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New Push For Palestinian Statehouse As Gaza War Ramps Up; Jimmy Kimmel's Show To Return On Tuesday; Trump Administration To Link Tylenol Use To Risk Of Autism; Protests Over Gaza at U.K.'s Largest Arms Fair; Inside the Rebel-Held City Of Goma; Amazon On Trial For Allegedly Tricking Prime Customers. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired September 23, 2025 - 01:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[01:00:36]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Ahead here on CNN Newsroom. Suspension reverse. Jimmy Kimmel returns to his late night talk show. On Tuesday, the debate over free speech continues.

Plus, the U.N. General Assembly is causing a diplomatic stir as more countries move to recognize a Palestinian state. I'll speak to the first Arab woman to serve as deputy chair of the Knesset about what this means for both the people of Israel and those in Gaza.

And the Trump administration advises pregnant women against using what's considered to be a safe fever and pain reducing medication. We'll speak to an expert.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Lynda Kinkade.

KINKADE: The U.S. President is preparing to speak at the U.N. General Assembly, which gets underway in a matter of hours. Donald Trump will be meeting on the sidelines with the presidents of Ukraine and the European Commission.

He'll also host the leaders of Arab and Muslim nations, including Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. They're expected to discuss the war in Gaza and will likely urge him to pressure Israel to end the fighting.

It all comes amid a groundswell of support for a two state solution. The U.N. Secretary General says it's the only way out of this nightmare.

France and several other Western nations at the latest to formally declare their recognition of a Palestinian State. They join about 150 U.N. members who've already done so.

The French president says Palestinian statehood is the only way to allow Israel to live in peace and claims it would be a defeat for Hamas. But the Israeli prime minister says it would, quote, constitute an absurd prize for terrorism.

The prime minister of Luxembourg, which newly supports a two-state solution, says its decision does not mean it's against Israel, but rather against the actions of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUC FRIEDEN, LUXEMBOURG PRIME MINISTER: We have always been friends of Israel and they remain friends of Israel. We want an immediate release of the hostages, but at the same time, we need to give the Palestinians hope for the future and also make sure that the Israelis can live in peace and the only way forward is to make sure that now these two states solution gets, I would say, new energy, a second chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: CNN's Oren Liebermann has further details on the cause for Palestinian statehood.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: French President Emmanuel Macron made it clear why he thinks the declaration and recognition of a state of Palestine is so important right now, not only from France, but from a number of other countries that have joined France in officially recognizing a Palestinian state.

We saw that recognition come from Australia, Canada, Portugal and the U.K. on Sunday. And there are a number of other countries, for example, Belgium and Luxembourg, that are expected to make their declarations throughout the course of the week.

There are two primary goals, and Macron laid this out. The first is to get as quickly as possible to a ceasefire to end the war in Gaza and to release the remaining hostages. Right at the beginning of his speech, he made clear that October 7th was the worst terror attack in Israel's history.

And he talked about the horrific conditions in which the hostages are being held. But then he also went on to say that nothing justifies the ongoing war in Gaza, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, the killing of tens of thousands of other Palestinians in this ongoing war. As we see Israel carry out its military escalation, its assault on Gaza City, he said that has to end and it has to end now.

On top of that is the need to keep alive the possibility of a Palestinian state, what France and frankly, much of the international community see as the only resolution to the decade's long conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

And he said that's why this summit is so important right now, especially as Israel accelerates the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, putting at risk the Abraham Accords, which were President Donald Trump's major foreign policy accomplishment from his first term, and putting at risk the Camp David Accords, the landmark peace between Israel and Egypt from decades ago.

[01:05:00]

It is because he sees those at threat that he says France is leading the way in recognition of a Palestinian state. Now, that did little to sway Israel's position. In fact, throughout the beginning of this summit, Israel's delegation wasn't even in the room there. Israel has lashed out diplomatically and angrily, vowing that there would be a response.

That response could be annexation of some or all of the occupied West Bank. It could attempt to kick out the French consulate from Jerusalem or take other steps in that regard.

But first, of course, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has to meet with President Donald Trump. Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly is on Friday. He is expected to meet Trump on Monday.

It is only after that he said he'll announce how Israel will respond to these countries recognizing the state of Palestine. And that, of course, is because he needs the backing of US President Donald Trump as Israel becomes more isolated on the international stage. Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: I want to go now to Nazareth in northern Israel and welcome Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, a former member of the Knesset. Great to have you with us.

GHAIDA RINAWIE ZOABI, FORMER KNESSET MEMBER: Thank you for having me.

KINKADE: I want to start with the latest from the U.N. the significance of the General Assembly's push for Palestinian statehood. Do you believe the international recognition of Palestine by countries like France, Canada, Australia is a turning point, or is it simply symbolic?

ZOABI: Well, all these Western countries recognizing the Palestinian state is a major step. It is a very large and important symbol, as you said. However, I believe that if it is not translated into tangible elements, it will only be an element for the Palestinian, regular Palestinian person, if it doesn't have any implications on his daily life, that will simply stay as a symbol.

And I want to focus one major issue, which is the Palestinian dependency on the Israeli currency, the Israeli Shekel. Back in the Oslo era, in 1994 in Paris Protocols, there was this discussion about establishing a national Palestinian bank and the national Palestinian currency that was rejected by Israel back then and for three decades, for 30 years, the Palestinian Authority is reliant and the Palestinian people is only reliant on the Israeli currency and the Israeli economy.

So this is one thing that I believe, that it has to have a tangible, as I said, tangible results. KINKADE: I want to get some -- can I get some perspective from you on

the position in Israel because Israel has strongly rejected the developments to recognize a Palestinian statehood. As someone who served in the Knesset, do you think there's any political will in Israel now or in the near future for a two state solution?

ZOABI: Well, if you recall 10 years ago, Netanyahu himself in speech talked about a two state solution. However, after the war, after the Hamas attack on October 7 and the horrible war on Gaza, things really shifted.

Before the war, his main allies were the ultra-orthodox which were relatively more moderate than his current allies, which are the really fanatic right wing camp, especially Smotrich camp. And in that sense, Smotrich's camp is really focused on the issue of the annexation.

In fact, in May 2025 they issued, the Israeli cabinet issued an authorization of building 22 new settlements in the West Bank. However, I believe that Benjamin Netanyahu, as I'm familiar with him, he's now letting people to focus on the issue of the annexation.

I don't think that at the end of the day that he will officially declare a formal full annexation of the West Bank. He will let the far-right settlers do whatever they like in the West Bank, sadly. But I think that he will have -- he's planning for another sad surprise and I think that he's planning now to have another strike on Iran and this is what he's going to do. From my point of view.

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KINKADE: I mean, I know it feels like it's, you know, the end of this war in Gaza so far in the future it seems, but you have long advocated for the coexistence and equality. What role should the Palestinian Authority play in a post war Gaza and is it still seen as legitimate by Palestinians on the ground?

ZOABI: Well, if you look at what's happened now after the war and after the horrible catastrophe of humanitarian needs for the Palestinian people in Gaza, I think that more and more people in the West Bank and also in Gaza are declaring that they want a more stable authority, whether it's Abu Mazens, Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority or other.

However, I think that could, you know, when we talk about the day after the war, I think that we also should consider the next Israeli elections that will happen in a year from now. And in that sense, you know, the international community and also the Arab world are talking about, well, we will wait until Benjamin Netanyahu is removed and there is a new government that will be much more manageable, et cetera.

I don't believe that this is a good strategy mainly because from all the research in depth data that I have from universities and such, you can see clearly that there is indications that Benjamin Netanyahu will be reelected in a year from now. And then what can you do? What the international community would do. And I think that on that notion there could be a softer diplomacy that

would influence or try to influence ministers from the cabinet that are more moderate, relatively speaking, as I said, are more considering the economical and security and national implications of boycotting Israel.

And that in fact I think that there is some sort of a way where international community and the Arab world, you know, in the context of the Abraham Accord can do a lot of (INAUDIBLE).

KINKADE: And just super quickly, yes or no, do you believe that Netanyahu might use the war in Gaza to delay the election?

ZOABI: I don't think so. I think that at the end of the day, although there are elements and ministers from his cabinet, Smotrich and others that are really fanatic and that the democracy in Israel is not sacred for them, I think that there will be a pushback from the Israeli society in order for that to happen.

I don't think that at the end of the day the Israeli elections will be canceled. But I'm pretty sure that the results of this election will not be in favor of any Palestinian future in the near future.

KINKADE: All right. We'll leave it there for now. But really good to get your perspective. Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, thanks so much.

ZOABI: Thank you very much.

KINKADE: The week after being suspended, late night host Jimmy Kimmel will return to air Tuesday. The suspension issued by Disney owned ABC followed a threat from the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC chairman criticized Kimmel for comments he made in the wake of political activist Charlie Kirk's death, remarks that sparked a debate over free speech. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has more on this sudden reversal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: When Jimmy Kimmel returns to his show on Tuesday night, he will address the controversy surrounding him and his show. That is what a source tells me, that Kimmel is planning to address the entire situation with the FCC threatening Disney and with his show ultimately being pulled off the air.

Now, what he will say remains to be seen, but a source told me last week that Disney and ABC have never censored Kimmel, that he has always been free to speak his mind about politics and about President Trump. And it wasn't until last Wednesday when the FCC made threats and when station groups pulled Kimmel show that Disney decided, let's wait a beat and let's temporarily take your show off the air.

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Because I was told by a source Kimmel refused to back down with his planned monologue in which he had planned to take aim at the MAGA base and at Fox News. Now I was also told from the get go that Disney never planned for this to be a cancellation. Kimmel was never fired.

In fact, sources have told me from the beginning of this entire controversy that Disney was always hopeful that they would bring Kimmel's show back and that they were working with him to find a path forward.

Now, Stephen Colbert, whose show was canceled by his network, CBS, he wasted no time talking about Disney's decision to bring Kimmel back. Take a look.

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": Well, just a few hours before we taped this broadcast, we got word that our long national late nightmare is over because Disney announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to air on ABC tomorrow Tuesday night. Once more I am the only martyr in late night.

WAGMEISTER: Now Disney, in explaining why they are bringing back Kimmel show, they said in a statement that last Wednesday we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill timed and thus insensitive.

Well, regardless of what Jimmy says when he returns, he is absolutely going to upset at least some viewers. And that has been proven because Sinclair has said that they will not be airing Jimmy's show on Tuesday and they will continue to evaluate the situation. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Thanks to Elizabeth Wagmeister there. Well, the U.S. president stuns medical experts by linking autism with a common painkiller. Still ahead, we'll speak with a doctor to understand the science that contradicts Donald Trump's claim.

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KINKADE: Medical experts are criticizing the U.S. president's announcement, claiming there's a link between the use of Tylenol while pregnant with autism. Donald Trump made the announcement despite decades of evidence that the common painkiller is safe. CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes reports.

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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump making a series of announcements on autism and perhaps the most controversial, linking autism to acetaminophen, pregnant women who take that drug. This has been something that has been somewhat of an ongoing back and forth for years with results being largely inconclusive, according to the medical community, who stresses that taking acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, is still safe for pregnant women.

In fact, it is the only option for pregnant women feeling pain or fever. This is what President Trump said.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Taking Tylenol is not good. I'll say it's not good. For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medical necessary.

HOLMES: Now, again, there are still questions about this, particularly given that medical professionals have warned for quite some time that having a high fever, particularly when you're pregnant in the first trimester, could lead to birth complications or pose grave risk to both the mother and the child. President Trump would not take questions on that topic.

But of course, we have reached out to see where the administration stands on this idea of whether or not it is more dangerous to have a fever like that and as a pregnant woman or if it is more dangerous to take Tylenol.

Now, there was other parts of this announcement. He also said that the FDA would be telling doctors or warning physicians of the risk of acetaminophen, that they would be labeling acetaminophen with these risks for pregnant women.

And on top of that, they also said they would be doing more studies, pouring more money into research and making some drugs available to children with autism. And there's still a lot of questions about this.

One thing to keep in mind here when we discuss this is that there are a lot of parents out there who are seeking any sort of answers. But this still felt, particularly the way this was announced, as though it might lead to more confusion than answers on the topic. However, some might think this is a step in the right direction as again, they have been seeking for answers on what caused the causes autism. Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: For more, I'm joined by Dr. Edith Bracho Sanchez, a primary care pediatrician at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Great to have you with us.

DR. EDITH BRACHO SANCHEZ, PRIMARY CARE PEDIATRICIAN, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER: Thank you for having me.

KINKADE: So I just want to play some sound of the U.S. President making this major announcement today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Effective immediately, the FDA will be notifying physicians at the use of acetaminophen. Well, let's see how we say that acetaminophen, is that OK, which is basically commonly known as Tylenol during pregnancy can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KINKADE: I mean, I want to get your reaction to this announcement and I want to know is there any credible scientific evidence of taking Tylenol, also known as Paracetamol, during pregnancy causes autism?

SANCHEZ: Lynda, this has been the subject of so much scrutiny over the past decade.

[01:25:02]

So there is unfortunately no new studies, no new evidence that the administration offered today. We know from the studies that have already been conducted again over the past decade around the world looking at millions of children, that there is no causal relationship between taking Tylenol, Paracetamol, Acetaminophen in pregnancy and later on having an increased risk of your baby developing autism. There just isn't evidence for a causal relationship at this time, Lynda.

KINKADE: Doctor, Tylenol has long been considered one of the safest pain relievers for pregnant women, especially when treating a fever. Are there risks associated with leaving a fever untreated during pregnancy?

SANCHEZ: That is right. There are risks associated with leaving a fever untreated, especially during the first trimester. So when you run a fever as a pregnant woman and you do not treat it, your risk of having a miscarriage of your baby, developing neural tube defects, heart defects, goes up, Lynda.

So this notion that doing nothing is better than taking a small dose of Tylenol is simply not true because the risks of leaving fevers untreated in pregnancy are real.

KINKADE: And President Trump said today that pregnant women should simply toughen up instead of taking Tylenol. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: If you can't tough it out, if you can't do it, that's what you're going to have to do. Tough it out. No matter what you do. The word tough it out, you know, it's easy for me to say tough it out, but sometimes in life with a lot of other things, you have tough it out. As I say, tough it out a little bit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: I mean, from a medical standpoint, is this kind of messaging helpful or harmful to pregnant women?

SANCHEZ: It is harmful to pregnant women. I think any woman out there and anyone who has a woman in their life know that women don't need to be any tougher than we already are. And this is not about being tough or not. This is about what is considered a medically safe treatment to prevent what is considered medically unsafe, which is fever and pregnancy. I will tell you, I am a pregnant woman myself. I have been looking at

this from both a professional standpoint as well as a personal standpoint. A few weeks ago, I unfortunately had a cold, developed what I thought was a rising temperature, and I took Tyleno, Lynda, because the risks of not doing so, to me, far outweighed any risk that came with Tylenol.

KINKADE: Yes. And of course, this announcement was made alongside Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., someone with no medical background who has promoted discredited theories in the past and some are drawing comparisons between today's press conference and Trump's remarks in the past about injecting bleach during the COVID pandemic. How concerned are you about non-medical figures giving high profile health advice like this?

SANCHEZ: I mean, it is extremely concerning. And I think at the end of the day it is disappointing. I think we can and we must do better by the American people. I think when back in the spring they announced that they were going to announce some big cause of autism, there was a little bit of hope that were going to get some new information, some new data, some new studies.

And to hear today just misinformation be thrown out there from the highest podium in this country and to not really offer or any substance, any new information, it's really just disappointing and it's really just wrong by the American people.

KINKADE: Edith Bracho Sanchez. Appreciate your time and your expertise and congratulations on your pregnancy.

SANCHEZ: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

KINKADE: Still ahead, Israel's lucrative arms industry could take a major hit as international anger mounts over the war in Gaza. Are the details when we come back.

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KINKADE: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Monaco, Malta, and Luxembourg are the latest western nations to formally recognize a Palestinian state. The growing trend deepens Israel's international isolation as it zeroes in on the Palestinian territories.

As our Nic Robertson explains how the war in Gaza is costing Israel's arms industry and reverberating throughout the defense industry at large.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Outside the U.K.'s largest arms fair, a gauntlet of abuse. Protesters angered by Palestinian deaths in Israel's war in Gaza. Targeting anyone who tries to go in, even journalists.

This is what it takes at the moment to get inside London's biggest arms fair, the cordon of police, protecting the people trying to get inside.

Across the U.K., pro-Palestinian protests have been getting bigger and louder, triggering a political reaction.

The British government has banned Israeli government officials from this event, citing concerns about their further military escalation inside of Gaza.

Israeli officials have responded saying that this is a deliberate, regrettable decision that's discriminatory.

But inside, Israel defense industry manufacturers are welcome to trade. Many have come. One of the biggest, Elbit, is facing additional political heat.

BRIAN LEISHMAN, BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: We also look at the F-35 program. They have a huge hand in that as well. And of course, the F- 35 fighter program has wrecked devastation and death right across Gaza.

ROBERTSON: Leishman, a U.K/ lawmaker, is tabling a motion against the bid from Elbit, for a 15-year, $2 billion training contract with the U.K.'s Ministry of Defense.

LEISHMAN: This contract wouldn't change Elbit, at the heart of U.K. defense infrastructure.

ROBERTSON: Elbit, U.K. sites have been attacked by protesters. So too, one of their entities in Germany.

Elbit, told CNN, they don't have a comment about protesters or contracts, but their stand at London's arms fair was busy. Although, they asked us not to show their staff out of concern for their safety. Other Israeli sales teams did let us film.

This is where the Israeli government pavilion would have been. Now, none of these Israeli defense contractors here wants to speak to us on camera.

But privately, they tell us business is booming, part of the reason they say, customers like the way that the Israelis have protected their people and want to buy in to some of that battle-tested hardware.

Israel doesn't publish all of its arms sales figures, but publicly available data shows record-high sales.

ODED YARON, ARMS INDUSTRIES & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER AT HAARETZ: For this industry, this is the -- on the one hand, the ultimate sales pitch -- battle-tested, battle-proven. On the other hand, as the war in Gaza drags on, it becomes more and more of a problem.

ROBERTSON: Missile interceptors like the Arrow system used this summer to defend against Iranian strikes are very popular. So too, Israel's reactive armor on battle tanks and fighting vehicles seen by our team in use inside Gaza, as well as cutting edge F-35 fighter jet developments.

And it's not just the weapons that keep ties strong with Israel. Defense and security interests are often deeply intertwined. The U.K., in particular, shares intelligence and technical expertise.

MATTHEW SAVILL, DIRECTOR OF MILITARY SCIENCES, RUSI: It would be difficult to completely disconnect the two. And indeed, whilst you have this significant political disagreement over what's happening at the moment, there will be many in both security systems who would want to avoid too much impact to the direct relationship.

ROBERTSON: Spain's tolerance was shattered earlier this month, finally annulling hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of contracts. It had promised to cut months ago, just moments after Israel's strike against Hamas in Qatar.

Even so, Haaretz's Yaron, says Israel is skilled at dodging embargoes.

YARON: 99 percent of the bank that they can save through it, somehow. It might cost them more. There may be more backlash, there may be more problems, but countries need their arms.

ROBERTSON: Israel's arms industry and the money it needs to fund its own wars is safe for now, but change could be in the air.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, Donald Trump says the conflict between Rwanda and the Dominican Republic of Congo is settled. But armed groups are still fighting in the DRC.

Coming up, a CNN exclusive report from the rebel-held city of Goma.

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KINKADE: U.S. President Donald Trump says he has settled the conflict between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Washington hosted the foreign ministers of both nations back in June to sign a peace deal. It aimed to end decades of conflict following the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which killed an estimated 6 million people.

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KINKADE: The peace deal came in the wake of a power shift at the start of 2025, when a rebel group known as M23, allegedly backed by Rwanda, took control of two major cities in the eastern DRC.

Despite the signing, many armed groups are still fighting as CNN's Larry Madowo explains in this exclusive report from rebel-held Goma.

But first, a warning that the following story contains disturbing images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a militia flaunts its new army on graduation day.

These men are said to be former Congolese army soldiers who laid down their arms during fierce battles for the DRC s largest eastern cities of Goma and Bukavu.

The man watching over them is Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance which includes the M23 rebel group allegedly backed by Rwanda.

The White House brokered a peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda in June but these rebels are still fighting.

Rather than peace, this former election chief says he plans to take his soldiers to the capital, Kinshasa, to overthrow DRC President Felix Tshisekedi.

CORNEILLE NANGAA, AFC-M23 POLITICAL LEADER: Our aim is to go to Kinshasa. We are -- we are -- we are going to go with our Congolese people. We are Congolese. We don't benefit anything from Rwanda. And we don't need it.

MADOWO: CNN traveled to Goma in eastern DRC to interview the M23 leader amid fresh accusations of severe human rights abuses and war crimes leveled against all sides, but especially at M23.

VOLKER TURK, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: My team confirmed that the M23 committed widespread torture and other mistreatment, including sexual violence against detainees.

NANGAA: These are the liars. Fake report -- there is no true on that.

MADOWO: You don't agree with Human Rights Watch and the U.N.?

NANGAA: I don't agree. I reject all those reports because they are propaganda from Kinshasa and they have been paid. They have been -- they have been paid for that.

MADOWO: The eastern DRC, which shares a border with Rwanda, has been mired in conflict for more than 30 years since the Rwandan genocide.

It is one of the most complex and protracted crises in the world, stemming from colonial era border disputes, ethnic tensions and fought over its large deposits of minerals that are crucial to 21st century technology. M23 has grabbed territory where the world's largest reserves of coltan

are located, critical to the production of electronics, from cell phones to electric vehicles.

The Rwandan government denies backing M23, though U.N. experts and much of the international community believe Rwanda supports the rebels.

M23 first seized Goma in 2012 and this January took it again. This time, the rebels say they will not withdraw so easily.

Would you accept a peace deal that requires you to withdraw from these areas you currently control?

NANGAA: When we are here, we address the root causes of the crisis. Then we drop everything and everything is done.

MADOWO: President Trump said that they are getting minerals as part of this deal.

NANGAA: Tshisekedi doesn't have any mining -- a mining site.

MADOWO: So President Tshisekedi has no minerals to give to the U.S.

NANGAA: He doesn't have it. He's a crook.

MADOWO: Are you suggesting that President Tshisekedi is manipulating President Trump with minerals?

NANGAA: This is what he's trying to do.

MADOWO: Will it succeed?

NANGAA: I don't know.

MADOWO: Goma International Airport has been closed since M23 took over. They accused Congolese troops of leaving behind mines and booby traps.

One of M23's biggest trophies is this Russian-manufactured fighter jet, which they say they took over as the Congolese army fled the city.

That fighter jet is used to fly these rocket heads. And you see some of them have been used, some are still active. All abandoned as the city was getting liberated according to the M23.

Caught in the crossfire of power struggles and violence are vulnerable women and children. 25-year-old Muhawenimana Rachel (ph), along with her four young children, are some of the thousands that have been sent over recent months from the DRC to Rwanda.

MUHAWENIMANA RACHEL, DISPLACED PERSON (through translator): I'm happy to be back home, even though I'm coming back to a place I don't even know because I was born in Congo. MADOWO: The M23 tell us they are family members of Rwandan rebels who

operate in the eastern DRC and who try to overthrow the government of Rwanda. They are being repatriated.

But human rights groups say some of these repatriation is not voluntary. They have to leave.

On the streets of Goma, life has largely returned to normal since January's fighting.

[01:49:49]

MADOWO: At this busy market, people declined to speak on camera for fear of being targeted.

28 million people, nearly a quarter of the population in DRC, required urgent food assistance as of mid-2025, according to the World Food Programme. It told CNN the escalation of violence following the M23 takeover of Goma and Bukavu has, quote, "severely disrupted humanitarian operations".

Children have returned to class for the start of a new school year. But life remains difficult, with teachers earning just $100 a month.

The sound of gunfire may have calmed in Goma, but lasting peace still seems a long way off. M23 are so far not even party to the White House agreement.

NANGAA: The root causes of the conflict is not discussed in Washington.

MADOWO: Will you recognize any peace deal signed at the White House?

NANGAA: I don't recognize Tshisekedi regime. So whatever he signed, I'm not concerned. He's illegitimate. He cannot represent DRC.

So whatever they sign over there, and so far as we are not part of it, we don't care. I don't recognize it.

MADOWO: M23 consider themselves revolutionaries, not rebels. And it seems even U.S. negotiated peace agreements won't stop them.

Larry Madowo, CNN -- Goma.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: The Democratic Republic of Congo categorically rejects baseless accusations that Congolese troops left behind mines and booby traps at Goma International Airport, a government spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

They also said the peace agreement, signed in Washington under the accompaniment of President Donald Trump does not contain a sell-off of Congolese minerals for peace.

Well, still to come, for millions of customers, signing up for Amazon Prime is the easy part. But what about canceling it? Ahead why the FTC is accusing the tech giant of tricking clients.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back.

The Trump administration says tech company Oracle will oversee TikTok operations here in the U.S. once the new group of investors is finalized. Officials told reporters that TikTok's parent company will give a copy of the app's algorithm to its new U.S. team, which will retrain it using American user data.

The U.S. government has been looking for investors to take over the social media app because of national security concerns. That group could potentially include Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake and the Fox Corporation, which operates Fox News.

Amazon here in the U.S., federal court this week for a case that could end up costing the e-commerce giant a fortune. The Federal Trade Commission accuses Amazon of tricking customers into signing up for its prime subscription service and making it very difficult to cancel.

Vanessa Yurkevich reports.

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VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And if that jury decides that Amazon did in fact break the law by making it hard for customers to cancel their Amazon Prime accounts, a judge will decide ultimately how much Amazon will have to pay in damages. And this could impact millions of Americans and be a hefty payday for Amazon.

This was a lawsuit brought by the FTC under the Biden administration against Amazon claiming that the company created a labyrinth cancellation policy and process for Amazon Prime customers.

Prime has almost 200 million users and the cost of a membership is $139 a year. It's very lucrative for the company, bringing in billions of dollars annually.

Amazon has denied any wrongdoing, but the FTC complaint alleges that in order to cancel Amazon Prime, customers had to navigate a 4-page, 6-click, 15-option cancellation process. And the complaint goes on to state that it was known internally at Amazon as the Iliad Flow -- a nod to Homer's epic and the long Trojan War.

Meanwhile it was just two clicks to sign up for Amazon Prime. Since then Amazon has started a cancelation page that lays out a member's options on whether to end or pause their Amazon Prime membership.

Jury selection is expected to be completed by Monday, with opening arguments expected to happen on Tuesday.

Back to you.

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KINKADE: Our thanks to Vanessa Yurkevich.

Well, the annual prize for the players judged to be the world's soccer best was presented in Paris on Monday night. Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain won the men's award Ballon d'Or and Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona FC won the women's. The Spain midfielder took the award for a female player for the third year in a row.

And it was the first win for the French for the (INAUDIBLE) Dembele. His outstanding season helped PSG achieve a European treble -- a French cup, League One and Champions League titles.

Well, in France, an American has taken the top honors at the cheese monger world cup for the first time ever. Emilia D'Albaro dominated a host of events at the Mondial du Fromage including a blind tasting, a lengthy written test and cutting a specific amount of cheese without measuring tools.

For the grand finale, she created a 3D cheese sculpture depicting the phases of the moon.

It's making me hungry.

Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

CNN NEWSROOM with Salma Abdelaziz continues in just a moment. Stay with us.

You're watching CNN.

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