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Backlash Over Russia Sanctions Waiver; Violent Protests in France; Surgeon Says, Pope Leo Should be Safe to Travel. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired October 18, 2026 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[03:00:00]

WILL RIPLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello from Hong Kong. I'm Will Ripley, and this is CNN Newsroom.

Ukraine says Russia launched a massive strike on its energy sector just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump waived sanctions on Russian energy. That decision meeting severe backlash.

Protests in France turned violent. Some demonstrators clashing with police, setting buildings on fire.

And Pope Leo's surgeon says the pontiff should be safe to travel following lung surgery as the Vatican weighs whether to carry on with a planned trip to Latin America.

We begin this hour with major pushback against the White House on the heels of its decision to waive the upcoming sanctions on Russia. The announcement came hours before Russia launched what Ukraine called one of the worst strikes ever on its energy system.

The sanctions would have been imposed under the law named after the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. Its goal was to drain Russia's war chest by slapping massive tariffs on the top buyers of its oil and gas. But the White House faced bipartisan blowback over the decision. One Republican senator called it a capitulation to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In his reaction on Saturday, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, criticized the timing of the announcement. He added that the waiver completely disregarded what the Graham Act was meant to achieve, to pressure Moscow to end the war.

For more, CNN's Nada Bashir joins me now live from London. So, Trump has delayed these new sanctions on Russia. What message is that sending Moscow right now?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there certainly is a lot of pressure now on Ukraine. That is the feeling. We've been hearing those alarm bells sounding. There has been, of course, that positive response from the Kremlin, and this decision taken by the U.S. president to waive those upcoming sanctions that were set to come into force in just the upcoming days essentially targets those Russian fossil fuels.

And this has been, of course, part of a broader shift in rhetoric from the U.S. president that we have seen over recent days. This, of course, follows that surprise announcement by the U.S. president alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow for the sale of Russian diesel fuel on the market.

This also comes, of course, just days after the U.S. president heaped the pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to bring an end to Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, despite the fact that we have continued to see Russia targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

And while there was a brief period where we did see Ukraine abiding to the terms of this so-called energy ceasefire, the Ukrainian president has been very clear that Ukraine will now resume and continue to target Russian energy infrastructure in response to Russia's own attacks of a similar fashion.

But, of course, these tariffs would have been significant. It would've imposed tariffs of about up to 100 percent on goods being brought in from five of the largest importers of Russian crude oil and gas. This is, of course, essential to Russia's war effort, and that is why we are seeing this significant bipartisan backlash in the United States but also, of course, why we are hearing raising concern -- rising concern amongst E.U. leaders as well.

Of course, it appears as though President Trump is, of course, making moves to try to ease oil prices ahead of the midterms. He has been quite clear in his messaging over recent weeks, trying to shift the focus and the blame on those rising oil prices and fuel prices on the war between Russia and Ukraine, trying to deflect, of course, from his war in Iran, which is deeply unpopular amongst voters.

And he has also been trying to frame this as a move in the national interest. Take a listen to this latest statement from the U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, there are other countries. The problem is these sanctions were not just sanctions on Russia. They include tariffs on a number of countries, India for example, and others. And so I think the president wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyze what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the U.S. economy.

[03:05:00]

I think when the bill was passed, one of the reasons the waivers were put in there is understanding that they would need some period of time to study this, given all the different things that are g- that are going on in the world right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BASHIR: But it's not just sanctions on Russia or the waiving of sanctions on Russia that is raising concern. President Zelenskyy has raised the issue of what appears to be a restriction on intelligence sharing from the United States in recent days. He has accused the U.S. of failing to provide intelligence with enough lead time when it comes to Russian attacks, for example, on Kyiv, with the Ukrainian military only getting notice as those missiles were getting into Kyiv.

Although the U.S. president has said the U.S. has not stopped intelligence sharing, but certainly has been, according to officials familiar with ongoing discussions between the two leaders, a prior warning from the U.S. president. And there is also concern, of course, as Ukraine enters into those winter months, as the war drags on around Kyiv, having low access to missiles for the U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, which would of course also deliver a huge blow to Ukraine's war effort.

According to Zelenskyy, however, his own team are speaking with U.S. counterparts. Talks were said to have been held on Friday with the potential for a meeting over the coming week, although the details of that, Zelenskyy says, are still being worked out. Will?

RIPLEY: Nada Bashir with the view for us from London on a Sunday morning just after 8:00 A.M. there. I appreciate you very much, Nada. Thank you.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard says two oil tankers hit naval mines while crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media reports the tankers caught fire after hitting the mines on Saturday and were carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil. State media also reported that one of the tankers had struck a mine while attempting to cross the strait through a route not authorized by Iran. There's been no independent confirmation of these reports.

Egypt's parliament is set to convene an emergency session made at the president's request in the coming hours. President Abdel Fattah El- Sisi announced the day before that Egypt would take any measures necessary to defend Saudi Arabia if asked.

El-Sisi also said that Egypt is not looking to attack anyone but is ready to act in defense. His pledge comes amid escalating hostilities between the Iran-aligned Houthis and the Saudi kingdom and the Saudi- backed forces of Yemen's internationally recognized government.

Emergency personnel are responding to a fire at a Canadian military base started by what officials described as a serious incident.

Now, details are still coming in, but authorities say the fire has caused deaths and has also caused injuries. Broadcaster CBC reports that a nearby hospital has declared a code orange. That's a protocol used for large numbers of incoming patients. We'll keep an eye on that.

The fire began at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, one of the country's busiest Army bases. Officials say strong winds pushed the fire across the base fencing. Authorities are working to contain the fire, and they're asking people in the area to stay away if they can.

More than half a million people marched through the streets of France in Saturday's anti-government protests, some descending into unrest. The mass protests come after weeks of sweeping student-led demonstrations gripped the country. In parts of France, people set fires to buildings and clashed with police. At least 1,200 people were detained.

People cheered in Limoges when the historic city hall collapsed after it was set on fire. Some of the protesters complained about the concentration of wealth within France, as others say they were there to support the youth.

In Paris, young people looted stores and started fires, and police responded by firing tear gas at them. More than 100,000 people are estimated to have been there participating in the protests just in Paris.

CNN's Melissa Bell has more from France.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's been a day of violent protests across France, and even here after nightfall, the police are still struggling to get protesters off the street. Fires have been lit.

The firemen are trying to put those out. And here really you can see the remnants of what went on through the course of the day here around Republique where protesters, even before the march was due to begin, had been taking on the police. The police have thrown a lot of tear gas. It was really thick. The air was thick with that earlier and still is even at this late hour.

And for throughout the course of the day across France, but here in Paris too, you've had this back and forth between the police and the protesters that's really left a lot of damage to the streets of many of France's cities.

You can see some of that here. Very violent scuffles at times because what we saw today was the protests go way beyond the demands of the students and even the public sector workers here in France.

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And protests that ballooned to include yellow vests from those protests of a few years ago about the high cost of living.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: High schoolers get like, violated and hurt everywhere all over the country because they just try to protest and ask for, like more teachers and decent conditions to learn in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's clearly a good sign because it shows that a lot of support come from like a wide margin of the population. So, not only students, but also people of everyday life who have job. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They want better life for a little cheaper, and that's what we want, too. That's why we are drawing together, and everyone is here with the students, the farmers, and everyone who wants a decent life in France and the future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: So, a lot of different grievances and many different kinds of people out on the streets of France today to make their anger known. Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

RIPLEY: This is not just France. Hundreds of mostly young people gathered in Brussels, continuing this wave of student-led protests, partly inspired by those in Paris. Belgian students say they're frustrated by rising education costs and overcrowded classrooms, and the tensions, they did boil over at times on Saturday. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.

In the U.S., a six-year-old child and a man were killed when a vehicle plowed onto a Wichita, Kansas soccer field, and this happened during a game on Saturday. Police say a 34-year-old woman is in custody. Police say she had two youngsters in the car when she drove through the Striker Sports Complex. A witness told CNN, quote, We thought it was going to stop, but then it kept going. 11 other people were hurt, including children. Authorities are still working to figure out what happened and whether charges will be filed.

Super Typhoon Champi is moving farther away from Guam's coast right now. The storm passed by only 10 miles, or 16 kilometers, south of the island. Guam is expected to still experience tropical storm force winds even as Champi moves away. There's a typhoon warning still in effect, but the National Weather Service expects conditions will continue improving throughout the day.

So, joining us now live from Guam is Jonathan Petramala. He's an independent journalist, documentarian, and a storm chaser.

So, how are the conditions on the ground there right now? I'm looking behind you. It doesn't look too bad, at least from my view.

JONATHAN PETRAMALA, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST AND DOCUMENTARIAN: No, it's actually a fairly pleasant day when you consider that one of the most powerful storms likely on the entire planet this year passed by, as you mentioned, just ten miles from the southern tip of this island.

To give you some better perspective, if it would've been 20 miles, 25 miles closer to the center part of the island, we would've had a crisis on our hands here in this U.S. territory. You're talking about winds 150 miles per hour. But this is a very relatively new storming storm. It was just a tropical storm on Friday, and it rapidly intensified into this monstrous, very powerful super typhoon within, you know, 30 hours or so.

And so in these early formation of these tropical cyclones, they're very small, and this was a very tiny eye, maybe five to six miles wide, and that's where the most dangerous winds were. And so if it would've shifted and made it a little bit to the right, as we say, it would've been a whole different story.

But as it did it passed towards the south, it missed the island, and the most intense winds did as well. There was still some storm surge on the southern part of the island. There have been power outages, power lines knocked down. But this is a very fortified island. You're talking about reinforced concrete buildings. It's nothing like the mainland U.S., concrete light poles. They're prepared for typhoons.

But a storm of this caliber, winds 150-plus miles per hour, if it would have made landfall and crossed the island, it would be a much different story, and the serene scene you're looking behind me would not be happening.

RIPLEY: Well, certainly some great news in this instance, but as, there are more and more bigger and bigger storms, it seems like. So, how would you urge islanders to prepare, given what we're expecting to see in the coming, coming months and years ahead?

PETRAMALA: This is an El Nino. It's going to be likely a historic El Nino year. And to give you just a basic explanation of what that means, the Pacific Ocean is warm. And that is fuel for tropical cyclones like these. Typhoons, hurricanes, they are heat engines. They thrive on very warm water, and that's what's fueling the storms here in the Pacific this year.

Champi was typhoon number 30 for the year. On average, this basin sees about 22 to 25 for the entire year. So, it's October, and they've already had 30 typhoons. So, an incredibly busy season here in the Pacific so far with typhoons, not only here in the Western Pacific, but also Central Pacific. In Hawaii, there's been three hurricane watches, which is unprecedented for Hawaii. And the Eastern Pacific off the coast of Mexico is bringing in massive surf to Southern California, which has been quite devastating as well.

So, a very active year here in the Pacific, and that has really been fueled by this El Nino that is going to be causing a lot of problems in the coming months in the winter, especially on the West Coast of the mainland United States.

So, the typhoon season is not over. There are still a couple of months to go where many more could form as the waters here are absolutely capable of continuing to produce these monstrous super typhoons, just like Champi is turning into and will continue to make its way towards the west towards Asia and billions of people.

RIPLEY: All right. Jonathan Petramala, a reprieve for you in this case, but I know you'll be busy chasing storms, and we really appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. Thank you.

PETRAMALA: Thank you.

RIPLEY: This is CNN Newsroom live from Hong Kong. A popular pride festival here in this city has been canceled again. We're going to hear from the organizer who explains to us why they think this happened.

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RIPLEY: The Vatican says Pope Leo will lead the traditional Angelus prayer in the coming hours, marking his first public appearance since undergoing lung cancer surgery. The 71-year-old pontiff was discharged on Saturday. He spent four days in the hospital. Doctors say he's showing steady improvement and can resume normal daily activities.

Pope Leo's surgeon has also cleared him to go ahead on his planned trip to Latin America next month. The stops would include Uruguay, Argentina, and a homecoming to Peru, where he served as a missionary and a bishop for years. Many well-wishers and faithful Catholics were relieved to hear of Pope Leo's successful surgery and return home.

The pontiff's lung cancer diagnosis came as a real shock to the Vatican, given that he's relatively young and has no known history of smoking. Visitors at St. Peter's Basilica say they're wishing him a speedy recovery.

Here in Hong Kong, the city's largest Pride festival has been canceled again. Many say LGBTQ representation and visibility is fading in this city.

Here's CNN's Jane Sit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY LEUNG, DRAG PREFORMER: Oh, it's a wonderful feeling The community was there, out and proud.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When everybody feels so connected and united all together.

LEUNG: It's so weird that you can't even do that now.

JANE SIT, CNN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER (voice over): From London to Los Angeles, Barcelona to Bangkok, millions of people celebrate pride across the globe all year round. But in Hong Kong, community members say LGBTQ representation is fading. The city's pride events used to draw thousands of people, but now Pink Dot, its largest LGBTQ carnival, has been canceled for a second consecutive year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a very different time back then. We have yearly gay pride, and then we have yearly Pink Dot.

LEUNG: My name is Tony, but when I'm in drag, my name is Lil Omei (ph). Lil Omei is creative. Lil Omei is very theatrical, and also pretty. Drag is an extension of way of how you express yourself. There is no rule. Gender is off the table.

Recently, any event that is queer-related, it's very hard to be put outdoor. I was supposed to perform this year in Pink Dot or, and last year on Pink Dot actually. I don't understand why it was canceled. It's not that even that gay, to be honest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why would anyone fear an event like that? It's one of the most peaceful event in Hong Kong.

SIT: This year, Leung applied for a license to put on the event, but it was never approved. He says the venue owner told him that authorities had an issue with his license application. But when he approached the authorities, he was only told the application was in progress.

Frustrated, he withdrew the application and canceled the event.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

SIT: The venue owner told CNN that event organizers must obtain all required licenses. The licensing department said Pink Dot had withdrawn its own application.

Community members claim political shifts in the city is one of the reasons for the change.

In 2019, Hong Kong was gripped by months-long pro-democracy protests that occasionally turned violent. The following year, Beijing imposed a national security law which impacted public assemblies. The Hong Kong government says the law helps the city restore order.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

SIT: The changes extend beyond pride events. Last year, a bill which meant to recognize same-sex couples married overseas was rejected.

LEUNG: I was very disappointed, especially when you consider Asian places more and more are like growing in their international status in a way.

[03:25:04]

The future in Hong Kong for pride or being queer, it's very unclear.

Showing up as a drag performer is important because our existence is a representation.

I would love the younger generation in Hong Kong just grow up in a city where we celebrate diversity, we celebrate love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just hang up your, you know, rainbow flag and keep dancing and keep your chin up. When there's a will, there's a way.

SIT: In response to CNN, Hong Kong's Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said it does not comment on individual cases concerning events. The government is now exploring administrative measures to provide appropriate protections for same-sex partners in the relevant areas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: That's Jane Sit reporting there.

So, now to Santiago, Chile, where zombies are taking over the streets. Chile's getting a jumpstart on Halloween fun, and they're inviting out cosplayers and families in Santiago, everybody gathering for the city's annual zombie walk. Downtown streets are transformed into a scene right out of a scary movie, although it looks pretty fun. It doesn't look that scary to me, anyway. Horror fans dress in elaborate costumes, and they have props inspired by popular zombie movies.

The zombie walk began in California back in 2001. 25 years later, it's spread to cities all around the world, from New York to Singapore to Santiago.

Thanks for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Will Ripley live in Hong Kong. Up next, Richard Quest brings us Quest's World of Wonder, and I'll be back at the top of the hour right here with more CNN Newsroom.

See you then.

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