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White House Faces Backlash Over Russia Sanctions Waiving; Deadly Fire at Canada Military Base After "Serious Incident"; Israeli Settlers Attack Diplomats in Occupied West Bank; President Trump Rallies in Red State Kentucky; Massive Protests Across France; Police Search for Motive in Oregon School Shooting. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired October 18, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

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

U.S.-Ukraine relations in crisis and now bipartisan backlash. President Trump is waiving Russian sanctions before they even kick in. Fires in France. Some of the worst civil unrest Paris has seen in years. Protesters take to the streets nationwide. More than a thousand people detained. Crunch time in the U.S. 16 days and counting until critical midterm elections. Democrats trying to seize as much power as possible from Republicans and President Trump.

The White House is facing political blowback over its decision to waive an upcoming set of sanctions on Moscow. The announcement came hours before Russia launched what Ukraine called one of its worst strikes on its energy system. Sanctions would have been imposed under the law named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham. Its goal was to drain Russia's war chest by slapping massive tariffs on top -- on the top buyers of its oil and gas. But Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed the waiver saying it just completely disregarded what the Graham Act was meant to do, which was to pressure Russia to end the war.

The waiver did not go over well with many lawmakers from both parties in Washington. Republican Senator Thom Tillis called it beyond irresponsible, adding that the Trump administration is, quote, "capitulating to a Russian dictator who invaded Ukraine and butchers civilians every day." While Republican Representative French Hill says the U.S. should be increasing economic pressure on Russia, not easing it. He also posted that he requested a classified briefing on the reasons behind the decision.

For more analysis I'm joined now by Nigel Gould-Davies. He's a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Thank you for joining us. It's good to talk to you.

You have been suggesting that Trump might be prepared to break the law to secure a deal with Moscow. So, what specifically would you say makes this potentially unlawful?

NIGEL GOULD-DAVIES, SENIOR FELLOW FOR RUSSIA AND EURASIA, IISS: Well, we need to go back a few days to the start of this latest burst of Trump actions that have once again tilted dramatically in favor of Russia and against Ukraine. And I'm referring specifically to the agreement to import diesel fuel from Russia that appears on paper, and there are several senators who share this view, appears to violate a 2022 law against importing Russian energy of any kind. So, it seems that now for the first time the White House may be willing to contemplate doing things to support Russia, frankly, that appear to violate domestic law.

Now, where this latest development with the Lindsey Graham Act fits in is that what Trump has done with the waivers is not in itself unlawful, but it's clearly a flagrant violation of the intent behind a bipartisan piece of legislation that was carried with an overwhelming and veto approved majority just a few days ago.

So, this latest development is yet another example of a really striking lurch, I would say, in favor of Russia by President Trump to a degree that we have not seen even from him before.

RIPLEY: And you've been making the argument that Trump's approach repeatedly has been rewarding Russia without securing anything in terms of concessions. I guess the question would be why would Putin feel any pressure to negotiate seriously under these conditions?

GOULD-DAVIES: He wouldn't. On the contrary, these actions embolden him in his view that if he just carries on waging this murderous war long enough and hard enough, sooner or later, the various forms of support that Ukraine has been given will dissolve.

[04:05:00]

The West's resolve and commitment to support Ukraine will fail. Ukraine will be on its own.

In any case, Putin has repeatedly and in detail stated that he has no interest in negotiating anything short of what in effect would be a full and final victory for him. So, the whole idea of any kind of imminent negotiations is an illusion, frankly.

The only possible way that this war ends in negotiations is if Russia is prepared to compromise fundamentally on its war aims of defeating Ukraine. And that in turn only happens if Putin reaches a conclusion that continuing the war jeopardizes his own rule and control at home. And of course, all of the actions that the White House has taken in recent days make that less likely and not more likely.

RIPLEY: You mentioned a moment ago the proposed Russian diesel deal. Setting aside the fact of whether it's lawful or not, it's being presented, you know, to the American public as potential relief for consumers. Do you actually think it could meaningfully lower prices or is this political theatre week -- you know, two weeks away from the midterms?

GOULD-DAVIES: If political theatre is a good term, I would say. It is very clear that the fundamental reason for the very high fuel prices the United States is suffering is not this war. It's another war. The war that the president started in Iran. That is far more important than restricting volumes onto world markets and of fuel and therefore raising the price.

In any case, the terms of the deal that have been announced with Russia involve quantities of fuel that are so small, really a fraction, small fraction of America's daily consumption of these products. So, it's a deceptive solution to a problem whose roots lie elsewhere and indeed lie in the president's own actions.

RIPLEY: All right. Nigel, appreciate your insights from London. Thanks very much. Just after 9:00 a.m. there,

Nada Bashir is also standing by in London right now at our CNN bureau. Nadia, you have some new reporting about these overnight strikes, these overnight attacks that Ukraine has launched. What can you tell us about that?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We are getting updates this morning from Moscow's ministry of defense with regards to a massive wave of attacks carried out by the Ukrainian military targeting Russia. According to the defense ministry, the St. Petersburg oil terminal was targeted and struck according to authorities in Russia. This is one of Russia's biggest transport hubs for oil shipments. So, this will be a significant blow.

And of course, this comes just a week after President Trump announced that a so-called energy ceasefire and has, of course, continually been putting that pressure on Ukraine not to target Russia's oil or energy infrastructure. And of course, what we have seen since the announcement of that so-called energy ceasefire was a pause by the Ukrainian military in its targeting of Russia's energy infrastructure for at least three days, according to President Zelenskyy, but following a failure by Russia to abide by the terms of that apparent deal, which appeared to have taken both Zelenskyy and Putin by surprise. President Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine will resume and clearly has resumed targeting Russia's energy infrastructure.

According to the Russian defense ministry, at least one person was killed, five wounded in the attacks, which were spread across the region and, of course, also impacted civilian infrastructure, according to the defense ministry. But important to note that overnight we have also seen a devastating round of attacks yet again by the Russian military targeting Ukraine.

We've just had an update from the Ukrainian air force saying that overnight Russia launched one ballistic missile and 180 drones targeting Ukrainian territory. The majority of those drones, according to the air force, are said to have been shot down or neutralized, in their words. But according to the air force, this also targeted 20 separate locations across Ukraine. And we have just had a statement issued by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said, since the American president announced the energy ceasefire a week ago, Russia has deliberately attracted Ukraine's energy and oil and gas sectors 76 times.

[04:10:00] And overnight it has been confirmed that there were both injuries and fatalities reported. And, of course, this all comes, as you've just been discussing, Will, at a time of growing tension between the Ukrainian president and President Trump.

What we have learned following the announcement on Friday by the Trump administration of a waving of those incoming sanctions on Russian fossil fuels is that there have been ongoing discussions between President Zelenskyy's team and the Trump administration. Those discussions are set to have taken place on Friday, with the hope of holding more formal talks over the coming weeks. But, according to Ukrainian officials, the details of those potential talks are still being worked out.

But, of course, there are a number of significant and pressing issues, particularly for the Ukrainian president, who has, over the last few days and in the wake of those growing fractures between the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government, been trying to shore up support amongst European allies, who have been looking at further sanctions potentially to pressure Russia as the war continues to drag on.

But Ukraine, in addition to facing these waning sanctions on Russia by the U.S. and the Trump administration, is also now facing potentially missile shortages to be used in those U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, which are, of course, crucial to Ukraine's defense effort, but also has been facing intelligence weaknesses with regards to U.S.- provided intelligence regarding incoming Russian attacks, and also stalling Internet restrictions, according to President Zelenskyy.

So, a whole series of issues in terms of Ukraine's war effort that are said to be key focus in the discussions between the Ukrainian government and the Trump administration. Will.

RIPLEY: Yes. Without U.S. military and intelligence support, this looks like it could be a very long and scary winter for people in Ukraine. Nada Bashir, thanks very much for that update from London on that major Ukrainian attack overnight and other developments. We'll keep following that.

But we're going to turn now to another developing story that CNN is covering at this hour. This is that deadly fire at a Canadian military base. Officials say this was started by an unspecified serious incident. What we know is that emergency personnel are responding to reports of both deaths and injuries. There's still no word about the exact number of casualties.

Broadcaster CBC is reporting that a nearby hospital has declared a code orange. That's a protocol used for large numbers of patients. The fire began at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, one of the country's busiest army bases. Officials say strong winds pushed the fire across base fencing. Late Saturday night, the municipal district said the fire was, quote, "being held at this time." Fire crews will continue to monitor the area. Authorities are asking people to avoid that area and keep the roads clear. We'll keep you updated as that story develops. Now, the White House is demanding action from Israel's government. Outrage is growing over the latest wave of attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Settlers attacked a group of European diplomats in the occupied West Bank on Saturday. The attack took place in a Palestinian Christian village east of Ramallah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly downplayed settler violence, he's casting doubt on the attack, posting on social media, quote, "serious accusations require serious evidence."

Now, just one day earlier, settlers had attacked a veteran Washington Post journalist, Heidi Levine. Levine was accompanying a group of Palestinians during the start of the annual olive harvest. She had to go to hospital. She required surgery after the assault. She says her camera and passport were stolen. The U.S. ambassador to Israel condemned the attack and called for an investigation. President Trump's top diplomat is also weighing in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're very disturbed by those images and what we're seeing. We've asked the Israelis and continue to ask them to crack down on that stuff. The president's been very clear. He's said this repeatedly. He does not want to see friction or anything, a crisis going on in the West Bank.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: Turning now to politics in the United States. It's just 16 days until the midterm elections on November 3rd. Here's what the campaign trail is looking like this weekend. President Donald Trump held a rally in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He promised to make a $100 million investment in a pharmaceutical plant in the state if Republicans hold on to Congress. That's the latest offer to pay voters in an attempt to hold on to power. He told the crowd it would be a, quote, "big vitalization project for Kentucky," a state he won by some 30 points in 2024. And he reminded them that he didn't have to be there.

[04:15:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't need to do this. I could sit home. I already won. Somebody said, good luck with the election. I said, no, I already won. I don't need to do this. But I have to because if they win the midterms, all of a sudden, you're going to see a slide and all of the crap that we talk about, the incompetent stuff that we talk about is going to come back and we're going to go through the same process. And I don't think our country can handle it again. I really don't. So, that's why I'm here working my ass off for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: Moving on to Michigan, Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El- Sayed campaigned in the city of Cairo. He's facing a tough race against Republican Mike Rogers, who has consistently outspent the Democrat. CNN's Gloria Pazmino is following El-Sayed and has more from the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've been following Abdul El- Sayed throughout the state of Michigan over the past week, following him to places where you might not think he would want to campaign. We started out in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a place that is very much Trump country. It's very Republican. It has reliably voted red in the past few years. But he had several campaign stops across several cities there where he had some pretty large turnouts, a good reception.

And what was interesting was listening to him say why he believes his populist message is not only going to appeal to Democrats who are supporting him, but he believes that he can actually appeal to Trump supporters and Republicans by focusing on these sort of tabletop issues, health care, Medicare for all, gas prices, food prices and affordability.

So, it was interesting to watch him campaign in these places, again, that have historically supported Republicans. Take a listen to what some of the voters had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The reason why I really want to vote for Abdul El-Sayed is because I'm a medical biller. And at my job, I rarely see insurance fully paid for care. And I've seen the kind of debt that people can get into just trying to stay healthy. So, it's really important to me that he wants to help with that.

PAZMINO: Do you think he has appeal in a place like this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he does. It's going to be hard, though, because it's a big farming community. People have voted the same way their whole lives for generations. So, it's very hard to combat. But I think in our current situation, even farmers are kind of are feeling it a little bit. And I think it's really good for someone like him to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: El-Sayed was also joined by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez, who campaigned with him in several of those stops in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. And next week, he is expected to be joined by former President Barack Obama in Detroit. He will continue campaigning as we get closer and closer to Election Day.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN, Cairo, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: And in Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff held a rally on Saturday in suburban Atlanta. The state has already seen record- breaking numbers at the polls, with more than 188,000 people casting ballots on just the first day of early voting. Senator Ossoff is facing Republican challenger Congressman Mike Collins. Ossoff campaigned with fellow Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms. Now, she's the former Atlanta mayor who's running for governor. Bottoms is facing Republican health care executive and billionaire Rick Jackson on November 3rd.

And in North Carolina, students from three Greensboro area colleges marched to the polls together. The march was organized after several on-campus polling locations were removed from the historically black institutions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: We're loud. We're here. To make our voices clear. We're loud. We're here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: The walk to the closest open early voting location took almost an hour. The North Carolina Board of Elections closed polling sites at colleges, saying --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: We're loud. We're here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: So, the students attended board meetings leading up to the election to argue that campus sites should stay open. Protesters in several American cities took to the streets on Saturday for No King's rallies. The demonstration started last year to protest President Donald Trump's policies. With early voting underway across the country, organizers are encouraging voters to submit midterm ballots before Election Day.

A demonstrator in Georgia says the public's response to the rally there was encouraging.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm here to voice support with my fellow folks that are just pleased with the current administration and their way that they act like kings. Very encouraged, encouraged by the support that we get. I've been here on a couple of the different marches that we've had, and there's overwhelming support by the traffic and the people that we see on the streets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:20:00]

RIPLEY: This is CNN Newsroom. We're live in Hong Kong. Massive demonstrations in both France and Albania this weekend. When we return, we're speaking to an Albanian member of parliament about what is fueling all of this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RIPLEY: More than half a million people marched through the streets of France in Saturday's anti-government protests, some descending into unrest. In parts of France, people were setting fire to buildings. They were clashing with police. At least 1,200 people detained there. More than 100,000 people overall estimated to have participated, and that was just in Paris alone. The mass demonstrations come after weeks of sweeping student-led protests gripped the country.

Pretty apocalyptic scenes there in Limoges, where people were cheering as the historic city hall collapsed after it was set on fire.

[04:25:00]

Some of the protesters complained about the concentration of wealth within France. As others say, they were there to support the youth.

And in Paris, young people looted stores and started fires. Police responded by firing tear gas at them. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the looters, calling them sowers of chaos for turning the peaceful protests violent.

And in Portugal, demonstrations were peaceful, with thousands of participants protesting the high cost of living and a worsening housing crisis. House prices and new rental rates have doubled in the last decade. People's wages certainly have not. People say their salaries just aren't keeping up with inflation. They're struggling to make ends meet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEDRO PENILO, TEACHER (through translator): Life is incredibly expensive, isn't it? It's going up brutally. I need to see how my mortgage is going to turn out in the coming months when it's adjusted. I'm very worried. Above all, I feel there's a general atmosphere of great abuse, of great abuse towards people's lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: Also, protests in Tunisia. People there demonstrating in the largest protest against the president in years. Thousands marching through the country's capital on Saturday. Opposition groups joining with doctors and lawyers and journalists and even the unemployed, all of them gathering together to vent their anger. Critics accused the president of undermining democracy. He dissolved parliament and began ruling by decree. Tunisia is also facing a severe economic crisis.

This is CNN Newsroom, live from Hong Kong. An Oregon community is in mourning just days after a deadly school shooting. CNN's Nick Watt is in bed with the search for answers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:30:00]

RIPLEY: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Will Ripley in Hong Kong. Tragedy in Kansas this weekend. Police say a 6-year-old and a man were killed when a truck plowed into a Wichita soccer field right during play. A 34-year-old woman is now in custody. Authorities say two youngsters were inside the car that she drove through the Stryker Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon. Eleven others, including five children, were hurt. Authorities are still working to determine what happened and whether charges will be filed.

Police in Oregon continue to search for a motive behind Thursday's deadly school shooting. Among the top questions right now were there any warning signs before the 16-year-old shooter killed three children and a teacher? CNN's Nick Watt reports from a community in mourning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: One of the three kids murdered here on Thursday was just five years old. Five. Rome Summer, his dad posted on Facebook that they are broken, lost. He says that family and friends are gathering around them, quote, "keeping them safe."

Now, there's another member of the community here being hailed as a hero. He is Kaylub Giamanco, had two kids at the school, happened to be passing by when he saw the shooter go in. This dad got his pistol and went in after the shooter killed him.

Now, we spoke to a lady, Edna, who also has two kids at the school. She happened to be here just before 1 p.m. on Thursday to pick up her son for a doctor's appointment. I'll let her take up the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDNA, CHILDREN ATTEND SILVER RAIL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: I saw the dad go in into the side right there. He was, like, running straight, saying that there's a shooter. And you heard gunshots? And I heard gunshots. Why innocent kids? They haven't done anything to you.

Like, it's --

WATT: Yes.

EDNA: Like, I don't understand why. I will never understand why, but -- yes. Yes, my son was, like, he was even, like -- I just hope -- because, I mean, he heard the gunshots, and he's, like, I just hope none of my friends are hurt or I'm going to be very mad and sad.

We were going to take him to the museum, and he's, like, well, what if it happens there? So -- and, like, how do I tell him that, like -- I mean, I don't even know. I don't even know if it's going to happen again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: And there will be more shootings. This was the 36th school shooting in this country so far this year. There will be more. Now, many people want to know a motive. The police chief here says we may never know that motive. The mom, we spoke to the shooter's mom. She said there were no warning signs. She couldn't explain how this had happened.

But, you know, bottom line, there will never be any motive that will ever make sense for a crime like this. So, for some, the motive is irrelevant.

Nick Watt, CNN, Bend, Oregon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: We're watching this fast-moving wildfire that's been burning hundreds of acres in Southern California. It's fueled by dry conditions and fierce Santa Ana winds. They've just been fanning the flames. This is the Norte Fire, sparked near San Clemente on Friday. It's been damaging or completely destroying, in some cases, at least six homes so far. Evacuation orders. They've been issued for more than 12,000 people in Orange County. Two firefighters suffered significant injuries. They're being treated in the hospital. Officials say they've made some progress, but the conditions remain volatile. It's one of several wildfires ravaging Southern California since late last week.

Typhoon Champi has moved far enough away from Guam's coast that all typhoon warnings have been cancelled. And I believe we have some live pictures to show you. Oh, no, this is the live radar. The National Weather Service says Champi is now over open water. You can see it's no longer causing damaging winds and not expected to affect all islands. However, they do warn that Guam is still experiencing some lingering effects of the storm, although we had a live report last hour. They said things were looking pretty good there. They were pretty lucky in Guam. Marine conditions also remain dangerous, so people out on the water need to be vigilant, of course.

Now, just hours earlier, Champi passed just 10 miles, that's 16 kilometers south of the island, hitting parts of Guam with its tropical storm force, wind and rain.

This is CNN Newsroom, live from Hong Kong. We are following Pope Leo's health. He's back home. He's recovering from lung cancer surgery. He got out of the hospital in just a matter of a few days. He's expected to make his first appearance back in public in the coming hours, delivering a traditional Sunday prayer. We'll go live to Rome.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:35:00]

RIPLEY: So, this weekend, we've been following these major protests across Europe. And some of the biggest demonstrations have been in Albania, where students were once again out in force. They're demanding the resignation of the country's prime minister, Edi Rama.

There have been really violent protests in Albania for days now. They've been erupting in fiery clashes between demonstrators and police. Students say they're angry. They're angry about the high cost of education. But the fury on the streets is expanding. And it's including other protest groups and citizens who are fed up with other things, like rising costs and the lack of good jobs.

Rama says the protests are politically motivated. But many young people, not just young people, many people are saying it's time for him to go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RISELDA BEZATI, STUDENT: He's making our life harder because he doesn't hear us. He just makes decisions on his own. He should go out of the place because he doesn't support us. He doesn't support the youngest. He doesn't support our future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: We're going to get some perspective now from a former ally of Prime Minister Rama, Marjana Koceku, who's joining the anti-government protesters who oppose his regime. Rama handpicked Koceku to run for Parliament last year. But she is now an independent lawmaker after leaving his Socialist Party. And she joins us live to discuss the latest on the protests. It's really good to have you here. Thank you for being here.

This is interesting. You were elected with Edi Rama's Socialist Party. So, what has made you turn against his government?

MARJANA KOCEKU: Thank you very much for the interview. It's one year that I'm part of the politics as the youngest member of the parliament.

[04:40:00]

And three months ago, after 10 months of political life with the Socialist Party, I decided to resign from this group, especially after the protests of the Gen Z Flamingo protest started in Tirana and all- around diaspora in the world. And it deeply motivated me because it was opposing some policies that were completely against nature against Albanian land and what Albanians were seeking.

So, being part of this group was not anymore part of my principles and the identity that I have as an Albanian and that I am chosen to represent as Albanian's representative in parliament.

RIPLEY: What do you think is making so many people angry that they're now going out in the streets like this?

KOCEKU: This anger is an accumulation of a revolt of many, many years, especially considering that there has been a massive brain drain of the young age since especially 10 years. Massive corruption scandals that are, according to justice institutions, have to be around 7 percent of the state budget for this year. Mayor, other corruption scandals and what is very important is a very high arrogance of the party in power and the concentrated power in the hands of only one person that in this case is Prime Minister Rama.

So, people, especially the young generation, are changing the narrative how the relation between the government and the Albanian citizens should be. Not anymore with arrogance, not anymore with such corruption and with such a deep lack of transparency.

RIPLEY: As you've been talking, we were showing your Instagram videos. You've seen, you say, police violence against protesters, including minors. Can you tell us more about that and what you witnessed personally?

KOCEKU: I've been constantly part of this protest, especially when it started since four days, and I've seen it in front of me. The violence that the state police has been using against students, especially minors, beating them, using batons, using spray gas, and what is the most violent of human rights is civil plainclothes police that are behaving in a very abduction ways by taking minors and students from the streets, even those ones who are not part of the protest, and sending them to the police station, very often denying them even hospital service when they are hurt from their violence.

This is like highly worrying us because who is expected to protect us, it's using all its power to oppress the voice and the demands and the freedom of these young people.

RIPLEY: And, of course, we've seen in the video there, there are protesters also throwing Molotov cocktails at police, so a very volatile situation in the streets there. We're going to leave it here for now. I know that you are demanding that the prime minister resign. No indications that's happening. We'll have to see what develops in the coming days ahead of dangerous times there. We appreciate your time. Albanian Member of Parliament Marjana Koceku, thanks very much for joining us on CNN.

KOCEKU: Thank you very much.

RIPLEY: Now, the Vatican says that Pope Leo will be leading 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 after spending four days in the hospital.

Joining us now live from Rome is CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb, who broke the news that Pope Leo was going to be leaving hospital. So, I'm wondering, Christopher, is the Vatican being more transparent about Pope Leo's health than they were with previous popes, or is there still really a lot about his illness and his condition, his prognosis, that we don't know?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Will, I think we're getting a little bit more transparency from the Vatican. We are getting updates from the doctors rather than from the Vatican. Of course, the Vatican is releasing the medical updates, but we don't know the longer-term prognosis for Pope Leo. We're waiting for the final test results that will show how far the cancer may have developed.

We did hear, though, from the surgeon who operated on Pope Leo, who said in an interview there's no clinical reason why the Pope can't travel to Latin America, a trip he's got planned in November from the 6th to the 17th. That has caused some surprise for people in the Vatican because there are others who have been saying, look, I can't see how this trip is going to take place or they're going to have the modifications.

Now, we are waiting to hear from Pope Leo in about an hour's time. He'll be addressing the crowd from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter's Square. And we may well hear more from him then.

[04:45:00]

Of course, it's the same place that he addressed the crowd exactly seven days ago when he told people he was going in for this surgery. But for now, we're waiting for the Pope to address the crowd. We have had the Rome Marathon here, so there's been runners coming up the main walkway into St. Peter's past the Pope's residence. So, that's what we've been mainly seeing at the moment. But we are waiting to hear from the Pope pretty soon.

RIPLEY: It's striking that it was seven days ago he made the announcement he has this lung cancer surgery. There's photos of him in the hospital presiding over mass fully dressed. I mean, just the fact that Pope Leo has continued working throughout this. What does that tell us about him and the way that he works?

LAMB: Well, he's a very determined individual. I spoke to one cardinal who says that people from the south side of Chicago have a great work ethic. And that's something that, you know, the pope from Chicago has to. He is a determined individual who really throws himself into his role. And he has continued to work from the hospital. He called -- or he spoke to President Vladimir Putin on Friday. We also heard from the doctor that during that mass or just before that mass, the pope was seen arranging the chairs to allow to allow people to sit down. The doctor said to him, look, don't worry, we can do that. He said, look, I'm here. I can do it.

So, I mean, he has been keen to get back on his feet and get back to work. And I think that has been the message from him ever since we've been hearing about his recovery post-surgery.

RIPLEY: Yes. It makes you wonder how long he knew about this, how much time they've had to prepare. Lots of unanswered questions, but it'll be very interesting to see what happens in the next hour. We'll be checking back in with you, Christopher Lamb, as always, appreciate your expertise. Thank you.

Now, here in Hong Kong, the city's largest pride festival has been canceled again. And many here say that LGBTQ representation and visibility is fading in this Chinese territory. Here's CNN's Jane Sit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Always a wonderful view.

TONY LEUNG, DRAG PERFORMER: The community was there out and proud.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When everybody feels so connected and united altogether.

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

JANE SIT, CNN SUPERVISING PRODUCER (voice-over): From London to Los Angeles, Barcelona to Bangkok, millions of people celebrate pride across the 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 (through translator): I brought Pink Dot to Hong Kong in 2014.

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 Little May. Little May is creative. Little May 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, and last year in Pink Dot, actually. I don't understand why it was canceled. It's not even that gay, to be honest.

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

SIT (voice-over): 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 (through translator): What was the problem with the license? We never found out.

SIT (voice-over): 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.

[04:50:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The challenge is, these days, if we are holding a large-scale event involving a public assembly, the changes of being able to do it in Hong Kong are quite slim. I think large public events are still a concern for the corresponding parties. In the past, there were still some relatively liberal queer-friendly legislators who would express our views. But it's getting extremely difficult these days to have our voices heard through that channel.

SIT (voice-over): 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 like growing in their international status in a way. 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 mirror ball high and keep dancing and keep your chin up. When there's a will, there's a way.

SIT (voice-over): 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 CNN's Jane Sit reporting. We're live in Hong Kong. This is CNN Newsroom.

Now, if you've ever wondered what it's like to be in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, well, then you should go to Chile. The zombies are taking over there.

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[04:55:00]

RIPLEY: If you love zombie movies, which I do, then you might have had a good time in Chile where these popular zombie scenes were coming to life as downtown streets in Santiago, well, they were basically transformed in the city's annual zombie walk.

You can see from the video here, hundreds of horror fans dressed in elaborate costumes with props inspired by popular movies. You had the killer clowns. You had the zombies. You actually had plenty of Halloween characters that could give you nightmares or give you a good chuckle.

The zombie walk started in California in 2001 and it spread all over the world from New York to Singapore and right there in Santiago.

Thanks for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Will Ripley live in Hong Kong. I will be back with another hour of news right after this quick break. See you then. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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