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Isa Soares Tonight
Contenders Race For U.K. Premiership; Zelenskyy Warns Russia Plans To Attack A Crucial Dam; January 6 Committee Issues A Subpoena To Donald Trump; Race Is On For Next British Prime Minister; Berlusconi Sparks Fury Over Putin Comments; Imran Khan Disqualified From Holding Office For Five Years. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired October 21, 2022 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, the list of contenders to become the
British Prime Minister will likely feature a familiar face. We'll tell you who all is throwing support behind Boris Johnson. Then, President Zelenskyy
is warning that Russia is about to sabotage a dam that could flood huge portions of Ukraine.
And the January 6 Committee has just issued a subpoena to Donald Trump the same day his former adviser Steve Bannon's is sentenced to four months in
jail for contempt of Congress. More on those top stories in just a moment. But first, in Britain, the race is on once again for the next prime
minister.
In the last few hours, House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt declared she is throwing her hat in the ring. This as the halls of power really reel
from Liz Truss' resignation on Thursday. Two other lawmakers appear to be emerging as frontrunners for the Conservative Party leadership.
Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, who narrowly missed out on the top job during the last race, just over really a month ago. And even former leader
Boris Johnson is garnering some early support from MPs, you'll remember he stepped down not so long ago in July, in fact, amid a wave of scandal.
I want to bring in CNN's Bianca Nobilo who is live for us outside 10 Downing Street. So, Bianca, good to see you. Penny Mordaunt officially
throwing her hat in the ring. The first one to do so, how do the numbers stack up though in terms of the support behind each one?
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Penny Mordaunt, the first ever female secretary of state for defense here in this country, currently
holding the prestigious position of leader of the House of Commons, is now our only official candidate so far. She said that she was encouraged by
colleagues to stand for the sake of the national interest and unity of the party, and says that she wants to win the next general election.
In terms of where she stacks up with the big three that people are talking about at the moment. Well, Rishi Sunak, he was the MPs favorite last time,
this was all going on not that long ago, is still the MPs favorite according to recent tallies. He's got around 70 MPs declaring for him at
this stage.
Then, Boris Johnson, will he return or won't he? Has around half that number. And then trailing behind them is Penny Mordaunt who hasn't quite
reached the support of 20 Mps I understand. But there's still some time left because the nominations and the vote from MPs will happen on Monday.
So this weekend, you can imagine that supporters will be hitting the phones, they'll be having plenty of backroom discussions.
Because it will depend quite a lot on if anybody else comes out of the woodworks, because these candidates are candidates from different wings of
the party. Mordaunt is more in the center. She gets a lot of her support from that part of the party. She could steal votes of both Johnson and
Sunak for that reason.
But what if another right-wing favorite candidate like Suella Braverman or Kemi Badenoch comes forward? That would split votes of other candidates
too. So, a lot to look out for. But of course, the big question of the evening for everybody here is, is Boris Johnson going to stand? And the
consensus is that if he feel like he can get that number of a 100 MPs, he will, because if he won't, he doesn't like to lose.
SOARES: He doesn't like to lose, I don't think any of them like to lose, Bianca, to be completely honest with you. But you know, for Boris Johnson,
what are you hearing? Would -- you know, what would -- do they believe this is the moment for him to make a comeback, given everything we have seen,
the public has seen in this country?
NOBILO: It is chaotic and dramatic and extreme moments in British --
SOARES: Yes --
NOBILO: Politics. And I think that's why Johnson's name has come up again. Because his supporters will say that he is a remarkable, once in a
generation type of politician, that he's charismatic, that he knit together constituencies in the last election that have never been united from the
red wall to the -- you know, southern regions of the country that are traditional conservative hard-lines.
That he's shown to be good in a crisis and make the right decisions. Obviously, the detractors would say, but what about all the scandals? The
hubris, the unforced errors? This is a prime minister who 148 of his own MPs voted against him in a vote of no confidence. Others wrote letters
publicly saying that he was unfit for office.
Not to mention the parliamentary investigation which is yet to be concluded into Johnson which could see him suspended if he is found to have misled
parliament.
[14:05:00]
And this is a deeply controversial figure. But Boris Johnson we know loves to steep himself from the heroes of the past. And two that he admires, both
Winston Churchill and Cincinnatus, the Roman figure are famous for having a glorious second return to power. So I'm sure he would quite like to follow
in their footsteps.
SOARES: Yes, how can we forget that Cincinnatus quote, right, Bianca. Bianca Nobilo outside 10 Downing Street, good to see you, Bianca, thank you
very much. Well, as Ukrainian forces close in on the occupied city of Kherson, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns Russia is planning a new and
dangerous false flag operation.
Now, he says Russia is placing mines at a critical dam in a hydroelectric plant on the Dnipro river. If those structures are destroyed, you can
imagine, it would send a huge wall of water into southern Ukraine washing away people's houses and would deprive the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
of cooling water.
Now, Russia says Ukraine's accusations are nonsense, claiming there's no point in destroying the dam now. Nic Robertson joins me now this evening
from Kyiv. And Nic, this dam is, you know, very near the city of Kherson where we have seen one of the fiercest battles as Ukraine tries to push its
counteroffensive. So how plausible is this claim, and critically, what is Ukraine doing about it?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and the battles are still ongoing there. The Dnipro River and how to get across it is a
huge strategic issue for both sides. The Russians potentially to retreat back across it, and if they were to blow it to stop the Ukrainians
advancing onto them on the east bank of it.
And for the Ukrainians, for it to be intact, to be able to get across it and chase the Russian forces further, it was only a few days ago, it seems,
perhaps at the beginning of this week, that the Russians were actually saying it was the Ukrainians that were going to blow the dam, and they were
using that as an excuse to tell and force the civilian residents of Kherson that they needed to evacuate and get across the river before the Ukrainians
blew it up.
And the Ukrainians were saying, that was rubbish. You know, what we've seen in this war until now is that often times, Russia will say something, say
the other side is going to do it, try to blame them, and then do it. A false flag operation. But the stakes which you say are so high here. If you
blow this Novakivka hydroelectric power plant dam up, you do, you potentially wash out towns and villages that are close to the river, kill
people, injure people.
But it's perhaps the upstream effect that is the most worrying. And that is because this Dnipro River is a big lake, obviously, above the dam. That's a
huge river. And that river is used for cooling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. And without that vital cooling, I think it's very clear that
the nuclear power plant itself could become unstable, and that's a very dangerous scenario.
And that's what the Ukrainians are worried about. Partly, because or exacerbated by the fact that Russians were trying to blame it on them
earlier in the week. And I think that adds the concerns that this could be a real thing that happens. And they're saying right now they believe the
Russians have got trucks, two military trucks full of explosives sitting right on top of the dam. That's the Intelligence Ukrainians say they have.
SOARES: And Nic, as I'm looking at your shot, I'm seeing that behind you, it's pitch black. I remember just over a week ago, there would have been
lights really behind you. And that says so much about what we have seen in the country following, of, course, those hits on the power infrastructure.
How is it out there? How are Ukrainians dealing with this?
ROBERTSON: Kyiv is one of those areas in the country that's been having controlled rolling blackouts. And people in the city were told today that
if your power goes out, it will be out for a maximum of 4 hours, but another 6 hours later, you could lose it again. So it's sort of six on,
four off, six on, four off. The evening time like right now, people are being told don't run heaters, don't run appliances that draw a lot of
electricity. This is a peak time, it will stress the system.
What they're trying to do is encourage people to use less power so that they have time to repair the infrastructure that's been damaged. But some
of it is very hard. And if you go south of here, to the city of Kryvyi Rih, a big city, a big industrial city in the center of the country, there are
actually police who are monitoring electricity consumption at night.
If they see somewhere that's got a lot of light on outside a commercial premise, maybe that has a lot of lights on, they will go there and find out
why the lights are on and why they're not switched off, and try to enforce some of their requests for people to back off on their use of power.
SOARES: Very important there. Nic Robertson outside just in Kyiv for us in Ukraine. Thanks very much, Nic, appreciate it.
[14:10:00]
I want to take you now to breaking news because in the last half hour or so, the January 6 Committee just issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. Now,
the panel investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol wants to hear from the former president under oath. CNN got a copy of the panel's letter
moments ago, and the committee voted unanimously last week to compel him to testify about the attack and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
And that's just one of the headlines really coming out of Washington today. There are also new details about the classified documents the FBI recovered
from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate back in August. "The Washington Post" is reporting some of the documents include highly sensitive Intelligence about
China and about Iran.
Also today, a former senior adviser to Trump who refused to testify before the January 6 Committee has been sentenced to prison. A federal judge
ordered Steve Bannon jailed, say for four months for contempt of Congress. He refused a subpoena and refused to turn over documents to lawmakers
investigating the Capitol Hill riots. They judge agreed to allow Bannon to remain free whiles he pursues an appeal. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE BANNON, MEDIA EXECUTIVE & FORMER WHITE HOUSE STRATEGIST: Today was my judgment day by the judge. And he stated for the appeal, and we'll have
a very vigorous appeals process. I've got a great legal team and there will be multiple areas of appeal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And we'll of course take you live to Washington for more on all of this In just a few moments. And as women lead, of course, massive protests
-- we're showing you here on the show for freedom across Iran, they're also facing much of the security force's brutality. We'll show you how and hear
from one of Iran's most revered performers on where she hopes protests will lead. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: No one knows for certain how many protesters Iranian security forces have killed, injured, tortured or imprisoned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNFIRE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: But despite the hard-line Islamic regime's violent crackdown, the protesters keep returning to the streets. And they are led by intrepid
women, fed up with religious regulations that stifle their freedom in the name of morality. And a government that seems hell-bent against any
reforms. Well, Iran is also cracking down online, all but blocking the internet to prevent protesters from planning events as well as
communicating.
[14:15:00]
It hasn't stopped waves of protesters in more than 100 cities, or the women of Iran who are leading the way. Our Jomana Karadsheh shows us their
challenge as well as their courage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every day for the past five weeks, a little bit of video trickles out of Iran, giving
us a small window into the repressive Republic. A snapshot of the bravery of protesters, and the ruthlessness of regime forces.
The government's internet restrictions have made it hard for us to speak to those on the frontlines of this battle for change. But we got a rare
opportunity to speak briefly with a 28-year-old protester. We're not identifying her for her safety.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I ran to protest location, I was really scared and I was like, what am I doing here? Here is a war zone. And I was so
scared. I realized that if I want to make a change, I should start with myself.
KARADSHEH: That defiance was met with sheer brutality. Women have been beaten up with batons and shot at. This protester's body riddled with
shotgun pellets according to rights group Hengaw. Many have been dragged but they're uncovered here. And according to human rights groups and
Amnesty International, some sexually assaulted in plain sight by the very forces claiming to be the enforcers of morality.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Individuals and Basij forces attacked people and beat them and to scare people. Some lady who was coming back from class and the
Basij forces hit her with a baton in her sensitive place and she couldn't walk.
KARADSHEH: She recounts in terrifying details what she and others have witnessed firsthand. Security forces roaming the streets on motorbikes
attacking people, opening fire on peaceful protesters and chasing them into buildings.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When we were attacked, we run into a store and the salesman closed and locked the door so the forces couldn't see inside. My
heart was pounding and I was shaking. My friend said, do you want to go home, I said no. Like home, I don't have to run away. Nothing has happened
to me yet, and I was able to escape.
But it is possible at any moment. We are now in the worst time of our lives. We do everything we can, despite all these stress even if it cost
our lives.
KARADSHEH: Too many lives already lost in a battle they say for women, life, liberty. But that's not stopping the fearless generation rising up to
reclaim freedoms they've never known. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: We'll continue to stay on that story, of course. Well, more now on the news from the U.S. we brought you in the last few minutes. Well, the
subpoena for former President Donald Trump, Katelyn Polantz joins me now from Washington. Katelyn, great to have you on the show. So, he's been
subpoenaed. What does the committee say, what is it asking for?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME & JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, the committee is with this subpoena, they're asking for two things. They're asking for
documents from Donald Trump, and they're asking for testimony from Donald Trump. This isn't the first time a president or former president has been
subpoenaed.
But this is really such a unique situation with this House Select Committee investigating January 6. They have done months of investigation, talked to
hundreds if not thousands of witnesses, collected many documents. And there is a lot more that they still want to learn.
And what they want to do here, Isa, is they want to put Donald Trump at the center of everything. They believe that he has the key pieces of
information that could explain everything that happened after the election and everything leading up to this attack on the Capitol on January 6th, his
supporters overrunning Congress, blocking the ability for several hours of them to certify the presidency of Joe Biden.
And they really want to ask questions that only Donald Trump would know the answer to. They go through lots and lots of topics that they have
researched, that they've gathered information on, that they want information from him, how he was interacting with the Justice Department,
with members of Congress, what he was doing with electors, that would be certifying the vote in their states, what he was doing in the court system.
All of it comes back to Donald Trump. And that is the point that they make here. There are some options he has now, whether he could comply or not.
But we're going to have to wait and see exactly how Trump's team will respond to this.
SOARES: And what our viewers around the world probably want to know, and I'm guessing you wouldn't have the answer to this right now, Katelyn, is
whether he would testify.
[14:20:00]
POLANTZ: Right, well, our sources so far have said that the Trump team is discussing how to respond to this. We do know that he has assembled some of
the many lawyers around him into a team specifically to respond to this. And he has a couple options, as does the House Select Committee. Now, the
house has had trouble enforcing subpoenas that they have issued in the past. But just today, we saw the sentencing of Steve Bannon --
SOARES: Yes --
POLANTZ: This adviser and person who's been very close to Donald Trump for very many years, he's sentenced to jail for not responding to a document
and testimony subpoena. Now, others, though, Trump -- who have worked in the Trump White House have claimed executive privilege, have tried to claim
confidentiality, and have not had to have their subpoenas enforced, they haven't had this set for testimony or turn over documents.
But we really are going to have to see, does Donald Trump want to stand up in front of the American public and give an explanation as the committee
demands, or will he just continue attacking the committee which he has done quite a lot. And many of the other people around him who have been
subpoenaed have also done, saying it's illegitimate, we're just not complying.
SOARES: And of course, Steve Bannon is the former adviser for President -- former President Donald Trump. We were just looking, Katelyn, a video of
him. What did he have to say? Because it was quite colorful outside, wasn't it? In terms of heckling, I heard.
POLANTZ: Well, it is always colorful upon the arrival and departure of Steve Bannon at court. He almost always has something to say. He walked
into court critiquing the house, he was talking about politics very briefly as he walked out of court. His lawyers promise that they were going to
appeal. But in court, he let his attorney speak.
Whenever a defendant is sentenced, whenever they come to court, they often do want to apologize to the judge, show remorse. That was not the approach
that Steve Bannon took at all. His attorney David Schoen instead spoke for about 30 minutes, just railing about the House Select Committee and the
process.
Essentially saying that, you know, Steve Bannon doesn't need to make any apologies here. What the judge should do should be specific findings under
the law to give him an easy sentence. The judge did believe at the end though, that Bannon was not remorseful and did sentence him to four months
in jail and a $6,500 fine, although that's going to be on hold if Bannon appeals.
SOARES: A very busy afternoon in Washington for you, Katelyn, really appreciate it. Katelyn Polantz there, thank you. Now, the death toll is
rising from a recent surge of violence in the West Bank. Palestinian officials say Israeli forces killed a 19-year-old Palestinian during heavy
clashes in Jenin overnight.
A militant group has claimed him as a member. Israeli security forces say they came under attack and responded with live fire. Israel has intensified
raids in the West Bank following deadly attacks on Israelis. More than 120 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces this year.
We are also following a rise in violence at the hands of Jewish settlers. The Israeli daily "Haaretz" says there have been hundred attacks against
Palestinians in the West Bank in the last 10 days alone. But the victims aren't always Palestinian. A 70-year-old Israeli woman was injured on
Wednesday, reportedly suffering broken ribs and a punctured lung.
She and other activists were helping Palestinians harvest olives when settlers attacked them with rocks as well as clubs. Five people were also
injured. And just yesterday, a settler, if you remember, we told you this story, attack drew an outrage response from the highest levels of the
Israeli government. This time, the target was Israeli soldiers who were trying to break up settlers who had attacked Palestinian vehicles.
Israel's prime minister has vowed to bring those attackers to justice. And, we're turning briefly to Iran, across the Persian world, one voice has
stood out for decades, showing what women can do and become. And now that voice is speaking out on behalf of the women of Iran, who are risking their
lives in the streets.
The Iranian singer and actress Googoosh spoke with our Christiane Amanpour about her hopes for personal, freedom and her homeland, and about the
protesters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAEGHEH GOOGOOSH ATASHIN (through translator): I am proud of them. And I wish, and I hope, in fact, I am certain that the women in my country will
ultimately achieve the freedoms that is their inherent right.
CHRISTIAN AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: I know that you are going to record a piece of music this weekend to support the women and the
young girls. So you're going to record it in the same place where they recorded, "We Are The World". And I wonder what you hope that your message
will bring to the frontlines of this movement.
[14:25:00]
ATASHIN: This song with the help of several other female musicians, will give the message that Iranian women will succeed in bringing their wishes
into fruition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, the race is on for the U.K.'s next prime minister. Penny Mordaunt, the first to declare she's running for the
top job. CNN's Richard Quest joins me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back everyone, and here we go again. The race is officially on for the United Kingdom's next prime minister and the leader
of the Conservative Party. There are three MPs shaping up to be the frontrunners really in this contest.
The former finance minister, you can see there, Rishi Sunak, his old boss, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson there, and right in the middle, Penny
Mordaunt who in the last few hours officially declared she is running for the top job.
Let's get more analysis with CNN's Richard Quest who joins me now here in London. Nice to have you back, Richard, from Istanbul. Right. These are the
contenders.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Yes --
SOARES: What do you think?
QUEST: Well, obviously, he's going to be the number one contender at the moment.
SOARES: But he's quite divisive, Richard.
QUEST: He is. But he's also the most experienced. He also was the most popular --
SOARES: He's experienced?
QUEST: No, I'm going to get to him.
SOARES: OK, go ahead --
QUEST: At the right time. He is clearly the one that garnered the most support --
SOARES: OK --
QUEST: Amongst MPs the last time. A save pair of hands. Penny Mordaunt sort of safe pair of hands, but not in the same league as Rishi Sunak. Now,
you want to get to Boris, don't you?
SOARES: Everyone wants to --
QUEST: You want to get to Boris. So can he do it? His argument is, I am the only one who can win this election or the next election. I am the only
one -- I'm the one who got the mandate --
SOARES: Yes --
QUEST: Last time and therefore, I'm the only one who can win.
SOARES: Can he get the votes?
QUEST: Within MPs? Probably not. It's hard to tell because so many disliked him. Remember, there was -- he lost his premiership because MPs rebelled
against him. So could he do it? There's even talk, for instance, I've been doing a weird deal between Boris and Rishi Sunak soon some sort of like,
let -- we'll be better together type of idea. And we can win together. But, of course, there's no love lost between them.
SOARES: And that was exactly my point. Could she be the kingmaker given that there's no love between them two?
QUEST: The rules have changed, and we don't know how this is going to play out. You've now got to get 100 sponsors.
SOARES: Yes.
QUEST: 100 people have to nominate you. So there can only be a maximum of three, looking at the number of Tory MPs that there are. Now if you've got,
say -- the way will work is if you managed to get three, you'll have a first round and a second round.
SOARES: But if --
QUEST: But if you've only got two, you'll have a first round and see who wins. And that -- there's a very strong argument that would say after
that's over, you go to the neck -- that person's Prime Minister.
SOARES: That's done. And let's just remind our viewers how we got here. OK? Because we've got -- we've obviously been tracking Sterling and the U.S.
dollar because that tells the story, doesn't it, Richard? Tell us the story of really Truss's premiership. There --
QUEST: What happens here, of course, is this enormous lack of confidence in the ability of the government to pay the bills, then they do the reversal
on the 45 percent tax cut, but that this is a dead cat bounce, essentially, yes. Because what you get here is we're still not happy. And yet to be
sure, if you look at where you are here at 1.15, and you look at here --
SOARES: Yes, just a bit about one -- yes.
QUEST: -- so you're still sort of -- you're back to almost where you were, but the risk is on the downside, the weakness is there.
SOARES: And that weakness we're seeing, you're tracking it also in the FTSE that follows roughly the same thing as the --
QUEST: And don't forget you -- don't forget --
SOARES: -- as the -- a Sterling.
QUEST: Two bits of economic information we got this week. First of all, inflation --
SOARES: Inflation. Yes.
QUEST: -- is 10.1 percent, and secondly, U.K. government borrowing was 20 billion in September. And that was a record for the month.
SOARES: So given what we're seeing here, and what we have seen in the last couple of months with Liz Truss, who is the best person to lead on the
economic here? Because we've got a crisis and economic crisis, we've got cost of living crisis, we've got high inflation, Richard. Rishi.
QUEST: Yes. He is the one who has the experience. He may not be the most charismatic. Remember, he was the man who he put in to run the books. If
you're looking for charisma, if you're looking for leadership, probably Boris Johnson.
SOARES: Even with everything that has happened?
QUEST: Well, that's the bit where you're going to have to hold your nose at the stench of scandal.
SOARES: Really?
QUEST: No, no, I'm not saying one should.
SOARES: I mean --
QUEST: I'm saying but if you're going to go for Boris Johnson, you're going to have to recognize that there's still a parliamentary investigation --
SOARES: Yes. Exactly.
QUEST: -- into how he behaved. There is still potential other investigations. And he's still the only sitting Prime Minister who's been
convicted while in office.
SOARES: I was surprised to hear people today saying bring back Boris. Because it's that, isn't it? It's that that you're talking about.
QUEST: He's got a -- he's a leader. He's a leader. People follow him.
SOARES: And speaking of --
QUEST: But you have to hold your nose.
SOARES: Yes. I'm not sure whether they -- maybe everyone's prepared, given everything we've been through. Now we've got the public --
QUEST: Look at the poll.
SOARES: -- duty cost allowance. Now, this -- talk us through this because Liz Truss, who has been in office, what, 44 days, 45 days, she is expected
to get 115,000 pounds.
QUEST: $120,000 or so.
SOARES: Right. And people are spitting feathers here because she's only been in office for 44 days.
QUEST: She's entitled to it. So the Prime Minister -- an ex Prime Minister is entitled to this public duty cost allowance, which is defined as being
because of your unique role in public life. This is not handed out as here's your money.
SOARES: Right.
QUEST: This has to be expensed back. This has to be justified. This has to be put against something so it's for office. It's for staff, secretarial or
public relations. It's for all those other things that, as a former Prime Minister, you would be expected, speech writers, this, that, and the other.
It's not for your car, by the way and it's not for your security because former Prime Minister's get a car and driver and security quite rightly for
the rest of their lives. The real issue here should --
SOARES: Yes, and, you know, that's exactly -- what I'm going to say.
QUEST: -- she get it because she only had the job for 45 days?
SOARES: Theresa didn't have -- Theresa May didn't take the full amount. Should she take the full amount?
QUEST: She may or may not be taking the full amount because she's not spent it.
SOARES: Yes, that's right. She hasn't declared it.
QUEST: She's still a sitting MP.
SOARES: Yes, that's right.
QUEST: She's here. Now it's interesting to see who has taken a full amount. So John Major --
SOARES: And Tony Blair.
QUEST: So Tony Blair, bearing in mind they probably got big offices.
[14:35:02]
But here's the truth of it, they're all making -- these men particularly are making far more money than this. This is paying the bills of their
secretarial and their office staff.
SOARES: But no one, Richard, would have cared about this several years ago, is the fact that we are, like you said, inflation is at 10 percent. There's
a cost of living crisis. People can't -- don't, you know, energy is through the roof, that's really hard to swallow.
QUEST: No.
SOARES: Really? Is it not?
QUEST: So the only thing --
SOARES: I mean --
QUEST: So what you have --
SOARES: I agree it's -- there's a right. But I think for people to see that after 44 days in office, it's really hard to want -- to try and understand
that right.
QUEST: All right. Let's play this game. How many days in office? 44.
SOARES: 44.
QUEST: 90. Do you get it?
SOARES: No, I'm not saying that's --
QUEST: 110. Do you get it?
SOARES: I know that's the rule.
QUEST: 115. Two years?
SOARES: But I also understand the sentiment.
QUEST: 18 months.
SOARES: I also understand the sentiment.
QUEST: What I'm saying if that's the rule, that's the rule.
SOARES: Right.
QUEST: She gets it.
SOARES: She gets what -- she clearly is going to get it. But my point is, I understand why the public --
QUEST: Yes.
SOARES: -- feel that she shouldn't --
QUEST: It's --
SOARES: Perhaps she shouldn't take the whole thing.
QUEST: It stinks. It's sort of grubby, but it's the rule.
SOARES: Richard said it. Thank you very much, Richard. Appreciate it.
And still to come tonight. Well, we have a new era in Italy, what we know about the country's first female prime minister. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, as the U.K. hunts for its new leader, in Italy, well, the wait is over. Giorgia Meloni has just been appointed as Italy's first
female prime minister. She met with President Sergio Mattarella, who gave her his mandate to form a government. She will now lead Italy's most far-
right government since Benito Mussolini. Her Brothers of Italy party is set to enter coalition was Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia and Matteo
Salvini's league.
And it may not be all be plain sailing, Meloni's new coalition. One member, this one you're looking at right now, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi is sparking real outrage over comments he made justifying Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In leaked audio clips, Berlusconi can be
heard bragging about his "Reestablished friendship" with Vladimir Putin. This is what he said. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SILVIO BERLUSCONI, FORMER ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I have reestablished relations with President Putin a bit, quite a bit, in
the sense that for my birthday, he sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a very sweet letter. I replied with bottles of Lambrusco and an equally sweet
letter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:40:05]
SOARES: Lots of love there. Well, the comments have got Berlusconi in trouble with his political colleagues. Italy's new Prime Minister, Giorgia
Meloni, said she plans to continue supporting Ukraine's war effort.
Now the Chinese Communist Party Congress is wrapping up this weekend, President Xi Jinping is expected to secure a third term as the party's
general secretary, and as Chairman of the Central Military Commission breaking precedent. Mr. Xi is also expected to renew his presidency at the
parliament's annual meeting in March. The Constitution was amended in 2018 to remove the two-term limit.
While the Congress came up during the European Union's two day summit in Brussels, The President of the European Commission says E.U. leaders now
want to minimize their dependency on China. And here's her explanation as to why.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: The discussion showed that we're witnessing quite an acceleration of trends and tensions. It was
very clear from the Congress that we've seen that President Xi is continuing to reinforcing the very assertive and self-reliant course China
has taken.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Pakistan's Election Commission has disqualified former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding public office for five years. The
commission found Khan guilty of making false statements about the sale of gifts from foreign leaders while in office. Leaders from Khan's political
party immediately denounced the decision, calling it "bias" and urged supporters to take to the streets.
Facebook and TikTok failed to block advertisement with misinformation about voting in the U.S. midterms. That is according to researchers at New York
University. In an experiment, they submitted 20 ads with inaccurate claims to the social media platforms of which the vast majority were approved. The
researchers withdrew the ads after the approval process so no misinformation was shown to users.
Well, passwords are one of the veins of course of our lives, don't remind me, and thinking up a new one is never really easy. I always just add an
exclamation mark, which doesn't really help. Sorry. Well, CNN's Donie O'Sullivan thought he was pretty password savvy until he allowed a hacker
to test his online accounts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So it's been three years since you last hacked me here in Vegas, Rachel.
RACHEL TOBAC, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, SOCIAL PROOF SECURITY: Yes.
O'SULLIVAN: You have stolen about $2,500 worth of hotel points. A lot has changed. There's been a pandemic, there's a new president. I am still
wearing the same shirt though, so.
TOBAC: Oh, yes.
O'SULLIVAN: You have put me in a middle seat.
TOBAC: On a five-hour flight.
O'SULLIVAN: Oh, my God. This time, I mean, as far as I know, you haven't broken into any of my accounts so far, anything like that?
TOBAC: No. I'm about to do that right now.
O'SULLIVAN: OK.
TOBAC: Most people, when they log into their accounts, they reuse their passwords, or they change it just ever so slightly. And when you do that,
if you've been in a breach, which all of us have, that means I can take that password and I can shove that into all the other sites that you log
into.
O'SULLIVAN: I have been using quite a few of the same passwords over the years. I've gotten a bit better with some accounts.
TOBAC: I guess we'll find out. I'm going to go to a data breach repository site. And I'm going to put in your email address. You can see here that
you're involved in 13 breaches just with this email address alone.
O'SULLIVAN: Wow. Online, there are sites that collect all that breached information like email addresses and passwords. And it's likely some of
your data is in there, too.
TOBAC: We have our first password that I found. Does that look familiar to you, Donie?
O'SULLIVAN: Yes, that's a password I still use today occasionally.
TOBAC: OK. So you were using that on LinkedIn.
O'SULLIVAN: Many times. Tip number one, don't use the same password for different services. Your password for your Gmail should be different to the
password for your Instagram. If one of these services gets attacked, and your password is leaked, hackers can use it to get into a different site if
you're using that same password.
TOBAC: The hackers got a lot of information, some of which included a hash. We also were able to crack one of your passwords. The other half is Evan.
He's the other half of Social Proof Security. I want to bring him in here and show you what it looked like when he cracked your password.
O'SULLIVAN: Evan evidence emerges from the darkness. Hey, Evan.
TOBAC: Come on in here, Evan.
EVAN TOBAC, HEAD OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, SOCIAL PROOF SECURITY: I can take all the passwords that we know about you, put it in a word list, and
then try 10,000 different little tweaks that you'll probably try. I can add a number at the end, I can add a special character. And we did that for
your password list and we cracked one of your new passwords. Is this a password that you use now?
O'SULLIVAN: Yes.
TOBAC: How do you feel about that?
O'SULLIVAN: I -- tip number two, don't use very similar passwords across different websites if you don't want people like Evan being able to figure
out your password.
[14:45:05]
I guess you could probably go change my passwords. That sounds great.
TOBAC: It's not.
O'SULLIVAN: So what are the tips for people not to be like me?
TOBAC: Well, first and foremost, it is on the companies to avoid getting hacked and prevent breaches like this. Many companies do not use MFA
internally, that second step, when they're logging in. We need them to use that.
O'SULLIVAN: MFA is multi-factor authentication, which is when they text you a code or whatever after putting your password.
TOBAC: Text you a code, you look at an app, you have a prompt on your phone, that's your second step. So if I get your password, I still can't
log into your account because I don't have that code. Don't reuse your passwords. If you reuse your passwords across multiple sites, even for
sites that you deem silly, or kind of a throwaway site, I can take that password and I can use it against you. So you have to use long, random, and
unique passwords for every single site. I recommend storing it in a password manager, which keeps all of your passwords safe and encrypted and
can generate good passwords for you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Long and random, and then write on a little sticker. That just defeats the whole purpose. But, you know, that's the idea. Still to come
tonight, royal backlash and fictional warnings, we'll look at why Netflix is getting criticized for the newest season of The Crown. And a
multimillion pound lawsuit and a disgraced champion, the cheating scandal that rocked the chess world has just taken quite another turn. That is
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: There is a new twist in the scandal that rocked the chess world. Grandmaster Hans Niemann has filed a defamation lawsuit against reigning
world champion Magnus Carlsen. Niemann says Carlsen and others have "Egregiously defamed him by accusing him of cheating and are attempting to
blacklist him from the game." The 19-year-old is asking for $100 million in damages. Cheating rumors have been swirling around Niemann for months now,
accusations that he's constantly denied.
And from one scandal in one of the world's oldest games to a controversial portrayal as the world's best known monarchy, Netflix is facing criticism
over its dramatization of the life as well as legacy of Britain's Royal Family. Blockbuster series The Crown depicts the life of Britain's longest
serving monitor, Queen Elizabeth II. It has drawn in millions of viewers right around the world, but now, some say the line between fact and fiction
is becoming a bit too blurred.
[14:50:05]
And are calling for the show to add a fictional disclaimer. Let's take a look at the latest season.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOMINIC WEST AS PRINCE CHARLES: For years, I've called for a more modern monarchy that reflects the world outside.
CLAIRE FOY AS QUEEN ELIZABETH II: I don't think it's my behavior that's threatening its survival. You, as future king, have a duty.
ELIZABETH DEBICKI as PRINCESS DIANA: People will never understand how it's really been for me. I never stood a chance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more on this. Max Goldbart is International TV Editor at Deadline Hollywood. He joins me now. So Max, why so much fuzz over this
upcoming season of The Crown? What's got everyone's so upset here?
MAX GOLDBART, INTERNATIONAL TV EDITOR, DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD: Yes, well, thank you. Thank you for having me. First of all, I mean, it's not been a pretty
great ride since the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September the 8th, but it's really -- it's stepped up this week with the -- with Judi Dench and
others, the British A-list actor penning an open letter with several others to The Times, criticizing what she deems in the new season of The Crown to
be some issues around the representation of both Prince Charles and his relationship with Diana.
And some specific stuff that we are anticipating in season five of The Crown, which will be around Prince Charles, now King Charles's relationship
with his mother, some comments that he makes throughout the season, which are getting people upset really. And preceding Judi Dench saying that, John
Major, who was the Prime Minister at the time, and as reflected in season five of The Crown, he also made comments very critical of The Crown and
both are fearing almost that a new generation of people will watch this drama on Netflix and believe that the events took place in exactly the way
that they are represented. And those are the concerns of the likes of Judi Dench and John Major. And it's been capturing all of the headlines.
SOARES: On Judi Dench, I believe we have the quote from her when she talked about crude sensationalism from what I can remember. But I think that if we
bring it up so viewers can get a sense, but like you said, she said here "The closer the drama comes to our present times, the more freely it seems
willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism." Can you talk, Max, to the examples? Give me one example of
this upcoming season where the lines -- well, it's not -- it's really fiction more than reality, more than historical here.
GOLDBART: Yes, there's a moment, I believe, where, again, then Prince Charles, who is now going to be played by Dominic West talks about the fact
that his mother should have been given a jail sentence for the way in which that she's treated him and the way in which he's grown up within The Royal
Family. And I think that's something that has really angered the likes of Judi Dench.
SOARES: And so the big question then, Max, becomes, you know, will they have -- will Netflix then have to run this disclaimer at the beginning of
every episode?
GOLDBART: Yes, that is the big question. And what has happened slowly, Netflix has been softening its stance. So the reason -- I think that we're
having this conversation today, the hook for all this is that the YouTube trailer, which came out yesterday for season five, in the comments at the
top of the description of the trailer, it now does provide this sentence that people have been calling for for a little while. So it now says
inspired by real events. This fictional dramatization tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her
reign, and it's that bit at the start, this fictional dramatization.
People want Netflix to go further. They want every episode to flash that up at the beginning. And this isn't new, by the way. This has been something
that some have called for for a good couple of years since the previous season, the fourth season. Netflix were, when I was writing about this
today, Netflix were keen to point out they do use this fictional dramatization line on social media. They use it in marketing materials
around the show, they had this ready already. And it's the comment in the trailer that has been updated as of today. So an interesting -- it will be
interesting to see what happens between now and the launch of the show, which is November the 9th.
SOARES: Yes, the reality is some people still -- what they see they truly believe so I understand where those comments are coming from with Judi
Dench, as well as John Major.
Of course, Netflix shares have been doing very well. They set out at 2.4 million users in the fourth quarter so clearly they want to bank on this.
Very -- thanks very much, Max. Appreciate it. Max Goldbart there.
SOARES: Well, I want to say then --
GOLDBART: Thank you so much.
SOARES: -- in the world of entertainment the day Swifties have been waiting months for has finally arrived. Taylor Swift's new album Midnight is out.
[14:55:03]
Take a listen to part of the track, Sweet Nothing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: They said the end is coming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: You're going to talk. I had a breath.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SWIFT: Everyone's up to something. I found myself a-running home to your sweet nothings. Outside, they're push and shoving. You're in the kitchen
hummin'.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Swifties, the release with this post on Instagram, Midnight is her 10th studio album. I can tell you a lot of people on my team have been
listening to it already.
And for our final thought tonight, we return to one of our top stories, the political downfall, of course, of Liz Truss, the shortest tenured Prime
Minister in British history. And the question, of course, of her replacement. There's one unexpected candidate throwing the hat in the ring,
this is this, it's Larry the Cat. This is what he had to say. "The King has asked me to become Prime Minister."
There we go. We can bring it up. There's Larry the Cat. "The King has asked me to become Prime Minister because this nonsense has gone on long enough."
Of course, famous resident 10 Downing Street whose official title is Chief Mouser of the Cabinet Office has now lasted four Prime Ministers. And that
is today's quote of the day. I shall see you on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is next. Do stay right here.
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END
