCS, quote, "Our military has strengthened its surveillance and vigilance and it is maintaining a fully prepared posture while closely cooperating with the U.S."
After the launches today, the U.S. military is of course consulting with its allies, watching the situation while also saying that these launches pose no immediate threat. According to the U.S.-Indo Pacific Command, quote, "While we have assess that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, missile launches highlight the destabilizing impact of the DPRK's unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs. The U.S. commitments to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remain ironclad."
North Korea has been carrying out a flurry of missile tests. Just a few weeks ago, a fire to missile over Japan, the first such missile test since 2017. This year alone, it's fired more missiles. This highest level of missile tests since Kim Jong-un took power in 2011. Intention in particular is rising between the two Koreas.
Earlier this week, we had North and South Korea have that exchange of warning shots at sea and that followed another provocative event where in mid-October, we saw South Korean warplanes scrambling in response to North Korean military jets that were touching too close to their shared and heavily fortified military border.
Look, the world is also watching for any possible nuclear test to be conducted and led by the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He has been giving more harsh rhetoric, suggesting that they have the capability to do so. If such a nuclear test takes place, that would be the first such nuclear test to be conducted since 2017.
The U.S. and its allies in the region, Japan and South Korea have said in the event of another nuclear test, they have agreed upon what they call an unparalleled response. Back to you, John.
VAUSE: Kristie, we appreciate the update you've covered it all. Thank you. Kristie Lu Stout live --
LU STOUT: Got it.
VAUSE: -- in Hong Kong.
In a rambling almost four-hour long speech Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied making any threat to use nuclear weapons, play down the extent of Russian losses in his war with Ukraine. In many ways, played the victim while airing old grievances accusing Western elites blaming Russia for the world's problems, saying they were playing a dangerous game.
As his special military operation in Ukraine, all going according to plan, says Putin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[01:05:09]
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): We're standing at a historical frontier. Ahead is the most dangerous, unpredictable, and at the same time, the most important decade since the end of World War II. Power over the world is what the so-called West is banking on its own game. But this is a dangerous game. It's a bloody game and it's a dirty game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Fighting has slowed in recent days. Ukrainian forces are struggling with difficult terrain and bad weather in the Kherson region, where Russian troops are reportedly facing shortages of equipment and warm winter clothing. Ukraine's President says he's confident with victory in Kherson and that Russian forces do not leave the area now. They risk being trapped.
Meantime, ongoing Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's national power grid have pushed the capital to the brink of complete blackout. Kyiv was now under severe and unprecedented restrictions on power usage. The Russian military apparently no match for Ukrainian fighters. Moscow has stepped up attacks on civilian infrastructure. In particular, the power grid, was seen as a deliberate tactic to make life miserable for Ukrainians as they head into their usually harsh winter.
Ukrainian repair crews have been working 24/7 trying to repair the damage from those Russian airstrikes. CNN's Nic Robertson has this exclusive report from inside a crippled power plant.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The sirens are going off. We've only just arrived at the power plant. Everyone's going into the bunker we're going to have to go into.
(voice-over): There's no fuss. Everyone here knows what to do. We've agreed not to show faces or name the power plant for security reasons.
(on-camera): We've been given these safety jackets to wear. Officials here are telling us it's quite normal for them to end up in the bunker several times a day.
(voice-over): The coal fired power plant hit twice since Putin began targeting electrical facilities 17 days ago. Cards, dominoes, messaging loved ones passes the time. But as this, 29-year veteran of the Soviet era plant tells me, every minute in the bunker is time wasted. They need to be up top preparing the bomb damage.
An hour and a half later, they're all clear. Everyone back to work. (on-camera): One of the first things you notice here is just how quiet it is. No generators thumping away.
(voice-over): Around the corner, engineers already out of the bunker making repairs. But those cables, the easy bit. Russian cruise missiles and drones rip through the hardest part of the plan to repair.
(on-camera): The drone they say got tangled up in the high voltage cables up here, ripping equipment apart all on the ground here, all around, burnt out cables. And over here, burned out equipment. And the problem, official say, is that this part of the site was the most sensitive part.
(voice-over): It's been offline since. Officials here convinced Putin's power engineers are advising his military had a crash Ukraine's grid.
PAVLO BILODID, STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, DTEK GROUP: For sure, they know the weak place and directions they headed for three times in the same place.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): As for how long repairs will take, no one knows.
BILODID: The equipment is quite unique. To produce some of them, we need from eight to 18 months and actually this will have so much time.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The clock despite some speedy repairs, ticking in Putin's favor. More than 40 percent of the grid taken off line in less than three weeks.
(on-camera): This is where the cruise missile impacted, two drones came down over there. The pylons here were taken out. They've been repaired already. But that's the big test right now. Can Ukraine repair faster than Russia can bomb and destroy?
(voice-over): Nic Robertson, CNN, at a power plant in Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Steve Hall is a CNN National Security Analyst and former Chief of Russia Operations for the Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA. Welcome back, Steve. Good to see you.
STEVE HALL, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Good to be here.
VAUSE: OK. So I want you to listen to three of Putin statements from Thursday. Maybe you can translate the translation at the end. Here's soundbite number one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PUTIN (through translation): Russia is not challenging the Western Allies. Russia is just defending its right to exist and to freely develop. (END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Little bit of victimhood and delusion there, it seems like. Number two is on the use of nuclear weapons. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PUTIN (through translation): We never intentionally said anything about the possibility of you using nuclear weapons by Russia. We only responded with hints to Western leaders statements.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:10:07]
VAUSE: Just because she said, it doesn't make it true. Soundbite number three almost out of nowhere, Russia has a right to be straight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PUTIN (through translation): The West can do whatever they want with gay parades, but they shouldn't dictate the same rules for Russia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: I don't know which Western nation is assisting on Pride Week in Moscow, but more to the point who would want to go. This can't seriously be how Putin views the world.
HALL: No, I think what's going on here is that we have messaging to different audiences. So certainly, the first, and I think the third are certainly directed primarily at the Russian -- of the Russian people -- the domestic audience. There's a little bit of international audience in there, too. But I think his primary focus here is to try to convince the Russians on the first point, for example, that Russia is simply defending itself.
This, of course, despite the widely known fact that it was Russia, who invaded Ukraine, and nobody was invading Russia. So that's primarily a domestic thing that is, I think, designed to pump people up, pumped the Russians up as things continue to go badly in Ukraine.
VAUSE: That last soundbite though about gay parades, that brings us to this move by the Russian parliament to expand laws prohibiting so- called gay propaganda. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXANDER KHINSHTEIN, DEPUTY OF THE STATE DUMA (through translation): We propose to establish a ban on propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations or preferences regardless of age.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: This sort of anti-gay agenda seems to weave its way through Russia's national security strategy. You know, it says out who should be protected and from what. Now sort of race to this international level, it's sort of -- it's homophobia masquerading as foreign policy.
HALL: Yes, it's really fascinating, because again, there's a lot of resonance inside of Russia. You know, having lived there, I've seen it myself. There was a lot of resonance inside of Russian society against anything having to do with the gay movement. There's a lot of discrimination that happens.
But this is an interesting thing, because when he raises it, there is now a new international audience, which I would argue a number of years ago didn't exist. This is not just the far-right wing in the United States. These are the Viktor Orbans of the world. These are the very conservative populist governments that are popping up in NATO countries in the West, this populist movement, which is oftentimes much more culturally traditional, and is also uncomfortable about things like the gay movement, and being gay.
So there is also an international audience to that particular argument, although how it relates to Ukraine is a little strange.
VAUSE: Yes, it all sounds kind of a little strange. Putin added this prediction for good measure. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PUTIN (through translation): We're standing at a historical frontier. Ahead is the most dangerous, unpredictable, and at the same time, the most important decade since the end of World War II.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: You know why? Because, you know, in the past, there seems to be this perception that Putin, yes, he's an oligarch (ph), yes, he has a heavy hand. But, you know, Russia had the appearance of moving towards a democracy, there's a parliament, there's a vote, that kind of stuff. Now it seems it's all just got out of hand, he does seem to be kind of crazy.
HALL: Yes, you know, there's very few things that I agree with Vladimir Putin about but that statement just taken, you know, as that statement is indeed, a true fact. The next, you know, a couple of years in the world are going to be very interesting and very dangerous. They're dangerous, though, because of people like Vladimir Putin, who seemingly, you know, if we get back to the gay question and other non-traditional parts of society, it doesn't seem to be able to trust his own populace, his own people or people elsewhere in the world, to make their own decisions.
Now, of course, that's going to come to surprise the Russians. The social contract in Russia is a little different than many places where Russians give up a considerable more -- a greater amount of their freedoms in exchange for what Putin refers to as stability. But, you know, yes, the next couple of years are going to be interesting because what Putin is trying to do is challenge, you know, what he sees his Western dominance in the world today.
VAUSE: Yes, it seems interesting. It will be dangerous, it will be challenging, because the stuff that he's doing in the world, and then sort of trying to walk it back saying he's not -- the whole thing was this sort of close circular loop of crazy in many ways, for me.
HALL: It's a very interesting thing that's coming out. And as somebody put it, I think, interestingly, as the mirroring effect. So what he will do is, he will, you know, undertake activities, you know, attacking, annexing a neighboring country, you know, trying to keep certain sectors of his own populace, you know, down and under control. And yet, then what he does is he turns around and says, well, no, this is really what the West is doing. We had nothing to do with any of this. So that mirror imaging is just -- it's just a fascinating psychological phenomenon thing.
VAUSE: Truly is. Steve, thanks for being with us. Appreciate it.
HALL: Sure.
[01:15:02]
VAUSE: Elon Musk now owns Twitter. Let that sink in. One of the world's most influential social media platforms, Elon Musk now owns Twitter. He just tweeted this, "The bird is freed." That's anyone's guess.
On Thursday, Musk met with employees amid reports their new boss plans to gut the company, drastically reduced staff numbers. Two people familiar with the decision tell the (INAUDIBLE) the seconds have already started. Three top executives, including CEO, Parag Agrawal all gone. Musk will also decide if a lifetime ban will remain in place on former U.S. President Donald Trump. And on that, there have been mixed signals from Musk in recent days.
Live from Los Angeles now, Vittoria Elliott, platforms and power reporter for Wired. Thanks for being with us.
VITTORIA ELLIOTT, PLATFORMS AND POWER REPORTER, WIRED: Thank you so much for having me.
VAUSE: OK. So in a letter to advertisers posted on Twitter, Musk explained, he was buying Twitter, in his words, it's important for civilization to have a common digital Town Square. He goes on to write, "I didn't do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love." He goes on to write, "Twitter obviously cannot become a free for all hellscape where anything can be said with no consequence."
What does it take you about the direction Elon Musk wants to take with this company?
ELLIOTT: Well, I think first off it, it definitely reflects the fact that he's heard some of the concerns that came out quite early, when he announced that he wanted to buy the company, that people were concerned about an uptick in hate speech, and trolling and abuse and the type of users and content that would be allowed back on the platform with the sort of vision of unfettered free speech. And more importantly than that, you know, this letter was addressed to advertisers. And I think, especially, you know, even if Twitter is private, it's still going to be a money-making venture. And this seems to also be an initiative to assure advertisers that even though, these sort of principles around free speech are things that he has been very vocal about as sort of an outside observer of the platform, that they can feel safe, that their content is not necessarily going to be running next to hateful or bullying or some other form of content that they would consider an offensive.
Now, whether or not that plays out exactly as Elon hopes whether or not advertisers feel comfortable with the direction of the company, that's yet to be seen.
VAUSE: I thought it was interesting. The first letter was to advertisers not to, you know, the Twitter users. But anyway, on Wednesday, Musk tweeted, "Entering Twitter HQ, let that sink in." And see he was carrying a sink, sink in. But kitchen sinking in business actually means taking radical action.
And Musk is planning on shaking up Twitter, The Washington Post has reported Musk told investors in his deal to buy the company that he planned to get rid of nearly 70 percent -- 75 percent of Twitter's 7,500 workers whittling the company down to a skeleton staff just over 2,000.
If he's true to his word, what will that actually mean, that sort of level of staffing when it comes to data, privacy and security and control over harmful content?
ELLIOTT: You know, I think we don't yet know. I think it'll obviously depend on the areas of the company that it affects, but Twitter is not a company, like some of the other big techs where they have tens of thousands of staff members. You know, they're still a pretty lean team, it's still a smaller team than a lot of the other social platforms.
So, you know, I think we can assume that cutting staff at that level will have significant impacts. And, you know, I think it's important to point out, especially when we're thinking about key things like content moderation and content policy, which is obviously been a sort of major point of contention, again, with Musk as an outside observer. You know, that's something that every platform, even platforms with a lot more people and greater reach than Twitter have struggled with.
And so I can only assume that, you know, having fewer people to respond to those concerns is not necessarily going to make it easier or faster and more effective. But again, we don't necessarily know where in the company these cuts are coming from. And, you know, whether or not the company will still be functional when we have that level of staff cuts, and whether or not once Elon is actually in charge, if that's something that he's still going to think is an appropriate measure to take once he sort of had a chance to understand the teams a bit more.
VAUSE: Well, he is new at owning a social media company. So there's speculation now they've been pretty good actually die under his watch. The Atlantic writing this, "Musk be very well could kill Twitter out of malice or hubris, or through calculated, boneheaded decisions. But one possibility seems more likely than others."
If Twitter dies at the hands of this billionaire, the cause is likely to be tragically, but now neglect. To that last point, does Musk actually have the bandwidth to run Twitter, to run Tesla, SpaceX and everything else he's doing?
ELLIOTT: You know, it's a great question. And I will say that in the spring when I was speaking to one of Twitter's minority shareholders, that was a concern that she expressed at the time that he is already knee deep in many other companies.
[01:20:06]
And, you know, when Jack Dorsey was in charge of Twitter, he also was running another company at the time. So there is precedent for the idea that a CEO, particularly of Twitter, can divide their attention. But obviously, Elon Musk is in charge of more than just two companies. And with this sort of seemingly major strategic overhaul that he is envisioning for the company, it does seem difficult that it would be possible without him, at least devoting his full attention to it for the immediate future.
VAUSE: Could be that the easy part was actually buying Twitter, the hard part will be turning it around?
ELLIOTT: I think, you know, revolutions are much easier than governing in a lot of ways. And, you know, I think it's really important to point out that, especially when we're talking about issues of content, moderation of hate speech, and all this stuff, this is stuff that every social platform struggles with, has continued to deal with when you're dealing with, you know, cultures, language politics, from all over the world on your platform, and you're trying to figure out how to make that work, how to deal with it legally, how to deal with it morally, and how to deal with it contextually. That's something that legal scholars and technologists and anthropologists have still not figured out fully how to deal with.
And so, you know, I think the reality is that the challenges Twitter faces are, in many ways, one's for the entire sector, and no one's quite figured it out yet, I don't think it is necessarily likely that a new CEO is going to magically solve that problem either.
VAUSE: Oh, we'll see how Elon does, I guess. That's what we can look forward to in the weeks and months ahead. Vittoria, thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate your time.
ELLIOTT: Thank you so much for having me.
VAUSE: It's a pleasure. Thanks.
Well shares of Meta, parent company of Facebook plunged on Thursday, down more than 20 percent after the company revealed a second straight quarter of decline. Meta reported third quarter revenue of more than $27 billion, but that's down 4 percent year over year.
Third quarter profits were less than half of what the company made a year earlier. Slump and ad revenue and big spending on the metaverse are contributing factors to all this. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has committed to continue developing the metaverse whatever that is.
Shares of Amazon fell off the company predicted its holiday sales would be lighter than expected. The e-commerce giant reported revenue of $127 billion for the third quarter. It's up 15 percent from a year ago, but it says inflation. Fears of a recession could dampen holiday sales.
Apple expectations for third quarter sales just over $90 billion. Analysts had worried demand for the newest iPhones would be weak, but CEO Tim Cook says the third quarter produced a record revenue for the device.
Still to come here, human rights group is calling on the U.N. to do something about Iran, as the regime appears to ramp up a crackdown on anti-government protesters and their fears, it's about to get a lot worse. Rare protests in Tibet where people have been under COVID lockdown for months, and they're fed up. That's also coming up here on CNN Newsroom.
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[01:25:26]
VAUSE: Amnesty International urging the United Nations to call a special session in response to Iran's deadly crackdown on anti- government demonstrators. Amnesty says security forces have killed at least eight people less than 24 hours in four provinces, many of them are mourners.
Meantime, Iran's supreme leader is vowing to punish whoever was behind a deadly attack at a Shia shrine. ISIS is set to claim responsibility. But in Tehran, they now say anti-government protesters are also to blame. Releasing this video on state media of protesters who are allegedly complicit.
CNN's Nada Bashir tracking all of this from London.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well protests in Iran are once again gaining momentum but the crackdown on demonstrators is also intensifying on Thursday. We saw video emerging from the city of Mahabad in the West Azerbaijan province of protesters clashing with the Iranian security forces following a funeral held for a protester who was reportedly shot dead on Wednesday.
Videos emerging showing tear gas being deployed against protesters' buildings, set alight even, according to Amnesty International, live fire being used against protesters. Yet another example of the excessive and lethal force being used by the Iranian security forces against protesters who have been taken to the streets over the last six weeks in response to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, many now calling for regime change. There are also concerns that the regime could now be setting the pretext to double down on its violent and brutal crackdown following an attack on the Shah Cheragh shrine in the Shiraz southern city on Wednesday. According to the authorities, this attack has been claimed by the Islamic State. According to state media, the regime has now identified three key assailants who they say open fire on worshippers on Wednesday evening, killing at least 15 people and injuring 40 more as foreign nationals.
But this could essentially play into the narrative that the regime has been pushing forward for weeks now that the protests that we're seeing across the country have been stoked, encouraged and facilitated by foreign agents, namely the United States and Israel, who they accused of encouraging unrest and creating instability in the country.
On Thursday, Iran's Armed Forces said that the attack on Wednesday which they characterized as a terrorist incident was a product of these protests and that those taken to the streets are complicit in this violence. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said the Iranian regime will respond directly to this incident and they have called now for a rally to be held on Friday against the violence that we've seen.
But there are concerns being expressed by human rights groups across the board, that this could set the pretext for the Iranian regime to really double down and intensify an already brutal and deadly crackdown on peaceful protesters who continue to take to the streets demanding regime change, demanding that their fundamental human rights are upheld and respected and crucially demanding that the rights of women across the country are also respected.
Nada Bashir, CNN, London.
VAUSE: Chinese state media reports an improvement in the latest COVID outbreak in Tibet. Many areas are returning to normal. That's after a red protest in Lhasa (hp) against a pandemic lockdown, which has been in place for more than 70 days. Residents have not been allowed to leave their homes unless it's absolutely necessary for more than 70 days. Lhasa is one of nearly 100 Chinese cities under full partial lockdown. On Wednesday, the health department and Lhasa have reported eight, that's eight count them, between seven and nine, eight COVID cases.
COVID infection rates are holding steady in China as well as the United States but cases still climbing. Parts of the world here marked in red, that includes much of South America, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia.
But it's Ebola now spreading in Uganda. The number of confirmed cases there over 120. Ugandan health ministry says healthcare workers are among those who are falling ill that hopefully more treatments for the virus are on the way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANE RUTH ACENG, UGANDA MINISTER OF HEALTH: There's no known treatment for Sudan Ebola virus. Currently, there are a number of promising treatment options that the Ministry of Health is using under trial, including monoclonal antibodies and repurposed drugs like remdesivir donated by the U.S. government. However, the doses available are still very few.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:29:37]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: The government is now establishing treatment centers across the country.
Still ahead this hour here on CNN. On the frontlines in Kherson, as Ukrainian forces battle the Russians. Why some say this fight has now grounded to a stalemate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back everyone. I'm John Vause.
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
More now on the battle for the strategic southern port city of Kherson, Russian state media says the fight there has stabilized with less frequent artillery fire, no counterattack from Ukrainian forces.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports now from the front lines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Across these fields are the Russians that (INAUDIBLE) to get into the trenches that snake make their way through this battle space in southern Ukraine.
This is the actual front line between the Russians and the Ukrainians. They say that the Russians are only a couple of kilometers in that direction and obviously there's a lot of shelling that goes on here almost all the time.
A destroyed tank right outside the Ukrainian position shows just how fierce the fighting is here. Spent cartridges from cluster bombs and Russian flak vests also still lying around.
While some thought that the Ukrainians might quickly oust the Russians and take back the key city of Kherson, in the trench, a feeling of stale mate.
ALEXANDER, 59TH BRIGADE, UKRAINIAN ARMY (through translator): There is shelling every day, in some places less, on some more. We would shoot back but we have nothing to shoot with here.
PLEITGEN: Inside the main headquarters, the unit commander, who goes by call sign Nikofor, shows me the gear they used to monitor the Russians' movements and communicate with their own units. He says they've observed the Russians strengthening their defensive positions here.
NIKOFOR, 59TH BRIGADE, UKRAINIAN ARMY (through translator): They have dug in very well for the moment. But without effort, we are showing them that we are stronger and actually pushing them back from our territories.
PLEITGEN: This territory was all Russian controlled, but now Ukrainian troops are inching ever closer to Kherson. Having taken out most Russian supply routes across the massive Dnipro river, Ukraine's president said Moscow's forces need to get out of this region or risk being besieged.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: They are not ready to go out of Kherson. But they know that it will be, if we will have success, they will not have possibility to exit.
[01:34:55]
PLEITGEN: Ukraine's military is pushing Russian troops back on several frontlines across the country. And as his army displays clear signs of weakness, Russian President Vladimir Putin ripping into the U.S. and its allies during a speech in Moscow.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): World domination is what the so-called west set its game on. But that game is without doubt a dangerous, bloody, and I would say filthy one.
PLEITGEN: But the Ukrainian troops in the trenches say they are resisting for their own country's sovereignty and hope to retake much of the key area in south Ukraine before winter sets in.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN -- in the Kherson region of Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Continued Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's power grid have now left parts of the capital without electricity. The air strike sparked fires at some power facilities. At least 30 percent of the region's power supply was off line Thursday.
Electricity was later restored to some parts but officials say that more than a quarter of a million homes in the Kyiv region are still without power and the government warns there is a need to prioritize.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRA RUDIK, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: There're critical places where the electricity is needed, for example, hospitals, or other critical objects of infrastructure. And this is why we are all again, acting as one and trying to save as much as possible.
The outages are here and sometimes its electricity available for only a couple of hours a day. And I can tell you, it's a huge difference between what we had before because if -- when you have this comfort of having heat and electricity, and you have to go to a bomb shelter, where you can sit with your phone, or laptop, and heat and where it is bright it's one thing. But when it's dark and cold and children do not have even an ability to play on their phones or read the books, it becomes a very, very scary game for them. And we are still trying to extend this game.
So as of right now 40 percent of Ukrainian's energy infrastructure is destroyed, and every day, the destruction continues. So it is so, so, so terrifying that today on the eight months of the war, we are begging for the same thing that I was begging at the very beginning of the invasion, to help us protect our skies. Because the destruction comes from the skies, with the missiles, and the kamikaze drones.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Still no word on how long it will take for power to be restored fully across the region.
In a deal that could clear the way for new offshore energy exploration, Israel and Lebanon had finalized an agreement defining their maritime borders in the Mediterranean. The two countries have been trying for years over the rights to major oil and gas fields in the city.
Hadas Gold has more now from Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Israel and Lebanon officially agreed for a maritime border on Thursday, ending what had been a years-long dispute over the gas and oil rich part of the Mediterranean Sea.
And on that could have devolved into conflict, as these two countries are still technically at war. Although there had been previous attempts at a negotiated deal, none were successful until now.
But there are several motivations that likely helped propel the two sides to sign their own separate agreements with the United States.
Europe is hungry for new sources of energy since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Lebanon is in dire economic situation and desperate for new sources of income. And Israel wants to see calm on its northern border with Lebanon where the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah has vowed in the past to destroy Israel.
U.S. President Joe Biden praised the deal during a meeting on Wednesday with the Israeli president at the White House.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Israel and Lebanon are going to sign and agreement to establish a permanent -- a permanent maritime bond between the two countries. I think it's a historic breakthrough, it took a lot of courage for you to step up and step into it. It takes some real guts and I think it took principal and persistent diplomacy to get it done. And I compliment you and I compliment the governments.
GOLD: Lebanon and Israel never actually negotiated directly with one another. And even the agreement is actually each country's separate agreement with the United States which is guaranteeing identical terms.
On Thursday, the Lebanese president and the Israeli prime minister signed their own respective documents which were then brought to a U.N. base in the Lebanese-Israel border and presented to the U.S. team there.
The coordinates for the new maritime border were then also registered with the U.N. But there were not photo-ops or even a handshake between eh two sides. Although they were in the same room and Israel's head of public diplomacy told me that everyone who said (INAUDIBLE) was really Prime Minister Yair Lapid hailed the agreement calling it a diplomatic achievement saying it's not everyday that an enemy state recognizes the state of Israel in a written agreement in front of the entire international entire international community.
[01:39:52]
GOLD: But Lebanon's President Michel Aoun was a bit more circumspect, calling it a technical process without political dimensions that does not have contradictory effects on Lebanon's foreign policy in relation to other countries.
Hadas Gold, CNN -- Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Ok. Let's take a quick look at the futures here. U.S. futures, the Nasdaq and S&P 500 all down. Dow futures down 6, Nasdaq down by 1 percent, the (INAUDIBLE) by three-quarters of 1 percent.
Mixed bag of technology companies are caught in a big sell-off on Thursday. One bright spot thought the gross domestic product of the U.S. grew 2.2 percent in the third quarter after two quarters of decline.
While it suggests the U.S. may not be on the verge of recession, there is still a concern that the Fed will continue to raise rate hikes to try and battle inflation because the economy is still growing at a fairly good clip.
That small bright spot of good economic news comes less than two weeks before midterms elections in the U.S. But it may not be enough to offset voter concerns over rising prices.
CNN's Phil Mattingly sat down with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for her perspective in this exclusive interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As democrats, scramble to coalesce around an economic message to hang on to their congressional majorities.
JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: I don't see signs of a recession in this economy, at this point.
MATTINGLY: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sitting down with CNN to deliver her own.
YELLEN: We have unemployment at a 50-year low. We have two job vacancies for every American who is looking for work. We have solid household finances, business finances, banks that are well capitalized, and we have been creating average 200,000 jobs a month.
MATTINGLY: It's an economic scorecard that hardly tracks with an exceedingly unsettled electorate.
The discontent seems to be very real, the feelings about the direction of the economy seems to be largely negative. Why?
YELLEN: Inflation is very high, it's unacceptably high, and Americans feel that every day.
BIDEN: Hello, Syracuse.
MATTINGLY: The split screen that has weighed down Democrats for months on the day the U.S. economy delivered a bounce back quarter of growth, Republican campaign ads continue to hammer inflation that remains near a four decade high.
Soaring costs driving the economy to the top of voter concerns, a reality with no near term solution, that has clouded not just Democrats mid term prospects.
I actually think in terms of the time horizon, yours is not very helpful when there's a midterm elections in 12 days. I know you don't come from a political background here, but how much does that weigh into the policy process that you guys pursue?
YELLEN: Well, as I said, we're doing everything that we can to supplement what the fed is doing to bring inflation down. And medium term, we have a historic investment in the strength of our economy -- the passage of three very important bills.
MATTINGLY: But also what the officials view of a historically rapid recovery.
YELLEN: These are problems we don't have because of what the Biden administration has done, so often one does not get credit for problems that don't exist.
MATTINGLY: All as Biden's legislative winds have driven tens of billions of dollars from private sector investment to manufacturing across the country.
Is the kind of message at this point, to some degree, we've done the work, be patient, it's coming?
YELLEN: Yes, but we're beginning to see repaired bridges come online, not in every community. Pretty soon, many communities are going to see roads improved, bridges repaired that have been falling apart. We're seeing money flow into research and development, which is really an important source of long-term strength to the American economy.
And America's strength is going to increase, and we are going to become a more competitive economy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Phil Mattingly there with an exclusive interview with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
Still to come, why is the slaughter of civilians by Myanmar's military not causing the same action and outrage as Russian attacks in Ukraine? Why? The question when we come back.
[01:44:11]
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VAUSE: In Myanmar, government security forces had continued with a brutal, deadly crackdown on unarmed civilians. And when the military dictatorship was recently pushed at a regional summit to move ahead with a peace plan, the generals warned that pressure could have negative implications.
Get it? That warning comes after members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met in Indonesia Thursday. Myanmar being racked by violence ever since the democratically elected government was overthrown in a coup back in February last year. That gave rise to a number of armed rebel groups.
On Monday, one of those groups shared a video claiming to be the aftermath of an airstrike by militaries -- by Myanmar's military. It left dozens of people dead.
A military spokesperson denied involvement in that attack, two (INAUDIBLE) planes and helicopters. CNN cannot independently verify the information.
The South East Asian group says it's concerned over stalled peace plans to end the violence, trying to start dialogue, and allow any humanitarian assistance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RETNO MARSUDI, INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): The Association of Southeast Nations foreign ministers expressed concerns and disappointment that no significant progress has been made on the implementation of the five-point consensus.
The concern is clear, and some countries expressed their frustration on the lack of progress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Joining us now Tom Andrews. He's the U.N. special rapporteur for Myanmar. He is New York. Thank you, Tom for coming in. We appreciate it.
TOM ANDREWS, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR MYANMAR: John, thank you so for having me. VAUSE: Ok. So from ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations,
the regional body which in theory to have the most influence over the dictatorship in Myanmar, we heard this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARSUDI: The meeting today was held with openness. There are many sensitive issues discussed like in a family. Open discussion is important for the good of everyone. The approach to sweep problems under the rug should not be an option.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, also ambassadors from 14 different countries from Australia to the United States, issued a joint statement. This attack underscores the military ratings with responsibility for crisis and instability and its disregard to its obligation to protect civilians and respect the principles and rules of international humanitarian law.
There's a lot of talk here, a lot of talk about talking about from ASEAN. A lot of talk about how bad the regime is Myanmar but also like talk is cheap. There's no more doing going on. So why is that.
ANDREWS: Well, frankly John I think it's because of a lack of political will. There is a lot of crises going on in the world, lots of areas of the world other than, Myanmar, where international community is focused to get attention.
So the kinds of actions that we have seen in crises like the invasion of Ukraine, where Russia financial institutions were isolated, assets were frozen, access to the international banking systems were ended.
None of that has occurred when it comes to Myanmar, a coordinated clear focus strategic approach is required to address this crisis. And we have yet to see that, and frankly, I think it's because of distraction, and because of a lack of political will.
VAUSE: The general secretary of the KIO, the Katune Independent Organization which is tied with it here. Issued a statement, which read in part, " We understand the intention of the air strikes. A lot of things that could bring chaos and massive pain to the public in large volumes and with has much damage as they could in switch.
The E.U., the U.S. as well as others like Canada, Australia, they no longer condemn -- causing billions in the strongest possible terms but also showing in a panful regime of economic sanctions.
That's on Russia for the war in Ukraine. So when it comes to non- Europeans, the roles of different customs, different traditions, different religions. Why the difference?
[01:49:58]
ANDREWS: It's a very good question, John. And I asked that many times and, in fact, I've been asked that by hundreds of people in Myanmar that I've spoken to, just over the last few weeks. I mean listen, that -- the junta is targeting civilians, though it's a concert that people were attending at least 60 people died.
Just last month, two helicopter gunships descended upon a school. Soldiers opened fire on children, at least 13 people were killed and including an age 11 children.
So these are war crimes, these are crimes against humanity. They are escalating over 1 million people have been displaced. At least 2,300 people have been killed. Entire villages are being burned to the ground. 28,000 homes have been burned.
So this is a desperate situation, the economy has collapsed, the health care system has collapsed, tens of thousands of children are going to lose their lives this year alone because of a lack of access to routine immunizations.
It's inexcusable in my view for the international community for not taking the kind of action that is required to take away from the junta its ability to continue these horrible, horrible massacres.
And until the international community does so and coordinates itself to do so, we are going to -- we can fully expect to see more and more of these kind of massacres.
VAUSE: At the U.N. Wednesday, you spoke about the connection between the people of Myanmar and the people of Ukraine. Here you are, listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREWS: There is a connection between the people of Myanmar and the people of Ukraine. Among them is the fact that some of the very types of weapons that are being used to kill people in Ukraine are being used to kill the people of Myanmar. And they come from the very same source -- they come from Russia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well here's another connection. This is from September 8th, last year from the group Justice for Myanmar. (INAUDIBLE) Ukraine arms transferred to Myanmar are enabling the junta's terror.
Now until 2014 and the Russian takeover of Crimea, Ukraine was one of the bigger arms exporters, and even after the military coup in Myanmar, which toppled a democratically elected governor, Ukraine continued weapons sales. They also sold equipment to the military which was in all likelihood, used as part of the attempted genocide of Rohingya Muslims. Isn't this a salutary (ph) lessons for all nations which sell weapons around the world? Just be careful who you sell to because you may not know when it's going to come back?
ANDREWS: That's exactly right. That is exactly right.
You know, since the invasion -- since the coup of this last year, Russia and China, we know has continued to sell weapons to this regime. We know that these weapons are being used to massacre civilians. We know that there were airstrikes that attacked there was concert goers.
Helicopter gunships descending on these children. We know that massive weapons are being used, military weapons, attacking civilians. So you are exactly right. If you continue to sell weapons, if you continue to allow this proliferation of weapons, and weapons technology, including dual use technology, then don't be surprised when these weapons, in the hands of people like this military junta is used to unleash fire against innocent people.
It's just absolutely incredible what is going on, literally as we speak.
VAUSE: Yes. Tom, thank you for everything that you do,. Thank you for being live to this as well, it's an important story. Thank you.
ANDREWS: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: Brazil votes for a new president Sunday. Second and final round of voting in an election that's being described as the most important in Brazil's history.
But the former president Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, challenging the far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, the election comes with Brazil's economy struggling with high inflation, limited growth, and rising poverty.
Neither candidate received more than 50 percent in a first round votes earlier this month, that is why that they are having a second round of ballots Sunday.
Coming up on CNN, Dutch police arrested three climate activist gluing themselves to world famous pieces of art. What will they think up next? Details in a moment.
[01:54:18]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back. Dutch police have arrested three climate activists who glued themselves to Vermeer's famous painting, "Girl with a Pearl Earring". Images on social media showed two men, in the act of gluing themselves while a third threw what appeared to be red paint. Authorities say that there was no permanent damage to the painting which will be back on display as soon as possible.
Earlier this weekend, Germany activists threw mashed potatoes at Monet's painting, "Grain Stacks" -- painting was protected by glass and was not harmed.
Few weeks ago, though, activists threw tomato soup at Van Gogh's painting -- then glued themselves to a wall at a gallery in London. What does that achieve? Who knows.
Finally we may have some new insights of Britain's Prince Harry and how he sees his role, diminishing role in the royal family. His new book called "Spare", there get it will be published In January, originally expected this year. It'll be an account which quote, will be raw, unflinching honesty. A chance for Harry to tell his story at last, according to the publishers.
It's not clear if the debt of Queen Elizabeth caused the delay her or if it was -- it will be mentioned in the book. Proceeds from sales will go to a number of Harry's charities.
At least there's some good.
And John Vause. Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Please stay with us after a very short break. My friend and colleague Kim Brunhuber takes over the chair. See you next week.
[01:57:23]
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