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Millions Have Already Cast Ballots for the Midterms; Republican Party Can See Their Victory to the House and Senate; South Korea Tragedy Killed 154 People; Suspension Bridge Collapsed Killing 134 People; Former Brazilian President Makes a Comeback. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired October 31, 2022 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. And I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead, midterm elections are just around the corner here in the United States. We will hear the final pitch to voters from both Republicans and Democrats.
A huge political comeback in Brazil. A former president is set to return to office, but not all of his opponent supporters accept the results.
Plus, a nation in mourning. We are learning more about the victims of the deadly Halloween crowd surge in South Korea. We will bring you a live report from Seoul.
UNKNOWN: Live from CNN, this is CNN Newsroom with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us.
In just eight days, American voters will decide key races at the state and national level including the contest for control of Congress. Two hundred eighteen seats are needed to control the House. And right now, it looks like Republicans have a slight lead with 212 likely wins.
In the Senate about a third of the seats are up for grabs and Republicans could also win the majority there. So far, more than 20 million pre-election ballots have been cast nationwide. And to attract more votes, both sides of pledging to fix the struggling economy.
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SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): Democrats can't run on anything they've done. People don't like what they've done. They don't like high inflation. They don't like gas prices. Food prices up. They don't like it. The public doesn't like an open border. They don't like -- they don't like high crime, and that's what the Democrats are known for.
I mean, they've done all these things. Democrats did it. They did it. They're going to, and they want to run away it.
SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Democrats have concrete plans and we have taken action to address the prices that I hear from voters. They care about healthcare costs, and we've got candidates on the other side of the aisle who say they would work to repeal what the president just signed into law that will help with prescription drug prices. I think that's a pretty sharp contrast.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Meantime, top power brokers from both parties have been campaigning for their candidates in battleground states. Among them former Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama, as well as President Joe Biden. Trump is holding a rally in South Florida with the state's senior Senator Marco Rubio. And notably, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis was not invited.
But the governor has been keeping busy by attending other events. In New York, he endorsed Lee Zeldin in the governor's race there.
And here in Georgia, Republican Governor Brian Kemp and Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams faced off Sunday in their final gubernatorial debate. Early voting has already started in Georgia, but many voters have yet to cast a ballot.
During Sunday's debate the pairs sparred over key issues like the state's economy, abortion rights and concerns over growing crime and gun safety. And here's just a portion of their debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STACEY ABRAMS, (D) GEORGIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: The problem is that Georgia has some of the lowest wages in the nation, and because of that, we need a governor who's going to use her power to focus on the costs that a governor can control.
Tackling affordable housing, which this governor has refused to do, tackling the issue of healthcare cost. If we expand Medicaid in the state of Georgia and accept the $3.5 billion to which we are entitled, we will lower healthcare costs for every Georgian. It has worked in 38 other states, and it will work here in the state of Georgia.
Under this governor, we've lost $150 million in investment. Music Midtown pulled out, we lost the MLB game. We know that the entertainment industry is thinking about losing -- leaving Georgia because of the abortion ban that is driving women away. And we know that this is a governor who has refused to do right by our people.
As governor, I will not only lower costs, I will put more money into the pockets of working Georgians, of middle-class Georgians, but what I will not do is give tax cuts to the wealthy and the powerful.
GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): Americans are hurting right now because of a disastrous policy agenda by Joe Biden and the Democrats that have complete control in Washington, D.C. Thankfully in Georgia, because we were open, even when Miss Abrams didn't want us to be, our economy has been incredibly resilient. We've had two record years for economic development in a row, record number of investment, record number of jobs. And people's salaries are going up.
[03:05:08]
The problem is they're not going up fast enough to keep up with Joe Biden's inflation. Which is why I worked with the general assembly and the leadership last year to return a billion dollars of your taxpayer money to you to put into your pocket, to help you when you go to the grocery store because eggs are 30 percent higher. Milk and Poultry is 15 and 17 percent higher.
But we also did other things. We have suspended the gas tax since March, saving every Georgian 29 cents a gallon every time they fill up to just help them fight through the 40-year high Biden inflation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Governor Kemp has led in most polling, but Abrams has a strong base of support while voting continues across Georgia in early voting.
CNN's Nadia Romero shows how some churches are mobilizing the faithful.
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NADIA ROMERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is the last Sunday of early voting here in Georgia, traditionally called Souls to the Polls here. And that means that people from black churches, once church lets out Sunday service, they head on over to the polls either in a stroll or walk, or they're bused over together as a group to vote in that next election.
That's what's happening all throughout today on Sunday. And it is so important to keep that vote for this community, a community that that makes up a great percentage of voters here in the state of Georgia. And that's what we're hearing from the senior pastor. We're here at Beula Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia just outside of Atlanta.
I want you to hear from Deacon Brown who is 99 years old on Friday. It was his birthday and he made sure he voted. We also spoke with other people of the congregation who tell us why it is so important to keep up this right to vote.
RALPH BROWN, 99-YEAR-OLD VOTER: There was a time when we would call all different kind of names, and that was even time when they gave us money to keep our mouth shut.
JO HANDY SEWELL, DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL JUSTICE MINISTRY, BEULAH BAPTIST MISSIONARY CHURCH: The intimidation here in Georgia is subtle. You take the drop boxes away. You confuse people about the dates and the times and the where.
ROMERO: Now Souls to the polls continues not just here in the state of Georgia, but all across the country.
Nadia Romero, CNN, DeKalb County, Georgia.
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CHURCH: Amid claims of voter suppression throughout the state, the Georgia Secretary of State's office says it's quite the opposite. As of Sunday night, more than 1.5 million people voted early, and the office expects increased turnout this week.
Here's what one official had to say to CNN's Pamela Brown on Sunday.
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GABRIEL STERLING, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: It has been legal in Georgia to challenge anybody's voter registration in unlimited way for years. The actual process hasn't really changed, but they're trying to scare people into thinking this is pro-2.0. But these records keep on getting knocked down every single day, but they keep on saying people are being suppressed. It's a lie. It's always been a lie.
Voter suppression is just as much as lie as voter fraud and we -- I'm tired of it, and having to fight the misinformation it's just disheartening. But people get partisan gain from it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And the big question for Tuesday's election is whether these races will flip control of Congress. Earlier, I spoke with CNN senior political analyst, Ron Brownstein, and asked him if he believes Republicans stand a chance of taking control of the House of Representatives. Here is part of our conversation.
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RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I think the Senate is an absolute coin flip, but it is likely, as I said, that the side that wins two out of three from Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Nevada probably has the gavel at the end of the day.
CHURCH: And how likely is it do you think that Republicans will take the House?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, as we said before, Republicans only need five seats to take the House. They're in all of the midterm elections since the Civil War, the party in the White House has lost fewer than five seats, only four times. And each time there was something really unique going on in the world. 1934 with a new deal, 1962 with the Cuban missile crisis, 1998 with Bill Clinton's impeachment, in 2002 with 9/11 and the aftermath boosting Republicans and George W. Bush.
So, it is highly likely that Republicans win the House. The question is how big and whether it is a margin that makes it implausible for Democrats to win it back in 2024 or soon thereafter. Don't forget, I mean, the last time Democrats lost the House in 2010, they held it only four years, which is what they -- which is where they are now.
And then it took them after 2010, it took them eight years to win it back. I mean, that would basically wipe out the entire decade of the 2020s. I think the key in the House is whether Democrats can hold down their losses in some of these white-collar districts.
I think in a lot of these working-class blue-collar districts to a large extent across racial lines, they are really going to struggle because those are the places that feel the most squeeze by rising gas and grocery prices.
[03:09:58]
Those pressures are there, but maybe less, less intense in white collar districts where more voters may feel free to vote their values on issues like abortion, and the threats to democracy posed by Trump and his movement.
So, the question is, can Democrats hold enough of those white collar districts to hold down their overall losses? But winning the House, holding the House would obviously be, you know, breaking the historic tradition with only four counterexamples in what, 160 years.
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CHURCH: Well, CNN has exclusive new details about the assault on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband. Forty-two-year-old David DePape is accused of attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer he brought to the couple's San Francisco home on Friday.
Sources exclusively tell us DePape carried a bag containing multiple zip ties and duct tape. We've also learned the suspect made his way into the bedroom and the men did not know each other before the attack. Officials say DePape will be charged with multiple felonies on Monday and arraigned Tuesday.
Paul Pelosi is expected to fully recover from his injuries.
Well, South Koreans are demanding answers from authorities following Saturday's deadly crowd surge in Seoul. At least 154 people died after getting crushed in crowds of party goers during a Halloween celebration. Among those killed more than two dozen foreign nationals from 14 countries, some have set up makeshift memorials near the site of the tragedy to honor the people they lost. And they've been laying flowers, lighting candles, and holding moments of silence.
South Korea's president visited one of the altars earlier to pay his respects. He has pledged support for everyone affected and promised a thorough investigation into the tragedy.
We do want to get more now from CNN's Ivan Watson who joined us live from Seoul. Ivan, families and friends of the victims are dealing with the loss of their loved ones in the midst of this tragedy, what is the latest on all of this?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it's still a tragic reality that is still sinking in here. At this makeshift memorial that's been set up just footsteps away from the narrow alleyway where so many young people lost their lives. You just see emotion on the faces of people coming to lay their flowers. Coming to pay respects.
And we have some photos here of just some of the 154 victims of, of this terrible disaster. These two American students who were here for a semester studying abroad. Just to give you a sense of the ages of these victims, the Korean Ministry of Education says five of those who died were high school students. One was a middle school student.
It's hard to imagine that the sea of humanity that was here on Saturday night in costumes out partying. I have been speaking earlier with a woman who lives down the road here.
Marcella Des Simone (Ph), thank you for speaking with me. You live right down the road and you were coming to go out in one of the clubs right in the heart of where all these people lost their lives. What stopped you from going further Saturday night?
UNKNOWN: I was in the metro station that is in exit four in Itaewon that is --
(CROSSTALK)
WATSON: But we're not above it right now right here.
UNKNOWN: Yes, yes, yes. Where the accident happened. And I thought it was an accident because when we were outside we see like, all like 10 ambulances, police, and, people running. It's -- it was like a movie, you know. And we, we were stuck already in the metro station.
WATSON: The crowds in the subway station were scary.
UNKNOWN: Yes. The -- in the -- in the metro station it was already scary because we had just a little space to go outside. We enter just like a body and the other people like was running down, and it was so scary because it was like a waterfall.
WATSON: And I think one of the things that's coming through from people like yourself who were there that night is just confusion. The lack of information about what had really happened. Right?
UNKNOWN: Yes.
WATSON: When did you learn that there had been a, a terrible disaster in the circumstances?
UNKNOWN: We received like, a warning in our cell phone by the government that it happened like an accident.
WATSON: But hours later, right?
[03:14:59]
UNKNOWN: Yes, it was late. We were here like in 11 and 12.
WATSON: OK.
UNKNOWN: And 20. And we are like outside and the disaster just happened.
WATSON: OK.
UNKNOWN: Is come -- it is just evolving. I don't know.
WATSON: Yes.
UNKNOWN: It's just developed. So.
WATSON: Well, I'm so glad that you and your friends were able to escape from this terrible tragedy. Thank you for sharing with me. It's a --
UNKNOWN: Thank you.
WATSON: Thank you. And my condolences. So, the first calls were coming in after 10 p.m. to emergency workers and other people that I've spoken with, they didn't find out till 2 a.m. One woman I spoke with, she was in one of the nightclubs out drinking, partying, and had no idea about this loss of life just a few blocks away.
And that gives you a sense of the immense confusion that helped lead to this incredible loss of life. A hundred fifty-four victims Saturday night. Rosemary?
CHURCH: Yes. Just horrifying for all involved. Ivan Watson joining us live from Seoul. Many thanks for that update.
Well, investigations are underway after a deadly bridge collapse in India on Sunday. Rescue crews assisted by the Indian military are scrambling to find survivors. At least 134 people were killed, including children when the footbridge gave way plunging dozens into the river below. Officials say the 19th century bridge had recently being renovated.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is following this story. She joins us live from Hong Kong. So, Kristie, what's the latest on this tragic bridge collapse in India?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, since we last spoke, the death toll in India continues to climb. This recently renovated bridge, a suspension bridge collapsed on Sunday in the western India state of Gujarat. At least now 134 people were killed as a result, including children.
The home minister of Gujarat State held a press conference earlier today and said that the government there had launched a criminal complaint against the agency responsible for the maintenance of the bridge. Also added that investigation with a special team is now fully underway. Authorities earlier said that they believe about 200 people were on this bridge at the time that it collapsed. That took place Sunday evening, 6.30 p.m. local time.
And the video that we're about to share with you is very disturbing and distressing to watch. This is video that's been circulating on social media and in it you see the immediate aftermath of the bridge collapse. You see, clinging onto the cables and the twisted wreckage of the bridge.
Some trying to scramble to safer ground, others falling into the rivers water below to some ashore. Many sadly did not make it, and tragically many of the victims are children. Here's an eyewitness.
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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.
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LU STOUT: And happening this day on Monday, search and recovering teams are combing the river to look for, to find any traces of the missing. This bridge was a popular tourist attraction. It was built in the 1800s during British rule. It had been recently renovated. It was closed on for a few months, and then reopened last week.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi he is currently in Gujarat. He -- that is his home state, and he has expressed his, quote, "deep sadness" in the wake of this tragedy. Back to you.
CHURCH: Shocking situation. Of course, investigations underway to see what happened there. Kristie Lu Stout joining us live from Hong Kong. Many thanks.
LU STOUT: Thank you.
CHURCH: Well, Brazil is heading toward a new political era, albeit one that is likely to seem familiar. Former President Lula da Silva makes a triumphant political comeback after Brazilians elect him to lead once more.
Back with that in just a moment.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, by a razor thin margin voters in Brazil have elected former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to once again lead the country.
Thousands of Lula supporters cheered and celebrated in the streets after the results came in. The leftist Lula won just over 50 percent of the vote in the second round, defeating the far-right current President Jair Bolsonaro who finished with about 49 percent. On Twitter, the president-elect shared this image of Brazil's flag with the caption, democracy.
In his victory speech, Lula said he is part happy part worried about the transition of power. He said he has not yet received a call from Mr. Bolsonaro conceding the race and he thanked supporters just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT (through translator): On this historic October 30th, 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)
CHURCH: The head of Brazil's electoral authorities says he thinks Mr. Bolsonaro will accept the results. However, videos posted on social media show apparent Bolsonaro supporters blocking highways in two states after his loss.
When Lula takes office on January 1st, he will inherit a politically divided country plagued by inequality and struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
CNN's Paula Newton has more now from Sao Paulo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Luiz 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 supporters believe he will be Brazil's savior.
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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 in 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 fair 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 will be of these results.
Again, very close, about two million votes, less than one percent divided these candidates.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Paula Newton reporting there from Sao Paula.
Elena Lazarou is an associate fellow with Chatham House, and she joins me now live from Hydra in Greece. Thank you so much for being with us.
ELENA LAZAROU, ASSOCIATE FELLOW, CHATHAM HOUSE: Thank you for having me, and good morning from here.
CHURCH: Good morning to you. So, Lula beat Bolsonaro in a very tight runoff election, as we heard, with less than 1 percent dividing the candidate. So, what's your reaction to Lula's win just two years or so after being in prison and now he's ready to take power for a third term in a very polarized nation.
LAZAROU: Indeed. I mean, everyone's reaction is worry in a way. Relief from many of the Brazilians who wanted to see a new president for various reasons that we can discuss, but also everyone is acknowledging the tight margin there. And obviously this keeps Lula's prospects to carry out his very ambitious, although moderately expressed agenda, in a way that will be difficult.
It will be difficult to get congressional support. Congress is also quite -- we have conservative forces. It supports Bolsonaro dominant in Congress. We have lots of governors in different states that are supporting Bolsonaro. And also, there's the issue of the population continuing to be polarized.
And it really will be a very big challenge for a president who won 50.9 percent to really gather the universal supportive population that he needs. At the same time, Lula in the past has achieved unprecedented degrees of popularity. He's a gifted president, he's a gifted politician. And I think the fact that he managed to emerge triumphantly after having been through these corruption scandals being to prison and come out, I think it tests -- it's a testimony to how gifted he is a politician, but it's tough. It's such a tough, right?
CHURCH: Yes.
LAZAROU: Such a small margin.
CHURCH: So how likely is it do you think that we'll see a peaceful and orderly transition and that Bolsonaro, and perhaps more specifically, his supporters will accept these results?
LAZAROU: Well, I think right now everyone is watching the silence in many ways. We, as you, we heard in the video by your colleague, we have not heard from Bolsonaro yet. There are some episodes here and there organized by Bolsonaro supporter, but nothing major yet. And it's really, I think up the current president to maintain and make sure there is a peaceful transition of power.
It's really hard to tell from what he's been saying in the run up to this. We've had also some relatively prominent supporters of Bolsonaro come out and say, actually, the not contesting the election. The election is valid and this is democracy will accept the results, including in Congress.
I'm hoping that there will be a peaceful transition, and I think that also came out very strongly in Lula's speech. A really great emphasis on trying to move ahead to implement the democratic process and un appeal to all sides of the Brazilian society and political spectrum to support that.
CHURCH: So, what do you think, Lula's win will likely mean for the country, but also for the region?
LAZAROU: Well, I think we can see a lot of what we should expect in Lula's speech. Obviously, the speech -- these speeches, these speeches, victory speeches always have a really big agenda embedded in them because it's just the beginning.
But I think a couple of things. There's a lot of emphasis on sort of healing the country. And here we see a lot of echoes, of course of President Biden's speech when he won the U.S. election, healing the country, ending the extreme polarization, reconciling differences.
[03:30:00]
So, A, democracy, B, the major agenda of Lula which is, of course, poverty, hunger and human rights.
He talked about a new end to hunger, reminding the population of his original promise of zero hunger program. And, of course, a lot of emphasis on climate. And here, he also bridged domestic and international, talking about sustainability, sustainable supply chains, a green and digital agenda.
He also talked a lot about rebuilding the region in Latin America in a way that is more cooperative and working on a lot of multilateral institutions, the G20, the UN, and this really carried echoes of Lula's previous image as a statesman. He also talked about how he has maintained contacts with global leaders.
So, I think more activities in foreign policy and a lot of emphasis on democracy, inequality, and social issues, including human rights inside Brazil.
CHURCH: The world will be watching very closely as indeed with the people of Brazil. Elena Lazarou, many thanks for joining us, appreciate it.
LAZAROU: Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: 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 are not directly elected. Instead, voters cast their ballots for a political party. Seats are then assigned in proportion to each party's share of the vote, and Israel's president asks a party leader to try to form a government. Polls predict Israel's former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in the middle of a corruption trial, could win a majority of seats with his potential allies, while current prime minister, Yair Lapid, is hoping his centrist party will finish in a strong second place.
And Defense Minister Benny Gantz is aiming for a showing at the head of a new party called National Unity, a successor to his blue and white party.
And we will have much more on this story in the days ahead. Be sure to watch our live coverage of the election result as the polls close. That is Tuesday, 4:00 p.m. in New York, 10:00 p.m. in Tel Aviv, right here on CNN.
New Russian attacks have reportedly hit infrastructure sites across Ukraine. We are live in Kyiv with the latest on that. Stay with us.
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[03:35:00]
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CHURCH: We are following developments out of Ukraine where the mayor of Kyiv says parts of the capital are now without electricity and water after key infrastructure was hit. Local officials also say Russian missiles have hit facilities in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and in the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Cherkasy.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his forces have stopped a fierce assault by Russian troops in the Donetsk region in Eastern Ukraine.
Meantime, delegations from the UN, Ukraine, and Turkey have agreed to move more than a dozen vessels today under the Black Sea grain deal. This after Russia decided to suspend its participation. Russia's decision follows its claims of drone attacks on the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
Now, Ukraine says the movement of more than 200 ships participating in the UN broker deal has been blocked, and Russia faces growing calls to renew its participation. It is also facing criticism from many countries, including the United States, which accuses Moscow of weaponizing food. Ukraine's president called Russia's decision deliberate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): What did the world hear? That someone allegedly launches drones from a bunker? At first, they talked about war birds, then war insects. Now, war grain, a killer wheat, which grounds 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 Asia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And for more, we want to bring in CNN's Salma Abdelazis. She joins us live from Kyiv. Salma, Let's start with those attacks. Just how extensive has the damage been on infrastructure? We were talking there about the loss of power where you are. Talk to us about that, the whole impact of this.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Yes, Rosemary, this is just happening in the last couple hours, so we are still digging to find out exactly what has been hit, what has been targeted.
But this morning, another barrage of missile attacks, it seems, here in Kyiv. We woke up to the sound of air raid sirens. We heard several loud sounds. We know understand from the mayor of Kyiv that some parts of the city are without water, without power.
Again, this is a continuation of critical infrastructure being hit by Moscow, by Russian missiles that had huge impact here in the capital but also further to the east as well. We are hearing critical infrastructure hit in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, and other areas along the east.
And it comes just a couple of days, Rosemary, after Russia pulled out of this all-important UN brokered grain deal. So, we are trying to find out, is this a response to that? Is this a continuation of that Russia pulling out of that deal after they say that Ukraine carried out a series of drone attacks in occupied Crimean Sevastopol over the weekend?
Ukraine denying any involvement in that drone attack, accusing Russia of weaponizing food, of pulling out of this deal, and creating conditions for a potential artificial famine. And already, we know that there are more than 200 ships, according to Ukrainian officials, that are now blockaded, unable to get out of Ukrainian ports.
Of course, there is a huge urgency to try to bring Russia back to the table to try to revive this deal, of course, with many countries around the world, particularly North Africa, Southeast Asia. They rely on these imports, these grain imports. They are extremely important. As they head into the winter, we could potentially see rising food costs.
But for now, of course, Moscow is saying Ukraine is to blame, not giving any indication that they want to revive this deal and, of course, these attacks continuing across Ukraine here in Kyiv this morning.
[03:40:00]
ABDELAZIS: We are going to continue to follow them and let you know when we have more.
CHURCH: We will certainly look for progress on that. Salma Abdelazis, joining us live from Kyiv, many thanks.
Still to come, widespread protests erupt again in Iran, triggering fears the government will unleash more brutal and deadly responses against the demonstrators. We will have a live report for you after the break. Stay with us.
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CHURCH: An investigation is underway after incendiary devices were 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.
I want to turn to Iran now. Violent clashes broke out between security forces and student protesters at university campuses across the country on Sunday. That is according to reporting from activists of human rights groups inside Iran, and it comes despite a warning from the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. He said protesters needed to end their weeks of anti-government demonstrations by last Saturday. CNN obtained this video from the pro-reform activist outlet IranWire.
And CNN's Anna Coren joins me now live from Hong Kong. Anna, a brave and a flight protest continuing across Iran even in the midst of a deadly government crackdown and what appears to be this threat. What is the latest on those demonstrations?
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, protests have now entered their seventh week, and as you can see, those violent clashes. Over the weekend, security forces fired tear gas at protesters at university campuses wide across the country.
[03:45:03]
COREN: That is according to the activists and human rights groups. On Sunday, we saw large numbers of protesters converge on the grounds of dozens of universities calling for an end to the regime. That was shown in multiple social media videos.
That came a day after the head of the country's Field Revolutionary Guard issued the ultimatum, claiming Saturday would be the last day of protest, threatening a much tougher violent crackdown to come.
Now, according to state media, the country's hardline president, Ebrahim Raisi said -- quote -- "Security is the red line of the Islamic republic, and we will not allow the enemy to implement in any way its plans to undermine this national -- this valuable national asset." Obviously, a viral threat there.
Iran, as we know, Rosemary, has been gripped by protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini back in mid-September after she was arrested by the morality police for wearing an improper hijab. Hundreds of protesters have been killed. Thousands have been arrested. That is probably a very conservative number as authorities struggle to contain an outpouring of public anger and demonstrations calling for the regime's overthrow, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Anna, journalists have also been arrested. What more are you learning about that?
COREN: Yes, dozens of journalists, but over the weekend, more than 300 Iranian journalists issued a statement calling for the release of two colleagues, Nilufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammidi, accused by the Ministry of Intelligence of being CIA spies and the -- quote -- "primary source of news for foreign media." That is a crime punishable by death after breaking the story of Mahsa Amini's death.
The two female journalists, Rosemary, have been held in Tehran's Evin Prison since their arrests last month.
CHURCH: All right, our thanks to Anna Coren, joining us live from Hong Kong.
Well, officials say the 49-year-old suspect in Sunday's West Bank car- ramming attack has died. Five Israeli soldiers were injured after an attacker slammed a car into them, according to the Israel Defense Forces. 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's violence comes ahead of elections in Israel where security is often among voters' top concerns.
Well, al-Qaeda-linked extremist group al-Shabaab claims responsibility for two car bombings in Somalia on Saturday. That is according to Reuters. The explosions killed at least 100 people, injuring hundreds of others as well. It is the latest escalation of tensions between the Somali government and the extremists, who also claim responsibility for an even more brutal attack years ago.
CNN's Larry Madowo has our report.
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LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 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 blast 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. (INAUDIBLE) 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 to rise. He also blamed the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab terror group for the attacks.
HASSAN SHEIKH MOHAMUD, PRESIDENT OF SOMALIA (through translator): We and the Muslim Somali people are at war with these men.
MADOWO (voice-over): The terror group claimed responsibility for the blast, according to multiple reports. In a statement, al-Shabaab says they targeted the ministry because it teaches Somalia children using a Christian-based syllabus. Many of the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital, lucky to have survived the blast, but some say they are still shocked by the carnage they saw.
UNKNOWN: We heard a loud explosion. The shop collapsed and smashed mirrors scattered on us that made us bleed. Dead bodies and people with injuries were everywhere. Some were screaming. That is what I can remember now.
MADOWO (voice-over): Al-Shabaab frequently stages attacks in (INAUDIBLE) and around 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.
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MADOWO (voice-over): Saturday's blasts were the deadliest terror attacks 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 these from happening again.
Larry Madowo, CNN.
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CHURCH: And more to come here on CNN, Elon Musk tweets a conspiracy theory about the attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. We are following reaction. Stay with us.
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CHURCH: New York City will pay $26 million to settle lawsuits filed on behalf of two men who were wrongly convicted in the 1965 assassination of Malcolm x. The men served more than 20 years in prison. They were exonerated last year after a judge determined they were -- quote -- "serious miscarriages of justice."
An investigation found that evidence demonstrating their innocence, including FBI documents, was withheld during their criminal trials. One man died in 2009 and was exonerated posthumously (ph).
[03:55:02]
CHURCH: Well, officials in Jacksonville, Florida are condemning antisemitic messages that appeared in the city this weekend. Video shot outside the stadium during the Georgia-Florida football game Saturday night showed an antisemitic comment on a sign referencing remarks by rapper Kanye West. Similar messages appeared on a highway overpass at a downtown building. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist blasted his opponent, Gov. Ron DeSantis, for not condemning the messages, calling it a -- quote -- "failure of leadership."
Twitter's new owner, billionaire Elon Musk, posted a tweet Sunday promoting baseless allegations about the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband.
CNN Donie O'Sullivan looks at how this incident is proving to be an early test for Musk in his new role as leader of the social media platform.
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DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, just as we approach election day here in the United States, there are people at Twitter working to combat misinformation and disinformation about the election. But we saw on Sunday their new boss, the new owner of Twitter, Elon Musk, tweeting out a link to an article that was making baseless claims about what happened to Paul Pelosi.
Musk eventually deleted that tweet, perhaps acknowledging he was wrong, but that website that he had linked to was basically a website that often publishes nonsense, including in 2016, that same website actually claimed that Hillary Clinton had died, and that the person on the campaign trail was a body double.
Just a few days in to Musk's owning this company, we have seen a lot of upheaval within the company. Now, we see this Musk doing this publicly. It is going to be a rough ride for people at Twitter for the next time. Back to you.
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CHURCH: All right, thanks so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster, next.
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