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Saudi Airport Hit Again A Day After Attack Killed At Least 13; Houthi Attack Raises Questions About Saudi Defense Capabilities; Volodymyr Zelenskyy Says Russia Violated Donald Trump's "Energy Ceasefire"; Federal Officers Search Home Of Ilhan Omar; Two Men Injured In Separate ICE-Related Incidents; Trump Heads To Ohio For First Of Three Campaign Stops This Week; Republicans Scramble To Avert Losses In Once-Safe Seats; Desperate Search In Gaza For Those Missing And Killed In War. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired October 12, 2026 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:13]
ISA SOARES, CNN HOST: Welcome to the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Isa Soares in London, where the time is just after 3:00 p.m. here.
And we are following another step up the escalation ladder in the fighting between the Houthis and the Saudis. A second strike on Riyadh's airport
after an attack Saturday killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300 others.
And U.S. President Trump claims Ukraine and Russia have agreed to what he called an energy ceasefire. Though Ukraine says Russia already violated an
attack on Kharkiv, and that comes as sources tell CNN the U.S. is threatened to suspend intelligence sharing and weapons package with Ukraine
if it strikes Russian energy targets.
Plus, we are 22 days to go until the U.S. midterm elections. Republicans are telling CNN they worry Donald Trump is, "Dragging them down as they
scramble to avoid losses around the country."
We do begin this hour with video that shows really the terrifying moment a Houthi strike hit Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. At least 13
people were killed and hundreds wounded in Saturday's attack. And I do want to warning -- give you a warning first up. This video is disturbing.
Now Saturday's attack is seen as the deadliest in the Saudi Kingdom in more than a decade. Take a look at this. It was followed by another strike on
Sunday at the same airport. Yemen's Iran-backed Hughes to claim responsibility for both of these attacks.
Our Nic Robertson joins us now. And Nic, I remember the conversation you or I were having last hour. How you was -- you was -- you said that you were
surprised about the video being put out by the Saudis. What does this suggest to you?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think this very clearly for the Saudis will show their Gulf partners, others in the Muslim
world, that the Houthis here have attacked a group of pilgrims on their way to Mecca, most likely flying from Riyadh to Jeddah and then onward to
Mecca. So many people do that.
But you can see from the way that they're dressed, these are pilgrims, and that sends a very very negative message, which would be perceived by most
Muslims and many others, of course, that the Houthis are making these religious pilgrims essentially their targets here.
These strikes on Saturday and Sunday, they've been preceded by strikes on Wednesday, deadly strikes on the same airport on Wednesday and Thursday.
One killed Wednesday, three killed Thursday, 13 killed in the Saturday strike. One killed on the Sunday strike. 18 dead altogether.
This really presents Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with a deep and underlying question here. He needs to be able to present stability and
strength, strength, because he sees himself as an important and powerful regional leader. So, he has to have a strong response to what the Houthis
have done here, and stability because he wants international investment. Right now, there's a global energy conference going on in Riyadh for a
couple of days, and the energy minister of Saudi Arabia was speaking there, using very strong and clear language. I think this is implicit here. What
he's saying not just about the Houthi attacks, but also Iran's attacks earlier in the year. But it gets to underscore the importance that
stability, despite these attacks, Saudi wants to present. This is what he said:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE ABDULAZIZ BIN SALMAN, SAUDI ENERGY MINISTER: We value our commitment. We make sure that whatever happens, our resilience, our plans,
our commitment to the world, will be adhered to. 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: And of course, what the Saudis don't want is any more ashes to be rising out from. But they have to find a way to defeat these strikes by
the Houthis on this airport, in particular, that have been what, that was four out of the last five days, the Houthis using new missiles, so the
Saudi defenses have a weakness that we don't know about. These are the questions, of course, everyone's asking.
SOARES: Yes, and look, Nic. For viewers who may not have been following this, you have been covering the Houthis and their lightning offensive for
some time. I mean, the capture of Perim, Mocha as well. I think you were the first journalist -- international journalist, to cover this. How do you
assess just how confident and emboldened they seem?
ROBERTSON: The Houthis definitely believe that they should control the whole of Yemen, and that's what they're fighting to achieve. They control
the capital. They have a focus on Taiz. It's the third largest city in the country, and if they get that, they would get the strategic high grounds
around it which is a key part of the battle at the moment. The city is almost entirely encircled.
[10:05:17]
So, the Houthis at the moment are trying to push for more gains. Now, the Yemeni, the Yemeni government, the internationally backed Yemeni government
that's supported by Saudi, said just a week or so ago that they wanted to retake the whole of Yemen from the Houthis. This is a struggle. Their
forces, some of them are newly trained. They're not as successful on the battlefield as people had hoped for. The Saudi airstrikes that have been
sort of doubled down on in the past couple of days around ties in particular, so that the Yemeni government doesn't take more losses there,
targeting Houthi concentrations of forces.
But the Houthis, you know, have hunkered down big Saudi offensives before. Air strikes alone are not going to win it. There's disparate groups in
Yemen. The Saudis have tried to try to bring them together in a political consensus, and that's the sort of banner that they're fighting under at the
moment.
But if they are going to push the Houthis back substantially, it's going to take clearly, from what we're seeing already, some time, and it's going to
take probably more outside support from Saudi, from the coalition that they're building, to show the Houthis that -- you know, that they can't do
this.
Again, this plays into one of the important things for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia. He supports the internationally
recognized government in Yemen. If they can't win and stop the Houthis, then that reflects badly on him. He needs to have substantial win against
the Houthis before he can really push.
What the Saudis usually prefer is a diplomatic track. That really doesn't seem a realistic option in the face of these deadly strikes on the -- on
the Saudi capital.
SOARES: Yes, interesting to see how they respond to these attacks. Thanks very much, Nic Robertson, there for us.
Well, the Houthi airport strikes are raising questions about Saudi defense capabilities as well. Our Becky Anderson asked former U.S. Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo about that, and they were speaking at the sixth annual TRENDS Conference in Abu Dhabi, where the focus was global security, have a
listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: The reasons for the failure of Saudi air defense to intercept missiles that struck the airport do remain quite unclear. This
is despite the Kingdom possessing sad and patriot systems.
What's your view on what happened? Is this dwindling stocks, or is this something more?
MIKE POMPEO, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It was a tactical matter how it was that these missiles were capable and these weapon systems were
capable of penetrating Saudi air defenses, Middle Eastern air defenses more broadly, and the assistance that the United States is continuing to provide
to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. So, I don't know the tactical answer.
I do know -- I do know this. What it does demonstrate is that we've not yet achieved deterrence. We collectively have not yet achieved deterrence. And
at the center, as you begin to think about what does it look like after, what does the next day look like, what sustainable look like, you have to -
- you have to crush the Iranian regime. Period. Full stop. There's no -- there's no solution short of that.
You know, we can all wish it away, but in in the end, so long as they possess the capability, and we all know, at least since 1979, they've had
the intention of disrupting the Middle East. They refuse to behave like a normal nation, and until they do so, you'll see this whether it's in
Bahrain or Kuwait or the last couple days in the Kingdom of Saudi, what's happening in the Bab el-Mandeb. You will continue to see them use whatever
tactical and operational advantages they have to penetrate and to disturb and to disrupt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, let's stay with this, and for more on this Saudi Arabia's options now, I want to bring in Jasmine El-Gamal, a former Middle East
advisor at the U.S. Defense Department, host of The View from Here podcast. Jasmine, great to see you once again.
Let me pick up there, if you don't mind, what we Mike Pompeo was saying to Becky Anderson, and I wonder, following these attacks that we've seen in
Saudi Arabia, whether you think there's a miscalculation on Saudi Arabia's part, right? We had a strike on Saturday, strike on Sunday. I mean, they've
been able to contain the group for 11 plus years. They spent $83 billion in defense spending in 2025. Yet they're struggling to fend off these strikes.
What do you make of this?
JASMINE EL-GAMAL, FORMER MIDDLE EAST ADVISOR, U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT: It's great to see you, Isa, as always. I think the missing link here, when we're
talking about Saudi Arabia's campaign against the Houthis, is what is the objective of this campaign? Are the Saudis just trying to push back Houthi
territorial gains? Are they trying to stop attacks to into the Kingdom? Are they trying to force the Houthis back to the negotiating table using that
leverage that comes with military gains that hasn't quite been clarified on the part of the Saudis yet.
[10:10:08]
So, what you see from the outside happening are these air strikes and continued kind of targeted military campaigns, sometimes short term, that
don't seem to comprehensively reach a strategic objective.
When you couple that with how sort of disorganized the Yemeni government forces are, how incapable they are compared to the Houthis. It makes you
wonder whether the Saudis are really matching the capabilities they have with the tactical decisions that they're making with a strategic endpoint.
SOARES: So, where do you see then, Nic Robertson, now -- I'm not sure, Jasmine, whether you're able to listen to hear Nic Robertson at the top of
the show. He was talking about the importance of stability and strength right now. How do you see then Saudi Arabia responding to these escalating
attacks, of course by the Houthis, but also by the fact that they're just so emboldened right now?
EL-GAMAL: That's right. Look, I mean, the -- I was speaking to someone from Saudi Arabia the other day actually, one of the -- one of the people on my
team was recently flying back from Saudi Arabia to London and just missed a Houthi attack on Saudi -- on a Saudi airport. This was a week or a couple
of weeks ago.
So, I mean, this is very real. And when I was talking to both of them, to this person on my team and the Saudi analyst, they were both describing
this not just economic warfare by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia, but psychological warfare as well. They were talking about the need for Saudis
to brace themselves psychologically for what is to come, because it could be protracted.
And so, that's something that the Houthis are deliberately doing. They're trying to impose this psychological toll in addition to the economic and
military toll as well. And the reason they're doing that, Isa, I want to underscore something that Nic said, but add to it a little bit as well.
When we look at what is it that the Houthis want, yes, they want to control Yemen, but that's just one part of it. If you look at it through three
concentric circles of objectives, I would say the first one is internal, and that's control of Yemen. The second one is vis-a-vis the Saudis. The
Houthis want to be able to negotiate with the Saudis on their own terms. They don't want to negotiate with the internationally recognized
government. They want to negotiate directly with the Saudis, and so they're trying to build up leverage in order to gain an upper hand in those
negotiations.
And then finally, the third outermost circle is that right now the Houthis' objectives are aligning with Iran's objectives, and that's why you see this
sort of concerted effort by both of them to increase the level of their attacks of the Houthis' attacks in alignment with what Iran is doing vis-a-
vis the U.S. to create this coordinated pressure campaign against the U.S. and its allies in the region using the two choke points of Bab el-Mandeb
and the Hormuz Strait.
So, the Saudi campaign has to take all of these objectives into account. And when you look at how underprepared the Yemeni government forces are to
enter into a sustained military campaign on the ground, you realize that air power is not going to be enough, Isa, whether it's Saudi air power or
Saudi and U.S. augmented air power, it's just not going to be enough to push back the Houthis territorially enough to bring them back to the
negotiating table at the moment.
SOARES: Right. So, not enough, and I wonder then, Jasmine, you're in Washington. Give me a sense of the mood because I wonder where the U.S.
fits in here. President Trump said he would make a decision. I think he said that over the weekend, and that he could do it. You could move very
quickly were his words. What do you expect to see, if anything, from the U.S. at a time, of course, when the midterms are just around the corner,
when Americans want less wars abroad and a focus on the economy?
EL-GAMAL: Absolutely, Isa. I mean, this is such an important point. I mean, I just came back from a conversation with someone on the Hill -- on Capitol
Hill, where he was talking exactly about this issue-the fact that the midterms are right around the corner, Americans do not understand what the
U.S. is doing in the Middle East and why their gas prices are higher, why their groceries are higher. They don't understand what is in it for them.
So, you can see how the last thing President Trump would want right now is more military action in the Middle East without a clear objective tied to
the well-being and the livelihood of Americans as the midterms are around the corner.
So, the U.S. is in a pretty tough position right now. I mean, I imagine that they do want to be supportive to the Saudis, who are a great ally of
the United States, and from a national security perspective, the U.S. does not want to be seen as abandoning its allies right now. But you have to
weigh that with the domestic situation in the U.S. and that does not bode in favor of more military action in the Middle East.
[10:15:30]
SOARES: Yes, and especially if we look at what the polling is suggesting. You had mentioned Jasmine the fears of a protracted war here, and I want to
expand it because this is not just, or not just a Saudi conflict. I mean, we've seen nationals, what from Jordan, from Egypt, Syria, and others
killed by these strikes. Do you see other countries stepping up and backing the Saudis? Speak to the risks for the region, for the for the neighbors
here of Saudi.
EL-GAMAL: Absolutely. I mean, this is one of the risks, right? Is a rapid regionalization of this conflict between the Saudis and the Yemenis. I
think you've seen the activation of the Mecca Pact so far, which is a pact between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Although what that means
operationally in practice is still very unclear, because the pact itself has not been ratified, as far as I know, in the Turkish Parliament.
So, I don't know that you're suddenly going to see foreign troops coming into Yemen in aid of the -- of the Yemeni government. Other countries
around the region are going to be thinking about what the objectives are of this campaign and whether they're willing to risk attacks directly on their
territory for that objective, so I don't think you're going to see countries rushing to regionalize this conflict.
Everyone in the region right now, and as you know, I'm sure from talking to folks around the region, are very wary of a rapid, uncontrolled escalation
of this conflict, so people are being really careful about looking at their next steps and weighing the pros and cons. I think what you're going to see
is an attempt by Saudi Arabia to increase its air power and aerial attacks on the Houthis, but I want to come back again to the idea that that is not
going to be enough to push the Houthis back.
I want to just to help viewers visualize this. I just interviewed a Yemeni analyst who just came back from the front lines in Yemen, Baraa Shiban, and
he said that he saw how the Houthis were pounding cities with heavy artillery, and the Yemeni government forces trying to hold them back with
AK-47s and light arms.
So, there's such a severe mismatch of military capabilities. But on the other hand, Isa, if there's a flood of weapons and and suddenly to the --
to the government forces to try to reduce that parity to try to make that more equal, the cost to Yemeni civilians of the further militarization of
this conflict inside of Yemen is going to be absolutely brutal. So, that is also something to consider as the Saudis are looking at what to do next. Is
what impact that's going to have inside of Yemen itself and on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, which is already so dire at the moment.
SOARES: Absolutely, such important insight and analysis you bring, and those conversations really helping to give us a sense of what is happening
on the ground. Jasmine, as always, always appreciate our conversation. Thank you very much, Jasmine El-Gamal, there for us.
EL-GAMAL: Likewise, thank you.
SOARES: So, really, where does Riyadh go from here? You're very welcome. The question is, can it avoid putting troops on the ground in Yemen? Well,
if you want more, our Mostafa Salem has been looking into really the stark choices ahead for the Kingdom. You heard some of the choices there from our
-- from our colleague. You can find complete analysis on CNN's digital platforms there. That's from analysis by Mostafa Salem.
Now, Ukraine's president says Russia has already violated a surprise energy ceasefire that President Donald Trump announced over the weekend, and this
comes just days after Mr. Trump said he struck a deal to supply markets with Russian diesel. Shortly after the stated ceasefire, Kyiv and Moscow
targeted a power plant in Kharkiv. Despite the fresh attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would follow the new agreement if
Russia does too.
Our Clare Sebastian has been following the story, and she joins me now live from London with the very latest. I mean, Clare, first of all, I do think
that it seems the Ukraine was somewhat caught off guard with this announcement. Does it feel, from the conversations you've been having, from
what we've been seeing in the last 24 hours, that this energy ceasefire is happening right now?
[10:20:00]
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, there's no ceasefire in place, Isa. This is the second time in a month that we've seen President Trump come out
and unilaterally declare an energy ceasefire, apparently without securing agreement from both warring parties first. President Zelenskyy making it
clear that they found out about this basically from the news, and it isn't in place. Ukraine didn't. It should be noted, and they've made that clear.
Hit Russian oil refineries overnight, but they have accused Russia of hitting their energy facilities since that post on Truth Social from
President Trump came out on Sunday.
Six energy facilities in Ukraine hit. President Zelenskyy said today, 33 people injured across the country. So, this war is very much still ongoing
with no end in sight.
Ukraine clearly wants a ceasefire. It has made it clear it will sign on to any de-escalation measure as long as they get a mirror response from
Russia. But Russia has doubled down on its dismissal of any ceasefire, it says it doesn't want a ceasefire that would give Ukraine the ability to
regroup. Instead, it wants an immediate peace. And we had again not only from the Kremlin today, but the foreign minister Sergey Lavrov coming out
and saying that President Zelenskyy has not, in his words, earned a respite.
So, they are, if anything, hardening their position, Ukraine has said that they want the U.S. to send a signal to the Russians that they need to sign
on to this ceasefire. But arguably, I think it just got harder to convince Russia to compromise, given that this diesel deal that came out on Friday
comes with limited sanctions relief from the U.S. and they have been granted that without any compromise at all.
So, if anything, we're seeing now an even more emboldened Moscow. Isa.
SOARES: Indeed, many in Ukraine and across Europe scratching their heads this hour. Clare, appreciate it. Thank you very much.
We're going to take a short break. We're back on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
SOARES: We have breaking news to bring you from Washington this hour. Federal officers have executed a search warrant at the home of
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who has often found herself at odds, to say the least, with President Trump.
Our CNN Crime and Justice correspondent Katelyn Polantz is following us this story and joins us now. I mean, Katelyn, first of all, what do we know
about the search for a home, and what do we know more importantly about what exactly they were -- they're investigating?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The questions of the investigation are still not entirely answered or clear. Although what we
know right now is that this is an investigative action being taken by Homeland Security investigators. So, that indicates it could be related to
some level of immigration enforcement.
We also have heard that previously from the White House Border Czar Tom Homan that there was an interest in this administration looking into a
possible immigration violation by Representative Omar or her family members.
So far this morning, we have received a statement from the Department of Justice and their top spokesperson saying that in the Washington D.C. area
today, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice, so prosecutors would
have had to go to a judge for sign-off to make this search happen this morning.
[10:25:20]
The Justice Department also says that this enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. We don't know what exactly that
would be, but that does up the ante a little bit more.
And also, it's a very unusual time for this to be taking place. We're less than a month until the midterm election, and Congresswoman Omar is running
for re-election as a Democrat in Minnesota.
Now, the history here is that she has been a frequent person that has been attacked by the president and other Republicans. She has been a Democrat in
Congress since 2018 in Minnesota, a place with very very tense politics, especially around immigrants. She herself came to the United States after
being born in Somalia as a child. She came to the United States and is now a U.S. citizen.
So, what is going on here is still a big question. Here's a little bit more of what White House reporters are Tom Homan said this morning when asked
about this on Fox News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: Well, I'm not going to get ahead of Todd Blanche on this or Secretary Mullin, but we know this investigation
was ongoing for a while. There wasn't a warrant executed this morning, and so I'll leave it at that. Specifics to the investigation, I think I need to
get turn that over to Todd Blanche or Markwayne Mullin. I don't want to get ahead of them commenting on an ongoing investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POLANTZ: It is very unusual, though, for him to be commenting on an ongoing investigation, or for anyone in the administration to be doing so,
especially before there are charges. We know that Congresswoman Omar and her office have repeatedly denied that there are any immigration violations
that she or her family could have committed, and we do not have any further comment from them this morning about what's going on with this search.
Apparently, at her home in the D.C. area.
SOARES: The timing is certainly interesting. With 22 days until the midterms, and she is running for re-election. Like you said, I know you'll
stay across it as soon as we have any more developments. Any comment from Illinois, please do let us know, Caitlin. Thank you very much. Appreciate
it.
Now we are going to turn our attention to two undocumented immigrants are being treated for injuries following separate incidents in New York and
Houston in Texas. Our Priscilla Alvarez filed this report with my colleague Sarah Sidner just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are still questions about both incidents and what led to, in this case, one of these undocumented
immigrants being struck by a vehicle driven by ICE agents, and then in New York, why an officer discharged his weapon. I'll get to that in a minute.
But on Houston, we know that at least one of the men was part of the operation. In other words, was the target of the operation. However, when
he fled the vehicle, he now remains unaccounted for. The other man in the vehicle with him is the one that you are referencing there. He now has
those two broken legs and was scheduled for surgery. Now you're seeing some of that video right there.
ICE says that they rendered aid on the scene, and again, that they are maintaining that these two individuals fled their vehicle when ICE was
conducting this operation.
Now, there are still questions here as to how this unfolded. It's also not the first time that we have seen men flee a vehicle that ICE was targeting
as part of an operation. Now the Harris County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation into the circumstances around this, but again, we're
still trying to better understand what happened in the very moment that this car was pursued by ICE and then these two men fled.
Now in New York, similarly, investigations unfolding about Oscar Belgal. He was or is the 28-year-old Dominican national who was the target of an
operation. Then there's video of that incident. You see him pulling back in his car. You see one of the agents smashing what looks like his elbow into
the vehicle.
Now, this is a national who has ties to a gang and has a criminal history. And the Department of Homeland Security has said they tried to arrest him
back in September, but he fled the scene there as well.
But this time, he had his 5-year-old child in the vehicle, and we're understanding that an agent, at least one agent, discharged his weapon at
least seven times. So, there are questions there as to why they didn't know there was a child in the vehicle? That, of course, is something that the
Department of Homeland Security Secretary has said that they did not know.
However, the secretary has also maintained that there is an investigation ongoing, and was asked about body cams and whether that footage was going
to be released yesterday on State of the Union. Take a listen to what he told our colleague Jake Tapper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[10:29:59]
MARKWAYNE MULLIN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Right now, FBI and HSI are doing the investigation. So, as it develops, and we get all
the information out correctly, we will release information at due time.
One thing that we have learned for sure is that we never want to get ahead of the investigation. That's even with me and the speech or the
conversations that I have about it, I want to be very clear that the investigation will go through. And when we find it and we complete the
investigation, we will be very transparent with the public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: So, the secretary indicating there that, perhaps, in the future that body camera footage may
be released. But as it stands right now, Belgal's attorneys have filed in federal court for his release from detention. That is where he remains
right now, according to his attorneys, in solitary confinement.
The judge in that case saying that for now he cannot be deported, as that case is ongoing.
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Our thanks to Priscilla Alvarez for that report.
You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. There is more news right here on CNN. Do stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Isa Soares, and you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Let me bring you up to date with your headlines this
hour.
Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport remains shot after it was attacked twice over the weekend. In Saturday blast, a Houthi strike killed
at least 13 people and wounded hundreds more. It's been called the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
President Donald Trump's deal to supply markets with Russian diesel is facing pushback from international partners and within the U.S. Congress.
The deal comes as the White House strangles to bring down skyrocketing fuel prices ahead of those fast-approaching midterm elections. But analysts say
the move is unlikely to make much of a dent in global diesel prices.
Ukraine says Russia has already broken a surprise energy ceasefire agreement, President Trump announced over the weekend. Just after Trump's
announcement, Ukraine's president says a power plant in Kharkiv was targeted by Russia, Kyiv says it will follow the new agreement if Moscow
does too. Well, with just 22 days until the U.S. midterms, Republicans are fighting to hold on to seats that once looked safe, fearing the losses
could cost them control of Congress.
And after months of urging Donald Trump to hit the campaign trail on candidates' behalf, some Republicans are now worried the president himself
could be a liability.
One Republican lawmaker running for a reelection put it bluntly: You are looking at your screen. "Trump is dragging the party down."
Patrick Svitek spoke earlier about Republican struggles in the final stretch ahead of the election day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[10:34:58]
PATRICK SVITEK, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: The top Republican super PAC in Senate races, the Senate Leadership Fund, recently put on pause its ad
reservations in North Carolina and, as you pointed out, had to go into a very traditionally Republican state, Kansas, and start spending millions of
dollars there.
They also recently announced a $5 million investment in South Carolina, another state that President Trump won by double digits in 2024.
And so, you are seeing this Senate map start to expand into really red territory, and that's stretching resources thin.
Now, look, I think, the White House and a lot of Republican officials we speak to acknowledge this is a really tough environment right now. The
White House is trying to deploy the president in very strategic ways. And so, that's why, for example, today in Ohio, you'll see him in a more
traditionally competitive county that seems kind of geared towards shoring up voters that have, in recent presidential elections, kind of swung toward
him in that county in Ohio.
But then, on Wednesday in Arizona, you are going to see him in a county in northwestern Arizona where he won the vote in 2024 with, I think 78, 79
percent of the vote. So that he is going there and he is going to be preaching to the faithful. This is going to be about him arguing to voters
who voted for him in three presidential elections that hey you cannot sit on the couch, you got to turn out in this election for Republicans even
though I'm on the ballot.
And so, we are really starting to see in these final three weeks of the midterms tough decisions being made about where the money should be
prioritized for Republicans and where to send the president where he can have the most impact, knowing, of course, that he is unpopular nationally
and unpopular in a lot of these swing states.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, thanks to Patrick for that.
Well, to unpack the Republicans' woes and the broader U.S. political picture, I want to bring in CNN Politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson.
He writes this on the latest right. He says, "Donald Trump is trying to make America more like him. But voters will soon get to deliver a verdict
on the president's efforts to redefine how the government he heads wields power at home and abroad."
And you can read that on sean.com and all his analyzes. And Stephen joins me now. And Stephen, first of all, good to see you. Happy Monday. Let me
pick up, first of all, those opening lines.
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Hi.
SOARES: In terms of what we learned, or rather, what voters can learn about how this president and this government is yielding power at home. Just talk
us through some of those examples.
COLLINSON: Well, I think there are a few flashpoints unfolding right now in the U.S. and abroad that really flesh this out. At home, what you are
seeing in terms of these ICE raids that you were talking about just before the break, and this plan for a live-streamed execution of the former U.S.
Army major convicted of the Fort Hood killings, is a performative use of force and strength that is meant to, I think, bolster Donald Trump's
strongman image, and to appeal to those hardline Trump voters who he really needs to get to the polls.
Internationally, I think, the way that Trump power manifests itself is through a very narrow and unique view of American interests. The Russia
diesel deal, I think, falls into this category.
SOARES: Yes.
COLLINSON: Americans are really hurting with record gas prices. They need relief, and Trump went out and tried to find some more diesel. The fact
that it drives a wedge through the NATO alliance, that it rewards Russia aggression and sides with Russia against the invaded country, Ukraine
doesn't seem to really matter.
This is a real naked application, I think, of America First, and the idea that Trump uses his own power often globally to advance his personal
political interests.
SOARES: Let's talk a bit more about the mood within the GOP. Because I had a really fascinating conversation last week with a Republican strategist
Doug Heye, who passed via London, and he was basically telling me that the voters he's spoken to, that, you know, President Trump has basically taken
his eye off the ball. Those are the words he used, and that he is focused on ancillary issues.
Not so much. The diesel; that's priority, of course. But these other issues have very little impact on American lives. And the poll seems to suggest
that. Right? They want the focus on economy, affordability. How much nervousness is there in the Republican Party ahead of these midterms?
COLLINSON: Well, I think there is a sense of dread and a growing belief among Republicans that they may have already lost the House to the
Democrats. Almost all of the focus of the super PAC spending that Patrick was talking about there is on the Senate, and in races in Republican states
that Trump won two years ago easily, like Iowa, Ohio, where you wouldn't expect Republicans to be in trouble. So, that is the way the election looks
from a 30,000-foot view.
I think Doug is right, and further to his point, there are two more issues.
[10:40:02]
Trump cannot talk about an economy which many people believe is hurting them. In any other frame, other than the fact that it's a massive success
that Americans are in a golden age. That might be true for the wealthy people who he associates with, but that is not true for most Americans.
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: Yes.
COLLINSON: So, there is a massive gap there. And secondly, he keeps doing things which people believe makes their situation worse. If you look at the
Senate race in Michigan, for example, is being really shaped negatively for the Republicans by the tariffs and the trade war with Canada, the Iran war
is not just unpopular on its own because it's another foreign war that Trump pledged not to get involved in.
Americans see this as exacerbating their economic problems, because it's driving up the prices of gas, inflation, and groceries.
So, it's become an emblem for dissatisfaction with Trump's decisions and a way to link those decisions directly with the way people are feeling.
SOARES: Yes, and we have seen that in the polling very clearly.
While I have you here, I'm not sure if you heard me talking about the breaking news early -- earlier from D.C., and that's the federal offices
carrying out a search, of course, in Minnesota for Ilhan Omar. I mean, important to point out, of course, that she has been the target, many
occasions of racist vitriol, including from President Trump. Right?
And I do understand her home district was a target of the expansive immigration reinforcement campaign. What do you make, first of all, of the
timing of this? We are 22 days or so until the midterms.
COLLINSON: Well, there has long been a -- unofficial moratorium in the Justice Department to not take actions or to begin cases or to open
investigations against prominent political figures within, say, three months of the election or two months. Usually, the unofficial date is after
Labor Day in early September.
I think that, you know, clearly, this administration is one that has dispensed with a lot of those niceties. Trump believes that he was targeted
politically by the Biden administration, so he doesn't really care, and his Justice Department has been has become a tool of his political aspirations
in many ways.
Ilhan Omar, as you say, has long been a target of the Trump administration, a political foe, and they are apparently, we don't know exactly what is
going on in the details of this case, but again, using political power in a way that we were talking about at the beginning, which shows Trump's
supporters' strength. So, it will be very interesting to see how this unfolds.
But outside the confines of the Trump administration, I don't think there's a great deal of confidence in an administration which has demonstrably used
the Justice Department to go after Trump's enemies.
For example, the former FBI chief James Comey and many other people in prominent positions in Washington who have criticized the president.
SOARES: Yes. All we know, just from the DOJ spokesperson saying this enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.
Our Katelyn Polantz was saying maybe immigration enforcement. We do not know. We will stay across this story, of course, for our viewers.
Stephen, as always, appreciate your analysis. Thank you very much indeed.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
SOARES: We are going to take a short break. See you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:43]
SOARES: And this just in to CNN: at least 20 Israelis have been injured, including students and staff on a school trip after an explosion near the
Lebanon border. Several, what the wounded are critical and in serious condition. We are getting this from Israel's emergency response service.
Now, according to police, the initial suspicion is that the explosion will result of an unexploded munition along the border. Bomb disposal experts
are investigating, and we will, of course, bring you more details as we get them.
As right now, at least 20 Israelis have been injured, including students and staff on a school trip. We'll stay on top of the very latest. Any
developments will bring them to your attention.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, an Israeli strike killed at least two Palestinians earlier today, according to health officials.
The Israeli military says it targeted a militant in the area, and that is according to Reuters. And this video shows Palestinians inspecting a house
hit by an Israeli strike in Az-Zawayda on Sunday. That's in central Gaza.
This strike comes as Israeli attacks continue elsewhere in the territory, with Israel accusing Hamas of rearming and violating the ceasefire. Hamas
rejects Israel's accusations, saying it is Israel that's undermining the ceasefire.
Meantime, with the ceasefire still under strain, Gaza health officials say at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed since the deal took effect
just a year ago.
And more than 74,000 have been killed in Gaza since the war began in 2023. That's following Hamas's attack on Israel. While three years later, a
desperate search is ongoing for those killed and missing in Gaza.
Jomana Karadsheh has that story. But first, a warning to you: her report contains disturbing images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): His mother was wearing a skirt. A skirt.
Yes, she was wearing it. She was wearing it.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Through the stench of decomposing remains, Antalib (PH) is identifying the dead by the
clothes they wore that day three years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): Your mother! Your mother!
I am telling you, it is your mother.
The prayer clothes, it's your aunt.
KARADSHEH (voice over): Those who survived trying to identify those who did not. Three years in, the smallest detail carries the most weight, a scrap
of clothing enough to bring a family its answers. And the deceased, their dignity.
The search is painstaking. Today, sped up by Gaza City's only excavator, finally here to remove the rubble from the 2023 Israeli bombing that killed
dozens of Antalib's family.
Israel spam the entry of heavy machinery into Gaza until it says Hamas is disarmed, but that means leaving the whole devastated strip with only two
excavators, according to local officials.
It's been a year since the ceasefire agreement, and so many are still searching for what's left of their loved ones.
The Palestinian Civil Defense says more than 8,000 are missing, believed to be buried beneath the sea of rubble Gaza has become. But even trying to
locate their remains seems impossible.
Over 60 percent of Gaza is under Israeli control and off limits for Palestinians.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): I try to find him, but I don't know where.
KARADSHEH (voice over): For three long years, Suha (PH) has been searching among the dead, looking for her boy. She says her son Jihad (PH) was shot
and killed in front of her in November 2023 during the Israeli military's forced evacuation of Gaza City.
She had to leave his body behind at the hospital and flee. She is been searching for him ever since.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): Why am I still alive? My home is gone. My son is gone. What should I live for?
KARADSHEH: Our cameraman met Suha (PH) last year as she and other families gathered to dig out the makeshift graveyard at Shifa Hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): I was calling out for him in the cemeteries. I am here my son. I brought you your daughters. Dear God, give me a sign that
he is here.
I want to see him, even for a minute to hold him.
[10:50:15]
KARADSHEH (voice over): She spotted this blanket. She is certain it's the one he was carrying that day.
A year on, we found her still looking for her son.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): I need to find him. To know his place, his body, his grave. So, as a mother, I can be at peace. I want to find my son
to be at peace.
KARADSHEH (voice over): But in this place, it seems there is no peace, not for the living, not even for the dead.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Jomana and the team for that report.
Well, at least 72 Sudanese artisanal miners have been killed in an airstrike, according to rights monitoring group emergency lawyers.
The group has blamed Egypt's Air Force for the strike in the north of the country, but officials are yet to comment on the incident. Emergency
lawyers said a cross-border attack of this sort would violate international law.
Sudan is no stranger to mass casualty events as the war between the country's army and the paramilitary rapid support forces rages on.
We are going to take a short break. We will see you in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, the winners are in for the Nobel Prize in Economics. American professors Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford were awarded the prize early
today by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which said their work has helped smooth out the economy's peaks and troughs.
This a -- those are -- that's a quote, by the way. The professors provided the foundation for economic models that help banks and governments to
stabilize their economies and minimize the impact of external shocks. Congratulations to both of them.
Well, Pope Leo XIV is set to undergo surgery this week to remove a lung nodule discovered during a recent health check. The 71-year-old says it was
detected at a very early stage. The Vatican says Leo will be admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday and is expected to spend a week there.
Decisions requiring his signature will be delayed until he returns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES (voice over): And that is one of the largest Catholic festivals in Brazil, taking place on Sunday in the city of Belem. More than 2 million
people reportedly participated in the hours-long procession of one of the patron saints, Our Lady of Nazareth. The annual event is included in the
UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Here is what one participant had to say about the festival.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It is an emotion that renews itself every year. It is a moment of prayer and gratitude where everyone here
comes together with one purpose, in devotion of Our Lady of Nazareth, thanking God and giving thanks for the blessings we received throughout the
whole year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES (on camera): Well, that's faith and prayer. Love, meantime, is in the air in Paris, but don't expect the romance to come with a ring. Dozens
of couples, friends, and even pets dressed up in the French capital on Sunday, adorning their hair in flowers to celebrate -- get this, not
getting married.
[10:55:06]
The mayor of Paris's 18th district hosted the ceremony of non-married proposals, when non-marriage vows were exchanged.
I love this. Ben Hunte has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN HUNTE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice over): At the Grape Harvest Festival in Montmartre, in Paris, love may be in the air, but marriage
isn't.
SYLVIE, PARTICIPANT, NON-MARRIAGE CEREMONY (through translator): It's really about hoping for eternal love, rather than making a promise that
might not last the test of time in a marriage.
HUNTE (voice over): Dozens of participants walk down the aisle in the annual mock ceremony to pledge their love, friendship, and companionship in
a way that doesn't require a license or a ring, just a full heart.
ERIC LEJOINDRE, MAYOR OF 18TH ARRONDISSEMENT IN PARIS (through translator): It is a truly beautiful ceremony. There are many different love stories, a
great deal of freedom, plenty of joy, and above all, lots of good humor.
HUNTE (voice over): The light-hearted event isn't just for couples, though. Friends can also take the plunge. And one woman brought her dog Poppy to
profess her devotion to the loyal pup already sharing her life.
Many people wore flowers in their hair and dressed up for the whimsical affair. Others were more casual.
DOMINIQUE, PARTICIPANT, NON-MARRIAGE CEREMONY (through translator): So, this is the third one, and well, he is already been divorced twice. So, I
wouldn't want to be the third.
HUNTE (voice over): So, no I do's, nothing legally binding, just an expression of love that's not married to convention.
Ben Hunte, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And that does it for us. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. You stay right here. "ONE WORLD" is up next. Have a wonderful day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
