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One World with Zain Asher
U.S. Pulls All Bombers from UK Air Base After New Threat; Rubio Downplays Removal of U.S. Bombers from RAF Fairford; Yemeni Government Announces Major Offensive Against Houthis; Trump Urges Republicans to Vote by Mail Despite Past Opposition; Republicans Seek to Shore Up Support for Iowa Senate Nominee; Spanish PM Calls Snap Election Amid Growing Housing Protests. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired October 05, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right, coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher. This is "One World". Ahead on the show, the U.S.
removes all its air force bombers from a military base in the UK. What we're learning about what prompted this unusual move.
Plus, round two, Brazilian voters will head back to the polls for a runoff in the highly polarized presidential election. And what we know about the
unknown infection that killed a researcher at a plague lab in Russia. All right, the U.S. military has now removed all of its long-range bombers from
a key British air base.
This after an unspecified new threat. That's according to a U.S. official. The Royal Air Force base at Fairford is one of America's only European
airfields suitable for heavy bombers, and it's been used to launch strikes against Iran since the beginning of the war. Last week, the British
government arrested five men in connection with an alleged Iranian plot targeting the base.
They were later released, along with a sixth man who was arrested last week and also released, a source tells CNN it is unusual for the U.S. military
to move the bombers back to the U.S. instead of deploying them to another base in the region. The U.S. Secretary of State, however, is downplaying
the withdrawal of the bombers. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The Department of War is constantly reallocating resources where they need to be. There are regular rotations
that happened as well, so I think you guys are just well. I mean, we've documented what happened last week. I wouldn't directly tie that to the
move that was made.
The only reason why you guys are focused on how many planes are Fairfield is because of the threat that happened last week. But it's not unusual to
see rotations happen and movement of assets to different parts of the world based on exercises, redeployments, people changing out, and new people
coming in, new planes coming in, old planes going out. So, crews are changing all the time --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, let's go straight to Matthew Chance joining us live now from London. So, Matthew, we heard the U.S. Secretary of State there, Marco
Rubio, essentially saying the two are not necessarily linked. That these bombers were removed, but it's not necessarily, it shouldn't necessarily be
tied to what happened last week in connection with the arrest and then, obviously, later release of those men.
Just walk us through what we know so far, Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean, extraordinary. I think to hear Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State,
talk about how there was nothing unusual about this necessarily, it not necessarily linked to the terror plot investigation that is stunned away
around that exact U.S. military base RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire in England, in which five people were arrested on suspicion of anti-terrorism
act arrests and explosives.
They were under suspicion of carrying out something like that. They were released on police bail, of course, but nevertheless, that investigation is
still ongoing. So, you add to that the fact that there's been so many rumors going around the UK over the past 24 hours or so since this story
broke about the suddenness of this evacuation of these B-1 bombers, very heavy strategic bombers that have been based for some time now at RAF
Fairford.
We're told, or rather, it's been reported in Britain that the jets appear to have been scrambled in a hurry, without any prior warning, without even
given time for the refueling tankers that are necessary to get them across the Atlantic back to their home bases in the United States to be put in the
air as well.
The whole kind of atmosphere around it seemed to be one of you know an unexpected you know decision being taken in a hurry to get those planes up
in the air and out of RAF Fairford, and of course that was kind of underlined by the fact that a U.S. official has told CNN this was a new
threat, an unspecified new threat to these aircraft, and it was a response to a real-world incident.
That's the quote that I've got written in front of me again. That you know is not something that the Americans are ruling out, in fairness, if you
listen closely to what Secretary of State Rubio had to say, but he's saying he's downplaying it, saying, look, this could well have been part of a
redeployment as well.
So, the real story, I feel, on this has yet to be revealed, Zain.
ASHER: Right, Matthew, I think a lot of people would agree with you on that. Matthew Chance live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, now
to the conflict in Yemen, where government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, say they've retaken control of key positions near a vital strait from Iran-
backed Houthis.
[11:05:00]
The government is launching a fresh campaign against the Houthis, targeting its stronghold in Sanaa and to roll back the Houthis' grip on Bab al-Mandab
Strait, another vital choke point for oil tankers. The Houthis, however, are calling any alleged gains fictitious. CNN has not independently
verified claims by the Yemeni government.
Here's what the Chairman of Yemeni's Presidential Leadership Council says.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RASHAD AL-ALIMI, HEAD OF YEMEN'S PRESIDENTIAL COUNCIL: Today, I announce the start of military operations to retake the remaining territory of the
republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across all national soil. We have issued directives to the armed and security
forces and all military formations to begin executing their assigned tasks according to approved plans until the country is liberated from the grip of
the terrorist militia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Yemeni forces are responding to the Houthis' lightning offensive down the Red Sea coast last month, that put further pressure on
international shipping. Here's our Nic Robertson with more.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It's expected to expand and intensify. This was laid out in speeches by both the head of the
presidency council leadership, if you will, of the internationally backed government in Yemen, stating very clearly that they were going to retake
all the territory from the Houthis, the Iran-backed proxy inside of Yemen, who control the capital.
And as you say, in recent weeks had a lightning offensive in the south west of Yemen to take control of Bab al-Mandab, that vital narrow strait of
water where the Red Sea goes out into the Gulf of Oman, vital for international maritime traffic, vital to get oil supplies from Saudi Arabia
to the international markets, particularly in Asia.
So, this has been the Houthis' expansions recently, and current offensive in the south west of Yemen is causing a great deal of concern. The current
offensive that the Houthis have is around the City of Taiz, the third largest city inside of in Yemen. But the real concern around that city at
the moment is that the high mountains are a strategic advantage.
And if the Houthis get control of them, it will make it much harder to dislodge them from their control of all of the Red Sea coast line. So
that's sort of the background narrative. But you also have a step up over the past weeks of offensive -- Houthi offensives inside of Yemen.
You have Saudi air support for those Yemeni government, internationally recognized Yemeni government forces on the ground. The Houthis say that the
capital Sanaa that they control was struck by Saudi air strikes over the weekend. The Houthis also say that they've been striking Saudi oil
infrastructure inside of Saudi Arabia over the past few days around the capital and in other locations.
So, the whole temperature around this is heating up. So, the move and announcement this weekend, just last night by the internationally backed
Yemeni government is a very clear signal that they are going to upscale their efforts now, not just to sort of resist the Houthi advances, but to
try to take the fight to the Houthis and defeat the Houthis and retake control of the whole country.
So, it's significant you have those statements, and then sequenced within a few hours later, you have the Saudi statement saying that they will give
full operational support as they have been to this Yemeni force. And at the same time today you have the field marshal, the most powerful military
figure from Pakistan, his foreign minister, his defense minister, with him in Saudi Arabia, along with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Defense Minister,
and head of the military gathering for a meeting of this Saudi-Pakistan- Turkey military pact and alliance.
And forces have been committed to support the Saudis in whatever they do in their coalition to support the Yemenis. So, this is -- this conflict in
Yemen stands at this moment apparently to expand and get bigger with the aim of forcing out the Houthis completely.
ASHER: Right, let's take a closer look at the complicated situation with CNN's Military Analyst, Retired Colonel Cedric Leighton. Thank you so much
for being with us. So as our Nic Robertson was talking about there. The Yemeni government does have the full sort of cooperation and assistance of
the Saudi government, especially when it comes to operationally and, of course, militarily.
But the Yemeni forces are still somewhat fragmented. They're not united enough. I mean, what needs to happen in order for Yemeni forces to be able
to bring the Houthis under control here.
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yeah, that's a great question, Zain, and it's great to be with you again. The key thing right
now at this particular moment in time is for the Yemeni government forces to make sure that Taiz does not fall.
[11:10:00]
If Taiz is the third largest city that Nic mentioned in his report. If that falls, then it opens up the road to Aden, which is the capital of the of
the actual government, the internationally recognized government of Yemen, and that would be if Taiz fell. It would be a severe blow to that
government as well as to that Saudi-led coalition.
So, the first thing is Taiz has to stay in government control, and then they have to do what they needed to roll back control of the Bab al-Mandab
area to make sure that not only the Bab al-Mandab Strait but Perim Island and the port of Mokha that they now revert back to government control.
So that would be like a phase two type approach. And then of course, what the Saudis are trying to do with their partners in Pakistan and Turkey is
to really coalesce a diplomatic as well as potentially a military support package, and have that being brought to bear against the Houthis as well.
So, if that happens, that would be a change from what we've seen before in these Houthi conflicts, Houthi-centered conflicts in Yemen, and if it were
to happen, then the Saudis would have this type of international support on their side. So that would be, in essence, phase three of what they would
need to do in this particular case.
ASHER: We understand that Mohammed bin Salman has made repeated attempts just to try to get the U.S. involved in air strikes against Houthi rebels
in Yemen, as we understand, if President Trump has turned down those requests for obvious reasons. Obviously, the U.S. doesn't want to open up.
It has its hands full already dealing with the war in Iran, let alone opening up another front. But just talk to us about the kinds of behind-
the-scenes assistance that the U.S. is providing the Saudis here.
LEIGHTON: Well, one thing that has been reported on is the intelligence support that the United States is providing to Saudi Arabia. And there have
been a couple 100 forces that have been brought into Saudi Arabia, American forces that are providing intelligence support to the Royal Saudi Air Force
and other elements that are engaged in the fight against the Houthis.
So that's just one particular aspect of that. There is also the possibility of certainly diplomatic efforts that are going on, and then the United
States is obviously seeking to bring together other players within the region. So, in an effort basically to have the regional powers take care of
this particular situation in Yemen and not get the U.S. directly involved, because the big fear is that if they do get involved in Yemen, it's going
to be really hard to extricate ourselves from that.
That is exactly contrary to what the provisional government of Yemen has said, or the officially recognized government of Yemen has said, which is
that they need international support to retake the Bab al-Mandab area. So, there are several dynamics in play here, but the United States is hoping
that the regional powers can take care of this particular situation and roll the Houthis back.
The past track record has not been that positive in that regard. The Saudis have been unable to dislodge the Houthis in the past. But if there are some
changes to the way they do things, that could potentially be in their favor. But it would be a long road ahead for them to actually dislodge the
Houthis.
ASHER: Yeah, and that was going to be my next question: just why have the Houthis just remained such a formidable firm. I mean, they were incredibly
resilient. You think back to 10 years ago when the Saudi-led coalition, you know, began their attempt at trying to sort of push the Houthis back in
Yemen, and they have not been successful.
And it's partly because the Houthis really do rely on these sorts of low- cost, asymmetrical tactics. They rely on cheap drones. Obviously, they're getting a lot of help from Iran. But just give us your take on why they've
been very difficult to rein in from the Saudis.
LEIGHTON: Yeah, it's that's a great setup there, saying because what the Houthis have been able to do is they've basically been able to make the
land their friend. They understand the topography of the region. They understand the population. They get support from some elements of the
population, and they've become extremely resilient in the sense that they not only live off the land, but they're using those asymmetric tactics that
you spoke about to use.
You know, which would include the use of drones and missiles, part of them at least technologically dependent on Iranian help, but that is you know a
particular thing that they've been able to do. They use the Iranian support that they're getting to great advantage, coupled with their local knowledge
and their ability to withstand the Saudi attacks because of that resiliency.
And the other thing that they're doing is they're actually able to maintain a strength in numbers. The Yemeni forces from the officially recognized
government are not very united, and they're not very strong in the sense of being compared to the Houthis.
[11:15:00]
So that also gives the Houthis an advantage, and of course with these many years of civil war in Yemen, you know, spanning not only the last decade
but you know several decades before that, that also plays into their hands. The Yemeni population is basically tired of this incessant conflict, and
they are not capable of resisting the Houthis, and that plays into their hands as well.
ASHER: Right, Colonel Cedric Leighton, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, sources tell CNN the Flydubai co-pilot who tried to seize
the controls probably acted alone. The UAE Attorney General says the Omani co-pilot tried to seize control of the plane by attacking the captain with
an emergency crash ax.
New video from inside the jet shows passengers trying to help the captain. We want to warn you, though, this video is graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: David, David, my head is --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just the head of the tee.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My head is failing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is hurting. It is hurting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me the --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No sleep. My hand is hurting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- Take this. Take this. Take this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Terrifying. The incident aboard the Tel Aviv bound flight has raised serious concerns about security failures, failures rather before the
flight. The UAE and Israel are both investigating the incident. All right, still to come here on "One World", the U.S. midterms are coming up; they're
about a month away, and the GOP is feeling the heat.
President Trump rallies in deep red states as Republicans fight to hold their ground. And Spain's Prime Minister has called a snap election after
weeks of anger and protests over a growing housing crisis. Why it's causing political turmoil, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Right, U.S. President Donald Trump heads to Nebraska today as part of a 32-day rally blitz that is taking him to ruby red states where
Democrats are actually suddenly competitive. Some Republican candidates, however, aren't sure whether Trump is actually going to help them or hurt
them.
A large part of this is due to his plunging popularity and voter discontent over how the president is handling the economy, making some traditionally
safe Republican seats now up for grabs. But despite all the political headwinds, Trump is vowing victory for his party and once again telling
supporters to pretend that he's on the ballot.
[11:20:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We need the votes, and I'm here for that. And I think we're going to win. We're worried about
Michigan. We're worried about Texas. We're worried about a few states. You're going to think of me as on the ballot, right?
Everybody, promise. Just get out and vote. If you do that, we're going to win, and we're going to win big. And we're going to shove it up their ass.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Kevin Liptak is joining us live now from Washington with more on this. So, it's interesting. Two things here. One is that you have the
Republican, rather the president, going to these red states, which really tells you how much Republicans are on the defense here.
But also, when the president says, pretend I'm on the ballot, I mean, is that actually going to do anything to help advance his cause here, Kevin?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, a lot of Democrats are very eager for the president to say that because, in their own mind, this
is a referendum on his first two years in office, and polls show overwhelming dissatisfaction with how he has governed as president.
So, you do have kind of both sides wanting to make this about President Trump. Republicans are of the mind, and President Trump has said this over
the weekend that they will not be successful unless his base of supporters come out and vote. And the president is worried that unless his name
appears on the ballot, that they won't do that.
And so, both sides of this seem to want to make this all about President Trump. But whether that's a successful strategy for Republicans, I think,
remains to be seen. And part of the reason he's going to all of these red states, one, a lot of vulnerable Republicans in more swing districts don't
want him there because they think they will drag them down.
But also, he wants to see a huge amount of Republican enthusiasm and a swell of Republican enthusiasm that can help get some of these vulnerable
Republicans across the finish line. And the places he's going, you know, he's in Nebraska today. These are all places he won by double digits in
2024.
He won Nebraska by 20 points, and so it does give you a sense of the anxieties about the Republican turnout. So too does the president's call
for his supporters to vote by mail and vote early. Here's what he told them over the weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: If your state has early voting, do not wait. Go out and vote. Vote early, vote by mail, or vote in person on Election Day, November 3rd.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIPTAK: Now, the reason that's surprising is that the president has spent the last two years, actually much longer than that the last many years,
arguing that mail-in voting is rife with fraud. That's part of the reason why he tried to implement changes to how people voted by mail, only to be
stymied by the Supreme Court.
Now, I think the president recognizes that he will need to find Republican votes wherever he can get them, including in a mailbox, if this is not to
turn into a bloodbath for Republicans in November. There was another warning sign for Republicans in a poll this weekend among Latino voters.
That's a voting block that really helped propel the president to the White House in 2024. The poll from NBC and Telemundo found that only 27 percent
of Latinos supported the president's handling in office so far. That was compared to 69 percent who disapproved.
It showed that by a 24-point margin, 59 percent to 35 percent Latinos wanted to see Democrats win control of Congress this year over Republicans.
And when you looked at the numbers in terms of issues, the president's approval really, I think, showing some worrying signs for him.
The cost of living, principally 20 percent saying that they did not approve, or only 20 percent saying that they approved of his handling of
the cost of living. Now, this could have a real effect in a place like Texas, where the president was campaigning last week, and where he'll be
again this week, obviously, a high number of Latino voters in Texas.
The Democrat there, James Talarico, consistently now shown having an edge over his Republican rival, Ken Paxton, and so it all I think gives you an
impression of the challenges and the headwinds that the president is facing in November as he now hits the trail in earnest to try and carry
Republicans across the finish line.
ASHER: All right, Kevin Liptak, live for us there. Thank you so much. Right, a shaky performance from Republicans has put many on guard across
the country. Traditionally conservative states like Texas, Alaska, Ohio, and Iowa are now pouring money into Republican campaigns, hoping to keep
those states red.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny visited Iowa to speak with Ashley Hinson, the Republican nominee in November's Senate race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Congresswoman, how are you?
ASHLEY HINSON, IOWA REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR U.S. SENATE: -- Iowa --
ZELENY: Good to see you.
HINSON: Good to have you here for.
ZELENY (voice-over): We're back in Iowa to see Ashley Hinson, who's suddenly emerging as Exhibit A for how Republicans are trying to thread a
delicate needle with the president here in Trump country.
[11:25:00]
ZELENY: As you know, President Trump won just two years ago here by 13 points. It's the third time he won in Iowa. How would you assess his
popularity now versus those times?
HINSON: Well, certainly in a midterm, everything narrows, and I think that's true no matter who's in the White House --
ZELENY (voice-over): It's a remarkable balancing act to watch. From loyalty in the Oval Office earlier this week.
TRUMP: You're doing a fantastic job.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're working hard and appreciate your agenda.
ZELENY (voice-over): To creating some distance back home in Iowa.
HINSON: I've called for an immediate and successful end to the war in Iran, so that families can get some relief at the pump and a checkout line.
ZELENY (voice-over): Yet she didn't vote that way, like two of her fellow Iowa Republicans in Congress who switched their votes to help pass a
resolution directing the president to end the war?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 1, 2, 3.
ZELENY (voice-over): But even at her own campaign stop in Waterloo, she saw that speaking out against an unpopular war can be unpopular with some
Republicans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just saying stop and just walking away is not the answer.
HINSON: No, unsuccessful ending.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you say stop, it almost sounds like --
HINSON: A successful end.
ZELENY (voice-over): In the final month of the race, Republicans are on a red state rescue mission, pouring $20 million more in Hinson ads this week,
which could bring the Iowa tally to more than $100 million, with far bigger investments in Ohio and Texas.
ZELENY: Why is this race so difficult?
HINSON: I don't think it's difficult. I'm out there in all 99 counties. I run every race the same, so for me, it's always been going out and earning
every vote and running like I'm 10 points behind, which I don't think I am. I think I'm going to win on November 3rd.
ZELENY: I mean, you were saying that same thing two months ago, running like you're 10 points behind, but now some Republicans actually are
concerned you may be, and the Senate Leadership Fund, as you know, invested 20 million more dollars this week.
HINSON: When I talk about issues that are affecting families, we do need to bring prices down. We need to figure out how we provide relief to working
families.
ZELENY (voice-over): She's locked in a tight race with Josh Turek, a Democratic state lawmaker and two-time gold medal Paralympian. We met
earlier this year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seat number 51, it's right here. It's Iowa, and this isn't pie in the sky.
ZELENY (voice-over): A year ago, Hinson tightly embraced Trump as she launched her Senate campaign.
HINSON: I am running to be President Trump's top ally in the United States Senate.
ZELENY (voice-over): But her tone has steadily shifted.
HINSON: I have a record of delivering that shows that I don't care about carter vehicles.
ZELENY (voice-over): Now airing TV ads stressing bipartisanship.
HINSON: Working across the aisle isn't always easy, but it's how you get results.
ZELENY: How do you square that?
HINSON: Yeah, I am a bipartisan fighter, and nothing changes about who's in the White House or who has the gavel. I'm still going to operate that way.
I think you can agree with somebody, or you can be a thorn in their side and always do what's right for your state, and that's what I --
ZELENY: Have you gone to MAGA?
HINSON: What?
ZELENY: Have you gone to MAGA?
HINSON: I think I am pro Iowa and I'm pro American, and that's what I will always support.
ZELENY (on camera): In the final month of this campaign, Republicans are trying to defend their own turf. Democrats are trying to pick up four seats
to win control of the U.S. Senate. It is clear the battle for the balance of power in Washington runs straight through Trump Country. Jeff Zeleny,
CNN, Des Moines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, still ahead on "One World", Brazil's presidential election has to run off later this month. The two competing visions and
what it means for the future of the country.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to "One World", I'm Zain Asher in New York. Here are some of the headlines we are watching for you today. The U.S.
military has removed all of its long-range bombers out of the Royal Air Force Base at Fairford. This comes just days after the British government
arrested six men and released them in connection with an alleged Iranian plot targeting the base.
An investigation into that plot is underway. Yemen's Saudi-backed government has announced the start of a military counteroffensive against
the Iran-backed Houthis, aiming at seizing the territory the rebels control, including a key strait vital to global trade.
Renewed warfare between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has reignited Yemen's frozen civil war and heightened risks to Red Sea -- Red Sea shipping,
excuse me. An investigation is underway after a U.S. Marine was arrested, accused of killing a Japanese woman at a hotel in Okinawa.
Police say the 39-year-old woman died from suffocation after being strangled. The Japanese government has filed a rare formal protest with the
U.S. calling the alleged incident extremely brutal and heinous. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called a November, called for rather a
November snap election following nationwide protests over the growing housing crisis.
Anger sparked after an elderly woman was evicted from her home of seven decades. That anger grew when Spain's parliament failed to pass Sanchez's
housing reforms last week. Let's go to CNN's Pau Mosquera in Madrid. So, Pau, just walk us through some of the issues that are plaguing Pedro
Sanchez.
Yes, it's the housing crisis, which you and I have talked about, but it's also the migrant crisis as well.
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's it, Zain, there are many topics and issues that are concentrating into the same situation as to force Pedro
Sanchez to call for this snap election. Actually, I've been talking to some analysts over the morning, and they told me that Sanchez' intention is to
try to capitalize the discontent that we have seen on the streets of many different cities over the housing crisis this content, for example, like
the one that we have seen in this very encampment that is still taking downtown Madrid.
What you can see in image, Zain, is Madrid's Puerta del Sol, and there are still hundreds and hundreds of tents still occupying this very central
point of the capital. Now it seems like the president' intention is to turn all this anger into an opportunity. This means turning all this into
possible boats once the Spaniards head to the port.
But it's still unclear how exactly is this situation going to benefit him, because if we pay attention to the latest polls conducted by the Central
for Sociological Research, where they see like yes, the Socialist Party would be the very first would come as the first most voted in an election,
but they wouldn't have enough support as to repeat another term in the government.
So instead, it would be the right. This is the popular party embarks who would have the key to the Moncloa Palace. So, with this situation on the
table, what do the people on the streets think about? What do the citizens think about this move from Sanchez? That's what they are saying. Have a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I reckon we need an election, right now for sure. We've got to get rid of him straight away. At least in my opinion, he's
doing a terrible job.
[11:35:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think it's good given the situation that's risen. They could have called the election a bit sooner. I still say the
situation is bad. We needn't look further than this. Young people have been given little prospect for the future, and I'd like to see a truly left-wing
government finally come to power.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's brilliant that we're moving forward, that they're putting an end to him because he's destroying Spain. That's what I
think, in my humble opinion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOSQUERA: So, according to analyst, Zain, it seems that this move goes more in the sense of limiting political damage on the forthcoming month than
securing a victory during these elections, Zain.
ASHER: Right, Pau Mosquera live for us there in Madrid. Thank you so much. Brazil's Presidential election is headed for a runoff on October 25th,
following a surprise first round victory from right wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. The two candidates represent very different visions for the
country.
The campaigns dominated by crime and corruption, Bolsonaro, the son of Former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is a Trump ally, won 47 percent of the
vote. But just days ago, polls showed he was actually trailing progressive sitting President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Lula is seeking his fourth term in office. He received nearly 45 percent of the vote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT: It is time for us to show the true picture of Brazil today and the Brazil we want. So, starting
tomorrow, we are beginning a new campaign, a campaign in which, with only two candidates, we will be able to show the difference between the
proposals that exist for Brazil.
FLAVIO BOLSONARO, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am very happy about the real possibility that three weeks from now, Brazil will give a
definitive answer that it wants a modern government, a government with fewer ministries, a government that will restore democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, let's bring in Brazilian Investigative Journalist and Columnist Juliana Dal Piva, who has covered human rights violations across
the country extensively. Juliana, thank you so much for being with us. I just first, how surprised were you by these initial results?
JULIANA DAL PIVA, COLUMNIST AT ICL NOTICIAS: I think all of the polls didn't get how fast Flavio got votes in the past week. It was very
difficult to see this result coming. We all knew it was going to be very close, but we weren't expecting Flavio ahead. The polls weren't showing him
ahead on the first round, only on the second.
So, he got a lot of votes in the past week.
ASHER: I think the person who's probably most surprised is Lula himself. Just in terms of how Lula manages to try to emerge victorious in the second
round, I mean there are some headwinds, and obviously he can try to capture the 20 percent of Brazilians who decided to stay home and not vote at all.
But the other option that he has, which I think is going to be a very difficult one, is to capture the voters who voted for the smaller parties.
The problem with that tactic is that a lot of the smaller parties happen to lean to the right, so chances are that they will end up voting for Flavio.
So, it's a bit of a tall order for Lula, just in terms of trying to win on October 25th.
PIVA: It's a very hard challenge for President Lula to win this election. Flavio is the favorite for sure, but they are very close. We're talking
about 2.3 million votes in the past election, for example, Lula was five points ahead of Bolsonaro, the father, and in the end, in second round,
Bolsonaro actually took three points.
So, it's not impossible. It never happened, for sure, in our history, since the democracy came back, it -- this never happened. No candidate got a
victory like this, but there are many factors on the table, you know, like Flavor Bolsonaro has no compromise with democratic values.
He stands his candidacy since the beginning last December, saying his key idea is to get his father freedom. This is what he wants. His whole
campaign is based on this, on getting his father free from the conviction of trying coup d'etat, and not only his father but the allies too, that are
now in jail.
[11:40:00]
But I think one very difficult thing for the entire country is the disinformation. There are a lot of problems on people getting the
information right. We have a lot, a lot, a lot of rumors, and I don't even like to say the expression of fake news because much of these are is not
fake news.
This is like rumors on Instagram and social media. And people are not really informed on why they do not want to vote for Lula, or maybe why
they're choosing Flavio. Flavio has so many different kinds of scandals and problems that we cannot even compare to all of that we can say about Lula.
But there is a very strong extreme right movement at this moment, not only in Brazil but in the entire world. And it's going to be hard. I don't know
how PT campaign will communicate with people all of the changes that they need to do because the campaign was struggled by discussing a corruption
scandal that involves the Supreme Court, but we did not discuss the campaign.
We did not discuss the country, political, economic, and the well-being of the people. We didn't even make the important discussions for our people.
So maybe now in these three weeks, these discussions will come out. But for sure, Flavio is ahead and have a very good leverage, and it's going to be
very hard for Lula to try to win the election.
ASHER: Yeah, because one of the things Lula said is that the next sort of phase in his campaign begins now, just in terms of trying to win on October
25th. I mean, I didn't even get a chance to ask you some out of time, but the parallels between what we've seen in the United States and what's
happening in Brazil not -- you know not just with sort of January 6th and January 8th in Brazil.
And the sort of storming of the capital and obviously Brazil had its own version of that is uncanny, especially considering that one of the things
that Lula was campaigning on is this idea that you know, he would be the guardian of democracy, and that if you had the Bolsonaro's return to power,
then democracy would of course be compromised.
In his words, because of what we saw on January 8th, 2023, in Brazil. But as you mentioned, there has been a movement with a lot of far-right
candidates campaigning on security and crime across Latin America, that are doing really well. Juliana Dal Piva, we have to leave it there.
Thank you so much for your perspective on this. All right, new developments as Cornell University faces intense public outrage over its handling of an
alleged gang rape by fraternity members in 2024. CNN has learned university police drafted letters seeking to preserve records in the case, but the
lawyers for the accuser says the records never reached the district attorney.
On Sunday, Demonstrators held a rally off campus in support of the accuser, and on social media, some women are posting the hashtag #IAmJaneDoe to
counter efforts by some users trying to publicly name her. The men named in the lawsuit have denied any wrongdoing.
Our Law Enforcement Reporter Mark Morales is tracking the growing calls for accountability.
MARK MORALES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTER: A large number of demonstrators gathered about a mile away from campus today in just the most recent show
of frustration with how this case has been handled. Now they spoke at large about how unhappy they were with how the university and the local district
attorney has handled this case, but also their message was one of support.
They supported Jane Doe. Anybody that's in a similar situation to her, not just at Cornell University, but at universities all over, and they're not
the only ones that have been expressing how unhappy way they were about this investigation. We've heard from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who
has since put in the New York Attorney General Letitia James in charge of the criminal investigation on this side.
But we also heard from Jane Doe's attorney. His issue from the very beginning was how the District Attorney's office was looking at the
evidence that they had already had, and they based most of their decision not to pursue charges on a six-page document that Jane Doe signed.
But the attorney says that that document was severely lacking in a lot of real key parts of evidence that it did not have. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL KOTLIKOFF, CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT: Not communicated enough about what the university did after the assault was reported, which has led
to distrust. There are real, legal, and privacy limits on what we can say, but we will make a greater effort to explain what we can, to provide
context about the actions Cornell has taken, and to be more transparent.
[11:45:00]
This message is the beginning of what we hope will be an ongoing, constructive, and dynamic conversation with our community. In the coming
weeks, we will create additional opportunities for members of our community to ask questions and hear directly from university leadership.
That will include opportunities for Cornell leadership.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORALES: Now, remember, there's going to be two separate investigations happening here. There's the criminal side that's going to be done by the
attorney general in her office. And she's going to have the power to go through and conduct interviews, search for evidence, whether that's search
warrants.
She's going to have the full prosecutorial power that's going to be given to her to find out what happens, but on the other side, there's major
questions for how the university handled this. How did local university police handle this? And that's going to be done by an independent
investigator that's going to be hired by the university to do that forensic analysis and to basically figure out what went wrong. Mark Morales, CNN,
New York.
ASHER: Right, still ahead here on "One World", a deadly mystery at a Russian plague lab. A researcher dies after an infection of an unknown
origin. Details just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Right, dozens of people have been quarantined after the death of a researcher at an anti-plague laboratory in Russia. The 28-year-old female
technician died after being diagnosed with a pneumonia of unknown origin. The incident happened at an institute in Siberia.
And now regional authorities are implementing a comprehensive set of anti- epidemic measures, according to one local mayor. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the White House is watching the situation closely, but he
doesn't think there's any cause for alarm at this point in time.
For more on this, let's bring in CNN's Frederik Pleitgen. Fred, what more do we know here?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Zain. Well, first of all, the local residents there obviously are quite concerned about
the situation. There's some that CNN has spoken to who said that they were somewhat concerned.
However, that life is essentially going on pretty much as normal, aside from those quarantines. Now, first of all, where this all is happening is
in a place called Shelekhov, which is near Lake Baikal in the south east of Russia, close to the border with Mongolia.
And you're absolutely right. The authorities say that a woman died of an unknown pneumonia there in a local hospital. We're not exactly sure when,
but it came to light at the end of this past week.
[11:50:00]
So, during the weekend, and just to read you a quote from the Russian Agency for Disease Control. They say, quote, no microorganisms associated
with the employee's professional duties were detected in samples taken from the patient. So essentially, Zain, they don't believe that anything got out
of the lab or anything contaminated that employee, leading to that death.
However, the governor of the neighboring province of Buryatia, he came out and he said that he believes that that patient may have died of the plague.
And the Head of Russia's Disease Control Agency also went to that region. So obviously, they are taking this quite seriously.
And you mentioned the fact that a lot of quarantines have been issued, most of them for hospitals in that region, specifically the one where this
female lab researcher died. All the people who were in contact with the Russians say have been quarantined, but also that war, that part of the
hospital, the inpatient part of that hospital, has also been under quarantine.
That means people are not getting out, and no new patients are being let in. Some other hospitals in the region exactly the same thing, and that
lab, quite an interesting one, has actually been in service since the 1930s. It was indeed started as a lab for the prevention of the plague.
Also now deals with other infectious diseases as well. The local government and the Kremlin say that things are under control. They didn't want to
comment specifically, but they warned against listening to what they call speculation and rumors, and we have heard from the World Health
Organization as well.
They believe the risk is low. Nevertheless, judging by the measures that the authorities have taken, there is a lot of caution at play right now in
that part of Russia, Zain.
ASHER: Right, Fred Pleitgen, live for us. Thank you for that. We'll be right back with more after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, SpaceX's Crew 12 has handed over command of the International Space Station to the newly arrived Crew 13 in an emotional
ceremony.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are so excited for the continuation of Expedition 75 to see all the incredible things that they will do. They're going to
have a very, very busy mission, lots of science, lots of spacewalks, lots of space station upgrades and maintenance. So, we're so excited to see what
they will pull off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Crews are switching roles as Crew 12 prepares for its splashdown back on Earth, and Crew 13 begins its long-curated mission.
[11:55:00]
If weather and splashdown conditions are perfect, the returning crew could begin their trip back to Earth as soon as Wednesday. All right, hundreds of
Dachshunds strutted their tiny legs down Paris's iconic Champs-Elysees for the city's annual sausage walk. Onlookers were delighted as pups in a wide
variety of costumes paraded down the street.
It is Fashion Week in Paris, so the catwalk models in town had some canine competition from wiener dogs dressed in berets to pint-sized cowboys. The
Dachshunds turned plenty of heads on the famed avenue. And finally, before we go this hour, the pews of a New York church were filled with furry
friends as owners brought their pets to the annual Saint Francis Day celebration to be blessed.
This is the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, ecology, and the environment. Some participants said the day is
a moment to celebrate the special bond that they share with their pets. All right. Stay with CNN. There's much more "One World" with my colleague
Bianna Golodryga. After this short break. Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
