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Putin: Russia Suspending Role In Grain Deal, Not Ending It; Ukrainians Line Up For Water As Russia Hits Infrastructure; Bolsonaro Supporters Block Roads To Protest Election Loss; World Leaders Hail Brazil's Election As Free And Fair; Police Chief: Response Before Crush Was "Inadequate"; 9 People Arrested In Connection With Bridge Accident. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired November 01, 2022 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:34]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: All around the world, this is CNN Newsroom. Ahead this hour, the slow, relentless destruction of Ukraine's infrastructure. Russian airstrikes have left millions in the dark and cold and now without running water.
A big decision coming from Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro. Will he concede lost in presidential election? And even if he does, will that be enough to placate his supporters, many already on the streets and protesting?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATHAN TAVERNITI, WITNESS: And I just like turn around and I told the crowd, you can't come this way. People are dying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Grief now becoming anger in South Korea after a deadly Halloween crowd crushed. Families of the dead want to know how and why this happened.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: The Russian President Vladimir Putin might just be hoping the brutal Ukrainian winter will succeed where his military has been a dismal failure. The Russian air offensive on Ukraine's critical infrastructure appears to have widened, from the targeting of the electoral grid now water facilities are under fire with devastating effect.
In Kyiv, a city with a pre-war population of 3 million people, 80 percent of residents no longer have access to running water according to the capital's mayor. Well, Ukraine's military says 45 of the 35 Russian cruise missiles fired Monday was shot down, at least 10 hit their mark. Along with the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv in the East and the Zaporizhzhia region to the south have both reported heavy damage. There appears to be no other reason for these ongoing airstrikes, which of course, water shortages and rolling power blackouts nationwide, other than to make the coming winter the worst ever for Ukrainians. And Putin has warned there could still be worse to come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): After the terror attack against Crimea bridge, you said that in the case there are more attacks, Russia will respond. Can we call today's massive strikes on Ukrainian territory in answer to recent events in Sevastopol?
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): It is so in part, but that's not all we could have done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: As for the many countries facing food shortages, the price of grain on global markets has risen after Putin suspended but did not end participation in a U.N. brokered export deal. The announcement followed a weakened drone attack on Russia's naval fleet in Crimean waters over the weekend. The Kremlin accuses Ukraine of the attack, which now means transiting in the Black Sea grain corridor is no longer safe, according to the Kremlin, and passage suspended.
Still about a dozen ships could be seen moving through the corridor on Monday. The Grain Export deal is seen as a key to addressing food shortages in a number of countries around the world. Ukraine says everybody is committed to the agreement, even if Russia is not.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): I spoke with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and informed him about the new level of escalation due to Russian actions. Terror against Ukrainian energy facilities and moreover against the background of Russia's efforts to exacerbate the global food crisis is clear evidence that Russia will continue to oppose itself to the entire international community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And the Ukrainian President has added that Russia's latest strikes on the country's infrastructure will not intimidate everyday Ukrainians. These kind of air campaigns have really worked in the past. CNN's Nic Robertson shows us how they and the capital are now coping.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Life just got harder in Kyiv. Monday morning, 80 percent of the capital's water off following a new barrage of Russian airstrikes. Spigots not used since the war began, a lifeline again, but not unexpected.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone who are in Kyiv right now and they choose to stay here, they are like ready for this.
ROBERTSON (on-camera): Will it make you leave the city?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I will stay here. I didn't leave it since the war began. So why I have to do it now?
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Despite the long lines in some parts of the city, patients are plenty.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I stay in seven minutes, my friend is in one hour, maybe two, maybe three. Maybe no water after 20 minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But (INAUDIBLE).
ROBERTSON (on-camera): Scenes like this are becoming increasingly normal across Ukraine. Government officials say that there were 10 different regions targeted Monday, 18 different sites.
[01:05:10]
(voice-over): Among them, a hydroelectric power plant Ukraine's biggest in Zaporizhzhia, another power Gen site in Cherkasy central Ukraine. Kharkiv subway in the East stilled by strikes on vital infrastructure there. And despite intercepts 44 across the country, according to the government, groups of missiles getting through at least three according to this witness near Kyiv's a hydroelectric power plant.
A missile flew over our house. I went to the balcony and saw the second missile and a drone, she says. Both were flying in the direction of the power plant. It's so scary when you see it.
Three weeks of targeting Ukraine's electricity network is pushing the power grid towards a tipping point. No doubt more of this to come.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Will he or won't he? Will Jair Bolsonaro concede he lost the presidential election over the weekend by the narrowest margin on record. He has yet to publicly acknowledged the results. Only words so far coming from his eldest son, a Brazilian senator, who urged supporters with this message not to give up on our Brazil.
Meantime, President-elect Lula Inacio da Silva met with Argentina's president and fellow leftists on Monday. Lula, as he's commonly known, also spoke by phone with the French President and the Spanish Prime Minister.
Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered all public roads and highways to be cleared of protesting Bolsonaro supporters. They set up hundreds of roadblocks across the country protesting the election results. CNN's Paula Newton has more now from one protest in Sau Paulo. PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The results of this election in Brazil maybe and -- but the protesters here they're not having any of it. All over Brazil, there have been these kinds of protests going on on roads and highways from one end of the country to the other. We are in Sau Paulo. This is a major highway leading into the downtown area and through to the airport.
Have a look here. We have protesters that are encroaching on a major highway, they are looking for support and they are getting it here as well. The issue for them is they are saying it doesn't matter Bolsonaro concedes. They are saying they will stay out here as long as necessary, creating chaos for the country. Because as far as they are concerned, Bolsonaro won. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): We have a president that won at the ballot box. And there's the front of the ballot boxes to put the other candidate ahead. And we're against that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Even if Bolsonaro accepts, the people will not accept it because the power comes from the people. The people were the ones who put Bolsonaro there and were the ones who would remove him as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: The division that we heard throughout this campaign is now being vented on the streets. If you look here, they will at times pull into traffic, continue to block traffic and then come back to the barriers. Police are here and they're trying to be here in force. But what they are saying is that they want to try and deescalate the situation and we're hearing this from authorities right across the country.
They are negotiating a way to keep them safe, to let them protest but also not to come in in a forceful way, as they do not want to motivate people to escalate this protest further and continue to block more roads. This will be a tense situation though in days to come especially as they are saying it does not matter what Bolsonaro says at this point or the international community. They are determined, they will be out here having these protests as long as it takes.
Paula Newton, CNN, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
VAUSE: The first president in Brazil's history to be voted out of office, Jair Bolsonaro, is expected to make a national address Tuesday. Bolsonaro has remained silent since losing Sunday's second round run off to his rival Lula da Silva. Precisely, when Bolsonaro will speak and what he will say remains uncertain. But for months, he spread doubt on whether he would accept the results, claiming the only way he could lose the election would be if the outcome was rigged. Here he is about a month ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you recognize the election results?
JAIR BOLSONARO, BRAZIL PRESIDENT: Where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From Argentina.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Many of his key political allies have accepted the results so to Brazil Senate, law House, Electoral Court, and it seems the military as well. For more now on where this could be heading, we're joined by Brian Winter, Editor in Chief of Americas Quarterly and Vice President of Policy at the American Society and the Council of the Americas. Welcome to CNN Newsroom. Good to see you.
BRIAN WINTER, VP OF POLICY, AMERICAS SOCIETY AND COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS: It's a pleasure to be with you.
VAUSE: So if Bolsonaro was thinking about refusing to leave, does he have the political and institutional support to pull off what would essentially be a coup?
[01:10:07]
WINTER: All of us spent today the last 24 hours trying to read the tea leaves on this, trying to get inside the head of Jair Bolsonaro, who, as you pointed out, has spent much of the last year casting doubt on Brazil's electoral system, calling his opponent a criminal, saying that if he lost, it would only be the result of fraud. And now he's lost.
And so the question is, what will he do? It seemed as if he spent the last few hours trying to get his head around the result on his path to slowly accepting it, urged by allies, who do not want to endanger the strength of the conservative movement, which, despite Bolsonaro was lost comes out of this election very strong. That is Bolsonaro allies will occupy key positions and governors' houses, they'll run Brazil's three largest states by population. They're also all over Congress.
And so right now, as we speak, Bolsonaro has lots of allies in his ear, saying, please do not burn the House down on the way out. Please accept this result, because it will be good for all of us over time.
VAUSE: That's interesting because Brazil has received a lot of praise for an election that was seen as fair and honest, transparent and accountable. Here's a spokesperson for the E.U. Foreign Policy Chief. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NABILA MASSRALI, SPOKESPERSON, E.U. FOREIGN POLICE CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL: We commend the Electoral Court in particular for the effective and transparent manner conducted the -- its constitutional mandate through all stages of the electoral process demonstrating once again the strength of Brazil's institution and its democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: But many Bolsonaro supporters see the result is rigged. On Monday, truck drivers set up roadblocks on major highways. Pro- Bolsonaro protesters were held in Rio as well as other states around the country. So even if Bolsonaro stood up in the coming hours, congratulated Lula da Silva, accepted the results without condition. Would it be too little too late? Is the damage already done?
WINTER: Well, I -- first of all, I don't think Bolsonaro will ever publicly congratulate Lula, for example. I've spoken to some people close to the president in the last 24 hours who say that that will never happen. The best-case scenario is that Bolsonaro simply declines to challenge the result in any meaningful way.
He will grumble about perhaps some fraud, he will talk about the system being rigged against him like the Electoral Court, which ruled against him and a couple of occasions over the course of the election. But that's the best-case scenario. The problem is, is that as we've -- as we saw in the United States, in the wake of the 2020 election, when a president casts doubt on an electoral process, even if he doesn't prevail, even if he's not over -- even if he's not able to overturn the result, that still leaves damage, it still leaves scars.
You end up with a percentage of the population that does not see the winner of the election as the legitimate winner. And I that's where I think this is headed in Brazil.
VAUSE: The President of Argentina was one of the few international leaders to congratulate the President-elect Lula da Silva in person. He was also one of the first. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBERTO FERNANDEZ, ARGENTINE PRESIDENT: I can only congratulate the people of Brazil because they have carried out on Election Day with total transparency, peace and calm. And I believe that this is valuable. And it's something that the whole of Latin America needs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And you touched on the U.S. So at the same time, Steve Bannon, a former adviser to one term U.S. president and election denier, Donald Trump, he shared his thoughts on Bolsonaro's next move.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, Bolsonaro, we're going to see what they're going to -- how they're going to respond, but --
STEVE BANNON, FORMER ADVISER TO TRUMP: He cannot concede, impossible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: He could not concede, impossible. So just to expand on what the President of Argentina said, do you see what happens with this election in the coming days, in the coming weeks? It's important not just for Latin America, not just important for the United States, but perhaps global democracy?
WINTER: Oh, certainly. I mean, look, we live in an era where democracies are under stress and where the number of through democracies in the world is in decline. And, you know, the writing was really on the wall with what Bolsonaro and tried to do, egged on by the likes of Steve Bannon, for more than a year, based on things that the President himself was saying. It was not paranoia on the part of observers of Brazil and Brazilians, it was based on the President's own words.
And, you know, this approach where you never admit defeat, or you never, you know, the way they see it, you never show weakness. The thing is, if we're honest, it does actually appear to pay political dividends in some part. I mean, you look at Bolsonaro I think right now, is following the example of Donald Trump, thinking that if I, at some level refused to acknowledge that I lost, this will leave me in a stronger position later and I might even be able to return to office, and that's bad for democracy. But politically, it's not crazy, as we've seen here in the U.S.
[01:15:17]
VAUSE: And that's the tragedy of it all. Brian, thank you for being with us. We appreciate that.
WINTER: Thank you.
VAUSE: Voting now underway in Israel with polls opening a short time ago for the fifth general election in less than four years. This is live images now at Jerusalem where it's just gone 7:15 on a Tuesday morning. And just like last time, and the time before that, or the time before that and the time before that, it's a choice to BB or not to BB.
A comeback by Israel's longest serving prime minister is in the wings more or less in coverage later here on CNN Newsroom. For now, a short break. When we come back, three days after a deadly crowd crush in Seoul. Senior official has made a stunning admission about the police responsible. Well, that in a moment.
Also, the arrest have begun in India just days after deadly bridge collapse. We're live in New Delhi with the very latest on the investigation.
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VAUSE: South Korea continuing to mourn the victims of Saturday's deadly crowd surge. At a memorial sites in Seoul, dozens of tearful warnings have laid flowers, bow their heads in memory and respect for 156 people who are crushed to death in narrow alleyways as crowds of partygoers just simply grew too large.
South Korea's police chief says the response from authorities ahead of the crowd surge was, quote, inadequate. Investigation is underway into the tragedy sending forensic teams to the side of the crush. Here's how two describers -- who's two survivors, rather, describe the chaos. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were like so many people who are like pushing us and like we cannot breathe, I'd hope for a moment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At some point, I have no air and we were so crushed to other people that I couldn't breathe at all so I just passed out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unconscious?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, unconscious.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Live now to Seoul, CNN's Paula Hancocks is with us live so with the very latest on the investigation. And what's the focus here for the authorities?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, certainly one of the things that we'll be looking at is the number of police that were there, what they were doing there, whether there was crowd control. Eyewitnesses that we've spoken to have said that they saw none, whatsoever, and that there weren't any limits on the amount of people that could go into that area.
We've also been hearing from people saying that they had warned that they thought something was going to happen. Now we've heard from the police chief just a couple of hours ago. He's apologized, he has said that given the number of emergency calls that have come through before the incident took place, then their response was inadequate. Let's have a look at what else happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANCOCKS (voice-over): A once thriving nightlife hub now the site of endless grief and loss. South Korea has an period of national mourning for the more than 150 lives lost in a crowd surge on Saturday.
[01:20:10]
TAVERNITI: There was just obviously waves of people coming in. This is like the middle of Itaewon.
HANCOCKS (on-camera) Yes.
TAVERNITI: So waves are coming in from both sides. And more people fell and I lost my friend. There's so many people. When you're (INAUDIBLE) people. And I was like turn around and I told the crowd, you can't come this way. People are dying.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): South Korean officials now admitting there were no guidelines for dealing with the Halloween festivities in Seoul that took a deadly turn.
KIM SEONG-HO, SOUTH KOREAN MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR AND SAFETY (through translation): In event without an organizer was actually an unprecedented situation.
OH SEUNG-JIN, DIR. OF VIOLENT CRIME INVESTIGATION, DIV. NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY (through translation): There is no separate preparation manual for a situation where there is no organizer and where the crowd is expected.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Survivors who managed to escape recount the horror.
OLIVIA JACOVIC, CRUSH SURVIVOR: 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. I had like, you know, bruises on my arms and stuff from trying to maneuver out. 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.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): The deadly tragedy sent shockwaves across the world. The victims many teenagers and in their 20s included 20-year- old American college students Steven Blesi from Marietta, Georgia. He'd only been in South Korea for two months.
STEVE BLESI, FATHER OF CRUSH VICTIM: I feel like I have a hole in me, a big hole in my chest. I can't tell you the pain that is. I wish I would have not let him go.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): And Anne Gieske, a nursing student from Kentucky who was studying abroad in Seoul. Blesi and Gieske's families are just two of the hundreds who received life changing news that night, grieving with a nation in shock and demanding answers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HANCOCKS: This is a nation in mourning at this point. There has been a constant stream of people coming to this memorial behind me here in City Hall. There are many of these around the country. John?
VAUSE: Yes. Paula, thank you. Paula Hancocks live for us in Seoul.
Nine people have been arrested after a deadly bridge collapse on Sunday in India and now new images have emerged showing the moment of disaster with the bridge falling apart and then plunging into the water below. At least 134 people were killed, among them 30 children. The bridge only recently been reopened after scheduled maintenance.
Funerals and cremations began Monday for some of the victims. While those who survived have described some harrowing moments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Death was in front of us. When we were on the bridge, we saw people falling in the river, we feared we might also fall. But by God's grace, we could hold the safety net and did not let our grips go loose and came out safely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): 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)
VAUSE: CNN's Vedika Sud live now from New Delhi with the very latest. Vedika?
VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: John, imagine your family living somewhere in Gujarat or visiting the western state of Gujarat in India with your family. All you want to do is get onto a bridge known as the hanging bridge. And it's holiday time. It's the time of Hindu festivals. And moments later, what you see is your family member being washed away in the river right under that bridge.
That's what's happened with 134 people at least out of which like you said 30 are children. This was a holiday period, children with their parents were on that bridge. And this bridge just reopened like you mentioned, after six months of repair work. So one would imagine this place was absolutely in order. And it had all the permissions which we don't know if they had to reopen. And what these family members have come back with are bodies of their loved ones.
And this raises a lot of unanswered questions. The administration is attempting to answer them. We've tried to reach out to the officials trying to find out if there was a fitness certificate that was given to the contractors before reopening this bridge, but we haven't heard from them yet.
134 people dead. Scores missing. A lot of them have been treated in hospital. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat is his home state. He will be visiting more be this riverside town in a couple of hours from now. He of course has expressed grief over the incident.
There was a very high-level meeting that he chaired yesterday to understand where the rescue operations stand. And there will be a day of mourning that has been announced for the second of November, which is tomorrow. A lot of these families are asking who should be held accountable for the death of our people. We were just there holidaying, we were to take a short trip on that bridge with our families.
[01:25:07]
Now we do know that there was a company that was contracted to maintain this bridge. And nine people like you mentioned, most of them affiliated to this company have been arrested. They have been charged with homicide. But as of now, they have to be taken to court where these charges have to be proven. So as of now, they've been booked under these charges.
But we haven't heard from the head of the company yet. We don't know where they're at. We've tried to reach out to the company since yesterday. There's been no word. Imagine getting onto a bridge all for 20 cents approximately, and coming back with bodies of your near and dear ones. And at times also for many bodies are still missing. John?
VAUSE: Vedika, thank you. Vedika Sud live for us in New Delhi. Well, fifth time in four years, fourth time in two, however, you slice and dice it, they're added again in Israel. Voting underway in yet another general election. There he is. Benjamin Netanyahu, could he be set for a political comeback?
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VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause, you're watching CNN Newsroom. Once again, polls are open in Israel. How many times have we said that? What is now the fifth general election since 2019. Those polls show the ousted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the front runner despite being on trial for corruption just like last time.
These are live images by the way, Jerusalem 7:28 on Tuesday morning. Netanyahu's coup party is close to forming a coalition with far-right parties in particular one. But id they fall short of majority, acting Prime Minister European is hoping his centrist party could still receive a mandate to form a government.
Israel remains incredibly divided. There are concerns that political deadlock and exasperation could end up with a voter low voter turnout. CNN's Hadas Gold reports out on the issue of driving voters to the polls.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By now, Israelis are experts at voting. Never before in the country's history have has really gone to the polls so often in such a short period. The fifth round in just over three years, as no stable government has managed to take hold.
Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping to make a comeback, while the current caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid hopes to stay in place.
We had a Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda market to see what the voters really care about. Security and the Israeli Palestinian conflict is top of mind for many voters as 2022 has seen some of the deadliest levels of violence in years.
[01:29:27]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first issue is the occupation, because it's just -- it's everywhere and it's just -- it affects everything, everything. The situation in Gaza, the violence in the West Bank, the militarization of the society.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First of all, we need 50,000 more police and border guards. And we need to let them operate freely.
GOLD: Others cited the soaring cost of living.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want someone who will look after the younger generation. Then we could get a house to live in and security, which is the most important thing in the country. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am thinking about security. I am thinking of a
good economy, good education.
GOLD: But like the previous four elections, many votes rests on one question. Do you want Netanyahu back or not?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want Bibi to be prime minister, so I hope he won't get in. So that's also on my mind.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would be very happy if he was elected. Bibi is the best for us. With Bibi, the messiah will come.
GOLD: Many Israeli voters here in the market and across the country say that they are exhausted by the repeat elections. But what's different, in this round and what's at stake is not just the return of Benjamin Netanyahu, but the possibility that the far right politician will have power.
Any coalition that would bring Benjamin Netanyahu back to power will likely need to rely on the growing right wing Religious Zionism due to its power --
(CROSSTALK)
GOLD: -- partly led by the extremist Itamar Ben Gvir once convicted for inciting racism and supporting terrorism an idea that either delights or terrifies the voters in the market.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a Zionist and the Arabs will know exactly where they stand. They are just here and we are the owners of this land, not them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Itamar Ben Gvir is a he says and he does. He will do anything to show who's the boss.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very scary because I think it means disaster even more so than now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's thinking very big for the country because he is going to bring us 20-30 years with the Intifada and the problems with our (INAUDIBLE).
We want to live by peace and it will be very, very difficult with Ben Gvir.
GOLD: A veritable market of views as Israelis wait to see whether the fifth time is the charm.
Hadas Gold, CNN -- Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: To Iran now as state media reported that a thousand people have been charged for taking part in anti government protests.
And in a rare move, the trials will be reportedly held in public later this week. All part of an effort by Tehran to end more than a month of protests demanding basic women's rights and an end to government cruelty and brutality.
CNN's Anna Coren tracking those development. She joins us now live from Hong Kong.
This is kind of a lot of people facing trials for these protests but not nearly as many have actually been taking part. So what's going on?
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I think John, this is a desperate attempt by the regime to try and stamp out these protests. We heard from the head of the revolutionary guards on Saturday saying that that would be the last day of the riots, as he called it.
But we have seen the protests continue, certainly a live demonstration on Sunday, right across the country in university campuses where police fired tear gas, there were even reports of live bullets that were fired at protests.
But this is not quelling these clashes. You know, people are taking to the streets day after day. So the head of the judiciary, the chief justice came out yesterday saying that more than a thousand people have been arrested over the past seven weeks and it's how long these protests have been going for will be publicly tried this week.
And he said, quote, "The people on trial are those who carried out acts of sabotage in recent events including assaulting and mocking security guards, setting fire to public properties.
Now these protests, which, as I said, have been going on now for seven weeks were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, that 22 year old back in September, after she was arrested by the morality police for an improper hijab.
And we've just seen these protests grow week after week. And it really culminated in that violence on Sunday across these university campuses.
Now the concern is what sentences will be handed out to these thousand-plus protesters. We heard, from the mother of a 22-year-old protester who says that her son has been sentenced to death. She is pleading for him to be released.
Take a listen to what she had to say.
[01:34:57]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAHSOUMEH AHMADI, MOTHER OF MAN GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE (through translator): They are treating my child unfairly. They have interrogated him without an attorney present. And in that very first session of the court they have sentenced him to death.
Is this Islamic justice? In what court did they issue an execution sentence in the first session? And they want to execute the sentence equally quickly.
Please, please help and support us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Now, as you mentioned at the head of the revolutionary guards Hossein Salami, he has said that these protests are the conspiracy of the west. I mean that comes straight out of the regime's playbook. But he says that this is a product of policies of the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
So he is, you know, firmly blaming the west. For what is unfolding on the streets of Iran. But as we know, this is decades of repression and suppression that are now coming to the surface led by students, led by women. And it really has now such mass appeal across Iran, John. People calling for the end of this regime.
VAUSE: Anna, we appreciate that. We appreciate the update. Anna Coren there live for us in Hong Kong.
Let's turn now back to Israel which is now -- voters heading off to the poll for yet another general election. As we said this is the fifth one in four year's time. Iran is an issue which is also on the ballot because of security concerns. That sort of thing.
But really this year, it's all about Benjamin Netanyahu as it has been (INAUDIBLE). So exactly how will this all play out?
Let's go to Jerusalem now and Professor Gideon Rahat from Hebrew University as well as Israel's Democracy Institute. So thank you very much for being with us.
GIDEON RAHAT, PROFESSOR, HEBREW UNIVERSITY: Good morning from Jerusalem.
VAUSE: Good morning to you. This election for the most part appears to be a mirror image of the past four, with one exception, the rise of the very far right party, the Religious Zionist and the coalition deal they've made with Benjamin Netanyahu. So just for context, here's a headline from the "Times of Israel" a few days ago.
"With the rise of Ben Gvir and Smotrich -- the two leaders of the Religious Zionist Party -- Israel risks a catastrophic lurch to extremism." So explain the likely scenario here. How do you expect all of this to play out?
RAHAT: Well, we should understand that Smotrich and Ben Gvir they take from within the camp, from within the (INAUDIBLE) camp. They're supposed to take votes from the (INAUDIBLE) Orthodox Party from the Likud. So, the whole camp, the size of the whole camp is not affected by them.
What can be affected, of course, if Netanyahu will get -- the pro Netanyahu camp gets the 61 majority or more that they need is the type of coalition which will be more affected by the extreme right, more pull to the right while, of course, there will be pulling to the center by both foreign policy and threats from outside Israel.
VAUSE: The editor of "the Times", David Horovitz, noting the two leaders of Religious Zionism could end up with senior ministerial portfolios in a Netanyahu government. And he writes, "Their agendas would undo foundational principles and reverse core achievement weakening Israel within and without.
And at this point, this party has what enough support to win up to 12 seats in the 120 seat Knesset which in Israeli terms makes them a significant political power. And possibly the next government of the most far right extreme party in Israel's history.
RAHAT: Yes, it looks like they are going to have a lot of support, however, we should wait for the results. It might be the case, like happened before that the polls are overestimating their power. It might be the case that the polls are accurate but, they will have so much success on the expense of Likud and or the Ultra Orthodox that this will make Likud people and Ultra Orthodox frustrated and will change the coalition composition after the election.
So we should wait patiently and see what will -- how much votes will they have, how much support, and what will be the consequences, the political consequences of this voting because, as I said, the votes that they take. They don't take it from the center or the left. They take it from parties within their own camp. And the parties within their camp might be very frustrated if they will, indeed, succeed to win their vote.
[01:39:40]
VAUSE: So explain what happens. I know, we should wait and see what happens. But there is this likelihood that we're right back to where we were 15 months ago with the previous election where, you know, there is just not enough majority for one particular block to rule effectively, have a government which lasts 15 months and then what? Back for a sixth election?
I understand there's some deals, there's been some public statements made by very key politicians that they will not go to a sixth vote -- sixth election. So where does that stand right now?
RAHAT: Well, the most likely scenario, unfortunately, is a sixth election, maybe in the few months or maybe in a year or 2.
This is something that has to do with the polarization of Israeli politics. It's when the pro Netanyahu camp that is very cohesive and very strong but is short of getting a majority at least until now. And the anti Netanyahu camp, which is not cohesive, highly divided between center left and the right. But nevertheless, wins a majority.
VAUSE: We'll let you go, Gideon. You have a telephone call, it sounds like.
Thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate your time there in Jerusalem. And with some insight into what we can expect in the coming hours and days ahead. Thank you, sir. RAHAT: Sure. Thank you.
VAUSE: Ok. With that, we'll take a short break, you're watching CNN. We'll be right back in a moment. Stay with us.
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VAUSE: Workers at the sprawling Foxconn manufacturing plant in China, they're attempting to escape what is a very strict COVID lockdown. China's largest manufacturing hub went under lockdown just a few weeks ago. Foxconn workers reportedly being quarantined on site to keep working as the number of infections spread. All this according to the news agency.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout following this for us from Hong Kong. What people do not get about Foxconn -- it is massive. 300,000 people all crammed together in small rooms at little places and in very crowded work space. This is not fun.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is not fun, this is massive and it's turning out to be a very significant problem for Apple as well. We are closely following these reports of workers fleeing the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou. They're fleeing the Foxconn factory there after the factory imposed a lockdown in order to curb rising cases of COVID-19.
Zhengzhou is a major manufacturing hub for the Apple iPhone. Last week, a city of 12 million people imposed a citywide lockdown in order to curb rising COVID cases and it effectively stopped all non- essential businesses as well as manufacturing activities.
And this video that you are looking at right now, this is video that's gone viral on social media in China. What you're looking at is people on the highway getting out of town. Leaving Zhengzhou in droves as the government enforces these tough zero-COVID lockdown measures there.
Now we were able to geo-locate this video. This is indeed Zhengzhou. We were not able to verify though the identity of the people in the videos.
[01:44:52]
But what will be the impact of this zero COVID disruption on Apple and its supply chain? Well, I'm wanting to bring up this set analysis from a tech analyst who is based in the region who writes this. Quote, "More than 10 percent of global iPhone production capacity is currently affected as Foxconn's Zhengzhou iPhone plant suddenly entered closed-loop production without warning.
(INAUDIBLE) also adds in this Twitter thread that he believes that Foxconn's production capacity will gradually improve in the next few weeks. He also says thinks it will have a quote, "limited impact" on iPhone shipments in the fourth quarter.
But we are not just keeping an eye on Zhengzhou but also Shanghai as well because China's zero COVID policy temporarily shut down the Shanghai Disney Resort Monday with guests stuck inside.
In fact, the guests who were there at the time of this COVID-ordered closure were told that they were supposed to remain on site until they're able to offer proof of a negative COVID test. And as you can imagine for the guests it was not an ideal experience. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARVIS HE, DISNEY TOURIST: I am a little disappointed. We've been waiting inside for quite, a long time today. We flew in from Shenzhen for Halloween because there is supposed to be a limited edition fireworks.
And then today, there are no floats, no fireworks, and no parade of villains. I did not see anything and I waited until it was almost 10:00 before I came out. And then cold and hungry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: Reuters reports that according to Disney, all of its guests were able to eventually leave the park. All presenting negative COVID tests. Disney also says it will notify its guests as soon as it finds out when the park will reopen.
Back to you, John.
VAUSE: You know, locked inside Disneyland is not as much fun as it sounds when it's because of COVID and it's in China.
Kristie thank you. Kristie Lu Stout live for us. Appreciate it. Thank you.
STOUT: Got it.
VAUSE: The man charged with breaking into U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's California home and attacking her husband allegedly told investigators he wanted to hold her hostage and talk. Adding if she told the truth, he would let her go. If she lied, he would break her kneecaps.
One of many new stunning details from an FBI affidavit. 42-year-old David DePape is facing a long list of state and federal charges including attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, assault following Friday's break. While the investigation continues, San Francisco's police chief discredited a conspiracy theory on Monday that the suspect and Paul Pelosi knew each other before the break in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF BILL SCOTT, SAN FRANCISCO POLICE DEPARTMENT: There's absolutely no evidence that Mr. Pelosi knew this man. As a matter of fact, the evidence indicates the exact opposite.
And again, you know, this is -- it really is sad that these theories are being floated out there -- baseless, factless theories that are being floated out there. And they are damaging, they're damaging to the people involved,. They're damaging to this investigation and, you know, people are running with this stuff and whether they believe it or not, these theories can influence the way people think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So where are these conspiracy theories coming from which involve Paul Pelosi and some misinformation. Well, it all happened from a (INAUDIBLE) which came from the crime scene apparently. CNN's Drew Griffin has that report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: For years, the right-wing has been demonizing Nancy Pelosi.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That crazy, Nancy. she is crazy.
GRIFFIN: And some of that was shared by David DePape, the man now charged with attacking Paul Pelosi. DePape was detached from reality, say his acquaintances, but wrapped in far-right conspiracies. His Facebook page and blog posts littered with QAnon, racism, support for Adolf Hitler.
MIKE LINDELL, CEO, MY PILLOW: What you are going to see today.
GRIFFIN: He posted videos with Mike Lindell's made up lies about the 2020 election being stolen. And that the House Committee investigating January six is a farce.
In other words, he was consuming and re-posting the political lies that led to this.
The 42-year-old DePape broke into the Pelosi's home repeating the same chant, "Where is Nancy", according to police. But for those who study the radicalized right, the suspect's actions are influenced by lies.
CYNTHIA MILLER-IDRISS, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: One of the things that we are seeing is that conspiracy theories, disinformation, propaganda, mobilize both individual actors to violence and large groups of people.
GRIFFIN: The suspect's former partner who is in jail said at one point DePape thought he was Jesus.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is mentally ill. He has been mentally for a long time. He thought he was Jesus. He was constantly paranoid and thinking that people are after him.
GRIFFIN: Republicans eager to distance themselves from the politics of the attacker are latching on to reports he may be mentally ill. But mentally ill or not, nearly every post he made was rooted in right- wing conspiracies or lies about the left.
MILLER-IDRISS: I think this is a classic case of somebody who was steeped in a toxic mix of online content or sharing that toxic mix following hyperlink after hyperlink down different kinds of rabbit holes.
[01:49:55]
GRIFFIN: And while Paul Pelosi lies in a San Francisco hospital, those not trying to excuse the attack are spinning new conspiracies, fueled by partial information and outright false reporting.
Listen to this police dispatch call of the incident.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: RP stated that he doesn't know who the male but he advised that his name was David and that he is a friend. RP sounded somewhat confused.
GRIFFIN: While a law enforcement source told the "Los Angeles Times" investigators believe Pelosi was giving coded information while also trying to de-escalate the situation.
Right wing Twitter feeds lit up with the word "friend", suggesting Pelosi knew his attacker which the San Francisco police chief told CNN is not true.
SCOTT: As a matter of fact, the evidence indicates the exact opposite.
GRIFFIN: Then a local Fox News station incorrectly reported then retracted information. Saying the attacker was in his underwear -- again false. But it's led to popular far-right figures like former Trump official Sebastian Gorka and even Trump's son who insinuated Pelosi and his attacker were romantically linked. The next de Souza, the maker of the discredited film "2000 Mules" tweeting "Could this Pelosi situation be a romantic trip that went awry?"
And potentially even more disturbing, Elon Musk the new owner of Twitter, retweeted to his 112 million followers a garbage article on the attack and said that he has begun to question what really happened before deleting the tweet.
Even DePape's own stepfather who spoke to CNN says he is disgusted by the lies and conspiracies being told about his stepson. Saying he now fears it could threaten his own business. But as we have seen, those who spread these conspiracies and especially those who spread them with big social media power don't seem to care.
Drew Griffin, CNN -- Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Weeks from now, as the U.S. midterm elections with millions of Americans deciding which party controls Congress, all 435 states in the House, the lower House up for grabs. While in the Senate 35 will be contested.
Some of the closest races are taking place in states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona Nevada. So far, more than 21 million ballots have been cast in early voting. That is one of the highest turnouts in recent memory. Some say it's already outpacing record levels from 2018, which was itself a record year. The U.S. Supreme Court now considering the future of affirmative action and whether colleges and universities can continue to race in consideration for a factor in admissions.
The justices are revisiting a ruling from 1978 that allows this admission practice. On Monday, they spent five hours listening to attorneys from Harvard and the University of North Carolina.
Supporters of affirmative action, of course, which has a conservative -- a super conservative majority could eliminate the practice that has widely benefited black and Hispanic voters, rather students I should say. The decision by the high court is not expected until next year.
Just ahead, the Elon Musk era of Twitter has begun, changes are happening at the social media giant. But not all of them -- well not all of them are making people happy. We'll have details on that in a moment.
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VAUSE: And so it begins. The Elon Musk era of Twitter, just a few days old now and changes are already happening. At least four top executives have been terminated, including the CEO. The company's previous board of directors was dissolved, part of a merger agreement.
[01:54:56]
VAUSE: Meanwhile, internal Twitter documents viewed by CNN show the company's considering offering verified accounts, people with the little tick. But (INAUDIBLE) that you've got to pay $19.99 a month subscription fee. Not me.
Donie O'Sullivan has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Musk is already creating a lot of waves after only taking over Twitter just a few days ago.
He had to reassure -- he assured the European Commission on Monday, we heard, that Twitter was going to fully comply with laws, rules, and regulations across the European Union.
That of course, comes amid concerns about how exactly is Musk going to run this company. We have heard concerns from groups that there could be more hate or misinformation on the platform. And of course, we saw over the weekend, Musk tweeting out misinformation. A conspiracy theory about House Speaker Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi who was attacked last week.
And also for Twitter users, some radical changes reportedly coming in place. We're hearing from people inside the company that Twitter verification -- that famous blue badge that users, verified users, on the platform get to prove they are who they say they are, that has normally been reserved for NGOs, big organizations, celebrities, journalists, sports teams, et cetera. And what we're hearing is that Musk wants to make that available for
anyone. And that they can go and get themselves verified on Twitter.
It is going to come at a price though, reportedly of about $20 dollars, U.S. dollars, a month. And may not go down so well with people who already have those blue badges.
What we're hearing is they may have to pay $20 a month to keep that badge. So, all sorts of change happening at the company. We are hearing from a lot of anxious people who are inside the company, wondering if they will have jobs tomorrow morning. And how this platform is really going to change.
It's going to be a rollercoaster for staff and users Twitter for at least some time to come. Back to you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: I'm not paying $20 a month.
Ok. Move over, man in the moon, we now have a smiling sun. Nasa released images of what appears to be yes, the sun, smiling. Something to do with corona holes passing wind. Wind passes through those corona holes at more than a million miles per hour, so a lot of win very quick.
Could there possibly be a better use for the Solar Dynamics Observatory which took this image of a happy sun.
On that note, thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with our friend and colleague, Rosemary Church, after a very short break.
See you right back here tomorrow.
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