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France Reels from Unrest as President Condemns Rioters; Trump Defends Waiving Sanctions Against Russia; Trump Endorses Netanyahu Days Before Israeli Elections; Four Killed as Fire Breaks Out at Canadian Military Base; Alberta Voters to Voice Views on Separating from Canada; Trump and Republicans Losing Latino Voter Support; Pope Makes First Major Public Appearance Since Cancer Surgery. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired October 19, 2026 - 00:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Hello from Hong Kong. I'm Will Ripley, and this is CNN NEWSROOM.

[00:00:38]

Widespread destruction six months before the French elections. Some of the worst violence and looting they've seen in years.

Ukraine strikes back. Another massive wave of attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, defying Donald Trump as the U.S. president faces backlash from his own party over Putin's diesel deal.

And election countdown. Just days to go until Israel's critical vote. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gets a major late endorsement from President Trump.

French President Emmanuel Macron is vowing to prevent a repeat of this weekend's violent protests as business owners and shopkeepers pick up the pieces from the looting and the rioting and the fires.

He spoke to the nation and said seditious elements from far-left factions, as he called them, will be held accountable for that violence.

But he also said the majority of the protesters were simply calling to attention legitimate grievances that the government simply cannot ignore.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): Yesterday, several hundred thousand of our fellow citizens demonstrate with a desire to voice legitimate demands. We must never confuse them with those who destroyed, vandalized, and looted.

These demonstrators expressed concern about the cost of living and fuel prices, which stem from the conflict that began in the Persian Gulf, a conflict in which France has taken no part, but whose consequences we are suffering.

I fully understand their concerns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: CNN's Melissa Bell is on the ground in Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A walk with the dog in Paris shows the now and then of widespread protests in France, demonstrations that were largely peaceful but on Saturday night became incendiary.

The interior minister said that more than half a million people took part in nationwide protests over rising costs, complaints of government inaction, and poor school conditions that, at times, turned quickly destructive.

Rioters smashed storefronts, set fires, and attacked public buildings, leaving the nation in shock. French President Emmanuel Macron blamed far-left groups and criminals for the unrest and vowed to take action.

MACRON (through translator): Those who destroy property must pay. Those who looted must reimburse the damage. Those who sought to bring down the republic will be held accountable.

BELL (voice-over): President Macron held an emergency meeting with his ministers on Sunday, with more talks planned on Monday with French mayors to address public safety and the grievances raised by protesters.

Meanwhile, a massive cleanup operation is underway. In Paris, a task force was announced to support damaged businesses. French authorities say that looters ransacked hundreds of stores and supermarkets across the country.

Even the statue of Marianne in the Place de la Republique is covered in graffiti, and its base is damaged after protesters scaled the iconic French symbol the previous day as clashes with police raged around it.

Some people say that parts of the French capital look like a war zone and are stunned by the destruction.

MARGAUX EUDE, PARIS RESIDENT (through translator): I support the mobilization I was working yesterday. I couldn't come to protest, but I didn't think it would escalate like this, because it's the troublemakers who came. And it breaks my heart, because it delegitimizes the movement.

BELL (voice-over): But Paris isn't the only place reeling from the riots. In Limoges, authorities say that masked rioters torched the historic town hall, a landmark that survived two world wars but not Saturday's chaos.

And in Marseille, residents are picking up the pieces after a night of rampant looting and vandalism.

FARIDA, MARSEILLE RESIDENT (through translator): It's heartbreaking seeing our city like this. If every protest ends with all the shop windows smashed and stores trashed, this simply can't go on.

BELL (voice-over): On Sunday, there were still some skirmishes in Paris, but as the smoke clears, the underlying issues that sparked these turbulent protests will likely be key factors in next year's presidential poll, a race where Macron isn't running after reaching his two-term limit, and one where both the far-right and the far-left are gaining ground.

[00:05:07]

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: Joining me now is CNN European affairs commentator Dominic Thomas.

Dominic, thanks for being here. I'd love for you to help us understand the nuance of this situation, this extraordinary wave of anger in France.

Why are things escalating like this? And why now?

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Yes. Well, what we saw over the weekend was a real escalation of violence. I mean, of course, these large demonstrations, and these have been going on for days, if not weeks now, are magnets for rioters and looters. But beyond that, there's a lot more going on.

The political climate in France has dramatically deteriorated, particularly during the second term of Emmanuel Macron's presidency. Let's not forget that his government lost its parliamentary majority, and there's been a sort of paralysis in terms of legislation during that time.

And we have a whole generation of younger people, but also workers in French society who feel like the society has become more inequitable. And they've taken to the street to air their feelings here.

And this has been compounded by what has been a decided sort of increase in, really, what we can only describe as the sort of militarization of the French police force.

We saw this happening in 2018 with the yellow vests, demonstrations that were along similar issues. But we saw also on the streets over the weekend the use of stun grenades, tear gas, rubber bullets, and -- and so on, too.

And I think at this particular juncture, we see Emmanuel Macron focusing on the violence, because it's really quite obvious that, with six months to go in his presidency, there really are no more time to be able to come up with meaningful solutions to these political problems.

And so, it's provided a distraction from the real, legitimate claims that protesters have been making.

RIPLEY: Yes. You know, the presidential election, as you said, coming up in April. President Macron did address the nation.

Did his address do anything to defuse the situation? Where do you see things going in the months ahead?

THOMAS: Yes. I'm not sure anybody is really listening to him at this particular stage, because they know that he's turned out. I mean, that's the -- the reality of it.

What was interesting, of course, he had to make a comment about the violence, and that allowed him to push the law-and-order response rather than once again genuinely coming up with concrete solutions.

He talked about opening up the ministries to some of the protesters so that they could discuss things, and so on and so forth.

But as I just said, it's a little bit too late in his term to do that.

The big shift that took place -- and this is so deeply ironic -- is that he turned his attention by saying that this was to be blamed on the ultra-left, which is really a code name for the far-left political party, LFI, run by Jean-Luc Melenchon.

This is a direct out of the sort of President Trump playbook that accuses, essentially, any detractor as being, somehow or other, a radical left.

Now, Emmanuel Macron was elected, one could argue, in 2017 and 2022 to fight off the far-right. The far-right, under Marine Le Pen, has grown during his presidency. And at this particular juncture, I think he sees the future of his party making it into the runoff stages if they're able to decredibalize [SIC] the far left.

And that's essentially what has happened in this particular play-out, which he did today on television. And it marks a decided shift in government policy and rhetoric.

RIPLEY: Do you think this is connected to this wider generational, largely Gen Z revolt that's been spreading across Europe? Or do you think we're just witnessing this uniquely French tradition of street protests?

THOMAS: So, the street has been a legitimate space in which people go to voice their discontent with proposed legislation and so on.

We saw this happening with pension reform a while back. But I do think that these are all related at this particular stage.

Let's just take the example once again, you know, of France. In the last two years, there have been five education ministers. So, the claims that school-age students are making, that university students are making, that they have been left behind by the Macron presidency, are absolutely legitimate.

The youth are the future of France, and the youth feel like they have no future. They have anxiety over the future of A.I. and the prospects in the employment. But they feel like they're not being listened to and that those that are thriving in society, in the wealthier sectors, are moving ahead, and a whole generation is being left behind.

It started with school-age students, but they've been joined in this particular movement, as we've seen elsewhere in Europe by university students, teachers, trade unions and workers who all feel the same. Were at a crossroads in France, and what these protests reveal are very deep political and social fractures, and the street is the place to express their discontent here.

[00:10:05]

And as we move into the next election, those parties that listen to these young people will likely do well, Will.

RIPLEY: I would argue we're at a crossroads in France, Europe, and around the world. Because these concerns, these legitimate concerns that young people are expressing, and this -- this desperation and panic about the future, don't see that -- the factors changing anytime soon. So, this is really an extraordinary moment to watch.

Dominic Thomas, we'll leave it there for now, but I really appreciate your insights. Thank you very much for joining us.

This wave of discontent has been boiling over in other European cities as well. In Albania's capital, for example, student-led anti- government protests turned violent for a sixth day.

The Albanian prime minister, Edi Rama, still refusing to resign. Protesters setting fire to government buildings. They've been throwing Molotov cocktails, rocks, and bricks at police.

Rama is warning the protests only hurt Albania's chances of joining the European Union.

Largely peaceful protests began earlier this summer against a luxury coastal development that's backed by U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. But the movement really shifted last week, as students upset over high educational and living costs also joined in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NOEL XHOXHI, PROTESTER: I think it's going to get even worse, the riots and the civil disobedience.

RENEE REFFO, PROTESTER: People are not getting paid the amount of -- the amount that they're supposed to get paid. They're working long hours to get nothing at the end of the month. There's no rights. There's, like, lower-class, and there's high-class. There's no middle class.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: And in Italy, chaos erupted in the streets of Milan for a second day during protests over the cost of living. A familiar theme we're seeing here.

Police fired tear gas. They used water cannons to try to contain several hundred people who broke shop windows and began looting stores there.

The Italian prime minister has condemned the violence and is calling for a government meeting on Monday to discuss a response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSION)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: Take a look at this. These are explosions in St. Petersburg over the weekend. Ukraine launching one of its largest drone attacks of the year on Russia, killing a -- hitting a key oil terminal.

The strikes come as tensions grow between Ukraine and the U.S.

Ukraine's actions are in defiance of pressure from President Donald Trump to stop targeting energy infrastructure, even as Russia has continued hitting Ukrainian energy sites hard.

In a Truth Social post, President Trump slammed the Ukrainian president, saying, quote, "Zelenskyy is using Diesel Refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the world diesel markets. Zelenskyy doesn't care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him, and that Crooked Joe Biden gave him in the past, he doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did."

Mr. Trump also defended his decision to waive sanctions related to Russian fossil fuel sales, just days before they were set to begin.

In his Truth Social post, he said he doesn't want to do anything to drive Russia away from negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, claiming, quote, "Great progress is being made."

Zelenskyy said, in an interview, that the U.S. siding with Russia would be a historic mistake. And he also said he spoke with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on Sunday as part of what he calls nonstop communication, working towards the goal of achieving peace.

Trump's waiving of Russia-related sanctions has faced strong backlash from some members of Congress, including in his own party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Well, look, Congress voted on this decisively just several weeks ago, and we understand that Putin cannot be trusted. He demonstrates that over and over and over.

So, I did talk to several of my colleagues yesterday who had concerns about that. They're on committees of jurisdiction like Intelligence and Foreign Affairs.

And I didn't talk to the president yesterday, because he and I are both traveling nonstop, and we're on different schedules. But I told the White House team that we need to talk about it. And I think carefully consider the -- the unintended consequences that -- that may ensue from that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: Angela Stent is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. She's also author of "Putin's World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest." And she joins me now from Washington.

Angela, thanks so much for being here.

You have said that Russia believes it's winning the war in Ukraine. Is it?

ANGELA STENT, SENIOR FELLOW, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: I think at the moment it's still a stalemate. But unfortunately, it's been much more difficult for Ukraine in the past few weeks. The Russians have really been hitting them with lots more ballistic missiles, day and night, no reprieve.

[00:15:04]

And now, of course, with the lifting of sanctions, with the purchase of their diesel, which will fill their coffers with money to continue pursuing this war, the tide seems to be turning in favor of Russia. Although it's -- you know, it's still not in a position to win, but I think it feels emboldened now.

RIPLEY: You've also said that Trump is laying the groundwork to blame Zelenskyy if Republicans do badly in the U.S. midterms. How?

STENT: Because he understands that high diesel prices, high gas prices have turned a lot of potential voters against him. And the reason for that, of course, is the Iran War. The Russia-Ukraine war has very little to do with it.

But he needs a scapegoat. And so, he says if only Zelenskyy would stop hitting Russian oil refineries, then there'd be more -- more oil on the international market, and prices would go down.

In fact, it would make an infinitesimal difference. But it's -- I think it's very convenient to blame Zelenskyy for this, particularly since Trump has never really liked Zelenskyy. And I think he still blames him for not giving him more information in his first term to -- about the corruption of -- what he considered the corruption of the Biden family and of Hunter Biden.

RIPLEY: And what is Ukraine supposed to do when they're defending themselves from Russian attacks and even running out, now, of Patriot defense missiles leaving Kyiv and other cities defenseless against ballistic missiles?

STENT: Well, this is all they can do. They don't have any more Patriot batteries from the United States. These have been used up in the Iran War.

The U.S. has now stopped sharing Starshield with them, which is the Internet service that enables them to launch their own drones. And even the Starlink, which they use for other purposes, is now being slowed down.

So, they really have no choice. If they don't hit the Russian oil refineries, the Russians will just keep pounding them, and they'll be defenseless.

RIPLEY: Do you think we're approaching a point where Ukraine might have to reconsider its war strategy just to survive this winter?

STENT: It's already facing a very dire situation in the winter. The Europeans are doing as much as they can to help Ukraine, but they can't do as much as the United States.

But Ukraine doesn't have, really, any options. It doesn't want to surrender land to Russia, that Russia doesn't control. And it's not going to admit defeat.

So, Zelenskyy said today it's going to continue fighting, even without the weapons it needs. And even without those Internet connections, because it really doesn't have any choice.

But it will be a very bad winter for them. And the Russians will do everything to starve them of electricity, water, and to try and force them to leave all the major cities.

RIPLEY: And where does this leave Europe? What options, what leverage do they have?

STENT: Well, they -- they -- they're trying to provide as much money and support to Ukraine as they have; financial support. They're trying to provide more weapons, but they just don't have the same weapons that the United States does.

They -- their leverage is small. Clearly, they disagree with what President Trump has done in the last week in terms of all the economic benefits he's given to Russia.

But they will continue supporting Ukraine, because they understand that Russia believes that it's at war, not only with Ukraine, but with Europe, too.

And there's more and more sabotage: Russia hitting ships that are in Romanian waters; hitting Poland. So, they have to do everything they can to try and deter Russia.

And the supreme -- U.S. [SIC] supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe has said that NATO has a plan for what to do if Russia attacks a NATO country. But -- and most NATO leaders believe that that could happen within the next few years.

RIPLEY: Troubling times for so many, and particularly the people of Ukraine, who are still there, still fighting against this after all of these years.

Angela, thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate your expertise.

STENT: Thank you.

RIPLEY: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Hong Kong, with just days to go until Israel's critical election. And as he gets a major late endorsement from President Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making his case to voters.

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[00:24:15]

RIPLEY: Egypt says it's ready to provide Saudi Arabia the support it needs to defend its security and stability as hostilities escalate with Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.

Egypt's National Defense Council declared the country's complete solidarity with its Gulf ally. Egypt's president requested an emergency parliament session to authorize its military to help defend the kingdom, if asked. And discussions are due to continue on Monday.

Cairo said it would also ramp up diplomatic efforts in an effort to reduce tensions across the region.

An Austrian Airlines flight from Israel made an emergency landing in Bulgaria on Sunday due to a bomb threat. The flight took off from Tel Aviv, bound for Vienna, when the crew reported receiving the threat.

Officials say a Bulgarian Air Force fighter jet escorted the aircraft until it landed.

[00:25:05]

The Airbus A-320 was carrying 51 passengers and six crew members. Officials say they'll search the aircraft and rebook the passengers on later flights.

President Trump has finally endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with just over a week to go until Israel's election day.

The relationship between the two leaders has sometimes been rocky, especially in recent months.

President Trump told CNN contributor Barak Ravid that it was always his intention to endorse Netanyahu, but he, quote, "didn't want to do it too soon." Netanyahu was quick to thank Trump for his, quote, "tremendous

support." The Israeli prime minister also cited the endorsement in this appeal to undecided voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): He gave me his unequivocal support, and he explained why. He said that together we achieved remarkable things. We crushed Iran. We crushed the Iranian axis, and we pushed back the immediate threat of nuclear bombs.

Our partnership, which has accomplished so much, will continue in the next two years, perhaps longer, in order to eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CNN's Kevin Liptak is at the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump is throwing his support behind Benjamin Netanyahu as the Israeli prime minister is battling for his political survival.

LIPTAK (voice-over): For months, President Trump had stopped short of providing his endorsement, and even when he was asked by reporters whether he wanted Netanyahu to remain as prime minister, he never quite said. He said he wasn't involved in that election.

But now, just days before Israelis head to the polls, President Trump is offering his full-throated support. He says that, quote, "Bibi Netanyahu has been strong, brave, and brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel itself. Despite all of that, he has endured. And in fact, he has thrived."

Now, it used to be kind of taboo for an American president to endorse in a foreign election. President Trump has sort of blown past that tradition for a long time now.

But it is an open question of just how much effect this endorsement will have. President Trump used to be enormously popular in Israel during an election in 2019. There were billboards that lined highways there, showing Netanyahu and Trump together.

Those billboards are not there now, and many Israelis have soured on President Trump, including because of the war in Iran. They think he's just dropped the ball there.

Now, in his endorsement, President Trump did mention Iran. Now, this is an issue that has put him at odds with Netanyahu in a lot of ways. It's become clear now for months that the U.S. and Israel have divergent interests in that conflict.

President Trump, in his endorsement said that the U.S. And Israel would, quote, "finish the job soon in Iran."

But he also offered something of a warning. He said that if Israel, quote, "has the wrong leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves." And he says he was not inclined to do that.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Hong Kong. We're following two major stories out of Canada at this hour. A tragedy at a military base just ahead of a major referendum in Alberta.

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[00:33:11]

RIPLEY: Well, the number of dead up to four now in that large fire that broke out at one of Canada's busiest military bases. Officials there say the cause of the fire is still being investigated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. WADE RUTLAND, COMMANDER, 1ST CANADIAN DIVISION: During the conduct of a training, a grass fire ignited in the training area. The cause of this fire is under active investigation.

What I would say is there were multiple training activities happening throughout the training area at the time. Uncommonly strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly and shift direction towards the range administrative area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: So, what we know is that the fire began at the armed forces base at Wainwright, Alberta. It's around 130 miles from the provincial capital, Edmonton.

In addition to the four deaths, we also know that dozens were seriously hurt. One witness described what he saw as being, essentially, like a scene from a war movie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANDON SIMMONS, WITNESS: I seen a guy run by me that had his pants blown off. All he was, was in his blue underwear. You know, I seen burns. I seen people that were getting unloaded out of the back of that military vehicle. They were wrapped in -- in pretty much tin foil.

I heard people screaming inside of those vehicles, you know, that will never end up being out of my mind. Like I said, it was just a scene from a war movie.

(END VIDEO CLIP) RIPLEY: Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, said the fire stemmed from what's being described as a serious incident, without providing more details.

Obviously, this happened in a sensitive military installation.

An official from the Department of National Defence says there is no indication right now of terrorism. The prime minister added that flags on federal buildings are being flown at half-staff.

[00:35:01]

For more on this story, here's CNN's Paula Newton.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Canadian military is still trying to come to grips with the scope of this tragedy.

NEWTON (voice-over): But Prime Minister Mark Carney made it clear that, in fact, he called this one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime.

And that includes people, he says, dozens of people who are at this hour still critically injured.

And the resources that it took on the ground. So many people, because the fire was, in his words, violent and fast moving. They had to be triaged, not just there in the community, but were medevacked out to different locations in the province.

I want you to listen now to Prime Minister Mark Carney as he kind of describes exactly what they're facing here. Listen.

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: And CFB Wainwright is where the women and men of our armed forces learn to do the hardest things this country can ask of anyone.

Those we lost, those who were injured, were training to defend Canada, to serve Canada, and now Canada serves them. We will be there for their families for as long as they need. We will care for the injured through every step of their recovery, and we will stand by the women and men of our armed forces as they bear the weight of this loss. They will not carry it alone.

NEWTON: Now this base, which is about --

NEWTON (voice-over): -- a two-hour drive South of Edmonton, Alberta, is used for live training for the military forces all the time. Well, this is live ammunition training.

And while we do not know the details of exactly what happened here, I want you to look at some of the video. Look, they have tight procedures in place to make sure everyone is safe, but there was some kind of explosion or fire. And that, in the prime minister's words, it was violent and fast-moving. In fact, members of the community had to scramble there to make sure

they could hold the line on that fire and to make sure it did not spread to the neighboring community.

There had been high winds in the area, not a lot of rain.

Right now, they say that there is no danger to residents in the area, but still, many people trying to come to grips with this tragedy. And as the prime minister said --

NEWTON: -- dozens injured, and many of them have severe burns.

Paula Newton, CNN, Ottawa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: The tragedy in Alberta came just ahead of a referendum there, asking whether the province should separate from the rest of the country. This is a non-binding referendum happening on Monday, which will ask people if they want to remain a part of Canada or start the complex legal process to hold a vote on separating.

It's the first time the oil-rich province has posed the question to the public. Polls consistently show most Albertans want to stay, with roughly a quarter of people there supporting secession.

Separatists argue that federal power and energy policies have been stifling Alberta's economy.

So, joining us now to discuss this from Calgary is Felice Chin. She is "The Hub's" Alberta bureau chief.

It's good to be with you. You guys have been through quite a lot in recent days and a big news cycle coming up. I'm wondering how this Wainwright tragedy is changing the political conversation where you are around this referendum?

FELICE CHIN, ALBERTA BUREAU CHIEF, "THE HUB": I think it's changing the tone dramatically. The prime minister was in Alberta for this referendum, and by all reporting, it sounded like he was about to have a bit of a watch party.

The day before he was in Red Deer, having a bit of a good time. Yesterday it all changed, and now we know there are 39 injured, 19 in critical conditions. Among the four dead, three are privates. One is a sergeant.

This, of course, was a place where there's a lot of training. Wainwright is a community rich with history, military history, over 100 years of it.

I think all of this is a reminder that during the -- all the lead-up to the referendum, there's been so much about the economic and political debates about why we want to do this, if we want to do this right now. This introduces another dimension to this referendum, which is the

emotional part of it, that what binds us is more than just these -- these questions about taxation and natural resource development.

RIPLEY: I want to ask you more about the referendum, but I'm also curious if you have any new reporting on this serious incident. Any more details about what exactly may have happened?

CHIN: Well, we know that the place is a base where soldiers get trained before they're deployed. It was used when people -- it would be the stop before they go to Afghanistan, for example.

[00:40:04]

And right now, these soldiers were supposed to go to Latvia for a NATO mission, a Russian -- a Russia deterrence program that's supposed to bolster the Eastern flank of NATO in Euro-Atlantic, that region.

We know that these soldiers were part of that mission and that there were really high winds at that time.

I live in Calgary, which is four hours away from -- from Wainwright, but even here I had to change my travel plans, because I was literally worried that the wind would blow my scooter away. So, I had to have a friend pick me up. So that's how intense it was.

The gusts were at times at what would be equivalent to 55 miles per hour. So, you can imagine in the prairies, in dry condition, any kind of fire or explosion would catch very quickly and spread very quickly. And we do understand that there was a change in wind that was a factor in this incident.

We now know that the -- that those who are injured in critical conditions, including severe burns, they're dispersed through four different hospitals in -- in Alberta, including Edmonton and even here in Calgary, which are four hours away from each other.

RIPLEY: Wow. And the political winds, obviously, have been whipping around, as well.

I'm curious for your take on this. Is -- is independence a realistic political objective here, or primarily, is this a way to try to pressure Canada's federal government?

CHIN: I would say it's more of the latter. If you look at all the various by-elections and past elections, separatist parties and candidates have never gained more than a single-digit percentage of -- of support.

And in fact, in all through history, we've only ever elected one provincial -- provincial party, MLA. That's what they're called here.

And -- and but right now, like, there's been this build up that -- of frustration over the asymmetry of economic power versus political power. What I mean by that is Alberta is where -- is the economic engine of

the country. It contributes tremendously to the GDP of this country. It pays a disproportionate amount of taxes.

So, over the years, policies that people feel are limiting to our natural resource development that have really, really hurt investment in the province, led to various pipeline cancellations. These have all culminated in an anti-Ottawa sentiment. This frustration.

Some people describe it as threatening to divorce and that this is like the first stage of it. We know that among the 20 to 25 percent of people who say they want to vote for the option of exploring the possibility of separation -- because you have to remember, this is not an outright vote for separation -- that a significant number of them don't actually want to form a new country.

They just want to send a message to Ottawa and create the leverage necessary for this provincial government to get a better deal.

RIPLEY: We have a few seconds left. I want to ask you if you think this could trigger a wider national unity crisis.

CHIN: Well, I think we are already hearing from the various premiers and leaders across the country, reaching out to Alberta.

Interestingly enough, when there have been natural disasters elsewhere, Alberta is often the first to send our people, as well. So, we're really seeing that national unity come together.

However, if you're looking beyond this tragedy right now, Quebec has also just elected its first separatist party as the -- as the provincial premier and party, a minority government. But still, you know, this -- this could create, one might say, more pressures.

However, you could also kind of see, maybe, that there are common grounds between these various premiers, and maybe they could come together and start negotiations that eventually lead to a stronger Canada, as well.

RIPLEY: Felice Chin, really appreciate you joining us. Almost 11 p.m. there in Calgary. Thanks for staying up late to do this. We really appreciate your insight and your expertise as you cover these two major stories, and we'll stay in touch. Thank you.

CHIN: Thank you.

RIPLEY: This is CNN NEWSROOM. We're live from Hong Kong. Still ahead on this program, the U.S. midterms, they're just 15 days away.

The Republican Party is working hard right now to win over worn-out voters. And President Trump is set to speak in six states in six days.

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But will it be enough for Republicans?

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RIPLEY: The U.S. midterm elections are now just 15 days away.

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Republicans are facing increasingly uphill battles in a number of states that went their way comfortably just two years ago, with control of both the House and the Senate at stake.

In CNN's latest poll of polls, Democrats lead Republicans, 54 to 45 percent, when voters are asked which party's candidate they would support.

This comes with President Trump's approval ratings still at, or near, his all-time low. And with many Americans upset about the rising cost of living.

In fact, there is a brand-new poll from ABC News and "The Washington Post" reflecting a real cost of living crisis for Americans.

A vast majority of voters surveyed say they're struggling to afford just everyday items like groceries and health care and gasoline.

Hoping to turn things around, President Trump is scheduled for campaign events every day this week, all of them in states that he won in 2024. That includes Kansas on Monday, North Carolina on Tuesday, South Carolina on Wednesday, Iowa on Thursday, Florida on Friday, and Georgia on Saturday.

The shift away from Republican candidates is especially strong among Latino voters, who were crucial to Donald Trump's victory in 2024.

CNN's Juan Carlos Lopez looks at the latest trends.

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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're doing an extremely poor job of promotion and an extremely great job of running the country.

JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, CNN ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Despite what the president says, not everyone is on the same page, at least los Latinos, or not --

LOPEZ (voice-over): -- nearly as much. Check this out.

Recent polls suggest that Latino voters, who aren't that different from other American voters, are moving away from Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

Why does it matter?

LOPEZ: First, the Latino vote was key to --

LOPEZ (voice-over): -- Trump's return to the White House in 2024.

In 2024, exit polls showed that he received 46 percent of the Latino vote, a historic number for a Republican, compared --

LOPEZ: -- to 51 percent for Democrat Kamala Harris.

LOPEZ (voice-over): This year, only 24 percent of Latino voters approve of Trump's job performance.

When it comes to Trump's 2024 campaign promises, many Latinos aren't convinced that he's delivered. According to some of the polls, only 20 percent approve of his handling of the cost of living.

On immigration, even though 30 percent say they approve Trump's handling of the issue, two-thirds say his administration has gone too far in its approach to immigration enforcement.

Around 25 percent of them also say they know someone who has been deported or detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, in the past two years amid the sweeping immigration crackdown pushed by the White House, which had promised to only go after dangerous criminals but cast a wide net for the raids.

Could all of this translate into a big loss for Trump and the Republican Party on November 3?

LOPEZ: Let's remember that around 39 million Latinos are eligible to vote in the upcoming midterm elections, making them the second largest racial and ethnic voting group in the U.S. electorate after white eligible voters.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

GRAPHIC: So, we'll see.

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RIPLEY: This is CNN NEWSROOM. We're live in Hong Kong.

In our next hour, we're going to look at a major new space mission that Japan is set to launch. This is a mission that will try to solve the mysteries of the Martian moons.

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RIPLEY: Sunday was a day of celebrations in Rome for many Catholics: Pope Leo making his first major public appearance since undergoing lung cancer surgery just days earlier.

The 71-year-old pontiff led the Angelus prayer from the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square.

Here's CNN's Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb, who was in the crowd.

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CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, thousands gathered in St. Peters Square to hear from Pope Leo -- LAMB (voice-over): -- for the first time since his lung cancer surgery and diagnosis. The pope spoke with a strong and clear voice. He wished the crowd a happy Sunday, and he reflected that the recent experience of being in hospital had made him feel closer to those who suffer and are sick.

The pope also emphasized that he is slowly planning to get back to work.

POPE LEO, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): Now that I have overcome this delicate phase, as you know, I will gradually resume my activities, always with God's help and your prayers.

LAMB (voice-over): Now, the news of Pope Leo's lung cancer diagnosis has come as a huge shock to people inside the Vatican. It's not clear how things are going to pan out in the short term for him, in terms of all the events and schedules that he has in his calendar.

Of course, the big question is, can he make this trip to Latin America, scheduled from the 6th to the 17th of November? The surgeon who operated on him says there's no clinical reason why he can't go.

However, the trip has not been officially confirmed yet, post- operation.

LAMB: So, it's a lot of questions over that trip, which would include going to Peru, a country, of course, Leo knows so well, having served there for many years.

But the itinerary of the trip is to go to some high-altitude places in the country. So, it remains to be seen whether that trip will definitely take place.

But on Sunday, Pope Leo, making his first major public appearance since his hospitalization, the pope pleasing the crowd, offering them his blessing, and he's going to continue his recovery for the coming days.

Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.

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RIPLEY: I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM, live from Hong Kong, on the other side of this quick break.

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