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One World with Zain Asher

Trump's U.S.-Russia Diesel Deal Draws Bipartisan Criticism; Saudi Airport Hit Again a Day After Attack Killed at Least 13; Houthis Warn Airlines and Travelers to Avoid Saudi Airspace; U.N. Says Yemen's Humanitarian Crisis Growing by the Hour; Desperate Search in Gaza for Those Missing & Killed in War; at Least 139 Death After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Djibouti. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired October 12, 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: Right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. This is "One World". Ahead on the show, President Trump is

touting a reported energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, but Zelenskyy says that Russia has already violated the so-called deal.

Plus, Pope Leo announces he will undergo lung surgery. We are live for you in Rome with details about his condition. And Netflix's political drama,

"The Diplomat", returns for a fourth season. Keri Russell back as U.S. Ambassador Kate Wyler, from a missing nuclear weapon to her vice president

husband contemplating -- complicating matters rather.

We'll discuss what's in store this season with fellow cast member Ali Ahn. All right. The White House still is not providing any details after the

U.S. President claimed that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an energy ceasefire. But sources tell CNN the Trump Administration is threatening to

suspend intelligence sharing and weapons purchases if Kyiv keeps attacking Russian oil refineries.

Donald Trump made the ceasefire announcement on Sunday. So far, the Kremlin isn't commenting. And Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially said it was news to

him. But the Ukrainian President also said that Kyiv would abide by the agreement if Moscow did as well. However, he accused Russia of violating

the surprise deal almost immediately.

Here you see a Russian strike on a residential area of Kharkiv. And later that same day, Zelenskyy said that Russia launched a targeted strike on a

power plant in Kharkiv shortly after Trump's social media post. It all comes days after the U.S. President struck a controversial deal with

Vladimir Putin that would allow Russia to supply diesel to global energy markets.

Walensky called the deal essentially a birthday gift to Putin that could result in billions of dollars of revenue that would enable the Russian

leader to actually continue the war for a lot longer. There's bipartisan opposition in the U.S. as well. Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence put

it this way, America should not be throwing a lifeline to Putin's war machine.

CNN's Clare Sebastian joins us live now from London. Obviously, the Russian economy is creaking under the strain of this war. So, in Zelenskyy's word,

this is essentially a gift to Vladimir Putin. Talk to us a bit more about Donald Trump's announcement of an energy ceasefire between the two sides

that clearly has not taken place, given what Zelenskyy is saying that Russia continues to strike Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Zain. Look, this is the second time in a month that we've seen President Trump unilaterally announce a

ceasefire on his Truth Social account, an energy ceasefire to be precise. And it seems without securing agreement from both warring parties.

Before doing that, Ukraine has made it clear that they found out about this essentially on the news. But while it seems to have blindsided them.

President Zelenskyy is saying now that he's willing to go for it. He'll sign on to any de-escalation measure, but Russia needs to do the same, and

that is, of course, where we start to see problems.

Russia has not officially said that it's willing to go for this, but it has reiterated what we've heard from them in the past that they do not want a

temporary ceasefire. This came from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov today. They only want an immediate peace, which is of course the subtext being

that they want it on their terms.

We then heard later from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who doubled down on that, saying that he believes Zelenskyy has not earned a respite. So,

look, Ukraine is trying to put the ball back in the U.S. court, saying that they want the U.S. to send a signal to Russia that they need to sign on to

this.

But arguably, look with that diesel deal having come with sanctions relief for Russia, they see no reason now, especially after that, to compromise.

It's a really delicate moment for President Zelenskyy. On the one hand, he cannot afford to lose U.S. support, intelligence sharing, European

purchases of U.S. weapons, according to two European officials, now those the U.S.'s warning could be withheld from Ukraine.

But equally, the deep strikes on Russian oil refineries are a critical part of Ukraine's defense and have been now for many, many months. This is how

he responded in an interview with ABC on Sunday when asked why he thinks he's being blamed for the rise in the diesel price.

[11:05:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: These people can't find a key how to stop Putin because it's more difficult to stop Putin than to

pressure others, because it's more simple to speak about the prices and connect it with Ukraine, when everybody in the world understands, because

of the war in Middle East, the prices are rising.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN So, like Ukraine was in a difficult position even before this, but arguably it just got even more difficult now. It's facing a double

threat to this Russian escalation that we see in the air war, massive increase in attacks on Ukrainian cities day and night, constant air raids.

This has been happening since the end of August, but also now the threat potentially from the U.S. side that if they don't stop their deep strikes

on Russian oil infrastructure, they could lose critical intelligence and potentially weapons as well. It's a very difficult choice for Zelenskyy,

and I think this is why you see now him really focusing on putting the pressure back on the U.S. to try and make this energy ceasefire stick,

Zain.

ASHER: Clare Sebastian live for us there in London. Thank you for that. All right, we have new video of the terrifying moments when Houthis attacked

Saudi Arabia's international airport in Riyadh. A warning that some of this footage we're about to show you is disturbing.

Attacks over the weekend killed at least 13 people and wounded hundreds more. Dozens of passengers can be seen. You look closely there, running for

safety right after a blast caused part of the ceiling to collapse. You can also see dust filling the area as debris crashes to the floor.

Saudi Arabia's Gulf neighbors are condemning the latest strikes. They're also calling for unified action against the Houthis. Meantime, President

Trump says that he is considering the option to join Saudi strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. Let's go straight to Nic Robertson, who's tracking

the story live for us from London.

So, just in terms of what happened over the weekend, it wasn't just the strike on Saturday, but there was another strike on Sunday as well. I mean,

obviously, up until this point, the Saudis have provided air cover to Yemeni's military there. What changes now in terms of how they fight this

war against the Houthis, which have proven to be a very formidable foe, extremely persistent and resilient?

And how likely is the U.S. to get involved here beyond just intelligence sharing?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think on the U.S. side, it seems unlikely at this stage because President Trump does have the

midterms coming up, and he is being criticized for the wars in the Middle East or his engagement, certainly in the war with Iran and the economic

outfall from that.

But certainly, something the Saudis would like to see it. Would send a strong message of support. The Houthis have said that they don't. They're

not trying to pick a war with the United States. But if you go back and look at what happened this weekend, deadly strike on Sunday as well.

One person killed at that same airport on Wednesday. Again, a deadly strike on the same airport. One person killed on Thursday. Another deadly strike

on the same airport. Three people killed, lots more injured. It raises the question there why isn't Saudi Arabia, that has very deep pockets and a lot

of money to spend on defense, and it spent it on air defense systems?

Why wasn't it able to protect this target that the Houthis have very specifically said they were going to target have hit multiple times. We

certainly know that the Houthis have threatened to continue to hit the airport as long as the Saudis are supporting the internationally-backed

Yemeni government inside of Yemen.

So, have the Houthis got a new type of missile system that they're using against this particular site, and that's why it's been successful for them.

But the images have very clearly conveyed not just because you see people running in fear, but I think people recognize that strike could have, if it

had been a few meters further towards the terminal building, could have killed a lot more people.

A lot of those people waiting for that plane were pilgrims on their way to Mecca. We can tell that from the way they're dressed, and also there's a

lot of people travel from Riyadh to Jeddah to then go on to onto Mecca. That sends a very negative message. But how would the U.S. fit into this?

Certainly, what the Saudis really need is more actionable intelligence about where the Houthis are firing their missiles from so that they can

target the rocket launchers, so that they can target the ammunition stores. But as we saw in the U.S. and Israel war with Iran earlier in the year,

trying to win a war by an air war only is a very tough way to do.

[11:10:00]

So, the Houthis are able to project this image of strength, and this is something the Saudis are pushing back very hard on. And we heard from the

Saudi energy minister speaking at a global energy conference in Riyadh this weekend. This is how he framed Saudi's view on it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE ABDULAZIZ BIN SALMAN, SAUDI ENERGY MINISTER: We value our commitment. We make sure that whatever happens, our resilience, our plans,

our commitment to the world will be adhered to. There is no way that somebody will break our back.

We are like a phoenix. We come out of the ashes all the time, and every time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: And this is a reference here, I think, to the Iranians as well as the Houthis. Obviously, Saudi doesn't want any more ashes. What they

want is stability. They need to project that image of global stability so they can attract investment. They want to project an image of strength, and

that's something Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will want to do in finding a way to up his military message to the Houthis and score some

victories in Yemen.

ASHER: Right, Nic Robertson, thank you for that. Let's continue this discussion with my next guest, CNN Military Analyst and Retired Colonel

Cedric Leighton. Cedric, good to have you on the show again. I just want to pick up from where Nic Robertson left on. One of the key points that he

touched on was why the Saudis weren't able to protect their airport.

I mean, obviously Saudi Arabia is vast. I mean, we're talking about huge territory. It's impossible for them to protect every corner of it. Also,

you have the fact that the types of projectiles that the Houthi use can actually really overwhelm the air defense systems that Saudi Arabia has

U.S. patriot batteries.

Just the fact that though they were still able to get the airport, you know, the probably the most prized target, and obviously one that I'm sure

Saudi Arabia would have done anything to protect, not just once on Saturday, but again on Sunday, how does that happen?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yeah, that's a great question, Zain. It's great to be with you again. One of the things that we

have to keep in mind is, as you mentioned, Saudi Arabia is a vast country, and it's not like Israel, where a fairly compact country can do a lot to

protect itself and protect a lot of its potential targets from aerial attack through weapon systems like the Iron Dome and the associated other

elements of the Israeli air and missile defense systems.

So, in Saudi Arabia, the situation is far more complex when it comes to protecting assets. But having said that, prestige targets like the King

Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Those are elements that you know would merit a lot of direct protection. In fact, Riyadh itself requires a

lot of direct protection through patriot missile batteries as well as other batteries that would be able to intercept incoming missiles and drones.

But what we've seen here is that the Houthis have basically used similar tactics to what the Iranians have used, and that idea is to overwhelm as

many of the air and missile defenses as possible. So, the way in which they do this is they basically use a swarm tactic to go in after these

particular targets.

They use a lot of diversionary efforts, and sometimes they just get lucky, but in this particular case, I think it was a very well-planned, well-

executed mission from a military operational perspective, and the Houthis did that deliberately. They knew that the airport in Riyadh, the

international airport, is absolutely one of the preeminent areas in Saudi Arabia.

It was a prestige project when it was opened up in the 1980s, and that particular airport is architecturally beautiful. is one of those places

that if you hit it, it will make a lot of news. And since we're talking about it, that has obviously proven to be true. So, this is exactly what

the Houthis wanted to do, and in this case, they were successful.

ASHER: How much independent decision making do the Houthis have from Iran?

LEIGHTON: So, this is a major bone of contention within the intelligence community. Some elements of the intelligence community say they are

relatively independent. Others say that they are a bit more aligned with the Iranians. I think it's somewhere in the middle. They follow the Iranian

line when it suits them, and they also follow the Iranian line when it's in their interest to do that.

So, what the Houthis do is they have their own war to fight, and the Iranians know that. But the Iranians also get an advantage by having a

proxy like the Houthis. First of all, it's basically replaced the efforts of the Hamas and Hezbollah, which were other -- which are other proxies of

the Iranians.

[11:15:00]

And they are doing a lot of work in another part of the Arabian Peninsula, the southwestern part, which actually pins down the Saudis, because the

Saudis they want to contain the Houthis. They've had that war that they fought for over a decade against the Houthis, and then of course on the

southeastern side of the Arabian Peninsula you have the Strait of Hormuz.

And so, basically, what the Iranians are doing is using their proxies. They are in essence trying to encircle the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and they're

not completely successful in doing that at least not yet. But that seems to be the goal is you know, in essence, pin down the Saudis, make it difficult

for them to move anywhere, and make it difficult for them to export their oil, which is, of course, the lifeblood of the kingdom.

ASHER: So, for the Saudis now, what do they do differently? Because they can't really rely on the U.S. just in terms of helping them, you know,

militarily, sort of connectedly. I mean, obviously the U.S. is providing other forms of assistance. They, you know, just in terms of air cover over

Yemen, that's not enough to win a war.

You can't just sort of win a war from the skies alone. They're not necessarily going to sort of launch a ground war either. And the Yemeni

army, as we've talked about, is extremely fragmented. So, for the Saudis, what are their options?

LEIGHTON: Yeah, those options are limited. Of course, they're going to try the diplomatic route, and you know you see a lot of that when it comes to

the relationship that they've started with Pakistan and with Turkey. So those two countries are bound in a pact with Saudi Arabia now to basically

protect the kingdom and to protect each other.

So, each of these countries have mutual interests not only within the Arabian Peninsula but also throughout the broader Middle East. So, they are

in some ways natural allies, and a lot of the efforts that are being undertaken by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia are designed to bring that

diplomatic pressure to bear on Iran, on the Houthis, on other elements out there.

But you also pointed out something that was very important, saying that is that the army in of the internationally recognized government in Yemen, not

the Houthis, but the other side, they are fragmented and they are having a really difficult time maintaining their efforts in basically keeping the

amount of territory that they have, keeping that out of Houthi control.

There's a battle raging around Taiz, the third largest city in Yemen. And that particular battle, if the Houthis capture Taiz completely, that would

then open the way for the Houthis to get to Aden, which is where the current internationally recognized government is sitting. So that would

open up a whole another can of worms.

So, the potential for the Saudis to move militarily while limited is certainly going to be one of those imperatives. So, what they're hoping for

is to bring other elements in, such as the Pakistanis, such as the Turks, potentially to help them with physical force against the Houthis.

Now, whether or not something like that is actually going to happen, and if it does happen, whether it's going to be successful, that is something that

really remains to be seen. I think there are going to be a lot of challenges, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, you know, as defined as the

energy minister was in his statement, is going to have a lot of challenges in an effort to secure those areas.

So, one thing to also keep in mind is what role Israel might play in all of this? Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have relations with each other, but

it's not in Israel's interest for Saudi Arabia to either be defeated by Houthis and Iran or to even, in the worst-case scenario, fall.

So, it will be really interesting to see what both Israel and the United States do win a case like this.

ASHER: Yeah, and important to note that yes, Israel essentially and Saudi Arabia do share the same enemy technically with Iran. But you did bring up

an important point about the defense pact that Pakistan and Turkey signed with Saudi Arabia. So that's going to be key in terms of how those two

allies get involved and what capacity they get involved going forward.

All right, Cedric Leighton, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, still ahead on "One World", a perilous migration route off East

Africa becomes a watery grave ahead. Details of a shipwreck that has killed more than 100 people, including children.

Plus, the devastation in Gaza is easy to find, but thousands of missing Palestinians are not. We'll take you there for a look at the daunting task

of recovering loved ones.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:20:00]

ASHER: Right, Pope Leo the14th is set to undergo surgery this week to remove a lung nodule discovered during a recent health check. The 71-year-

old says that it was detected at a very early stage. The Vatican says the Pope will spend a week in hospital, and decisions requiring his signature

will be delayed until he comes back.

For more on this let's bring in CNN's Christopher Lamb. Christopher, what more do we know at this point?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that Pope Leo is going to be admitted to hospital on Tuesday late morning, and the surgery

to remove small growth from his lung is expected to take place sometime after that. You know, this is an anxious time for everyone in the Vatican.

Pope Leo announcing that news that he needed surgery on his lung. It came as a big surprise because the Pope is seen generally to be in good health.

But it is something that is being discussed a lot here in the Vatican, there's a big meeting taking place with bishops from across the world and

cardinals.

And one of those was asked about the Pope's condition today, and this is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARDINAL GERALD LACROIX, ARCHBISHOP OF QUEBEC: Of course, it comes as a surprise to all of us that the Holy Father needs to be hospitalized for a

few days for an intervention, but it will not change what we're doing because he would come and listen, at the end he wanted to speak, of course,

like he did at the beginning.

But I'm sure when he's better, he will conclude this and give us more direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAMB: Well, the cardinal referencing a major gathering, looking at the church's family life teaching that the Pope had convened, he won't be able

to celebrate the closing mass for that. There is, of course, a question mark over the Pope's forthcoming engagements, particularly a trip to Latin

America that is planned, that is due to occur in early November.

The Pope very keen to go on this trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, a place of course he knows so well, having served there as a missionary and a

bishop. So, there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment in the Vatican, as surgery for Pope Leo is expected to be undertaken in the coming days.

ASHER: Right, Christopher Lamb, thank you, thank you for that. Appreciate it. Right, Israel has stepped up attacks on Hamas targets in Gaza in recent

days. Latest attacks were on Saturday, following an evacuation order in central Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas of rebuilding its arsenal and planning

attacks.

Hamas, meantime, says Israel is undermining the year-old ceasefire brokered by the U.S. that ceasefire calls for the reconstruction of the territory,

but as yet little progress has been made. According to Gaza health officials, at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli fire

since the ceasefire began.

[11:25:00]

Israel says that four of its soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza over that same period. Meantime, inside Gaza, the search goes on for those

who are still missing from the war. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has that story. But first, a warning that her report does contain very disturbing images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His mother was wearing a skirt. A skirt. Yes, she was wearing it. She was wearing it.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Through the stench of decomposing remains, Antalib (ph) is identifying the dead by the clothes

they wore that day three years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your mother. Your mother. I'm telling you, it is your mother. The prayer clothes, it's your aunt.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): This is what it's come to in Gaza. Those who survived trying to identify those who did not. Three years in, the smallest

detail carries the most weight, a scrap of clothing enough to bring a family its answers, and the deceased, their dignity. The search is

painstaking.

Today, sped up by Gaza City's only excavator, finally here to remove the rubble from the 2023 Israeli bombing that killed dozens of Antalib's (ph)

families. Israel spam the entry of heavy machinery into Gaza until it says Hamas is disarmed, but that means leaving the whole devastated strip with

only two excavators, according to local officials.

It's been a year since the ceasefire agreement, and so many are still searching for what's left of their loved ones. The Palestinian Civil

Defense says more than 8000 are missing, believed to be buried beneath the sea of rubble Gaza has become. But even trying to locate their remains

seems impossible.

Over 60 percent of Gaza is under Israeli control and off limits for Palestinians.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I try to find him, but I don't know where.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): For three long years, Suha has been searching among the dead, looking for her boy. She says her son Jihad (ph) was shot and

killed in front of her in November 2023 during the Israeli military's forced evacuation of Gaza City. She had to leave his body behind at the

hospital and flee. She's been searching for him ever since.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why am I still alive? Why am I alive? My home is gone. My son is gone. What should I live for?

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Our cameraman met Suha last year as she and other families gathered to dig out the makeshift graveyard at Shifa Hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was calling out for him in the cemeteries. I am here my son. I brought you your daughters. Dear God, give me a sign that he is

here. I want to see him, even if for a minute to hold him.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): She spotted this blanket. She's certain it's the one he was carrying that day. A year on, we found her still looking for her

son.

SUHA AL-SHARIF, SEARCHING FOR MISSING SON: I need to find him. To know his place, his body, his grave. So as a mother I can be at peace. I want to be

at peace. I want to find my son to be at peace.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): But in this place, it seems there's no peace, not for the living, not even for the dead. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:00]

ASHER: Right, welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York. Here are some of the headlines we are watching for today -- that Some of the

headlines here do contain disturbing video, including this one, deadly violence over the weekend in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh.

Houthi rebels once again striking the city's international airport. Authorities say at least 13 people have been killed and hundreds more

wounded. Saudi Arabia's Gulf neighbors are condemning the latest strikes. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that he is awaiting details from the American side

after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a surprise energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine over the weekend.

Zelenskyy said that Kyiv didn't know about the purported deal in advance. And so far, Russia is not commenting. India's opposition parties marched

towards the Supreme Court today to demand the resignation of the country's election chief. It's the latest in a series of demonstrations in New Delhi

over the removal of more than 130 million names from voter lists.

Critics say the purge is designed to benefit the ruling party. Pope Leo has announced that he will undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule. The pontiff

said on Sunday it had been detected at a very early stage. The Vatican press office has confirmed the Pope will enter hospital in Rome Tuesday

morning.

Right, 139 people, including children, have died and dozens remain missing after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of East Africa. Officials say

the death toll is likely to rise at this point. It happened off the coast of Djibouti this weekend, where a boat carrying more than 300 migrants

capsized, largely due to overcrowding.

Officials say the vessel was en route to Yemen. About 80 survivors are receiving help as authorities search for others. The International

Organization for Migration says that local officials were overwhelmed with bodies on the shore after the disaster, each year tens of thousands of

migrants, travel through the area, fleeing conflict and poverty.

CNN's Larry Madowo has more on this tragedy.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 84 people are still unaccounted for after this boat disaster, one of the deadliest shipwrecks we've seen on this

journey. They set out on Thursday evening local time from Djibouti, hoping to make it across to Yemen on the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

305 people were on that boat, but shortly after they left Djibouti, we understand the boat capsized, and 139 people were killed, including 15

children. Those are the numbers of the bodies that have been buried by authorities in Djibouti. There are still those who were buried by the

migrants on the boat that have not been verified, and so they're not part of that count.

So, it is very likely that that death toll could rise. This is a perilous but popular journey that takes migrants from the Horn of Africa across the

Red Sea into the Arabian Peninsula, hoping for well-paying jobs in Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, in the United Arab Emirates, or in Qatar,

but many don't make it.

[11:35:00]

Tens of thousands begin this journey, fleeing poverty and conflict and the effects of climate change, but some don't make it last year, about half a

million attempted this journey, and more than 900 either died or remain unaccounted for, according to International Organization for Migration's

Missing Persons' report.

And that is why this is even more devastating because people keep trying to make this journey. Listen to one IOM official in Djibouti.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The death toll could rise as search operations are still underway. The IOM is working alongside local authorities,

particularly the Obock Prefecture, which is coordinating operations on the ground. The first survivors located have been taken care of and assisted by

the IOM.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: The survivors were received at the U.N. Migration Agency's center, where they were receiving medical support after consuming sea water, as

well as psychological support after having been through this traumatic event. 80 of these survivors, all 80, are Ethiopian nationals.

We don't have a statement yet from the Ethiopian government, but the African Union Commission Chair has mourned these lives, 139, and said there

is need for regular migration to combat people smuggling and trafficking because some of these migrants' pay money to third-party irregular people,

basically trying to get them across this dangerous journey.

And the attraction is significant because in the shortest, in the narrowest point, is these 20 kilometers. That's about 12 miles between Djibouti and

Yemen. But they're going through a war zone, right now, we're seeing the worst escalation in fighting between the Saudi-backed government forces in

Yemen and the Iran-backed Houthis.

So, there are at least 2000 Houthi -- 2000 Yemenis who crossed over into Djibouti, the opposite direction, seeking refuge from the war. But these

people, so desperate from the Horn of Africa, are still willing to make that perilous journey to try and make it in the Gulf.

ASHER: Right, Larry Madowo there. Doctors are treating a man in Houston for injuries to his lower body. This after he was struck by I.C.E. agents

during an enforcement operation on Saturday. We have video of the incident, but we want to warn you, the images are graphic.

In the video, you can see two men jump out of a white pickup truck and start running. A moment later, one of the -- man you see there gets struck

by what appears to be an unarmed black vehicle. I.C.E. says the injured man is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who was struck after he ran in

front of an I.C.E. vehicle.

At last check, he was in stable condition. The other man in the pickup got away. This comes just days after I.C.E. agents shot a man in New York with

his five-year-old child in the back seat. All of this puts I.C.E. tactics under increased scrutiny. Though Homeland Security officials continue to

defend the I.C.E. agents involved.

Mark Morales takes a look at the fallout from both cases.

MARK MORALES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTER: An agency spokesperson said that the man seen in that video, quote, ran in front of an I.C.E. vehicle.

Now, according to his attorney, he has two broken legs and is currently in I.C.E. custody. But he wasn't the target of this.

I.C.E. officials had targeted the man he was in the car with. That was the target. They were -- they had deemed him to be a public safety threat, and

he's the one who had a deportation order, but he was not caught. So, this video also really brings into the forefront the question of tactics, and as

you've seen, this has been a hot button issue, especially in New York City, after a man was shot inside a vehicle by I.C.E. agents while his five-year-

old son was in the back seat.

Now, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin was on State of the Union, and not -- he not only defended the tactics of the I.C.E. officers,

but also said that their body camera footage would be released. Now, as we've seen, that footage of those moments, either before the incident took

place or after the incident, even during the incident, they all meshed together to really give a full picture of what's been going on.

Here's Markwayne Mullin. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARKWAYNE MULLIN, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Every single department, I don't care if it's state, if it's local, if it's county, or

if it's federal, they all have undercover divisions, and undercover divisions make arrest every single day in plain clothes.

When they approach the vehicle, they had their badges out. You can see that their badge was out, and they were given lawful commands. So, the tactics

that are used are the same tactics that are used by law enforcement from coast to coast, from local, city, state to federal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORALES: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been very critical about the presence of I.C.E. in New York, especially pointing to this incident,

saying that it's a very good example as to why New Yorkers are not safe. Meanwhile, the man at the center of all this, Oscar Belgal, he's currently

in solitary confinement at a federal detention center in New York under I.C.E. custody.

Lawyers for him have finally got a chance to speak with him over the weekend. They say that not only is he in a lot of pain, but that he needs

emergency surgery to deal with that bullet wound, Mark Morales, CNN, New York.

ASHER: We'll right back with more after the short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:40:00]

ASHER: Right. Hurricane Simon is skirting Mexico's Pacific coast as communities and tourist areas prepare for impact. The storm was downgraded

to a Category 2 a short time ago and had been projected to make landfall earlier as a Category 4, but it's now expected to remain offshore at least

through today.

Meantime, tropical -- post-tropical storm Rachel has moved inland after causing flooding and damage in parts of Southern California over the

weekend. Strong waves pounded the shoreline in Long Beach, flooding some homes along the coast. The storm then dumped heavy rainfall across parts of

the U.S. Southwest.

Heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Isaias have triggered flooding and landslides in North Carolina. The storm made landfall as a

Category 2 hurricane in Florida on Friday. As it's weakened, it has continued to bring rain and gusty winds throughout the Southeastern United

States.

More than 100 foreign trekkers are stranded in central Nepal after flooding triggered by landslide swept away hiking trails and bridges, according to

Reuters. People who were evacuated along the river, this river, on Sunday, watched in horror as their homes were essentially swept away.

At least five people are reported missing. The army says rescue operations will continue into Tuesday. In August, catastrophic floods at the Nepal-

China border killed hundreds and left thousands missing. All right, still to come on "One World", political thriller, "The Diplomat".

We're actually going to be speaking to an actress from the show ahead, we're going to be talking about the highly anticipated new season. That's

next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:45:00]

ASHER: Conspiracy, a looming global war, and crumbling high-profile marriages take center stage in the upcoming season of Netflix political

thriller "The Diplomat". Keri Russell returns as Kate Wyler, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. alongside Rufus Sewell, her husband, Vice President

Hal Weiler, the two navigate what it means to balance power and marriage. The hit theory's fourth season debuts this week. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to press on, given our late start.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was an issue.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There always is. Frankly, neither of us should be in this room. This is a trivial misunderstanding, way out in the weeds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Perhaps this isn't the time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To discuss it, not today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not good, COP.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Prime Minister, I flew here to speak to you. I'm not spending the week. We agree on aims, means, and funding structure. The only

point of contention is accounting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you mean to say the numbers unchanged?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We reran the numbers, and while we initially believe there may have been a conversion error. We ultimately found that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sir, absolutely not. You pulled this with the president. It was rude then, and it still is. By the way, also rude not to

shake my wife's hand, but maybe that's a challenge for another day. Please take a seat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Talk to one of the show stars, Ali Ahn. She plays CIA Station Chief Eidra Park on "The Diplomat". I have to say this show is gripping. It is so

well written, by the way. And I have to also say that there are so many fans of yours and the show on my team. Our producers, writers, people in

the control room so excited for us to have this conversation today.

One of the things I think is so interesting, especially as someone, especially someone who works in the news business, is that when you watch

this show, you really -- it really just shows you and highlights the fact that what you might see in terms of the headlines about diplomacy and

politics can actually be obviously very different from what might be taking place behind the scenes.

And we know this intellectually working in the news business, but the show really puts that front and center because yes, it has you know sort of

what's happening on the world stage, but it also has power and relationship dynamics and marriage and you know how certain career diplomats might say

something in public and they feel completely different about you know what they're feeling in private is completely different.

Did this show change the way you sort of view and read headlines? Because obviously you now know from watching the show that what is happening behind

the scenes can be so different from what is portrayed publicly.

ALI AHN, CIA STATION CHIEF EIDRA PARK ON "THE DIPLOMAT": Oh, for sure. I think my respect for people who work in the foreign service, who work in

diplomacy, has just grown immensely. I think knowing how complicated it actually is, and what -- they have to constantly be threading a needle and

weighing sort of when they can release certain information, and whatever moves they might make for today might have to do with something that they

need to strategize for in a week.

[11:50:00]

So, I didn't quite understand how bad it actually is -- like how heavy it actually is. So yeah, I have I have enormous respect. I think it's really,

it is a job of service, and I think we take that for granted.

ASHER: When you prepare for a role like this. How much of that preparation is really about understanding the mechanics of diplomacy and what happens

sort of behind the scenes in politics versus actually just understanding the psychology of the character?

AHN: Well, I think preparing for the first season, I did a lot more research about the ins and outs of the job. I sort of had to figure out

what my character would have done before in order to land the job as CIA station chief, just so I could understand the power dynamics and you know

understand when I was talking to which person who had more power.

And then as the seasons have gone on, that becomes kind of second nature, and the relationship dynamics become much more what I can focus on because

now the sort of foundational understanding of the world has been set.

ASHER: Yeah, and just sort of speaking of that a bit more. I mean, obviously, you know, again, my lens is so different as a news anchor. I

mean, the world we live in and the international world order right now is obviously so up in the air, so uncertain.

AHN: Yeah.

ASHER: I'm wondering if that really changes the lens through which you think that audiences will actually take in a show like this.

AHN: I mean, I think it does. What the show does so brilliantly is it's just adjacent to what we're navigating in our actual world. And I think the

thing that I've really taken, especially from this current season, is the importance of representation in terms of maybe if we see it, we can believe

it.

And I do think that these are all characters who fundamentally are trying to do the right thing. And I think there's so much in our world where we're

not sure that people are doing that. And what helps me as just a person in the world making this show, is to know that I'm surrounded by people every

day who we really believe and want to hope that our countries are all -- we all want to see everyone thrive and live in peace.

And I think that a show that is reflective of the stakes of our present diplomatic tension, but is really highlighting people who are still living,

hopefully, by their moral values and prioritizing the sacredness of human life. That we can find some hope and some optimism in actually just

watching people be really committed to their job, as opposed to their individual ambition or egos.

ASHER: You laid that out so beautifully. And just in terms of what we can expect, obviously without spoiling it, what can we expect in the next

season?

AHN: Yeah. Oh man, I mean, every season I'm surprised how the writers amp up the stakes. I think there is going to be a big showdown between the U.S.

and the U.K. in this season. I think that every character is going to have to navigate what their moral line is and whether they're willing to cross

that line for political gain.

And I think you know, as far as my character goes, you might see some more investment in romance. We'll see.

ASHER: Ooh, that's exciting. And what got you excited? What got you excited specifically about the script when you read the script for season four?

What got you most excited?

AHN: I think the -- always the writing, the verbal dialog, is just so muscular, and the kind of speed with which the characters flip from talking

about geopolitics to then you know your breath smells and these really cotillion details that is so exciting as an actor to get to play where you

have this little tiny window into everyone's humanity.

And that's what's so universal about the show is that actually all these big players are really just giant messes.

ASHER: Yeah, I mean they the writers have done such a good job of humanizing a lot of the characters on the show, and you're right, it's the

acting too, obviously, Ali, but it you know, it's also the writing as well. It's also the writing as well --

AHN: -- spectacular on the show.

ASHER: Spectacular. What do you want young people to take away from this season?

AHN: I think the importance of these jobs. I think there's been so much erosion in the faith of these kinds of government workers, and I think that

the diplomacy happens every day, and it's a very unromantic and unheralded job that I think is really important to the safety of our world.

[11:55:00]

So, I want young people to watch the show and have a sense of conviction about what is possible and that it's not hopeless that actually diplomacy

is something that is necessary and can have profound impact on how countries interact with each other.

ASHER: Yeah, and as well as sort of a healthy level of respect for the diplomats themselves as well, as you touched on earlier.

AHN: Yes.

ASHER: Ali Ahn, thank you. What a treat to have you on the show. Thank you so much.

AHN: Thank you for having me.

ASHER: Of course, of course.

AHN: Thank you.

ASHER: The show actually comes out this Wednesday. All right, Ali Ahn, thank you for that. All right, stay with CNN. There's more "One World" with

my colleague Bianna Golodryga after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END