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Lula Beats Bolsonaro in Tight Runoff to be Next President; Crowd Crush Kills At Least 154 People in South Korea; Children Among At Least 132 Killed in Gujarat Disaster; Calls for Russia to Renew Participation in Grain Deal. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired October 31, 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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[01:00:34]

LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Laila Harrak. Ahead on CNN Newsroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT (through translator): They try to bury me a lot. And I am here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stages a political comeback after Brazilians elect him to lead once more.

And we're live in Seoul, South Korea after Halloween celebration turned tragic. With at least 154 people killed. Now, families are demanding answers from authorities. And concerns are glowing about the global food supply after Russia pulls out of the United Nations brokered Grain Deal with Ukraine. How world powers are now responding.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Laila Harrak.

HARRAK: By a razor thin margin, voters have elected Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as the next president of Brazil.

Thousands of Lula supporters cheered and celebrated in the streets a short time ago. The leftist Lula won just over 50% of the vote, defeating the far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who finished with about 49%. While this will be Mr. Lula's third presidential term. He served two earlier terms from 2003 through 2010, when he led the country through an economic boom that helped lift millions out of poverty. He thanked supporters a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LULA DA SILVA (through translator): On this historic October 30, the majority of Brazilians made it very clear that they want more and not less democracy, that they want more and not less social inclusion, that they want more and not less opportunities for all. They want more and not less respect and understanding among Brazilians. To summarize, they want more freedom, equality and fraternity in our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well, the victory is a remarkable comeback for Mr. Lula. He spent 580 days in jail in Brazil's largest corruption probe. But a court throughout his conviction in March of last year, clearing the way for his political comeback. While the head of Brazil's electoral authority says he thinks Mr. Bolsonaro will accept the results. However, there are indications some of his supporters might not. Videos posted on social media show apparent Bolsonaro supporters blocking highways in two states after his loss. CNN's Paula Newton is in Sao Paulo with the latest.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, and just by the latest news that you just gave right, even if Congress who are closely -- among some members of Congress are closely allied with Bolsonaro, even if Bolsonaro himself comes out and actually concedes to Lula da Silva, it doesn't mean that his supporters will.

Listen, as you just indicated, this has been an incredibly divisive campaign. Each of these political forces of the left and the right will continue this battle. They will I have to tell you for right now, Lula supporters do not want this party to end. You have to think about what this man has achieved. Less than three years ago, he was still in prison, and he staged this political comeback and so many of his supporters believe he will be Brazil's savior.

He himself said he feels like a person who has been resurrected. And he wanted to make sure to tell not just Brazilians, but the international community. His message was that Brazil is back. It is back, though, and a completely transformed way, the democracy has suffered. It has taken some hits, especially when you talk to people here about the institutions.

What is going to happen now, though, is hopefully a very peaceful and orderly transition. As I was saying Bolsonaro has not conceded. We do not have any information about when we will see him. There is no indication that he will have a fairly formal press conference or a formal call yet with Lula. And so many people across this country are waiting to see exactly what the current president, what his interpretation would be of these results. Again, very close, about 2 million votes, less than 1% divided these candidates.

[01:05:06]

HARRAK: Very, very, very razor thin outcome there. Paula, what does Mr. Lula's win mean for the region, for Latin America?

NEWTON: You know, it is so important in terms of the underpinning of not just politics here, but the economy as well. Brazil is a significant democracy throughout the world, let alone South America. You know, people here have been waiting to see what would happen in Brazil. And as I said, not just for the economy, but also for the environment. What happens here underpins so much of how this region will develop, but also how the climate crisis will be addressed in the years to come for the entire planet.

You know, it is an interesting way that politics has unfolded throughout the region in the last few years. Certainly, a lot of leftist politicians have now come into power. And we will see exactly what this will bring and what brand of politics and diplomacy they will now bring to the table when they meet with President-elect Lula da Silva.

HARRAK: That was Paula Newton reporting for you.

World leaders are congratulating Mr. Lula ahead of his return to the presidency. U.S. President Joe Biden praised a "free, fair and credible election,' saying he looks forward to working with Brazil.

And Argentine President Alberto Fernandez says Mr. Lula's win signals a new time of hope for Latin America, pledging his partnership and ability to dream big about the future. Controversial Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro celebrated Mr. Lula's win as well. A U.N. report has accused the Maduro government of crimes against humanity. But Mr. Maduro is also an outspoken critic of current Brazilian President Bolsonaro.

And we can go now to Brian Winter, he's the Editor-in-Chief of Americas Quarterly and the Vice President of Policy for the Americas Society and Council of the Americas. And he joins me now from New York.

So good to have you with us, Brian, want to get your reaction first, the moment Mr. Lula took the lead, as results were rolling in. What was your first thought?

BRIAN WINTER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AMERICAS QUARTERLY: My first thought was this completes one of the greatest political comebacks in modern political history anywhere, when you consider that Lula was in prison two years ago, and it seemed like he's -- say his success story from when he was president in the 2000s had ended in tragedy. And now here he is about to take power again.

But he knows that this is a very difficult challenge ahead of him. And I still think there are dangerous days ahead in Brazil. This nation is very polarized. We haven't heard anything yet from President Bolsonaro or his family, which is very involved in politics as well. There is still a possibility they may try to make this transition difficult. And many are still worried about political violence in days ahead.

HARRAK: I'm going to ask you about that, because it's been such a fraught campaign. And he's been sowing doubt about the integrity of the election. If he does end up accepting the result, does it automatically mean that his supporters will also accept the outcome of this presidential election?

WINTER: We'll see. You know, many of us, myself included believed during this campaign that the closer the result was, the bigger the danger of some kind of January 6 type situation in Brazil. But now there's an emerging consensus that actually the opposite may be true, because Bolsonaro's allies did very well, in this election. He lost, but his allies will be governors of Brazil's three most populous states. And so, Bolsonaro and his, you know, he may end up deciding to try to live to fight another day, and basically grumble about fraud and the media and the courts being stacked against him, but still not try to burn the house down on his way out. And -- but again, we still don't know it's still early hours. And until he speaks, I think it's premature to draw any conclusions about what this transition will look like.

HARRAK: Exactly. It is premature. We have not heard from Bolsonaro. Talk to us about the strength of Brazil's institutions, can they deal with potential challenges? How will this outcome test Brazil's institutions and can they withstand this potential stress test?

WINTER: It's a great question, Laila. I mean, we've seen over the last year, it became clear that Bolsonaro could potentially try to overturn the result if he was elected. But in recent months, we have one by one seen most of Brazil's institutions line up behind democracy essentially and saying that the result of the popular vote, whichever way it went, must be irrespective. We've seen that from Congress, including tonight with this very important show of support for Lula from a Bolsonaro ally who's basically the equivalent of the U.S. Speaker of the House.

[01:10:12]

But the business community, the international community, including President Biden, with his statement tonight, have all been unambiguously in support of resilient democracy and this electronic voting system, which did very quickly and clearly produce a winner tonight, even though it was a close race.

So, I still think the most likely scenario is that Bolsonaro again, will cry fraud, and we'll say that he had the system rigged against him. And as we've seen here in the United States that produces its own damage, it leaves scars. But Brazilian institutions should at the end of the day still hold up, in part because so much of the establishment and the population are standing behind this result very quickly in the hours after voting became final.

HARRAK: Fascinating times for a fascinating country. We're so happy to have had your perspectives included on this very momentous night. Thank you so much, Brian Winter there.

WINTER: Thank you.

HARRAK: South Koreans are demanding answers from authorities after at least one 154 people died in a crowd surge. Many want to know why there was very little crowd control during the large Halloween celebrations. The area was brimming with partygoers, making it hard to move or breathe. Many people fell over and were trampled by others around them. Some were so desperate to get out they tried to climb over walls. It was so crowded, in fact, by the time emergency crews got there, they struggled to reach people in need. And as CNN's Will Ripley shows us, it was a massive crowd in a narrow space.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is one of the alleys. The alley actually right next door, just down the block from where this happened. This was supposed to be packed tonight. And you can see that it's completely shut down. This space, maybe six and a half feet across guys. Can you imagine being stuck in the middle here? With literally 1000s of people in this small area, packing and pushing you. It's hard to wrap your mind around how terrifying that must have been for those people who were essentially crushed to death or for those who slipped and fell and had people piling up on top of them.

Some people so desperate, you know they were trying to climb up these walls here just jumping in and grabbing for anything they could to get up above the crowd of people. There's a lot of questions that need to be answered here in South Korea. Why were so many people allowed to pack into a narrow space like this? Where was the crowd control? Some of the images that we've been showing you, they were from an hour, two hours before this deadly incident. Was there nobody sounding the alarm saying, hey, too many people, let's clear them out before something horrible happens. I mean, these are the really tough questions that they're having to ask here.

But tonight, as you see, it's all about, well, most people who were here last night want nothing to do with this place. Now, it's empty, aside from a handful of reporters and the police blocking off the area. And, of course, those shoes and the pieces of people's Halloween costumes just sitting in trash bags. I guarantee you, a lot of the pieces of costumes there come from people who didn't make it out alive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Let's get more now from CNN's Ivan Watson in Seoul. Ivan, the South Korea in national mourning. The country has had other deadly disasters but local officials seem to have been caught off guard.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean, given the lack of police to handle these enormous crowds on Saturday nights. There are undoubtedly big questions about preparation for this gathering. I'm in this Itaewon District. It's the early afternoon here. This is normally a busy shopping district. As you can see it's blocked off. Down the road is where the old U.S. military base used to be in this neighborhood. And it's, again, you normally a busy nightlife district, a busy shopping district. And you can see over here the entrance to that alleyway where Will Ripley was reporting, which was basically ground zero for the crowd surge in the crush.

And all around here, you have people who've been setting up little commemorative places for the many young victims of this terrible, terrible tragedy. I think we have a map that can kind of show you an overview of how this all came together. Where the people were stuck. The numbers of people piled up on top of each other was such that the emergency rescue workers were not able to pull people out from underneath that enormous crowd because of the weight of all the bodies that were compressing people.

[01:15:12]

So, it is several days of national mourning now. The first funerals are beginning. There is an official memorial site that's been set up at Seoul City Hall. It was visited by the South Korean President earlier today. And people are still trying to come to grips with the scale of this tragedy in a country that has relatively low crime rates that is considered relatively safe.

I've been to one of the universities, for example, here in Seoul, where there were more than a dozen U.S. students on their semesters abroad. Two of them died among the 154 people who died here, not the story that any family would expect to have to be woken up to, the loss of their loved one.

The Ministry of Education here says at least six students were killed, not university students, five high school students and one middle school students, that just give you a sense of some of the ages of the victims that were here. And we have some testimony from one of the eyewitnesses that were among the throngs of people who were gathered here Saturday night. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was about like, you know, you versus other people. I just wanted to get out of there. I was using my arms squishing out like I don't care that my clothes were getting ripped, like I just got out of there on the sidelines with my friends. And it was really hard. Like I had like, you know, bruises on my arms and stuff from trying to maneuver out. But we got into the sidelines, luckily. And we kind of were standing up on this like brick wall. And we could see above and yeah, it was just shoulder to shoulder people just couldn't breathe. The shorter people were just trying to look up in the air to get some sort of air. It was just, yeah, it was it was (inaudible).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: So, as you can see here, there's a large police presence. The this is a major an investigation now underway. And I think one of the real contradictions here is how to imagine this place thronged with thousands and thousands of young people out for a party night. Alcohol involved, loud music from the surrounding clubs, and it created this terrible, deadly, perfect storm. Back to you, Laila.

HARRAK: Thank you so much. Ivan Watson reporting there for you, from Seoul.

Well, among those killed in Saturday's crash were for Chinese nationals. China's leader Xi Jinping says he was shocked to learn of the tragedy. And he has sent condolences to the president of South Korea, the victims and all the grieving families.

And U.S. President Joe Biden is also expressing grief after learning that two Americans died in the crash. He says he and the First Lady are devastated, adding that their hearts go out to the victims, families and that they are praying for the recovery of all those injured.

And in the at least 132 people were killed including children after a bridge collapsed on Sunday, hundreds were plunged into the river and video on social media shows people hanging on to the collapse bridge. The Indian military is assisting search and rescue operations. Officials say the 19th Century bridge had recently been renovated. Investigation is underway now into the cause of the disaster.

And CNN'S Kristie Lu Stout is tracking the story for you right now and joins us live from Hong Kong. Kristie, you're getting more information about the human toll of the Indian bridge collapse?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Laila, recently renovated suspension bridge collapse in the western Indian State of Gujarat on Sunday killing at least 132 people, including children. According to the Home Minister of Gujarat state, he says that the state has lodged a criminal complaint against the agency that was responsible for maintaining the bridge and that a special investigations team has been set up to look into what happened to the bridge and what led to this disastrous collapse.

According to authorities, about 200 people were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. The bridge collapsed Sunday, local time 6:30 p.m. in the Gujarat town of Morbi. And we want to show you some of that disturbing video that has been circulating on social media where you see people clinging onto the cables and clinging onto the twisted wreckage of the bridge some attempting to climb up to reach safety. Others unable to do so, some falling into the waters of the river below, making it to the riverbed. But many others did not. Again, local authorities reporting at least 132 people are dead. Many of the casualties are children. And here is an eyewitness.

[01:20:06]

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SUKRAM, WITNESS (through translator): Many children were enjoying holidays for Diwali and they came here as tourists. All of them fell on top of one another. The bridge collapsed due to overloading.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now, the investigation as to the definitive cause of this collapse is still underway. I believe we do have live footage of what the scene looks like right now. There has been search and rescue and recovery operations underway as people trace for an attempt to search for the missing there in Gujarat. The bridge itself was constructed in the 1800s during British rule. It's a popular tourist destination. It had been recently renovated. It was closed for renovations for a few months and just reopened last week.

Now, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been in Gujarat, his home state for three-day visit. And he weighed in on this disaster on Twitter. Let's bring up his comment. This is what he said. "I am deeply saddened by the tragedy at Morbi. I talked to the Gujarat Chief Minister and other officials about this. Relief and rescue operations are going on in full swing and all necessary assistance is being provided to the affected."

The Indian Prime Minister also announced compensation for the injured as well as the families of the victims. Back to you Laila.

HARRAK: Kristie Lu Stout reporting. Thank you so much.

Now, still to come. Russia is accused of using food as a weapon of war after deciding to suspend its participation in a grain export deal, more on that just ahead. Plus, military crowdfunding in Ukraine. How everyday citizens are helping fight the war. We'll have the details.

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HARRAK: Delegations from the U.N., Ukraine and Turkey have agreed to move more than a dozen vessels Monday under the Black Sea Grain Deal. After Russia decided to suspend its participation. Russia's decision follows its claims of drone attacks on the Crimean city of Sevastopol. Well, now the movement of more than 200 ships participating in the U.N. brokered deal has been blocked. And Russia faces growing calls to renew its participation. It's also facing criticism from world leaders including the U.S. which accuses it of weaponizing food. Ukraine's president called Russia's decision deliberate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): What did the world hear that someone allegedly launches drones from a bulker, at first, they talked about war birds then war insects, now war grain, a killer wheat which rounds Russian admirals? Well, what can you say they are truly sick people. But these sick people are once again putting the world on the brink of a severe food crisis. Russia is the only one to blame for the fact that food will now become more expensive for people across a vast expanse from West Africa to East Asian.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:25:10]

HARRAK: For more, I'd like to bring in Jill Dougherty. She is a CNN Contributor and Georgetown University adjunct Professor. She's also CNN's former Moscow Bureau Chief. So good to have you with us, Jill. The U.N. and Turkey at this hour pushing to revive that all important Grain Deal, can Russia be persuaded? What are the obstacles?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, if you look at this, actually, Russia was threatening to pull out of the steel for the past few weeks. And what they were arguing, what Moscow was arguing is that Ukraine was able to export more grain, as opposed to Russia, which was not able to export their food products, and their fertilizer. And so that, you know, now they say that they have had an attack on the city of the Crimean peninsula, which they control. And because of that, there can be no safe passage, therefore, there can be no transit out.

But I think it's going to be very difficult, because if you look at that approach that they've been taking, I think they do have trouble with this agreement, even though they did agree to it. And by doing this by pulling out, at least suspending, I should say, for the time being, they also create problems for Ukraine. They put more pressure on Ukraine, and you could look at it look at it as a tactic in this war.

HARRAK: As a tactic in this war, let's talk more about that because Russia does continue to deny its role in the global food crisis. But it has come under fierce criticism for what some believe, is Moscow's attempt to weaponize food. So, by pulling out of this Grain Deal, antagonizing its allies in the Middle East, in Africa, what's the thinking in the Kremlin? Can they afford to alienate the few allies that they have?

DOUGHERTY: Well, that's a good question that, you know, Moscow right now is saying that they could directly from Russia, supply food to these developing nations. And so, I think they are worried. There's no question, they're worried about the developing world. Because in the beginning, when this crisis began, during the war, they were saying, you know, it's Ukraine's fault. It's a West fault, and they are depriving you of food.

Now, they see that, you know, by pulling out, Russia is depriving these developing nations of food, but they're saying we can still provide it. So, I think there's a sensitivity there, that they could damage relations with the developing world. And that is one area that they don't want to do any damage. Because they have the, let's say, the narrative, that it's the west that's actually doing that.

HARRAK: And Jill, by pulling out from this deal prematurely, what does that tell us about how things are going on the ground in terms of Russia's activities in Ukraine?

DOUGHERTY: Well, you could also interpret it as reaction to the way that things are going very poorly for the Russian troops on the ground so far. And so, this is another way, again, of using something to put Ukraine on its back foot to make things difficult. And just to kind of stir things up, you know, Russia right now, I think you look at it from many different perspectives. Russia is using various techniques to try to put pressure on Ukraine. The primary one, of course, and we've been talking about this is that attack on the energy infrastructure all over the country, but this is another way to do it, by using food, by weaponizing food.

HARRAK: Jill Dougherty, thank you so much.

DOUGHERTY: Thanks.

HARRAK: In Eastern Ukraine, increased fighting is being reported in the strategically important city of Bakhmut. Residents there were seen climbing over what was left of a destroyed bridge to make it across to the other side of a river to collect aid. While those in Bakhmut describe what life is like now, as Russia continues its assault on the city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MYKYTA NEDILKO, DEPUTY HEAD, 47TH UKRAINE NATIONAL FIRE BRIGADE (through translator): The situation and Bakhmut is difficult. There's constant shelling. We're working 24-hour shifts in an intensified mode of operation.

BOHDAN, BAKHMUT RESIDENT (through translator): It's very bad. They start to batter us a lot, most frightening was and this is really scary. When they shell the place where me and my friend Sergei are staying now that shelling is no joke. It's very scary when airplanes are in the air and you hear that they don't fire missiles but drop air bombs. And the next morning, we see the consequences.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:29:49]

HARRAK: Well, amid Russia's relentless attacks, every day Ukrainians are fighting back with their wallets by donating money to military crowdfunding.

CNN's Nic Robertson explains why that effort has received a recent boost.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Amidst tumbling leaves, Lesya Karnauh (ph) takes her kids out to play.

Hard to imagine three weeks ago a Russian cruise missile slammed into this park. CNN's Fred Pleitgen was there reporting on the massive new barrage of attacks.

Lesya (ph) works nearby, remembers it clearly. A colleague was injured. It motivates her to do what she's been doing more and more of lately -- donating to military crowdfunding.

LESYA KARNAUH, CIVIL SERVANT AND MOTHER OF THREE: Definitely pushing us to do it quicker, and more and more.

ROBERTSON: In her family, they've been donating for months.

KARNAUH: All my family, even my mother and even my daughter from her savings, we sent money and we didn't tell each other.

ROBERTSON: It turns out, they're not alone. Putin's recent assault on Kyiv has drawn instant outrage and the backlash his troops may regret.

(INAUDIBLE)

ROBERTSON: Slava Banik (ph) helped run a government app simplifying donations. More than 18 million users so far.

SLAVA BANIK, UKRAINIAN MINISTRY OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: So for example I make selections and then the next step, I just can pay this by ApplePay.

ROBERTSON: And you've now given $2, more or less, to the Army of Friends.

BANIK: Yes.

ROBERTSON: To buy drones.

BANIK: Yes.

ROBERTSON: The stats, the day of the big attack, he says, show Putin miscalculated if he thought Ukrainians wouldn't fight back.

BANIK: Donations on the sense of (INAUDIBLE) began being bigger, maybe four or five times more than the day before.

ROBERTSON: So the attacks made people give money?

BANIK: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ultra drone bought with your help took off into the sky. At the same time, it will look like this.

ROBERTSON: Crowdfunding began with the war is really taking off now. Drone donations, particularly popular recently. Some military units actively promoting the impact of donations. In this case a drone that drops a bomb on Russian troops.

MYKOLA KRELIESKOV, ANALYST, COMEBACKALIVE: Here's the main place where we collect all the technical equipment, the walkie talkies and the drones and other stuff.

ROBERTSON: At crowdfunding NGO ComeBackAlive, their warehouse an Aladdin's Cave.

KRESLIEKOV: Here's like screens from the comment posts.

ROBERTSON: Donations by much more than just drones. The shelves filling off the back of Putin's attack spikes.

KRESLIEKOV: And we collected about $130 million since the beginning of (INAUDIBLE)

For Ukraine, it's a massive amount of money.

ROBERTSON: Big money. Government officials estimate many hundreds of millions of dollars across all crowdfunding platforms.

Do you mind that the money goes -- that it might kill Russian soldiers?

KARNAUH: You know they occupied my country. They went here to kill my children. Why I should care about them?

ROSCHELLE: Winter and more airstrikes are coming. But so to a Ukrainian windfall Putin's troops will reap.

Nic Robertson, CNN -- Kyiv, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: And still to come, exclusive new details about the brutal assault against U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband. CNN now learning what the suspect allegedly had with him during the attack.

Plus ongoing anti-government protests in Iran are met with violence over the weekend.

You're watching the CNN NEWSROOM.

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HARRAK: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak. And you're watching CNN NEWSROOM

U.S. Democrats are making their closing arguments ahead of the midterm elections on November 8th. Led by President Joe Biden, the party is trying to attract voters by campaigning on their number one issue -- the economy.

Democrats argue that unlike Republicans, their policies will create economic growth from the bottom up, and that they'll secure popular welfare and insurance programs. The president is framing this as an election that will determine America's social and financial future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm going to be spending the rest of the time making the case that this is not a referendum. It's a choice -- a fundamental choice. A choice between two very different visions for the country. And that's what it's about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well, at stake on November 8th is the balance of power in Congress. 218 seats are needed to control the House, and right now, it looks like Republicans have a slight lead with 212 likely wins.

CNN has exclusive new details about the assault on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband.

Our Veronica Miracle is following the story from San Francisco where the attack occurred inside the couple's home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sources familiar with this incident say the suspect brought the hammer used in this attack in addition to the duct tape and the zip ties. We're also told by the district attorney's office that the suspect went upstairs into Paul Pelosi's bedroom where he was sleeping.

Now Paul Pelosi is still recovering in the hospital. He suffered a skull fracture and injuries to his hands and arm when he was hit with that hammer.

It's without a doubt a difficult time for Speaker Pelosi who is now back in San Francisco. We did see her leave her residence. She ducked into her motorcade, out of her garage, and she did not stop to talk to the media.

But she did send a letter to her colleagues in the House of Representatives emphasizing the grief her family is experiencing right now. Saying, "Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop."

Congressman Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader of the house, who is also a representative from California, was on Fox News putting aside all differences, and condemning the attack, expressing his support for the Pelosi family.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Let me be perfectly clear. Violence or threat of violence has no place in our society. What happened to Paul Pelosi is wrong.

Having heard it, I reached out and called the speaker. She was on a plane back for her husband. So we were able to communicate by text.

She did say that the surgery went well. I wanted to convey that our thoughts and prayers were with her and her family, and with Paul, and we hope for him a speedy recovery. And that we're able to stop this crime across our country.

The suspect, David DePape, is expected to be charged Monday with multiple felonies, including attempted homicide and assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse, among other charges. He is expected to be arraigned in court on Tuesday.

Veronica Miracle, CNN -- San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Well, officials say the 49-year-old suspect in Sunday's West Bank car ramming attack has died. Israeli soldiers who were injured after an attacker rammed a car into them, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

[01:39:49]

HARRAK: The driver then continued to another location and rammed a bus stop, where he was shot and injured. The attack took place less than 24 hours after a shooting in Hebron left one Israeli dead. The weekend violence comes ahead of elections in Israel where security is often among voters' top concerns.

And on Tuesday, Israelis are going to the polls to elect a new Knesset or parliament, the fifth time in less than four years. The members of the Knesset not publicly (ph) elected instead voters cast their ballots for political party. Seats are then assigned in proportion to each party's share of the vote. And then, Israel's president asks a party leader to try and form a

government. Well polls predict Israel's former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu who is in the middle of a corruption trial, would/could win a majority of seats with his potential allies. But if he doesn't, the president can decide to give the mandate to current acting prime minister Lapid, or to another lawmaker who have the best chance of forming a government.

Be sure to watch our live coverage of the Israel election results as the polls close. That begins Tuesday at 4:00 p.m., in New York 10:00 p.m. in Tel Aviv right here on CNN.

In Iran, violent clashes broke out between security forces and student protesters at university campuses across the country on Sunday. That's according to reporting from activists and human rights groups inside Iran.

And here, two uniformed officers can be seen in what appears to be an attempt to arrest a protester at a technical college in northwest Iran.

CNN obtained the video from the pro-reform activist outlet IranWire.

CNN's Nada Bashir has more on the protests and demonstrators' refusal to back down.

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NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Iran is seeing yet more protests across the country, despite a warning from the head of the elite revolutionary guard on Saturday, telling protesters not to take to the streets again.

And on Saturday, We'd mark the last day of what he described as riots. But as protests persist, there is growing concern over possible intensification of the regime's already brutal and deadly crackdown.

(INAUDIBLE) base human rights groups have raised particular concern over a reported crackdown on student protesters on university campuses reporting on Sunday that armed with tasers, forces were seen entering the Azov (ph) University Campus in Tehran.

Meanwhile Kurdish rights organization Hemdow (ph), -- said Sunday that anti-riot forces have been deployed to the university of Kurdistan in the northwestern city of Shanandar (ph) -- reportedly opening fire on students.

This latest round of violence follows days of clashes between protesters and Iran's security forces, with authorities opening fire on protesters in that cities of (INAUDIBLE) and Dahidan -- according to human rights groups.

But there's also concern that the regime could double down on its crackdown after the intelligence unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Intelligence Ministry issued a rare statement accusing the U.S. State Department and CIA of playing a direct role and encouraging the ongoing protests.

While the CIA has declined to comment on the matter, the U.S. State department has yet to issue a direct response. The Biden administration has been vocal in its condemnation of Iran's violent crackdown. As has the United Nations, experts say at least 250 people have been killed in Iran since protests began in September. The U.N. special rapporteur on Iran, meanwhile, has called for the prompt establishment of an independent mechanism to investigate human rights abuses perpetrated by the Iranian regime.

Nada Bashir, CNN, London.

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HARRAK: And investigation is underway after incendiary devices was thrown at an immigration center in Dover, England on Sunday. Police say the suspect drove up in a car and threw two to three incendiary devices outside and into the premises. He was later found dead at a nearby gas station. Two people inside the immigration center reported minor injuries.

Still to come, explosions rock Mogadishu over the weekend, killing at least 100 people. One group claims they carried out the deadly attack. We'll have the latest on how Somalia officials are responding.

And Boko Haram destroyed their village in Nigeria years ago. Now they're celebrating a brand new place to call home.

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HARRAK: Al Qaeda-linked extremist group al-Shabaab claims responsibility for two car bombings in Somalia on Saturday, according to Reuters. The explosions killed at least 100 people, injuring hundreds of others as well.

It's the latest escalation of tensions between the Somali government and the extremists who also claimed responsibility for an even more brutal attack years ago.

CNN's Larry Madowo reports.

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LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Smoke rises over Somalia's education ministry. The detonation of two car bombs near a busy intersection in the capital could be seen and heard throughout the city on Saturday.

The blasts happening in deadly succession. The second, hitting just minutes later as ambulances arrived to treat the victims of the first blast.

Cleanup is now underway, as well as the search for bodies. What's now rubble would normally be an area filled with people buying and selling food. Early Sunday, Somalia's president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited the

blast site, and said at least 100 people have been killed with hundreds more wounded. Some so seriously, he expected the death toll to rise. He also blamed the al-Qaeda linked al-Shabaab terror group for the attacks.

HASSAN SHEIKH MOHAMED, SOMALIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We and the Muslim Somali people at war with these men.

MADOWO: The terror group claimed responsibility for the blast according to (INAUDIBLE) report. In a statement, al-Shabaab says they targeted the ministry, because it keeps its Somali children using a crescent based (INAUDIBLE).

Many of the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital, lucky to have survived the blasts. But some say, they're still shocked by the carnage they saw.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We heard a loud explosion. The shop collapsed. It smashed mirrors, scattered them on us, that made us bleed. Dead bodies and people with injuries were everywhere. Some were screaming. That's what I can remember now.

MADOWO: Al-Shabaab frequently stages attacks in Mogadishu and Iran's Somalia with the goal of overthrowing the government and establishing a hardline Islamic state.

Somalia's president has launched an offensive against the group, and vowed to eradicate them. Saturday's blast was the deadliest terror attack in Somalia in five years. A previous explosion in 2017 in the same location killed more than 500 people.

A sign of how formidable the task ahead is for the Somali government to stop scenes like this from happening again.

Larry Madowo, CNN.

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HARRAK: Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo are calling for accountability after 11 people were killed at an overcapacity concert on Saturday.

Officials said tickets to the stadium were oversold, and some people forced their way into the VIP and reserved sections. The crash resulted in suffocation, deaths of ten people, including two police officers.

A government minister says the venue must be punished for selling more tickets than seats available.

[01:49:43]

HARRAK: Survivors of a Boko Haram terror attack in Nigeria years ago are getting a fresh start. They're settling into a brand-new village designed to replace the homes they lost to the militants. CNN's Stephanie Busari has the story.

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STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SENIOR AFRICA EDITOR: The music and dancing masked the terrible event that happened here. Beating down the memories of a community once ravaged by Boko Haram militants almost a decade ago.

A day of celebration amid tight security put this community in Ngarannam (ph) northeast Nigeria, who were forced to flee in 2015, when Boko Haram attacked their community. Now, many years later, they're back into this settlement town which the government says is a hearts and minds campaign in the fight against terror.

The Borno State government that the U.N. and E.U. are funding redevelopment in Ngarannam, a town in the northeast of Nigeria. A community with hundreds of new homes, a school, a market, and a police station for displaced families to return to.

The United Nations says an estimated 3,000 people lived in Ngarannam before Boko Haram attacked. Some were lucky to escape with their lives.

YA LEW AJI, NGARANNAM RESIDENT: We lost everything. The gold I was given on my marriage day, our farms items, goats and cows. We thank God we did not lose any children, but I will never forget seeing a little baby shot dead on her mother's back.

BUSARI: Boko Haram hasn't entirely gone away.

MOHAMMED YAHAYA, UNDP SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE, NIGERIA: They're still here. And one of the ways this program contributes to actually defeating the insurgency is because -- we have to look at what has caused the insurgents, the root cause of insurgents. For us, the root cause of insurgents is the lack of development.

BUSARI: The project has been brought to life by Nigerian architect, Toshin Oshinowo.

TOSHIN OSHINOWO, NIGERIAN ARCHITECT: I'm really proud to be involved in this project, and I'm really hopeful and optimistic that we've created spaces where who knows who can grow up here and what great things they will do. So you know, for me, this isn't about legacy.

BUSARI: And with more planned for the worst affected people, they hope more celebrations like these could be happening across the northeast and surrounding areas.

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HARRAK: Just ahead, we'll show you how people around the world are celebrating Halloween. From a residential neighborhood in Arizona to a centuries-old castle in Transylvania.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRAK: Red Bulls Max Verstappen finished in first place at the Mexico City Grand Prix winning a record breaking 14th Formula 1 race this season. He shared the previous record with Michel Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

It was also Verstappen's fourth career victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix -- the ninth win in a row for Red Bull. Mercedes-Benz driver Lewis Hamilton finished second.

And more news from the world of motor sports. Ferrari will be returning to the Leman 24-hour endurance race for the first time in 50 years. The Italian automaker revealed its new hyper car model for the race on Saturday. Ferrari wont he race nine times, including six consecutive years between 1960 and 1965.

Now, two neighbors in Arizona have a friendly rivalry over who can make the best Halloween decorations. And the results are absolutely bone-chilling, and are drawing sightseers from all over the city. ABC 15 Arizona's Jordan Bontke has the story.

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ALLEN BLUME (ph): This way and as you can tell from an angle of the boat it's actually floating, it's elevated over a sea of red blood.

JORDAN BONTKE, ABC 15 ARIZONA: When Alan Blume moved to this East Mason neighborhood a few years ago, he made a comment to his neighbor that in a way still haunts him today.

BLUME: I think I said that I could beat her with my decorations. Something around those lines.

BONTKE: He said that to Britney Rolly (ph) across the street.

BRITNEY ROLLY: I kind of chuckled and went inside and I looked at my husband, I'm like ok, challenge accepted.

BONTKE: Perhaps that comment cast her spell on Britney who started with one 12-foot skeleton, and now her yard and her neighbors looks like the house from the living dead.

And as Halloween creeps closer, she's still adding more bones and tombstones. All of it enough for two storage units in the off-season.

ROLLY: There's just this infinity line that I keep buying.

BONTKE: The Halloween spirit crossing property lines. The competition going to yet another level even since last year, when we profiled these neighbors.

Now if you think this is scary elaborate, this family also coordinates all these lights down the entire street. There's thousands of them.

Both Alan and Britney say with L.E.D. lights, the electric bill isn't too scary, and the job is never done until Halloween night.

BLUME: We also have a surprise in store for Halloween nights so she hasn't seen everything that I have.

BONTKE: These decorations may aim to scare, but it's done the opposite by bringing out friendly neighbors from across the east valley. And once it's all over --

ROLLY: Christmas, I think, is bigger. It's a lot bigger.

BONTKE: In East Mesa Jordan Bontke, ABC15-Arizona.

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HARRAK: And in Romania, tourists got into the Halloween spirit at a castle fit to be an inspiration council said to be an inspiration for Dracula. Brennan Castle is in Transylvania and it's built on an outcrop overlooking a river.

It's links to the real life Vlad the Impaler are tenuous but the castle is a close match for the home of author Bram Stoker's fictional vampire account.

After passing through the courtyard, visitor were greeted by actors in costumes, as well as spine-tingling decorations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, you atmosphere, it's once in the world that you have this kind of castle here, and it's a great experience. And you have a (INAUDIBLE) as a castle on the Halloween night, of course.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was really cool. I was a lot of cool torture stuff, which I loved. And it was just really awesome to make your way through, not knowing what to expect, and come back down.

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HARRAK: And that does it for us. Thanks so much for spending part of your day with me. I'm Laila Harrak.

Do stick around. Rosemary Church picks up after the break with more news.

And I'll see you next time.

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