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Kremlin On "Energy Ceasefire": Contacts Are Ongoing; Hostilities Threaten Saudi Arabia's Commercial Interests; Pope Leo To Be Hospitalized Ahead Of Lung Nodule Surgery; Federal Officers Search Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's D.C. Home; Cyberattack Sparks Fires, Spoils Food at French Supermarkets; Trump Considers Joining Saudi Strikes Against Houthis; Explosion Near Lebanon Border Kills Teen on Israeli School Trip; Actress Selma Blair Charged With Second-Degree Assault; Comedian Russell Brand on Trial for Rape, Sexual Assault; Nikon Disqualifies Video Contest Winner Over Use of A.I.; Ukrainian Football Team to Play Home Matches at London's Stamford Bridge. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired October 13, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:33]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM.

Ukraine accuses Russia of violating an energy ceasefire announced by the U.S. president, but the Kremlin says they never agreed to it.

Plus, Pope Leo is set to undergo lung surgery. We are live in Rome for the latest on what to expect in the days ahead.

And President Trump sticks to his playbook of attacks to boost support for Republicans in tough midterm races. But is it working? We will have a report from the campaign trail.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, we want to go first to Luxembourg, where European Union ministers will meet to open two more stages to advance Ukraine's bid to join the E.U. Clusters two and three will focus on Kyiv's internal market, competitiveness, and inclusive growth.

Ahead of Tuesday's meeting, Ukraine passed legislation expanding minority education rights, a key demand from Hungary to drop objections against Kyiv's E.U. membership bid.

Meanwhile, President Trump's so-called energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is being put to the test. Ukraine says new Russian attacks on energy facilities in Kharkiv have already violated the agreement. President Zelenskyy is still voicing his support for a ceasefire, but says Russia must also agree to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We continue to engage in entirely constructive dialog with the U.S. president's team. In fact, our negotiating team is in contact with them virtually every day. Everyone in the U.S. is aware of, and many support our position that everything must be conducted fairly. Ukraine is ready for an energy ceasefire, and we have, in fact, proposed such a ceasefire on more than one occasion. Russia must take steps toward calm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Matthew Chance has more on Russia's reaction to the energy ceasefire announcement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It's being actually very tight-lipped, and you get the impression that the Kremlin was also sort of taken by surprise, by this announcement by President Trump, that an energy ceasefire had been agreed by both sides.

There's been a conference call, a daily conference call by the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, over the course of the past several hours, he was obviously repeatedly asked about this, and he just said that contacts are ongoing and that he had nothing further to add.

That's not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it, of that energy ceasefire announced so prominently by President Trump at the weekend? There have been ceasefires like this energy ceasefires, you know, undertaken in the past.

There were a couple last year, it didn't amount to much. There was one earlier this year that lasted for just a few days. What's different this time, though, it seems, is that President Trump has so much more at stake. He's facing the Midterms in, what is it? Three weeks.

High prices at the pumps in the United States really wants to show he's doing everything he can to U.S. voters, to try and bring that down. And that's why there's all this enormous pressure being placed right now on Ukraine, on the leadership in Kyiv to stop their attacks on Russian oil refineries, to try and allow Russian diesel and other fuel products to continue to flow and to pick up.

If they don't, it also potentially provides President Trump with a scapegoat in the form of President Zelenskyy in Ukraine. He can blame them for the fact it didn't happen. All of this, of course, you know, music to the ears of the Kremlin.

Absolutely rubbing their hands with glee that they are once again on the same page when it comes to Ukraine with the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: Joining me now live from London is Gregoire Roos, the director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia programs at Chatham House. Appreciate you joining us.

GREGOIRE ROOS, DIRECTOR OF THE EUROPE, RUSSIA, AND EURASIA PROGRAMS, CHATHAM HOUSE: My pleasure. Good morning, or good night on the East Coast.

CHURCH: Very good morning here. Very early morning. So, President Trump's premature announcement of an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia that neither side knew about comes just three weeks before the U.S. midterms and just days after the U.S. president announced a controversial U.S.-Russia deal designed to supply markets with Russian diesel, an agreement that's now facing bipartisan backlash. Trump's hoping the plan will bring down diesel prices in time for the midterms. What's your reaction to all of this?

[02:05:23]

ROOS: Yes, I think Matthew has done a great job encapsulating the issues at stake here. And indeed, there has there have been several ceasefires since the beginning of the war nearly five years ago. And if we look carefully at each of them, none of them has really lasted for more than a couple of days. I think this one stands out in a very peculiar way, simply because there is no such thing as a ceasefire as such.

The U.S. president announced an immediate halt to attacks on energy infrastructure in in both Ukraine and Russia, but as a matter of fact, neither Kyiv nor Moscow has confirmed that an agreement was enforced. So, Russian attacks continued. The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov didn't directly answer the question when he was asked whether Moscow had agreed to a ceasefire. He said that consultations, discussions were still going on with Washington, which was a way of escaping the question.

And Kyiv has said that they were not against a ceasefire, although this was, I quote President Zelenskyy, "News for me." And therefore there was no reason that they would be the first ones to start, especially if Moscow was not willing to implementing it.

I think one important point here is to ask ourselves on whose terms that ceasefire would be signed, because if it's a reciprocal energy ceasefire, that would actually protect at least in the short run, Ukrainian civilians ahead of winter, and somehow create the conditions for broader negotiations. But the Russian president has thus far shown little willingness, if at all, to compromise on his territorial demands.

CHURCH: Yes, and President Trump has little to no leverage over Russia's President Putin, but he does have leverage over Ukraine's President Zelenskyy. What will likely happen if Ukraine's president continues to attack Russian oil refineries in response to Russian attacks?

ROOS: I think it is actually a very -- a very important question. I think at the beginning of the war, Ukraine was quite frankly blatantly dependent on the U.S. financially and militarily. For five years, things have changed. Ukraine is actually more equally, if not more, dependent on Europe, especially financially, which means that Europe alone can support, can take the greater part of the -- of the -- of the burden, can assume a greater part of the burden supporting Ukraine.

Militarily, it's perhaps where the U.S. is still relevant, especially in when where you see dependencies remain. I think especially in terms of intelligence, although some European intelligence agencies have stepped up. Of course, Patriot interceptors and this so-called deal comes a few days after Greece and Spain told Ukraine that they prefer to keep their Patriots for themselves, otherwise they would fall short of Patriot missiles for their own protection, and some other precision strike capabilities.

But Europeans can do more in terms of military support, and for the time being sustain much of NATO's war effort. I think there's a very important development in terms of military deterrence in a way, is that the supreme elite commander of NATO, who happens to be American General Grynkewich actually reaffirmed 24 hours ago that the alliance is ready to fight if attacked.

So, we see that there is a lot of political uncertainty coming from Washington when it comes to approaching Russia. But as far as today is concerned, as we as it looks, military reassurance coming from the alliance is still there, at least for now.

CHURCH: So, Gregoire, why isn't President Trump criticizing Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, including the one in Kharkiv Sunday, just after Trump announced his so-called energy ceasefire?

ROOS: Well, I mean, first of all, nothing -- I think what Donald Trump has showed us that what he does today doesn't mean that he cannot do it, do the contrary tomorrow. You know, some months ago he announced that he was imposing a 50 percent tariff on India for mostly the sole purpose that India was still buying Russian oil, and was very critical of some European countries, especially Hungary under Viktor Orban, his friend back then, buying Russian oil. And now, what is he doing? Well, he's buying Russian oil.

[02:10:09]

So, you know, today Russia is a friend, and tomorrow Russia could be a foe. But it seems difficult that this situation will change, and the rhetoric will be overturned before the midterms. I think the president is still hopeful that that the situation between, in terms of attack on infrastructure in both Russia and Ukraine, will calm down.

But the thing is that President Zelenskyy has absolutely no intention of calming down, of reducing his attack, simply because he knows that this upcoming winter will be by far the most difficult for you that Ukraine will have to face since actually the war the war started.

So, the risk is what is the most important risk for President Zelenskyy? Not losing American support, especially now that Europe has stepped up, but rather letting Russia get the upper hand, and that's why President Putin, I think, knows that he shouldn't be too hopeful that President Zelenskyy will align on President's decision.

It's actually interesting to hear that there are reports that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with their Ukrainian counterparts, or the Ukrainian delegation in Miami on Thursday the eighth, so last week, saying that they should not -- there should not be any kind of misinterpretation of that deal. That the very strategic move of President Trump was actually to push Moscow back at the negotiating table after Kyiv would have interrupted its attacks, long-range attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, and this could only happen if some U.S. sanctions were to be lifted on sanctions on U.S. oil.

It's very difficult to believe in this, and it's obviously far from being strategic, given the current situation in which Ukraine finds itself, you know you have attacks on civilian infrastructure every single day, including water infrastructure.

CHURCH: Gregoire Roos, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your perspective and analysis. Appreciate it.

Well, Saudi authorities say the Kingdom's main airport will remain closed until further notice. The decision comes after a series of Houthi attacks that have killed at least 14 people over the weekend and wounded hundreds others. The escalation in hostilities is threatening Saudi Arabia's hopes of becoming an international destination for business and tourism, CNN's Nic Robertson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: This does put the Kingdom in a very difficult position. Just this week, it is hosting a global summit on energy. It is hosting a huge investment conference for Saudi Arabia in a couple of weeks' time. It is absolutely in the, in the sort of international business spotlight, and the strikes on the airport, and the airport now closed until the end of the week, that sends a hugely negative message to potential investors, and that's a key thing for the Saudis. And I think that's why we heard from the energy minister today talking about whether it's the Houthi strikes or the Iranian strikes, that the Saudis are not going to be bowed by all these attacks coming their way. This is how he framed it.

PRINCE ABDULAZIZ BIN SALMAN, SAUDI ENERGY MINISTER: There is no way that somebody will break our back. We are like a phoenix. We come out of the ashes all the time and every time.

ROBERTSON: So, this really underscores their message of stability, but then there's that message of strength they want to portray, and in -- and built into that is how to stop the Houthis perpetrating these attacks, how to send a strong enough military signal. And as we know, the Saudis already backing, with airstrikes, the internationally recognized government in Yemen as they, as they try to oust the Houthis from the country. That could potentially be a very long conflict indeed. But Saudi Arabia is now in a position of taking strikes from the Houthis, and the Houthis say that is because they're involved with the backing the internationally recognized government in Yemen.

So, the -- all the tensions around this, none of it's going away. So, the question becomes: How does Saudi show strength? How does it stop the Houthis from doing this? It is building an international coalition of military support. It does have these airstrikes. And as we know, President Trump at the moment is mulling whether or not he will provide more support above the intelligence level support that's being given at the moment by U.S. personnel in Saudi, and also the sort of air-to-air refueling capacity that the U.K. also is providing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The British Prime Minister says Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard was almost certainly behind the suspected plot to attack a military base used by U.S. forces in England. Tehran has categorically rejected what it calls baseless accusations is what Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the Parliament.

[02:15:14]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY BURNHAM, BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER-ELECT: We will not tolerate these threats on our soil. We will crack down on Iran's use of criminal networks using our full range of powers to target them and their funding streams, and we will bring further sanctions to restrict the capacity of Iran and the IRGC to do us harm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The Vatican says Pope Leo will be admitted to a hospital in Rome in the coming hours for his surgery. The procedure aims to remove an early stage lung nodule that was discovered during recent health checks. The ponteu is expected to remain hospitalized for at least a week as part of his recovery.

CNN's Stefano Pozzebon joins us now live from Rome with the latest. Good to see you, Stefano. So, what more are you learning about the Pope's health, his surgery, and of course the likely impact on the running of the Vatican?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, the running of the Vatican will be essentially be on hold for at least a week, at least since later today. Pope Leo will arrive here at the Gemelli Hospital, that is literally a stone's throw from the Vatican. Here is where John Paul II, the late John Paul II, jokingly called it the Third Vatican because of how much time he used to spend in these hospitals. Pontiffs here have an entire floor dedicated to them.

Pope Leo will arrive, we understand, later at around 11:00 a.m. local time here in Rome, so about 5:00 a.m. on the East Coast, and you can. The Vatican so far has been adamant that the nodule was identified during a routine check.

However, I think nobody is in doubt that this operation was definitely not scheduled. About half an hour ago, gardeners came here to trim the bushes here to allow us to set up this live location.

So, there is a little bit of a censure of Russian preparations as the pontiff is making his way to come here. We do not know whether Pope Leo will receive his operation today or tomorrow. However, yesterday we spent a day on St. Peter's Square, Rosemary, and speaking with faithful and tourists, who of course come to Rome every day to see the beauties of the Vatican, this is what they told us about Pope Leo's health.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pope Leo is doing wonderful work, and we wish him Godspeed and great health. And he's from Chicago, and he's from good blood, and he's going to be fine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he needs a nurse, and I'm one of them. So, if he needs somebody to take care of him in the next couple days, I'd be happy to help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just wishing him the best and hoping that he is in good health.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: Perhaps bad news for that tourist, Carol, clearly, Pope Leo doesn't need an extra nurse. He actually has an entire suit of several rooms and entire staff of doctors and nurses here at the Gemelli Hospital. We're waiting for him. He should arrive here in about three to four hours' time. Rosemary will bring you the latest as soon as we hear from the Vatican.

CHURCH: All right, Stefano Pozzebon joining us there live in front of the hospital, many thanks for that report. Appreciate it.

Well, Hurricane Simon is slowly moving northwest, just offshore of Mexico's Pacific Coast. The storm has weakened to a Category Two hurricane, but is still packing wind speeds of 100 miles per hour or 155 kilometers per hour. Forecasters say it may make landfall on Thursday, though it's tricky to predict exactly when and where of course.

Hurricane Simon damaged buildings and caused flooding in parts of Colima in Mexico. Forecasters say strong winds and rain will continue as the storm travels towards Sinaloa State in the coming days.

We have much more to come here on CNN NEWSROOM. President Trump launches another campaign blitz. His message to voters in Ohio and where he's headed-that's next.

Plus, Democratic lawmaker Ilhan Omar says a search of her home by federal officers is the latest escalation in Donald Trump's campaign of political intimidation. We'll have more on that as Trump again criticizes the congresswoman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't know what they're doing with it, but I can tell you this, she's a disaster.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[02:24:07]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, newly released data shows just how much the world's richest man is spending on the upcoming U.S. elections. Elon Musk's main political group, America PAC, confirmed it has poured at least $276 million into the midterms in recent months, and a lot of that money is being funneled into Texas, where the Republican Senate nominee is locked in a tight race. Texas is hugely important to Musk's business empire and has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994.

Well, in the coming day, Donald Trump plans to pump up the base in reliably Republican Alaska. Three weeks before the midterm elections, he's due to hold rallies in Arizona and Montana later this week.

On Monday, the U.S. president spoke in Youngstown, Ohio, telling voters to pretend that he is on the ballot. President Trump also railed against Somali and Haitian communities while members of the crowd chanted deport.

[02:25:12]

But that crowd was not as jam-packed as some might expect. CNN's cameras captured many empty seats at the venue. The White House wrote on X: These seats are obviously obstructed by the press risers and by an American flag. But CNN observed the seats near the press risers were not obstructed. The president has long been sensitive about crowd size. More now from CNN's Betsy Klein.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: As President Trump embarks on this midterm travel blitz, taking him to Republican strongholds, places like Tennessee, Montana, Alaska, and here in Ohio, the goal, according to his advisers is to juice turnout among his MAGA base. They are not necessarily looking to pick up new voters or to find independent voters. Instead, they are looking to turn out the voters they already have.

And we are seeing some candidates place strategic distance between themselves and the president with very low approval ratings. But there are some who are making the calculation that holding him close could boost their chances. That includes here in Ohio, where there are two very close statewide races for governor and for Senate. Tonight we heard from gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as well as Senate candidate Jon Husted. Both of them in very tight races here. President Trump painting Senate candidate, the Democrat Sherrod Brown, as a radical Democrat who he said wants open borders and wants men in women's sports, repeating a refrain that was popular and worked for Republicans back in 2024. He also talked about the gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, who he said was "A radical left lunatic." The president also had this message for voters who may be considering splitting their ticket this November. Listen.

TRUMP: It's one vote, but that one vote can steer Congress into a direction that you're not going to be happy with, and it's not Ohio values.

KLEIN: The president also spent time during this rally talking about other candidates in other states across the country, that includes Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and he spent a lot of time taking a dark turn as he talked about Somalis who he said quote come from a part of the world that only knows how to kill each other. He said they, "Cheat on everything" and that they are, "Low I.Q. people."

President also taking aim at Michigan Senate candidate the Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, whom he called a "Jihadist." And there were two other Ohio Republicans that the president briefly mentioned. One of them, the embattled Congressman Max Miller, who has been embroiled in this bitter custody dispute with his ex-wife, who is the daughter of Senator Bernie Moreno, the president speaking glowingly of Moreno, briefly referencing Miller. But this should not be a competitive race for Miller. He won by 15 points back in 2024. Democrats see an opening, underscoring how tough that map is going to be for the House of Representatives for Republicans in the next couple of weeks.

Betsy Klein, CNN, traveling with the president in Youngstown, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Supporters of Democratic's Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar turned out in Minneapolis after federal officers executed a search warrant early Monday at her home in the Washington D.C. area. Omar, who is a frequent target of President Trump's attacks is running for re-election in the midterms. CNN's Katelyn Polantz has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: A federal criminal search of Representative Ilhan Omar's home in the D.C. area on Monday, a really unusual step taken by both the Justice Department and the Homeland Security Department so soon before an election, less than a couple weeks until Representative Omar tries to maintain her seat in Congress out of Minnesota, where she is running. She has been in Congress since 2018. She's a Somali immigrant to the United States and now a U.S. citizen.

This particular investigation we know so far from a Justice Department spokesperson that is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, and on top of that, it is very likely an immigration- related investigation. We've heard that both by the evidence of these Homeland Security investigators on scene, as well as from the White House border czar Tom Homan. He also has acknowledged that there's an immigration investigation that's been ongoing for a while here.

Other details, we don't have them, but a source has told us the top Justice Department leadership would have signed off on this, and because this is a search of a home during a criminal probe, the Justice Department would have had to have gone to a federal court and asked for a judge's approval and gotten a judge's approval to be able to enter that home and remove boxes, other documents, and other things they may find that could potentially build a criminal case around or against Representative Omar.

[02:30:00]

Now, she has not been charged at this time and denies any wrongdoing, including related to immigration. She also has said in a statement today that this is an escalation in a campaign of political intimidation. And make no mistake, it is -- she is someone that the president, President Donald Trump, has called a disgrace, has attacked repeatedly, and that people on the right have long wanted to see criminally investigated for immigration and other reasons.

Now, there are just from policies to stop some sort of overt step in investigation so close to an election. But those can easily be overcome. And that federal judge signing off on this also is a signal that the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security are taking this very seriously, whatever they may be investigating here related to Representative Omar. Back to you.

CHURCH: Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in the streets of India's capital on Monday to protest against the voter list controversy. Congress party leader, Rahul Gandhi has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the controversial revision of electoral rolls. Monday's demonstrations followed a police crackdown that saw thousands of protesters and the leaders of the Cockroach Party detained over the weekend.

They are calling for the resignation of the country's top election official amid claims of alleged voter rigging that critics say benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party.

More student-led demonstrations are expected across France on Tuesday. Students and teachers' unions are calling for another round of strikes, demanding better conditions, more staff and additional resources for public schools. The planned protests come as French lawmakers begin debating the 2027 budget.

Hackers have turned up the heat at hundreds of supermarkets across France. A massive cyber attack sent refrigerator and freezer temperatures soaring as high as 50 degrees Celsius or 122 degrees Fahrenheit, sparking fires and spoiling huge quantities of food. Several major supermarket chains have been affected with losses expected to reach tens of millions of euros.

Still ahead, on this hour of "CNN Newsroom," new details on the escalating hostilities between the Saudis and Houthis and what President Trump is saying about the issue. Back with that and more in just a moment.

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[02:37:11]

CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I'm Rosemary Church. We have more now on the deadly Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's main airport. President Trump says he has spoken to Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman after the strikes. He did not say what was discussed, but did remark that the Houthis are, quote, "misbehaving very badly."

Over the weekend, Trump said that the U.S. would consider whether to join the Saudi-led offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed three Houthi ballistic missiles on Monday, just days after the Iran-backed militant group launched the deadliest attack on the kingdom in more than a decade.

Joining me now is Hisham al-Omeisy. He is a Conflict Analyst and Senior Yemen Adviser with the European Institute of Peace. Appreciate you joining us.

HISHAM AL-OMEISY, SENIOR YEMEN ADVISER, EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF PEACE: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: Of course. So, Iran-backed Houthis have attacked Riyadh's international airport twice now with deadly force. What are the military capabilities and objectives of the Houthis as they escalate attacks on Saudi Arabia?

AL-OMEISY: Well, their capabilities have grown exponentially over the past 10 years. You have to remember these are the people that came down from the caves with flip-flops and AK-47s at the beginning of the conflict in 2015. Right now, they have ballistic missiles, they have cruise missiles, they have drones, and they have the capacity to attack cities all the way to Tel Aviv. And they have the capacity also to pinpoint targets, moving targets in the middle of the sea, as you've seen over the past two years, with them attacking close to about 100 ships.

And now, they can do the same with land targets with devastating impact, as you've seen with the attack on the airport. And the reason they attacked is because they're coordinating with the Iranians to put the squeeze on the Saudis, but also in trying to attempt to extract concessions from Saudi Arabia and the region, as they did in the Red Sea with the remainder of the international community the two past years.

But also, they want the Saudis to stop backing the local government, especially after the local government launched a campaign to recapture territories that the Houthis have been controlling for the better part of the past 12 years. And by increasing the cost of the conflict on the Saudis, they're hoping that the Saudi leadership would call it quits, realizing that this could drag on for a very long time, and it would exert a lot of economic and reputational damages to the Saudi government.

CHURCH: Right. And of course, that is not happening. The U.S. President, Donald Trump is now saying that the United States may join the Saudis in their fight against the rebel Houthis.

[02:40:00]

What would be the likely ramifications of such action in the region as, of course, the war with Iran continues with no end in sight? And what are the risks involved here?

AL-OMEISY: Well, you'd have a bit of a spillover effect if it escalates and depending on what kind of involvement of the U.S. administration. Are we talking about enhancing the intelligence and logistical support for the Saudi government? Are you talking about some limited targeting of Houthi launchers? Or are we talking about full-on military support, U.S. support? If that happens, they say the Houthis will have a lot of fodder to work with. They're basically a rally up support, not just within Yemen, but also from the axis of resistance, from Hezbollah, from people in Syria, from people in Iraq. You would see a full movement of the axis then.

And of course, you would see the Iranians in turn also putting the squeeze more on the Strait of Hormuz as the Houthis escalate, not just against Saudi, but also put pressure on the Red Sea. That basically would also void the current agreement that they have with the U.S. government, that they would not attack American ships in Bab al- Mandeb. If the U.S. administration joins the Saudis, Houthis will not only target Saudi ships, but they will also target American ships in the Bab al-Mandeb and the Red Sea.

So you have an exponentially larger conflict.

CHURCH: Right. And so what impact would the combined force of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia in a fight against the Iran-backed Houthis have on oil prices, given all of that?

AL-OMEISY: Well, you'd see an increase in oil prices because the Houthis won't limit themselves to attacking, for instance, just basic infrastructure. They'll go after the pipelines. They'll go after Aramco, which will debilitate that infrastructure and will limit the exports from Saudi Arabia. But also Houthis could expand their target list to attack other GCC countries as well, in a similar way that the Iranians did over the past six months.

And of course, that conflict would drag on. You're talking about the aerial campaign, and the aerial campaign that was launched last year took a few months, but it didn't really debilitate the Houthi ability to launch missiles and drones. What you need is actually a ground force that could dislodge the Houthis from multiple locations, especially on the West Coast of the Red Sea. And to do that, you'd need the support of local tribes, you need the support of the local government.

Hence why the Saudis have chosen to back local forces for the past few weeks, basically the Yemeni government.

CHURCH: Hisham al- Omeisy, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your analysis. Appreciate it.

AL-OMEISY: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: Israeli officials say one teenager was killed and others wounded after an explosion on a school trip near the Lebanon border. The Israel Defense Forces say an initial review by soldiers on the scene indicate the explosion was caused by an unexploded Hezbollah munition that had landed in the area. It's unclear when that projectile was fired. Emergency officials say multiple people were injured, some of them seriously.

We have much more coming up here on the show, including actress Selma Blair in court, why she's facing two charges of second-degree assault after a flight to New York. That story and more after a short break. Stay with us.

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[02:48:11]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One flight attendant and one passenger that sustained some minor injuries. A bloody nose as well as some bite marks as well. And then one additional add-on. It sounds like the disruptive passenger also bashed her head on the bulkhead or something like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Air traffic controller audio there detailing an incident on a Sunday flight from Los Angeles to New York. The passenger described in that tape was later confirmed to be actress Selma Blair, who was taken into police custody.

She appeared in court on Monday and was charged with two counts of second-degree assault. Blair did not enter a plea. Blair revealed in 2018, she had multiple sclerosis. Her representative says the actress experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct.

The trial of comedian Russell Brand is underway in London. Brand is facing multiple counts of rape, sexual assault and more from the late '90s to the early 2000s. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges. CNN's Max Foster has more.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: The comedian, actor and podcaster was charged with rape and assault against six women between 1999 and 2009 in London and Bournemouth on the English South Coast.

The 51-year-old pleaded not guilty on all three counts of rape, three of sexual assault, and one indecent assault. They go back to the start of his career as a stand-up comic, who rose to fame as a U.K. T.V. and radio host and was starring roles in Hollywood movies. The allegations relate to his time in the U.K., though he now lives in Florida and has three children.

The trial started on Monday at London's Southwark Crown Court with jury selection.

[02:50:00]

Brand was accompanied to court by his wife, Laura, and a bodyguard. And there was a large media presence outside, but he didn't take any questions. The prosecution will open its case on Wednesday and the trial is expected to last at least six weeks. He's on bail.

Max Foster, CNN, London.

CHURCH: Nikon's prestigious Small World in Motion microscopic video competition is stripping this year's winner of his title over the use of Generative A.I. His video shows microscopic hair-like structures inside the airways of a child with a rare genetic disorder.

But scientists flagged unnatural biological behavior in the video, prompting an investigation by Nikon. The winner acknowledged his use of A.I. to enhance and color the images but says the original footage was not A.I. generated. Nikon says the video violated its competition rules and has since named a new winner.

Well, coming up on "CNN Newsroom," the years-long war with Russia is driving one Ukrainian football club to find a temporary new home. We go inside Stamford Bridge to learn what brought them to the home of Chelsea. Back with that in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, the Paris Motor Show is in full swing. Two themes have emerged this year. Many models have received an electric upgrade while others are embracing the past with nods to older vehicles.

But all eyes are on the Chinese automakers at this year's show. Around 20 Chinese brands are on the motor show floor, doubling their presence from 2024. One analyst says Chinese brands have been consistently gaining ground in Europe despite increased tariffs from the European Union.

Well, as Russia and Ukraine exchange fire in a war that seems to only escalate, a beloved Ukrainian football team is finding a temporary new home in London. Our Christina Macfarlane reports from Stamford Bridge.

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CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This team haven't been able to play at home since 2014. After being forced to flee their stadium following the annexation of Crimea, the players have crossed the border hundreds of times to compete in one of football's most prestigious tournaments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): How many hours have we been driving?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'm not counting. I stopped counting after five hours

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Five, yeah. We haven't even crossed the border into Poland yet

[02:55:00]

MACFARLANE (voice-over): Ukrainian side, Shakhtar Donetsk are used to going the extra mile to play their football.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Finally, we come to London.

SERHII PALKIN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE, F.C. SHAKHTAR DONETSK: Travel issue is the biggest problem that we have because sometimes to reach our final destination to play -- to play Champions League games, we can spend even two, three days.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): This season Shakhtar Donetsk have traded their destroyed Donbas arena for a stadium at one of the most famous clubs in the Premier League. After failing to qualify for the Champions League this season, Chelsea's owners came to an agreement for the Ukrainian club to host its four home matches at the bridge, which would include a clash against the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham when they face Real Madrid in January.

PALKIN: For us, London is the football capital of the whole world and Stamford Bridge is a great legendary stadium. And for us, it's very important to be here and for our players, it will be additional motivation to show attracting beautiful football like in our DNA.

MACFARLANE: Well, and there's a big Ukrainian diaspora here in London. I think there's something like 32,000 Ukrainians in London. Is this a chance as well for you to connect with them?

PALKIN: For us, it's very important to give them this breath of air, you know, that Ukraine come here.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): Although the fans will be able to support the team in a home stadium, they won't be able to buy a home shirt.

MACFARLANE: So tell me why it's the away kit and not the home kit right now?

PALKIN: Because one month ago, we got a call from Puma, Puma Ukraine and they saying us, can you please take some part of your t-shirts and away from our warehouse because we have chance that it will be demolished? And can you imagine in two days, this warehouse was completely demolished by Russia and Puma lost everything.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): The opportunity is driving business too. Club sponsor, DTEK is Ukraine's biggest private energy firm. Its CEO, Maxim Timchenko believes now is the time to invest in Ukraine.

MAXIM TIMCHENKO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DTEK: It's very symbolic for us to be -- to have our appearance, appearance of company brand for the first game here in such a legendary stadium, to deliver our message to hundreds of millions of people in the world, that Ukraine is not only country where we're fighting, where we're surviving, but a country where we invest in the future.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): A season spent at Stamford Bridge will be a memorable chapter in the history of this Donetsk club. But the goal is always to return home.

PALKIN: Even now, from time to time, I switch on T.V. and switch on video and watching how our fans supported us in Donbas arena. It was amazing. You cannot compare emotionally with anything, you know, you have because home is home.

MACFARLANE: Do you believe you will return?

PALKIN: It's our dream.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): Christina Macfarlane, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And thanks so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. "CNN Newsroom" with Christina Macfarlane is next. Do stay with us.

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