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Ukraine Anticipates Russian Troops' Tactic in Kherson; Russia's Lie Don't Match Up; Ukrainians in Dire Need of Water and Electricity; Two Countries Not Saying Yes to Finland and Sweden's NATO Application; Assassination Attempt Ignite Chaos in Pakistan; North and South Korea's Tit-for-Tat Not Winding Down; Protesters Not Bothered by Police Force in Iran; Benjamin Netanyahu's Far-Right Government; Brazil's Transition of Power is Underway; Giorgia Meloni Meets with E.U. Leader in Brussels; Midterm Campaign Heats Up in the U.S.; Paul Pelosi Released from Hospital; Pope Francis Braved a Knee Pain while Visiting Bahrain; State of Emergency Declared in Ecuador for Wave of Violence; Outrage Over China's Zero COVID Policy. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired November 04, 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]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Ahead on CNN Newsroom. Ukraine is accusing Russia of setting a trap as both sides prepare for a battle for the city of Kherson. Live in the ground in Kyiv with the latest.

Plus, North Korea fires off artillery rounds and anger over U.S. military exercises with South Korea. We have a live report coming.

And Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan wounded after being shot in the leg in what his party is calling an assassination attempt, how it's triggering pro-Khan protests around the country.

UNKNOWN: Live from CNN center, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: A major victory or a dangerous trap. That's the question for the Ukrainian troops advancing towards the southern city of Kherson. A top pro-Russian official has suggested Russian troops will likely pull out of the strategic city but Ukrainian officials say they're not necessarily buying that, and they believe the statement could be an attempt to lure their forces into a trap.

While that's happening as Ukraine faces widespread blackouts after waves of Russian strikes on its power system. President Zelenskyy says about four and a half million homes and businesses are now in the dark. But despite the difficulties the U.S. defense secretary is confident Ukraine can still retake Kherson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: On the issue of whether or not the Ukrainians can take the remaining territory on the west side of the Dnipro River in Kherson. I certainly believe that they have the capability to do that. Most importantly, the Ukrainians believe that they have the capability to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Our reporters are standing by to cover developments in Ukraine from all angles. Salma Abdelaziz is in Kyiv and Clare Sebastian is in London. So, Salma, let's start with the latest from the front lines.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. All eyes right now on Kherson. There appears to be a battle heating up there. It's absolutely a strategically important victory for President Zelenskyy who has promised to win back those lands for Ukrainians.

But it's also extremely important to President Putin, too. It is one of, part of the regions that were illegally annexed a few weeks ago by President Putin, and of course, very strategically important as well, it's a corridor that connects Russian occupied Crimea to those other regions. So, the kremlin is not going to back down easily here.

But it appears that Russia might be muddying the waters a little bit. We heard from a Russian backed official yesterday saying to state -- to Russian state media, rather, that most likely Russian troops would withdraw from the city of Kherson itself. Pulled back to the eastern part of the Kherson region.

And we did see social media video that showed the Russian flag that had been flying over the main administrative building in Kherson taken down, but a Ukrainian official saying, yes, we've seen some troop movements. It appears there are less Russian checkpoints in the city, but they believe this is a trap that potentially Russian forces are trying to lure in Ukrainian troops.

But really this is the next step in the counter offensive. So a great deal of focus on Kherson in the coming days and weeks. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: And then Salma, concerns continue over the power situation there. I saw some half a million people in Kyiv where you are, are without power. What are you seeing?

ABDELAZIZ: Yes. So, some 450,000 residents of Kyiv without pay -- without power, rather. That's according to the mayor. He says, this is one and a half times what we've seen in the past. So, with every infrastructure strike that Russia take -- with every infrastructure strike that you see from Russia, the power system here just becomes weaker and weaker. It is absolutely precarious. It is limping along. It has sustained weeks of attacks from Moscow.

Already there were scheduled power outages that were taking place across the country for hours. Families were without any electricity. Now there's emergency outages that are taking place in an attempt to try to conserve power because this grid is so weak, simply limping along, but we're looking at a cold, dark winter ahead here, Kim.

Because again, every missile now hitting this very precarious infrastructure all across the country leads to evermore damage.

[03:05:01]

Ukrainian officials saying they're running out of the equipment to even fix it. They're pleading with international allies to support them with generators, equipment, whatever they can do. UNICEF has provided some generators to Kherson, but you can imagine just how fragile the situation is, Kim, and again, a cold, dark winter head.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. All right, so let's turn to Clare now. And Clare, Russia had accused Ukraine of planning a dirty bomb attack. So, the U.N. investigated, the results predictable, I guess. What more can you tell us?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so this was Ukraine's attempt, Kim, to try to sort of shut down these allegations, these very elaborate allegation from Russia that it was planning to build a dirty bomb on its own territory and make it look like Russia had launched some kind of radiological or nuclear attack.

They invited inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency. They were given unfettered access, according to the IAEA to three separate sites among those names by Russia in these, as I said, very elaborate materials that they put out on this claim, including a mining and processing plant in the central part of Ukraine, a research institute, a nuclear research institute in Kyiv, and a machine building plant in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

So, they visited all those sites. They say they found no evidence of undeclared nuclear activity or materials. They also took environmental samples. They're going to report back on those. But this, obviously was the result that Ukraine was looking for.

Take a listen to what President Zelenskyy had to say about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): We have clear and irrefutable evidence that no one in Ukraine has created or is creating any dirty bomb, and the only thing that is dirty in our region now is the heads of those in Moscow who unfortunately seize control the Russian state and are terrorizing Ukraine in the whole world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So good news for Ukraine, but this was not the biggest fear when it comes to how Western officials viewed this situation. The biggest fear was not that Ukraine was in fact as Russia claimed, building a dirty bomb, which is of course, using regular explosives to disperse radioactive material. But then Russia was using this entire story to sort of provide cover for its own potential radiological or nuclear attack. And I think even with these findings by the IAEA, that does not end

those fears. We know that western officials are watching Russia's nuclear posture very closely as yet they see no evidence that Russia is planning anything in this regard. But certainly, they are concerned, for example, about the situation around Kherson where Russia finds itself on the back foot there. Mixed signals coming out.

And of course, this is territory that Russia claims as its own having illegally annexed it, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much to both of you. Clare Sebastian in London and Salma Abdelaziz in Kyiv.

Now for war analysis, we're joined by Tymofiy Mylovanov, the president of the Kyiv School of Economics, and he is also a former minister of economic development and trade in Ukraine. And he's joining us from Kyiv. Thanks so much for being here with us.

So, the head of the state energy company recently said Ukraine faces, quote, "the worst winter in its history." So, what's the mood there in the city as these attacks on the country's power infrastructure continue?

TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: The mood is defined. I talked yesterday to staffers at the cabinet at the government quarters and they were really conserving light, the building was dark and just one or two lights on in an office and they would say, OK, I guess we'll have -- we have bought sleeping bags and we're going to sleep here.

So that's the government officials. When I talk to students and I talk to people around me, my friends, my family, my sister, everyone has bought something, batteries, a generator, put up some reserves, insulated the house. So, people are preparing in, you know, in different ways depending on what's available to them.

Yes, everyone is ready. People understand it's going to be tough, it's going to be cold. We might not even have water, not even electricity. We're getting ready.

BRUNHUBER: I was reading that cities may be at greater risk because they rely on sort of a few large systems rather than towns where often folks rely on boilers in their homes. Is that right?

MYLOVANOV: People actually have an exactly this discussion and there is, there's no, you know, there's no clear opinion about it. Yes, it's true that Russians are targeting the cities because there are large power plants, electricity grid, stations, and you know, you hit one place and you have half a million people out of electricity as it is in Kyiv today.

But at the same time, there's much more resources and many more resources and equipment to fix it quickly. So, if you have a village or something which goes off the grid, they're not a priority to be restored as quickly, simply because of the density of the number of people affected. [03:10:00]

So, I know a lot of people have actually opted out to stay in Kyiv and weather it out and only in a very critical situation leave Kyiv or other cities.

BRUNHUBER: Well, what is the worst-case scenario here? Is it just that, that literally, I mean, millions of people could freeze to death, or is it, you know, other things that sort of keep you up at night when it comes to the energy infrastructure specifically?

MYLOVANOV: I'm not so concerned about freezing to that because, I don't think that's realistic. The attack, the invasion started on February 24th. And for example, in our university we just shut down all systems, including heating, and the building got through and the security and bay, you know, critical personnel in the building.

So last winter, not all winter, but February and March were called without heating and we were OK. I'm more concerned about lack of water. If water gets hit, OK, we might have drinking water still, but it sewers and hygiene that I'm going to be really concerned about.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's a good point. So, beyond inflicting suffering on Ukrainians, Putin's goal seems to be to increase his leverage and force concessions from Ukraine. And Ukraine, obviously has so far showed no sign of bending. But how much harder will that be if millions are suffering, as you say, without water in the dark?

MYLOVANOV: We actually know that from research. I'm a professor too, you know. So, we -- there is research over the last hundred years. That this kind of pressure, let's say when Germans put that kind of pressure on London with bombings, or even when allies bombed Germany in the last months of the war, that actually has no effect on the population of politicians or commanders. It just serves to consolidate the population behind the government.

BRUNHUBER: Lots of historical precedents there. Ukraine will need help though to get through the winter. Most recently we heard the E.U. foreign -- foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell pledged the E.U. support specifically in this context. So, what will Ukraine need most beyond just military aid obviously?

MYLOVANOV: Financial support and the United States and the E.U., as you just mentioned, pledge to support Ukraine as much as needed for as long as needed. And they have been some pledges in the amounts of $1.5 billion per month. That's, you know, from both commitments, it's three.

That's exactly what the government has requested in its budget, state budget, which has just been passed by the -- by the parliament. But my view is that we will need more financial because as the war progresses or it takes longer and longer, there will be more and more pressure on the infrastructure and there'll be the needs will grow.

At the same time, it's not just money. It's actually specific equipment. And some of this equipment is difficult to produce at a very short notice. Think about power generators. We need tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands powerful generators, and they're simply not available on the market.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll have to leave it there. I really appreciate -- I appreciate your analysist Tymofiy Mylovanov in Kyiv. Thank you so much.

Well, two U.S. senators met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday. Senators Chris Coons and Rob Portman made the journey to speak about U.S. support for Ukraine. Zelenskyy thanked them for what he calls unwavering support. Senator Coons said U.S. assistance to Ukraine is important. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): We have asked questions today about making sure that the money that is being spent here for military support, for budget support, for humanitarian relief is needed. It is. it is being well spent. It is. And that we will continue to support the Ukrainian people.

And the United States has long been a nation that fights for freedom, and this is the most important fight for freedom in the world today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Zelenskyy says they also spoke about Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy system, which he says deserves a strong global response.

Six months after Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO, Turkey says it's still not ready for the two countries to become part of the alliance. All 30 NATO members approved the Nordic nation's applications in June, but Turkey and Hungary had been holding out on the final sign-off.

Speaking alongside the NATO secretary general in Istanbul, the Turkish foreign minister said it was, quote, "not possible to say Sweden and Finland have fully complied with the extra guarantees sought by Ankara," but that he had hope things might soon change. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:14:57]

MEVLUT CAVUSOGLU, TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): We knew that the previous government wouldn't take a serious step before the election, but we see that the new government is more decisive on this matter. The new Swedish prime minister will come to Ankara next week upon the invitation of our president.

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: So, it's time to welcome Finland and Sweden as full members of NATO. Their accession will make our lines stronger and our people safer. In these dangerous times, it is even more important to finalize their accession to prevent any misunderstanding or miscalculation in Moscow, and to send a clear message to Russia that NATO's door remains open.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The NATO chief stressed Sweden and Finland have significantly increased their cooperation with Turkey on counter terrorism efforts.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is shot in what his supporters are calling an assassination attempt. We'll have the latest details next on CNN Newsroom.

And this. Deadly flashes in Iran as police fire a protesters and protestors fight back by hurling rocks. We'll have report on the latest violence when we come back. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: We're just now getting word that South Korea has scrambled dozens of fighter jets in response to North Korean aircraft detected near South Korea's border.

CNN's Blake Essig joins us now live from Tokyo. So, Blake, tensions just keep going up here. What's the latest?

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kim. Look, you know, there haven't been any missiles flying back and forth between North and South Korea so far today, but there have been provocations, as you just mentioned, during a four-hour period earlier today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time.

The South Korean military detected 180 North Korean aircraft flying near the border between North and South Korea. In response, South Korea scrambled 80 planes, including F35s and maintained a readiness response posture as a result.

Now, this took place at the same time, as the now extended joint drill between the United States and South Korea is currently -- currently being held. It started on Monday, was supposed to end on Friday. Vigilant Storm as it's known was extended one extra day following yesterday's failed ICBM, intercontinental ballistic missile test.

And while most of the focus following yesterday's launch of North Korea's newest missile to date, the Hwasong 17 ICBM, which Kim Jong-un showed off in a highly produced propaganda video earlier this year was, that it was believed to have failed mid-flight after its second phase separation. That's according to a South Korean government source.

[03:19:54]

But even if this ICBM did fail, progress was clearly made since the last time it was tested back in May. And in May, according to the South Korean government, it's believed that the same type of ICBM only flew to an altitude of 540 kilometers yesterday. It reached an altitude of about 2,000 kilometers and likely failed in the third and final stage of flight. Now, those stages include the boost mid-course and terminal phase. So, this third terminal phase is when the missile reenters the atmosphere and strikes its target. But the key here is that no one single test is special on its own. North Korea gains knowledge from each of these weapons tests that it conducts.

And just like anything you do in life, the more you practice, the better you get. So, when talking to experts, they say that this aggressive pace of testing by Pyongyang is really what's most concerning. As for what could be next, experts say, ICBM and nuclear tests are a set essentially.

And so, with the U.S. midterm election and G20 coming up, a nuclear test could be carried out soon, especially with North Korea's tendency to conduct tests ahead of important events like the G20 midterm election and move itself up the agenda. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right, so the U.S. has called for a a U.N. Security Council meeting later today. Are you expecting anything to come of that?

ESSIG: Well, you know, Kim, when you look at what has transpired over the last several days with North Korea on Wednesday firing off 23 missiles, you know, as well as artillery and whatnot. And then the following day and ICBM test, the response has been condemnation, whether that's from the United States, whether that's from, Japan, South Korea, all condemning South -- North Korea's actions.

And so, as far as the security council, you know, when you look towards that, what's likely going to come out of it? I don't know. I think that's anybody's guess. You know, the reality is the focus, at least from the United States is, is on this midterm election. There's the war in Ukraine.

There's a lot going on, which is perhaps according to experts that we've been talking to, is possibly why one of the many reasons why North Korea could be doing what they're doing. And so, it's really a wait and see at this point.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much, Blake Essig live in Tokyo for us.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is in stable condition after being shot in what his political party calls an assassination attempt. We heard there a gunman opened fire at a political rally killing one person and wounding several others including Khan before it being detained. Khan a former Pakistani cricket star was on the seventh day of a nationwide tour calling for new elections.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAISAL SULTAN, DOCTOR, SHAUKAT KHANUM HOSPITAL: Imran Khan was brought to the hospital a moment ago. He is stable now. We have done his emergency evaluation, scans, and x-rays, but there are some particles of bullets in his leg. There is a minor fracture on his leg, and the bone has been shipped. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Protests broke out across Pakistan after the shooting. Khan accesses Pakistan's -- accuses Pakistan's prime minister, interior minister, and a senior intelligence official being behind Thursday's attack.

Well, our Anna Coren is following the story for us. Anna, what's the latest?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, I think it's fair to say that political tension has been building in Pakistan for months now. Imran Khan himself knew that he was in danger. He said as much. Earlier this week, he told the media there's always a threat when you are challenging the status quo.

His campaign is a freedom struggle and that it's better to die than to live under these criminals. The criminals that he's talking about is the Pakistani government. Now, Imran Khan is without doubt the most famous politician in Pakistan, even more so since he was ousted from Power in April.

And he's been holding these rallies, Kim, where thousands of people have been taking to the streets. That's what we saw yesterday, this long march, which started last week. It's making its way to the capital Islamabad due to arrive next week. That is when this alleged gunman, attacked Khan in this assassination attempt.

Now, interestingly, a video of the confession made by this alleged attacker was distributed within an hour of the attack by the police, the government sharing this confession with the media. The attacker, he hasn't been named. We don't know his age, but he says that he was motivated by the fact that Khan was misleading the public.

[03:24:59]

He acted alone, he had no accomplice, and that it was the loud music from the speakers at this march that were interfering with the call to prayer at the same time that angered him.

But let's now recap on what took place in Pakistan yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COREN (voice-over): A political campaign turns deadly in Pakistan when gunshots erupt from the crowd. In the chaotic moments after the shooting, Imran Khan was carried out and whisked away from the crowd. A gunman had opened fire at a rally of tens of thousands of his supporters. The target Khan's party claims was the former prime minister himself.

Shot in the lower leg he was bundled into a bulletproof car and driven two hours to Lahore for surgery. A senior party leader released a statement from Khan saying the cricketing hero blamed the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif his interior minister, and a senior intelligence official for an attempt on his life, calling for their removal from office.

The government responded saying this was a grievous accusation. Outside the hospital, crowds gathered desperate for any updates. Protests broke out across the country as news of the shooting spread. Six others were injured in the attack and one was killed. According to a senator from Khan's political party, the PTI.

Please pray for Imran Khan for our fellow workers who are injured, the senator says, and for our party member who has died. Khan had been on the campaign trail to demand snap elections in Pakistan after he was ousted in a vote of no confidence in parliament just six months ago. Accused of bad governance and mismanaging the country's flailing economy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN (on camera): Now, Kim, Pakistan is no stranger to political assassinations. In 2007, the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated after a 15-year-old suicide bomber killed her. Khan, he has been injured, but he is still talking. He is stable as you mentioned.

The concern today is that this long march will continue, thousands of people, tens of thousands of people could take to the streets. And we also have to factor in Friday prayers. So, people obviously paying close attention to what will happen later to today. But obviously this assassination attempt on Imran Khan in squarely blaming the government, the prime minister, the interior minister, the senior military official for this attempt that this is going to embolden Khan's supporters to take to the streets.

He's calling for elections now. The government is resisting those calls, but obviously that the concern, Kim, is that there will be violence on the streets.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. We'll keep following this important story. Thanks so much for your reporting, Anna Coren live in Hong Kong.

Violent clashes in Iran. A volunteer with a paramilitary militia was killed and five others injured in confrontations between police and anti-government protestors on Thursday. Protestors threw rocks at a police truck after they say police chase them and fired at them. A police outpost was set ablaze.

A top U.N. official says as many as 14,000 people have been arrested during the protest which began in September after the death of the young woman detained by the morality police.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has more on the protests and the violent crackdowns.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Protests continued in different parts of Iran on Thursday, including a large demonstration in the city of Karaj just outside Tehran, where mourners gathered to commemorate 40 days since the killing of Hadis Najafi, one of the many protesters who have lost their lives over the past few weeks. That gathering turning violent to security forces try to crack down, violent clashes erupted.

And according to state media, a number of security forces are among the casualties. The regime has been using all the same kind of tactics it's used in the past to try and crush these protests. We have seen the brutality that they have unleashed on the streets, beating and shooting at protesters.

According to the harrowing firsthand accounts we've had from protesters, as well as the horrific videos and images that have emerged over the past few weeks, the government has also detained thousands of people. According to a U.N. official, more than 14,000 people have so far been arrested. And that is an estimate. The number could be much higher than that.

More than a thousand people have so far been indicted, some of them facing very serious charges including corruption on Earth and war against God.

[03:30:01]

These are charges that could carry the death penalty in Iran. A country where human rights defenders say there is no such thing as fair trials.

In this seventh week of this protest turned into a national uprising, all of these tactics used by governments don't seem to be stopping and deterring these protesters who have told us that they have had enough of the more than four decades of the repressive Islamic republic. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Istanbul.

KIM BRUNNHUBER, CNN HOST: The far-right brought Israel's former prime minister back to power and now an ultra-nationalist leader wants a prominent role in the next government. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom." Just days after Israel's fifth general election in less than four years, a far-right government is starting to take shape one that could mark divisive new era in Israeli politics. It could still take weeks to form that government after election results became official next week.

But by all indications, Benjamin Netanyahu will serve an unprecedented sixth term as prime minister. That's after his Likud Party and its ultra-nationalist allies won a better than expected 64 seats in the Knesset. They only needed 61 to achieve a majority.

But Netanyahu needed the support of the far-right fringe to make it happen and there are concerns about what its members will expect in return. The fiery leader of the Jewish Power Party has a history of inciting anti-Arab hatred and now he wants authority over the police. CNN's Hadas Gold has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Until recently, this man, Itamar Ben-Gvir was considered a fringe far-right activist settler lawyer. His signature white kippah almost always askew on his head. Now, a leader of the projected third largest block in the Israeli parliament set to be a key component of Benjamin Netanyahu's now likely comeback as prime minister.

The 46-year-old has been a provocateur since his youth. Once a supporter of the Jewish Nationalist Kach Party deemed a foreign terrorist organization by the United States and ultimately outlawed by Israel. He was once filmed holding a hood emblem he claimed was from the car of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, an architect of the Israeli Palestinian peace process vowing we got to his car and we'll get to him too.

[03:35:026]

A Jewish extremist assassinated Rabin three weeks later.

Exempted from the military draft, he says he was denied for his political views, Ben-Gvir became a lawyer often representing Jewish extremist settlers and famously hung a portrait in his home of Baruch Goldstein, an Israeli doctor who massacred 29 Palestinians in a mosque in the West Bank in 1994 before being killed himself. Ben-Gvir later tweeted he would take the portrait down. In 2007, he told CNN the holiest most contested site in Jerusalem, third holiest site in Islam is for Jews only.

ITAMAR BEN-GVIR, JEWISH POWER PARTY LEADER: Temple Mount is for Israel, for the Jewish people, not for the Islamic people. They have Mecca, Medina, we have the Temple Mount.

GOLD (voice-over): That same year he was convicted for inciting anti- Arab racism and supporting terrorism. In 2020, his sights turned to politics winning a seat in the Knesset in 2021 on a platform that included annexing the West Bank, relaxing the Israeli military open fire policy against Palestinian rioters and pushed for the death penalty for terrorists.

He spent his time in parliament attracting the spotlight. From stunts like pulling a gun during clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in east Jerusalem telling police to shoot Arabs who throw stones. To being forcibly removed from the floor of the Israeli parliament for calling a fellow member, the leader of the Arab Movement Party who is also an Israeli citizen, a terrorist, saying he didn't belong in Israel.

Just last, year Netanyahu himself dismissed the idea of Ben-Gvir leading a government ministry saying, "A minister, no, not in my government." But this, year his tune changed, asked again if Ben-Gvir would be a minister, he answered, "Of course, he can be." (Inaudible) to be put in charge of the police as a Minister Ben-Gvir, that could affect Israel's relationship with its most important ally, the United States. NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: And we hope that all

Israeli government officials will continue to share the values of an open, democratic society including tolerance and respect for all ends of a society particularly for minority groups.

GOLD (voice-over): The extremist, once shunned from Israeli politics, now a top figure appearing on cooking shows and possibly soon, the Israeli cabinet. Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Roadblocks crippling Brazilian roadways are starting to open up now. The protests began to fizzle out on Thursday after outgoing President Bolsonaro asked his supporters to clear the blockades they had set up with lines of trucks. Demonstrations broke out after his defeat to former leader, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva in the presidential election on Sunday.

And while Bolsonaro hasn't conceded the loss, the official transition got underway with the first formal meetings between government officials and Lula da Silva's team on Thursday.

Newly elected Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is making her debut on the world stage. The woman known for her firebrand nationalism has toned down her anti-European rhetoric, meeting with the European Commission chief in Brussels Thursday. Meloni says she is happy with how meetings went with the E.U. leaders. She says they discussed the war in Ukraine, energy prices, and migration. Om Friday, she is set to present Italy's new public finance targets.

U.S. President Joe Biden is telling voters that next Tuesday's midterm elections will be one of the most important votes in their lifetime. As campaigning heats up in the final stretch, the president travelled to New Mexico on Thursday to the state's Democratic governor. The signs the state offices up for grabs, the midterms will also decide which party controls Congress next year. Bided had this warning if Republicans re-take control of the Senate. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Republican extremism is not limited to social programs and the economy. They are going after your right to vote and how we -- no, not a joke. Mark my words. They are going after your right to vote and who is going to count the vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And former President Donald Trump is hinting once again as a third presidential bid. Thursday night he campaigned in Iowa for state's Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and Governor Kim Reynolds. But just as Trump has done at other recent rallies, he signaled his interest in seeking the White House again. CNN's chief U.S. national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny has more on the impact Trump could have. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): To say Donald Trump is coming back to the campaign trail would suggest he's ever gone away.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Make America great again.

ZELENY (voice-over): But starting tonight, he's back in a new way. Four rallies in five days in a sprint to election day.

[03:40:00]

TRUMP: Hello Iowa.

ZELENY (voice-over): Iowa is hardly the hottest spot on the map of 2022 battlegrounds, but the state has something even more enticing. It hopes to ring the opening bell of the next Republican presidential race.

As Republicans ride a wave of optimism in the final days of the midterm elections, the 2024 campaign is about to burst from the shadows. And the former president is eager to solidify his role as the party's top leader, inching ever closer to announce another bid for the White House.

TRUMP: In order to make our country successful, safe and glorious again, I will probably have to do it again.

ZELENY (voice-over): The question is whether potential rivals would join him or step aside. A parade of Republicans with presidential ambitions have already visited Iowa this year including former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Senators Tim Scott of South Carolina, Rick Scott of Florida, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ted Cruz of Texas, and outgoing Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.

RON DESANTIS, GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA: Aren't you glad you live in a free state of Florida?

ZELENY (voice-over): Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is eyeing an Iowa trip of his own after his reelection campaign is complete, CNN has learned, further fueling an intensifying duel with the former president.

While his loyal base of supporters is already lining up behind him, a Trump candidacy would test the full party's appetite for reliving the 2020 campaign and litigating a string of his legal challenges. Susan Stewart is an Iowa Republican who voted for Trump.

SUSAN STEWAR, IOWA REPUBLICAN VOTER: There are Republicans who never supported him in the first place. There are others who have mixed feelings about him. But by and large, I would say there is more die- hard Trump supporters than any of those other categories.

ZELENY (voice-over): Conversations with Republicans in other states reveal a measure of hesitation.

LINDA FRANK, PENNSYLVANIA REPUBLICAN VOTER: I am perplexed because I was a Trump supporter and I do not know where I stand now.

BILL SUPRENANT, NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN VOTER: I feel like we got betrayed especially when he attacked the (inaudible). You don't attack the capitol. That's for sure.

ZELENY (on camera): So, you would not want to see him run again?

SUPRENANT: Definitely not.

ZELENY (voice-over): But many Trump loyalists do. And the former president has repeatedly signaled he is poised to launch a new campaign, built around false questions about the last one.

TRUMP: May just have to do it again. Stay tuned everybody, stay tuned.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: As the former president holds four rallies in five days leading to election day, there is no question, he is trying to step into what he believes will be a Republican wave next Tuesday. The only remaining question is what his next move will be. Aides say expect some type of announcement before the end of November. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Sioux City, Iowa.

BRUNHUBER: And join us on Tuesday for an in-depth special coverage of the crucial U.S. midterm elections which will determine control of Congress. It starts at 4:00 p.m. eastern time. That's 9:00 in the evening in London.

Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is out of the hospital and recuperating at home six days after he was violently attacked in his home. Pelosi required surgery for a skull fracture, but is expected to make a full recovery.

U.S. Capitol Police say the home wasn't being actively monitored at the time because the speaker was in Washington. The Department of Homeland Security revealed on Thursday that Pelosi's alleged attacker is a Canadian national who was in the U.S. illegally.

Pope Francis has been experiencing intermittent knee pain and it was so bad Thursday, he was unable to walk around the papal plane during a trip to Bahrain like usually does. The 85-year-old pontiff has been walking with a cane since he tore a ligament earlier this year. During the trip, he asked members of the press corps to speak with him while he was sitting down. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translation): Thank you very much for your work. I would like to greet you one by one, but the problem is that today I have a lot of pain and I'm not up to moving around the plane so I'll sit down and you come to me. I greet you from here. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The trip is aimed at improving ties with the Islamic world. Pope Francis will also say mass for the Catholic community in Bahrain, around 80,000 people who are mostly foreign workers, according to the Vatican.

Outrage grows in China from parents desperately trying to save their children's lives despite China's strict COVID policy. We have a report from Beijing coming up. Please stay with us.

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[03:45:00]

BRUNHUBER: CNN is proud to announce the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2022. Each honoree will receive a cash prize and viewers will select the CNN Hero of the Year. Will earn an additional $100,000 for their cause and you get to help decide who that person will be. So, here is Anderson Cooper to show you how.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Now that we've announced the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2022, it is time to show you how you can help decide who should be the CNN Hero of the Year and receive $100,000 to continue their work. Just go to CNNHeroes.com. where you can learn more about each hero. And when you're ready, just click on vote. You get 10 votes every day to help support your heroes.

That means you can cast all your votes for one hero or divide them among your favorites. To confirm your votes, just log in using either your e-mail address or Facebook account. You can even double your votes by rallying your friends on social media.

Then on Sunday, December 11th, join me and my friend and co-host Kelly Ripa as we reveal the 2022 CNN Hero of the Year live during CNN Heroes, an all-star tribute.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Alright. So, once again, as Anderson said, you can meet all of this year's top 10 heroes and vote 10 times a day, as he said, every day, at CNNHeroes.com. and to help decide who should be our CNN hero of the year. All 10 will be honored at CNN Heroes, an all-star tribute, but only one will be named to the CNN Hero of the year. You can join Anderson Cooper and special guest co-star Kelly Ripa live on Sunday, December 11th.

Three years into the COVID pandemic, lockdowns, constant testing and children's deaths triggering fresh waves of outrage and desperation for people in parts of China. We'll have a report after the break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [03:50:00]

BRUNHUBER: Ecuador heightens security and vows to regain control of prisons amid an escalating wave of violence. Twelve servicemen were injured Thursday in clashes between inmates and prison guards. At least five policemen were killed on Tuesday. The president declared a 45 days state of emergency in two provinces. National Security Council met Thursday to address the ongoing violence.

China's strict zero COVID policy and lockdown causing a tragic situation to become more desperate by the day. Children are dying from COVID and other illnesses due to lockdown restrictions. And CNN's Selina Wang reports from Beijing. These deaths are fueling more outrage at China's zero COVID policy.

SELIA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Many here in China were expecting that after Xi Jinping was re-anointed as China's supreme leader in October, he would begin to relax the country's zero COVID policy. Instead, he's doubled down. As most of the rest of the world learns to live with COVID, China is stuck in this endless cycle of lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing. It's taking a harsh toll on the economy and people's lives. Frustrations are building, public patience is wearing thin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WANG (voice-over): A 14-year-old girl lies in bed, convulsing at a COVID quarantine facility in China. Someone comes over, saying that the kid has a fever of 104 degrees fahrenheit and no one is coming. She died soon after. A man who says he is the girl's father posted this video online, filming his daughter's body. He is demanding justice. I beg the Communist Party to investigate he says.

CNN hasn't been able to independently verify the videos. They've been censored in China. Along with these videos of a father desperately trying to revive his three-year-old son, he can't get his child to the hospital fast enough because of COVID restrictions in Lanzhou City. The boy later died.

Enraged residents took to the streets, swarms of armed police held them back. In Lanzhou City, some were forced to quarantine outside in the cold. In parking lots. This viral video, which CNN could not verify shows others forced to stay in male bathrooms sleeping under urinals.

In year three of the pandemic, every positive case and close contact is still sent to government quarantine facilities like these. And this one, the video says it's a quarantine site for kids in Hainan province. A little boy jumping on bricks to avoid the pool of dirty liquid. This is where they use the bathroom.

Distraught parents crowd outside to protest. Protesters rushed to the streets in Lhasa, Tibet demanding an end of a lockdown that's lasted for more than 80 days. And in Zhengzhou City, workers are fleeing Apple's biggest iPhone plant after a COVID outbreak. Masses of workers carrying their luggage, walked long distances across highways and through villages, even farm fields. Those left behind at the factory claim living conditions are subpar. Videos appear to show workers literally fighting for boxes of supplies.

China's leader, Xi Jinping claims zero COVID puts lives above all else. But for many, it's precisely the policy itself that's ruining their lives. This woman sobs on the ground crying, that after she was caught with her mask pulled down, the government suspended her business for 30 days, losing a month's income.

Metal spikes, which the man filming, says were installed on a compound gate to prevent residents from leaving, or red plastic barriers. This one separating a father from his daughter. The little girl worried, asked her dad how he's going to get home. But her father, like millions across China, likely has no idea when he can go home or when all of this will end.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(On camera): The other big question is just how long is China going to keep up its strict border control rules for. I'm actually in the middle of a 10-day government mandated quarantine myself because I recently traveled into China from overseas. So, after landing in Beijing, I got bussed off to this sealed facility, sorted into a room. I can't open my door, except for the daily PCR test, to pick up the food left outside of my door three times a day.

And every few hours I can smell and hear the noise of a giant machine spraying disinfectant all through the hallways.

[03:54:58]

Now, this may sound extreme for the rest of the world, but this is the reality inside zero COVID China. Selina Wang, CNN, Beijing.

BRUNHUBER: U.S. basketball star Kyrie Irving has now apologized on Instagram, hours after his team suspended him for at least five games. The Brooklyn Nets said he was disciplined after tweeting a link to a documentary criticized as anti-Semitic, and then defended his decision.

The Nets and Irving agreed to give anti-hate groups half a million dollars, but later the team said that it was dismayed Irving refused to apologize in a news conference Thursday and acknowledged hateful material in the movie.

Well, a flood of criticism followed from everyone, including the basketball commissioner, Adam Silver, the Anti-Defamation League, which refused to the money, but in his posted apology, Irving said he was deeply sorry and apologized to Jewish families and communities. Earlier, Irving insisted he meant no harm and noted he didn't make the documentary. Here he is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KYRIE IRVING, BROOKLYN NETS PLAYER: I take my responsibility (inaudible). Some things that were questionable in there (inaudible). Like I said in the first-time you guys asked me (inaudible, I don't believe everything that everybody posts. This documentary. So, I take my responsibility.

I respect all walks, of life and (inaudible). That's about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Irving now says he hopes to focus on healing and learn and grow from the controversy.

Alright, on to Major League Baseball, one night after pulling off only the second no hitter in the World Series history, Houston has taken the lead in the fall classic. The Astros held off the Phillies 3 to 2 on Thursday in Philadelphia. Center fielder Chas McCormick making a stellar catch of the night that broke thousands of Philly hearts.

The Astros now have won three games in the best of seven showdown. The series shifts back to Houston on Saturday for game six. The Astros could win it all.

I'm Kim Brunhuber. Thanks so much for watching. "CNN Newsroom" continues now with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.