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Isa Soares Tonight
Ukraine's President Zelenskyy Says Intelligence-Sharing With The United States Now Works After Days Of Deteriorating Relations Between The Two Countries; Italy's Prime Minister Says 500 Troops Will Be Deployed To Milan After Days Of Protests And Looting; Albertans Vote Overwhelmingly To Remain A Part Of Canada; Alberta Voters Reject Referendum Plan To Leave Canada; Man Charged In Alleged Attack On Australian Lawmaker; Israelis Head To The Polls On October 27; Migrants Sent From U.S. To Equatorial Guinea Warn Of Abuse. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired October 20, 2026 - 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, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy says
Intelligence-sharing with the United States now works after days of deteriorating relations between the two countries. We have the very latest
for you this hour.
Then Italy's Prime Minister says 500 troops will be deployed to Milan after days of protests and looting. We are live in Italy with the very latest.
Plus, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says Albertans have made a quote, "a clear choice after the province votes overwhelmingly to remain a part of
Canada." That and much more ahead for you this hour.
Now, amid a rapidly deteriorating relationship between Kyiv and Washington, a new diplomatic push and some cautious optimism to try to bring an end to
Russia's war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just wrapped up a meeting just a short time ago with the U.S. Special Envoy,
Steve Witkoff in Norway, you can see there.
Witkoff plans to travel to Russia on Wednesday in the hopes of meeting with President Vladimir Putin and really jump-starting peace talks. The Finnish
President was among the leaders, you can see there, also involved in today's meeting. And he believes the peace process, as he said, is back on
track.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXANDER STUBB, PRESIDENT, FINLAND: In the big picture, we found some elements of peace which will be taken forward to St. Petersburg tomorrow.
We discussed and found key elements on security and we discussed and found key elements on the economy.
And all of these proposals have been worked out very hard by the Americans, the Ukrainians and key European players.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE: We are thankful that Intelligence works. Now, I am speaking about early warning. What is very important for
our people, for children, adults, civilians, because we can hear when ballistic is coming, so we are thankful to American side.
Now it works. It's great than -- as I said, we will -- we also discussed with Secretary not only Intelligence, we discussed Starlinks and Patriot
and he will come back. And I think that we will have good result.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, while diplomatic efforts are being made in there in Norway, little has changed on the ground in Ukraine. President Zelenskyy is calling
a Russian attack that killed a one-year-old girl on Monday a pure atrocity.
The child's mother was among at least five others that also died in the strike at a popular park. We are covering these many layers, of course,
over this with our chief international security correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, and our CNN senior politics reporter, Stephen Collinson.
Good to see you both. I mean, Nick, let me just pick up really from what we heard just in the last hour or so from President Zelenskyy and Mr. Stubb as
well and Witkoff. I mean, hearing him, I did hear a shift in tone from Zelenskyy, at least more cordial than previous comments that he had made.
What did you -- what stood out to you? I mean, he mentioned Intelligence- sharing is now working. What stood out to you from what you heard?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I mean, ultimately this is about saying we're back on track. Things are as they
were two weeks ago, but clearly, they're not. I mean, yes, it may indeed be that Intelligence-sharing has restored to where it was.
Zelenskyy held out the issue of interceptors and Starlink as something he was hoping to get results from, from speaking to Marco Rubio for 45 minutes
earlier on today, that clearly, I think probably the most impactful of the meetings and calls he's had indeed today.
But Steve Witkoff is off to Moscow. It is unclear what he is taking from this meeting with him. There were suggestions that elements of security
guarantees on paper now would be something he would carry with him.
Zelenskyy, using the phrase Article Five like that would normally, I think to most people suggest they would not be part of NATO, but potentially get
NATO-like protection from maybe European allies in the event of some deal.
But what is Ukraine going to be offering back? That's still unclear here. And just literally in the minutes before this press conference ended,
Sergey Lavrov; the Russian Foreign Minister, said that they listened to what Witkoff brought with him but were not going to make political
concessions.
[14:05:00]
So, I'm not holding out enormous hope for this, yet another moment of shuttle diplomacy to Moscow. But clearly, this press conference entirely
aimed at trying to suggest the horrific for U.S.-Ukrainian relations over the past two weeks and now essentially behind them.
But they're obviously still really not because Rubio himself has stepped forward today to say that they simply don't agree with the fact of
Ukraine's suggestion that Intelligence-sharing has been limited, Starlink Starshield being restricted.
Now, there is this longstanding issue of the Ukrainians desperately needing Patriots that the U.S. have, but won't give them. So, we're in a bad place.
Still, I think it's fair to say, but a remarkable moment here where I think, the Finnish Norwegians desperately trying to suggest that all this
is now behind them and they're back on track to use their words.
Quite what track they're on and what they're carrying with them in this train -- forgive the metaphor, really unclear.
SOARES: Yes, it's not clear, of course, as we see Steve Witkoff going tomorrow to Moscow. Do stay with me, Nick, let me bring in Stephen. And I
do -- Stephen, I do want to explore what Nick was talking about and this relationship, right?
What we have seen, our viewers have seen in front of their very eyes is a very quickly disintegrating relationship, mutual distrust, in fact, between
the U.S. and Ukraine. We've seen President Trump right on camera going after President Zelenskyy.
But I do want to show the side of the Republican side of the -- some of those speaking out against this. I want viewers to listen to Thom Tillis,
who's a Republican Senator from North Carolina. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): Putin is lying. Putin is playing President Trump like a fiddle. And history is not going to look good on an America that
failed to rise up and defend the Western world if Putin actually gets his way.
And I believe that a summit with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, two countries who want to overwhelm the world is absurd.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: We're talking of course, he was referencing in that -- some of the -- potential summit between Xi Jinping and Putin where Zelenskyy is not a
part of. But his point -- I wonder how much -- there are how many other Republicans, many of whom backed Ukraine, how that's resonating?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, there is great concern among Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill about the
developments of the last few weeks, primarily the Russian diesel deal that the President did with Vladimir Putin.
But at the same time, there has been great concern for Ukraine for the last two years nearly when President Trump has been back in office. Thom Tillis;
the North Carolina Senator, you saw there, is an influential critic of Trump, but he'll be out of the Congress in a few months.
He's not running again, partly because he was opposed by Trump in North Carolina and thought it would be very difficult to win the primary. I think
the essential dynamic here is that it is, as it's always been, President Trump is very hostile towards Ukraine.
Every time he gets involved in the process, it seems to be after a call with President Putin in which he seems to lean towards the Russian vision
of what a peace deal would look like, which is one that would be very difficult in terms of territorial concessions and security for Ukraine to
sign up against in the last few weeks.
I mean, he's effectively sold-out Ukraine with this diesel deal because he needs to mitigate the impact of the high diesel prices before the Midterm
elections, something Putin seems to have taken advantage of. And it just seems that clearly, he favors one side rather than the other, the other
being the democratic nation that was invaded by Russia.
So, while we go through these big blow-ups like we had in the Oval Office last year, and then there's this repair work diplomatically afterwards, and
tensions seem to simmer down, the fundamental dynamic of this is that Trump doesn't like Zelenskyy, dating back to his first impeachment and his first
term.
He seems to favor the Russian solution. He's looking for a win, and that doesn't really look great for Ukraine in the long term. Whatever the
Midterm elections throw up in terms of a potentially Democratic House or Senate.
SOARES: And, Nick, I mean, putting aside for just a moment the negotiations that we are seeing that kick-starting again, and we don't know what Witkoff
has up his sleeve for what he's promising and what Ukraine is also suggesting in lieu.
But what is your sense of the battlefield itself? Viewers will know you travel often to Ukraine. You've been there, we're now -- you've been there
very often reporting from the front lines. We're now heading to its fifth Winter. What is your sense of how the battlefield has shifted and really
the challenges that Ukraine is facing in that frontline?
[14:10:00]
WALSH: To remember that ultimately, we're talking here in this peace deal, about this negotiation, about what Putin's goals are, about the remainder
of the Donbas region. And that is still -- has a large chunk of it, 11 percent, according to Marco Rubio, just in the last 48 hours held by
Ukraine.
But how is it held? Well, it is a civilian population in pretty desolate circumstances under relentless Russian drone attack hunting ultimately.
People they can find on the streets, particularly in the large population center like Kramatorsk.
So, as this Winter drags on, the habitability of those areas is going to increasingly be called into question. Militarily, they're still vital, but
it will now be Zelenskyy in a position where he's basically saying we have to militarily hold these areas under drone onslaught as a defensive line
against Russia, having to essentially, I think, relinquish the older idea that there would still be Ukrainians who could live peacefully in those
areas.
That's the nature of the frontline where Russia is still enduring enormous casualties for tiny gains and, in fact, has just lost a substantial area in
the north of this Donbas place to a Ukrainian counter-offensive that was deeply successful and took the Russians entirely by surprise.
But ultimately, the Russians are still edging forward, and that's going to be a reality Ukraine is going to have to deal with in the cold. The second
part is the move of this war to an air war, and it's one in which Ukraine is relentlessly surprising Russia with its damage against its refineries,
its infrastructure.
It may expand the target list from warehouses for Amazon-like stores. Potentially, there's been talk about maybe airports will be hit more hard.
That could get worse for the Russians. But it is already horrific for the Ukrainians who are on this relentless bombardment.
That's why the interceptors for Patriots matter so much. That's why the early warning Intelligence is so key. Ukrainians are going to really have
to dig their nails in to hang on over this particular Winter. They will endure, surely, but I think it's the toll that ordinary Ukrainian civilians
take.
Clearly, Russia has decided that any semblance of what they would hold back from doing is now out the window. There's nothing they won't hit, one-year-
olds in playgrounds in Kharkiv. Accident or not, it's civilians who are going to bear the brunt, and that's going to get worse during the Winter.
It will heap pressure on Zelenskyy, but it may also, I think, enhance defiance in many Ukrainians who see what their future would look like if
they stopped trying to defend themselves. Isa?
SOARES: Yes, and as we -- yes, and as we heard from Zelenskyy, he said we discussed Starlinks and Patriots and he will come back, and I think that
we'll have a good result. So, it's not clear yet on what the answer is to that as you said.
Nick, really appreciate it. Nick Paton Walsh and our Politics reporter, senior politics reporter, Stephen --
COLLINSON: Thank you --
SOARES: Collinson, thank you to you both, gentlemen, appreciate it. And just to let you know that President Trump is speaking, we are monitoring if
he does say anything -- say anything regarding, of course, developments out of Ukraine and what potentially Witkoff as you heard, Nick, there, might be
going to Moscow with in terms of a potential deal.
Then of course, we'll bring it to your attention. But so far, it's not clear what he may have other than the peace process, as we heard from
Stubb, is back on track. Now, Paris police say curfews will continue into tonight and will go on for a long as necessary.
The French Prime Minister is hailing the success of restrictions imposed on Monday, saying they brought a sense of calm nationwide. And he says France
will also deploy troops and reinforce police ahead of further protests on Saturday.
And it follows some of the worst rioting in France in years. At least two people have died and others have been seriously injured. Protests began
over cuts to education and the cost of living, and spiraled over the weekend.
In Italy, is green-lighting meantime, a new measure is aimed at tightening security. Police will be allowed to detain minors for up to 12 hours if
there's evidence, they pose a danger by having committed a crime. The government will also deploy 500 -- deploy, pardon me, 500 more military
personnel to Milan after two nights of unrest over the weekend.
Our Stefano Pozzebon is in Rome with more on these measures. So, Stefano, talk us through these measures and how they're being received.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, well, these are the new measures in these -- it's called the Law-and-Order Decree here in Italy
(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE). And Meloni took to Twitter to post a video where she explained these new measures, and this happened literally less
than half an hour ago.
So, I'm just going to translate what the Prime Minister here in Italy said, basically, she's creating a new criminal offense so that it's called a
violent participation in a demonstration. And she will charge offenders up to five years in prison or 20,000 euros in fines if they're caught in
clashing with the police at the end of the political rally.
He -- she also said that she intends to have the protesters or the parents of the protesters in the case of minors responsible for paying up for the
damages that these clashes create.
[14:15:00]
And essentially, Meloni is telling the Italians that she can tolerate people on the streets. Meloni herself used to be a student leader, so she
has uploaded some of the peaceful marches in the past. But she has a zero- tolerance policy when it comes to the violent clashes, similar to the ones that we have seen in the city of Milan on Saturday and Sunday, which were
clearly some of the scenes that we haven't seen in Italy for a while.
But when you speak with the students, they say that this is not enough. They say that the demands that they are trying to have heard -- their
voices heard are simply that the cost of living is too much, and in particular, the cost of housing.
And it's interesting when it comes to Italy, Isa, because you followed the crisis in Spain last month very closely, and the crisis in France this past
month very closely. And Italy seems to be a mix of the two. There is cost of housing, but also the cost of housing is brought forward mostly by the
students.
And we went to a university in here in Rome, Roma Tre, which is a university in the south of the city, to meet students that have pitched up
their tents in the yard of the Faculty of Letter and Humanities as a way to explain that if you're not from Rome, paying up for a room in Rome in order
to study is just too expensive. Take a listen.
SOARES: I don't have the clip --
POZZEBON: I am sorry, we thought we had --
SOARES: Can you give us a rough idea of what she said --
POZZEBON: That soundbite from you, but basically -- yes, they were saying we spoke with a student, for example, who -- she told us that in the first
three years of her degree, she was commuting from about 120 kilometers north of Rome.
And that would mean 4 to 5 hours of train every day just to go to class. When her brother also entered university, the two of them could match
together, and paying a shared double room in a shared flat would cost them between 600 and 700 euros.
And she said the family can barely afford that. And of course, this is a generation that has very scant perspective of going -- of having a stable
job here in Italy in the upcoming year. And Italy in particular is notorious for having children who leave the nest, leave the family home
very late in their life, well into their 25 or in their 30s.
Just because it is so hard to have -- to find a place to live in as a student, not from the same city where they're studying. And so, they hope
that they will be able to have their voices heard peacefully.
They said that they've requested negotiating table with the government, and that the government is not hearing them. And they've told us that on
October 24th, next Saturday, they'll be back in the streets. We'll hear what happens if they are met with these new measures launched by Meloni.
Isa.
SOARES: Yes. And these are grievances, of course, like you said, we've heard not only in Milan, but we've heard in Spain, we've heard in Portugal,
only yesterday we see protests as well in Lisbon over --
POZZEBON: Everywhere --
SOARES: Exactly the same subject, which is the grievances, which is the cost of renting across the property. Stefano, good to see you, thank you
very much indeed. Well, in Albania, there have been fresh clashes between protesters and police overnight.
Authorities using water cannon as well as tear gas. Demonstrators are demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation, and they are voicing anger
over alleged corruption, government corruption, a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
Today, we saw teachers and in fact, professors joined the forces with the students protesting, hundreds marching peacefully there through the streets
of the capital, Tirana, in solidarity with those they teach.
Well, we are exactly two weeks from U.S. Midterm elections, and for Democrats, the voting cannot come soon enough they're expecting, of course,
to have a big day. Some historical perspectives is useful here for you.
The President's party almost always suffers losses in the House in the Midterms, with Republicans only holding a four-seat advantage right now,
there's a very good chance they will lose control of the House.
But it's important. History tells us that flipping Senate seats isn't nearly as easy to pull off. In fact, in each of the past two Midterms, the
President's party actually gained seats. And while Democrats seem likely to win in some traditionally red states this year, they need to flip at least
four seats to gain control of the Senate.
But you only need to look at where President Donald Trump is campaigning, see just how much Republicans are on the defensive. Today, he ventures to
North Carolina, where the Republican Party is all but conceded the Senate race even though Mr. Trump won the state two years ago.
Kevin Liptak has more on the President's Midterm plans, and he joins me now. So, Kevin, I mean, let's continue this, you know, this multi-state
blitz. He's now heading to North Carolina, a key battleground state for Republicans, where we are seeing -- I was looking before I came on air
really higher early voting, right?
[14:20:00]
Compared to the 2022 Midterms, talk us through what we're likely to hear from the President today and where we are on this early voting.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right, and some of the early voting, you know, both sides usually take some takeaways from that. They
think that it shows them doing well. I think in the end, it can be hard to actually ascertain what the early voting really means for the final
election results, in part because Republicans are so much more likely, you know, historically to vote on election day.
And so, even though the polls or the data now shows Democrats voting in larger numbers, including compared to previous elections, that is not a
determinative statistic. And so, we'll have to see what actually happens on election day.
So -- but those numbers, I think, are giving Democrats a boost, but by no means, I think, predictive for what the results will be in early November.
It is interesting, though, that the President is going at all, just given how much Republicans seem to have written off the Senate race there.
National Republican groups have pulled their money out of the contest between the Republican Michael Whatley and the Democrat, Roy Cooper. Roy
Cooper, leading significantly in most polls. One of the reasons I think the President feels obligated to go in some ways is that Whatley is his
handpicked former head of the Republican National Committee.
The two men are aligned in a lot of ways, are close personally, and so, the President going down there to try and at least boost him here in the final
stretch of the campaign. There are also some competitive House races that I think the President will want to weigh in on.
But this race, when you look at the spectrum and the map across the country, it's not one of the closer ones. The place he's going tomorrow I
think is also interesting, South Carolina, and that is where Darline Graham, who is the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, is running in
her first ever election.
President Trump sort of plucked her -- endorsed her to be appointed to the job temporarily, and then said she should remain on as the elected Senator
from South Carolina. He didn't necessarily get a lot of input from the other Republicans in South Carolina.
And now, she seems to be in a very close battle in a way that not a lot of people were expecting. And so, that will be, I think a significant stop as
well. And just kind of tells you the story of how endangered a lot of these Republicans are and races that are just a lot tighter than a lot of people
were expecting.
SOARES: Yes, and as you were talking, we were showing viewers, of course, President Trump's multi-state blitz campaign. We have been showing viewers
also how -- just how close the polls, how tight the polls have been, and really how the polls don't bode very well, I should say, for President
Trump, at least on his own personal rating here.
But I do want to talk about the Democrats because we focus so much on the Republicans and this multi-state blitz. I mean, they believe clearly, they
have an advantage, at least the polls suggest that over the Republicans. But what is their messaging? Where have they been focusing on? Is it the
economy or is it something else?
LIPTAK: Yes, it's very much on the economy and specifically tying the economy to President Trump. Two specific actions that he's taken that have
made life harder for their constituents, whether it's the Iran war and the rising price of gas and diesel.
I think the other place that you see them really honing in on is this idea of the President just being woefully out of touch with any of their
priorities. And so, his attention on the ballroom or on other renovations around Washington, or just this week, turning a municipal golf course in
Washington into sort of a higher tier facility.
That's not something that a voter in Kansas or Iowa or North Carolina has, you know, any focus on. So, I think they're trying to make the President
seem out of touch. And then combined with that, trying to highlight some of these questions of corruption inside the administration and inside the
Trump family.
And there have been polls just in the last week that show that idea that the President and his family and his advisors are profiting off the
presidency. That is rising very quickly in terms of the issues that most Americans are concerned about, and it's tied to the economy as well,
because the Democrats are claiming that as things get worse for the average American, things are getting better for the President. So that, I think, is
where they're really putting a lot of their focus.
SOARES: Thank you very much, Kevin, really appreciate it, good to see you in Washington, D.C. And still to come right here on the show following
Monday's vote, the province of Alberta will remain a part of Canada.
[14:25:00]
Why a fringe movement gained so much momentum, though, and the question is, where does this decision leave it now? We'll explore with our Paula Newton.
And then later, high stakes election looms large in Israel that can make or break Netanyahu's 19 years in office. Both those stories after a very short
break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Voters in the oil-rich province of Alberta have voted overwhelmingly to remain part of Canada, rejecting a secession
campaign. Projected results show an estimated 76 percent of Albertans voted to stay put.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was raised in Alberta, said he's thrilled that voters have chosen unity. But separatists say the fight isn't
over yet. And the fringe movement to leave Canada was supported by some members of the Trump administration.
However, a rising tide of patriotism and unity emerged as the country rallied against Donald Trump's tariffs and annexation threats. Paula Newton
joins me now from New York. Those are both areas, tariffs, annexation threats that Paula and I have discussed at length in previous shows.
But Paula, I mean, this is significant. Three-quarters chose to stay in Canada. But just go back a step further for our viewers. I mean, what
exactly drove this kind of independence campaign and indeed this movement?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and taking a step back is more important here, perhaps. I mean, look, the turnout was great. And the
result, if you're Mark Carney and a federalist in Canada, also, as you said, he was thrilled. It's 3 to 1.
Having said that, there were other questions on the ballot, Isa. And this is where things are fraught and perhaps interesting for not just Canada,
but other countries. I want you to look at this question, right?
Do you support the government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable
levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans -- think about that, giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?
Isa, 55 to 45. What does that mean? It means the province of Alberta now has a mandate to take this as a negotiating tool back to Mark Carney and
the federal government and say, we want more control over immigration, and we want you to change your immigration policy. I want you to listen to what
Mark Carney said in response to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, PRIME MINISTER, CANADA: I believe, for example, on the issue of immigration and cooperation between the federal government and the
provinces for sustainable immigration system that works for Canadians, works for our economy, works for our society, and treats those who come to
our country -- choose to come to our country with the dignity and standards that they deserve.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[14:30:120]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, that is quite a compromise. I mean, Isa, I want you to think again, right? Four in ten Canadians were
either born outside of the country or, like me, has at least one parent that was born outside of the country. And yet, overwhelmingly, not just in
Alberta. In so many provinces, we hear the prime minister listening to those provinces because they are saying immigration needs to come down.
There were other questions. Most of them got a yes. Alberta is only one province. It is not the most populous, but it is one of the richest. And
for that reason, you know, Isa, you can really see the through line here and what we are observing in so many democracies, right? It is difficult to
hold the center. The populist vote and those interests are having an effect, not just on left-wing governments or right-wing governments, but on
centrist governments, like the one you see there from Mark Carney.
SOARES: Yes. And we are seeing that, right? We are seeing that with the AfD in Germany. We are seeing that with Marine Le Pen in France and so many
populist governments across Europe.
But it brings me to the question, I mean, we mentioned this briefly, but I wonder if you can expand on this, Paula. I mean, what role did the U.S.
government, indeed the Trump administration, play here in fomenting this?
NEWTON: Look, Isa, in my estimation, the vote would have gone the same way. I am not sure the turnout would have been the same or it would have been so
overwhelming to really stay in Canada, had Donald Trump not in so many ways really threatened Canada's sovereignty. And for that reason, I think there
was a lot of patriotism in Alberta for Canada. And you saw that come through.
So, in a way, Donald Trump, again, does Mark Carney a favor there, but also not to be overlooked. And I've mentioned it before, you mentioned it, Mark
Carney grew up in Edmonton, right? He's an Edmonton Oilers hockey fan. Everybody knows that he could speak with authority from his home province
to say, look, I'll make some changes here, but let's not get crazy. Canada is still a country worth fighting for, his words.
SOARES: Paula, good to see you. I know you'll be back with "Quest Means Business" in less than two hours. Thank you very much indeed. Good to see
you.
Well, Australia, let's take you there, a man has been charged with an alleged ramming attack on a lawmaker in Australia. MP Helen Haines was
struck by a vehicle Monday in Victoria State. According to CNN affiliates, her injuries were so severe, one of her legs needed to be amputated. Police
are investigating if this was a targeted attack against Haines.
The suspect has been named meantime by local media. However, police have not confirmed his name or the motive. The 43-year-old will appear in court
on Wednesday to face several charges. We'll, of course, stay across the story for you.
And still to come tonight right here on the show, Israelis will head to the polls in a week from today for the first election since the October 7th
Hamas attacks. I'll speak with the leader of the Balad Party when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Sources say the U.S. Defense Secretary has made an unannounced trip to Israel, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday. And it comes just days ahead of Israeli elections. U.S. President Donald Trump finally threw
his support behind the Israeli prime minister. That happened on Sunday. His vice president, J.D. Vance, declined to endorse Mr. Netanyahu's re-election
bid. I want you to have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JD VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I endorse American candidates, and that's where I'm focused on is the midterm. So, I'm not getting involved in the
Israeli election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, you're not -- you don't want to say one way or the other whether you support it?
VANCE: I'm not anti-endorsing it but I'm not pro-endorsing it. I'm not getting involved in Israeli elections.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Israelis, we'll head to the polls one week from today. It is the first general election since the October 7th Hamas attacks in 2023, and
the wars, of course, in Lebanon and in Iran.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is seeking to extend his 19 years in office. And as the Likud Party and the far-right coalition are locked in a tight race
with the Jewish-led opposition bloc. No single party has ever won an outright majority in the Knesset. So, power really depends on who can build
a coalition of at least 61 seats. Other major parties have also said they won't form a coalition with any Arab-led groups.
Well, earlier this month, Israel's Supreme Court allowed two Arab parties and a Jewish politician to run in the upcoming election after they were
banned by lawmakers. The Arab party, Balad, withdrew its candidate, Sami Abu Shehadeh, out of, quote, "political responsibility" after it understood
a majority of the judges are inclined to approve his disqualification. Abu Shehadeh's disqualification centered on a column he published on October
8th, 2023, a day after the Hamas attacks on Israel.
And he described those attacks as a, quote, "historic event of importance in the military, political and strategic sense." Abu Shehadeh has since
expressed regret for writing the article, stating he did not know the magnitude of the atrocities when he wrote it.
Nevertheless, his disqualification was backed by wide consensus in the Central Elections Committee and was supported by all Jewish parties across
the spectrum, including the left-wing Democrats' party.
I'm joined now by Palestinian-Israeli politician Sami Abu Shehadeh, who joins us this hour. Sami, welcome to the show. I really appreciate you
being with us.
Look, let me start with these elections a week away from now. As we mentioned there, you withdrew your candidacy before the Israeli Supreme
Court, obviously, issued a final decision. I just wonder, Sami, was that withdrawal a strategic decision from your part, or do you feel the outcome
was already decided for you?
SAMI ABU SHEHADEH, LEADER, BALAD PARTY: Yes. The judges have made it very clear in the Supreme Court in Israel a few weeks ago that in the Jewish
state there are two different judicial systems, one for the Arab minority and one for the Jewish majority.
What the Jews have been suffering from in different parts of the world, antisemitism and racism, for centuries. Unfortunately, when they built
their own state, the Jewish state, they have built us one of the most racist states and societies in the world. I could not believe what I was
hearing in the Supreme Court when I was in it.
The two politicians who brought me to the Supreme Court are two terrorists, known as terrorists, Itamar Ben-Gvir and his fellow wolf. He was accused in
Israel for putting bombs in Palestinian cars. And he was put in jail in 1992 for doing these terrorist attacks on Palestinians. He killed a
Palestinian 65-year-old man at that time.
[14:40:00]
These two took someone like me, a human rights activist, for more than three decades. Someone whose political agenda is based on the values of
freedom, justice and equality for all. And I was not able to defend myself in the Supreme Court. It was really unbelievable.
SOARES: Let me ask -- right. And from what I understand, and do correct me if I'm wrong here, Sami, I mean, the challenge to your candidacy we
mentioned there was over these comments you made day after October 7th. I know you have expressed regret, but just I wonder, looking back, is there
anything about what you said that you would phrase differently today?
ABU SHEHADEH: Yes, of course I would have phrased a lot of things differently today, being more clever three years after and understanding
all the details. First of all, as a human rights activist, we are against attacking or hurting any human being anywhere in the world. I am against
violence. This is my political agenda.
These are my values. I struggle for peace, justice and equality for all. And when we are talking about human rights, this is a universal value. It's
not rights for the Palestinians or -- for all human beings all over the world. And there are a lot of things that would have corrected in the
article.
SOARES: Yes.
ABU SHEHADEH: But any human being that I know, any political analyst, called what happened on the 7th of October a historical event. Calling it a
historical event does not mean that it's a positive or a negative historical event. It means that it's an important event, and history before
it will be different than what will be after it. But everybody agrees on this. Everybody wrote it. All the political analysts wrote it --
SOARES: Let's talk about -- let's talk then, Sami, about politics later, right, in one week, because I think it's important we focus on the upcoming
elections. You know, Israeli-Palestinian leaders are reportedly urging Arab-Israeli voters to vote in kind of big numbers in next week's election.
Can you give us a sense of what you are hearing on the ground? Are you seeing kind of genuine signs of an historic increase in the Arab-Israeli
vote? And indeed, in many of our citizens who haven't voted, may vote for the first time. What are you hearing?
ABU SHEHADEH: Well, we are visiting all of our citizens' villages and all of our population in the campaign. We are seeing it's very clear that the
Arab-Palestinian minority will participate more in these elections, more than all what we have seen since maybe 1999.
People are terrified because of these racist policies that are chasing all of the Palestinians in Gaza, in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the citizens
of Israel, all of our doctors, teachers, everybody is feeling terrified because of this racist, crazy fascist government. And nobody wants to see
them coming back to rule. But this is also concerning me as a politician, because the Israeli state and society in the last few years deteriorated
very fast to the extreme right and to being a fascist state and society.
And there's a racist consensus that all the Arab parties, no matter what are their political opinions, should be disqualified. They are not
considered legitimate players within the political system, which is totally -- and the racist discourse, what the Jews were suffering in their history,
are now doing to the others.
SOARES: Right. Sami, but look, look, we're running out of time. And I think it's really important to just, as we push ahead to next week, because I
wonder where that leaves the Arab-Israeli vote, because Netanyahu said he will not sit right with his Arab parties. His challenge -- and Eisenkot
said this month in a podcast, I will not align myself with any Arab party.
I mean, if this is the case, what leverage does a high Arab-Israeli turnout actually buy you? Who would you vote for? Who would people back here?
ABU SHEHADEH: We will have to enforce ourselves. Because, OK, the Knesset is built out of 120 seats. Both sides, the two big camps, Netanyahu and
Eisenkot, each one have more or less 50 seats or a little bit more. But both of them are unable to bring the 61. Without the joint list, they will
not be able to form a government. This is why they will have to deal with us, whether they like it or not.
[14:45:00]
I know they are racist. I am hearing the racist statements all the time. The fact that they are saying that we are illegitimate is a racist
statement. We are hearing this. But in the current situation, we are seeing that the current situation is the most horrific situation for the
Palestinian people since the Nakba in 1940.
Our main target now is to stop the bleeding. We know that the other option, I mean, Eisenkot is not much better and he wants to change the personality
of Netanyahu, but we are not hearing him carrying any political alternative, any serious different political agenda. Unfortunately -- I
wish he did. But we will try to do our best to raise the voting within our community to build ourselves a political strength.
SOARES: Yes. Sami, thank you very much for taking the time to join us. We are running out of time, but incredibly grateful. Thank you very much. Sami
Abu Shahadeh, live there from Jaffa.
We're going to take a short break. We'll see you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, under obscure agreements, the Trump administration has deported thousands of migrants to countries where they have no previous
ties or, indeed, nationality. Some people were sent to Equatorial Guinea in West Africa where they remain under house arrest. We are now hearing new
reports of abuse during these so-called third-country deportations. Rafael Romo has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone is in fear for their life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like this never-ending roller coaster of disaster.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yesterday, I had a panic attack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like a hotel from hell.
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are the voices of people who say they're living in agony.
ROMO: And what happens if they find out that you're talking to me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I will be put in prison.
ROMO (voice-over): They are migrants deported from the United States to Equatorial Guinea, a Spanish-speaking country on the West Coast of Africa,
plagued by corruption, poverty and repression, according to Human Rights Watch.
More than 20 migrants are under house arrest at a hotel in the city of Malabo, the country's former capital and oldest city.
ROMO: What can you tell me about your detention conditions there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The officers have the keys to your door. And as a woman, my fear every night is that an officer is going to come in and do
the worst, the worst that could be done to me.
ROMO (voice-over): The Trump administration launched third-country deportations last year as part of its crackdown on immigration.
[14:50:00]
According to Third Country Deportation Watch, a monitoring and advocacy project, the U.S. has signed third country deportation agreements with at
least 35 countries, sending more than 25,000 migrants to those nations at a cost of over $49 million to American taxpayers.
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Part of securing our border is dealing with the people that are in this country unlawfully, many of whom
do not want to go back to the country that they originally came from for a variety of reasons, meaning, these are safe countries where individuals who
refuse to go back to their country of origin can be sent to that country instead.
ROMO: Several of those countries, including South Sudan, Rwanda, and Equatorial Guinea, are either at war or have checkered human rights records
that worry migrant rights advocates.
ALEXANDRA SMOLYAR, ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE: Many of the people who are in Equatorial Guinea have refugees' protections, which means that
they can't be deported back to their country of origin.
ROMO (voice-over): Alexandra Smolyar is an immigration attorney with Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an Atlanta-based non-profit legal and advocacy
organization that has been in touch with the migrants in Equatorial Guinea and legally represents some of them.
She says more than 20 migrants under house arrest in Malabo have been subjected to all kinds of abuse, including beatings and imprisonment.
SMOLYAR: They're constantly patrolled by armed guards under threat. Oftentimes, they have violence leveraged against them in the form of
threats, beatings. It's a very dangerous and -- and dire situation.
ROMO: It seems like police in Equatorial Guinea are trying to send a message.
SMOLYAR: It seems that way. It seems that they really are trying to stop anyone from speaking out about what's happening to them.
ROMO: CNN managed to speak to two of the migrants who asked us to protect their identities for fear of retaliation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I literally witnessed one of the guards grab by the neck and lift him up against the wall and shoved him down on the ground.
ROMO (voice-over): One of the migrants says he witnessed how guards suddenly stormed into a room one night, handcuffed several of them and beat
up one man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That really was almost like the welcome-to-Hotel- Bamy moment for me because you realized in that moment that any one of us, that
any given moment can be harmed.
ROMO (voice-over): CNN reached the government of Equatorial Guinea about the allegations, but so far, there has been no reply.
SMOLYAR: I think that I would underscore how truly inhumane these third- country deportation agreements are. This is all part of a broader detention and deportation agenda that's being pushed throughout the country right now
that is subjecting people to a lot of fear and a very real risk of arrest and detention and possible deportation to a country that they may have no
ties to.
ROMO (voice-over): After a federal court in Boston temporarily halted third-country deportations, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump
administration to resume them in late September without giving migrants an opportunity to raise human rights concerns.
The court said it would hear arguments in the case in December.
Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: Well, for the first time ever, mankind is trying to land on one of Mars' moons. A Japanese rocket took off earlier today on a 10-month journey
into orbit, really, around Mars. Once it gets there, it will begin collecting data on Mars' two moons. Mars' moons are tiny. The biggest of
them is Phobos, which is roughly the size of New York City's Manhattan Island. The Mars Moon Exploration Project will attempt to land on Phobos to
gather soil samples. And if all goes according to plan, the lander will bring those samples from Phobos back to Earth in 2031. So, do mark your
calendars for that.
That does it for us. Thanks very much for watching. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next. I shall see you tomorrow. Have a
good evening.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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