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Mass Demonstrations Fill Streets Of France; "No Kings" Protests Help Across The U.S.; Ukraine Launches Massive Overnight Drone Attack; Israel Settlers Attack Diplomats in Occupied West Bank. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired October 18, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:25]

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

Gen Z outrage is growing across Europe. Protests in Paris descend into fiery chaos and the unrest is spreading.

Sixteen-day countdown, President Trump campaigning in red Kentucky as part of his campaign push to prop up sagging GOP candidates.

And power to the pontiff, fresh out of hospital, Pope Leo prepares to lead prayers in St. Peter's Square in the next hour just days after lung cancer surgery.

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

Those are people cheering in Le Mans when their historic city hall collapsed after protesters set it on fire. Some of the people out there were complaining about the concentration of wealth in France. Others say they're out there to support the young people.

And the youth of Paris, by the tens of thousands, were out there and some of them were looting stores and starting fires. And police responded by firing tear gas at them. More than 100,000 people were estimated to have participated in the protests just in Paris.

CNN's Melissa Bell was on the streets and she has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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

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 FEMALE: It's clearly a good sign because it shows that a lot of support comes from like a wide margin of the population. So, not only students, but also people of everyday life who have jobs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They want a 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 in the future.

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

Melissa Bell, CNN Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: Students in Albania were also out in force yet again. They're demanding the resignation of their country's prime minister, Edi Rama. There have been violent protests in Albania for days, erupting in fiery clashes between demonstrators and police.

Students are angry over things like the high cost of education, but now the fury on the streets has been expanding to include other protest groups and citizens who are fed up with the rising costs and the lack of good jobs. Rama says these protests are politically motivated, but many young people say 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)

[05:05:10]

RIPLEY: Hundreds of mostly young people also gathered in Brussels, continuing this wave of student-led protests partly inspired by those that are happening in other places like Paris.

Belgian students say they're frustrated by rising education costs and overcrowded classrooms, and the tensions boiled over at times on Saturday, with police using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.

So, joining me now is the Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The European Correspondent, Julius Fintelmann. It's good to have you here. It's really extraordinary to see all these protests breaking out. People really, there seems to be some nerve that's been touched here that Gen Z in many cases are turning out across Europe.

You've been describing these four broken promises to young people. Which is driving the most anger, would you say?

JULIUS FINTELMANN, CO-FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT: So in Europe, we've seen, as you've shown, many recent protests in the last weeks. In France yesterday, in Belgium yesterday, in Spain in the last weeks, in Albania and Serbia, and other places young people have taken to the streets across Europe. Their grievances are different. There are school conditions, housing

and corrupt governments, especially in Albania and Serbia.

I think these protests reflect a kind of shared frustration, though, the feeling that Europe's politics is failing to deliver for the next generation. And I think that can be traced down to four promises that I believe have been broken.

The first one is education. Across Europe, schools are in poor conditions. There aren't enough teachers. Classrooms are overcrowded. Countries are cutting education budgets, all the while pensions get increasingly expensive.

The second broken promise is housing. After you leave schools, which are overcrowded, you find it increasingly hard to get a home. It's simply getting out of reach for most young people. House prices across Europe have risen by around 55 percent in the last 16 years. That's much, much faster and much more than income has, and it's also even higher, that number, in cities. So, houses are simply getting too expensive to buy.

Then there's jobs, which are across, I think, the young generation. There's a common feeling that it's increasingly difficult to get a well-paying job. We see that when societies get older, younger workers' careers are held back because the pay gap between age, between older and younger people, has risen so sharply in almost all high-income economies. That includes most of Western Europe.

And then with A.I., this all will get worse, especially for entry- level white-collar jobs. Job portals track that entry-level job postings have gone down since 2022, especially in those occupations that A.I. can perform or support, meaning there are simply less jobs. There will be fewer jobs for white-collar people.

And then there's a fourth broken promise, which kind of underlines all of this, which is a livable planet. The heat waves that we've seen in Europe this summer have killed tens of thousands. The world has failed to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius targets to keep global heating under, which will lead to more record heat storms and rising sea levels.

And young people especially are increasingly pessimistic about that. I think fundamentally what we see is that this promise that liberal democracy had, which was that each generation will enjoy a better life than the next -- sorry, the next generation will enjoy a better life than the current one, that promise simply doesn't hold true anymore.

And I think the current young generation especially sees that they don't really know what to expect. If I now work very hard, what happens then? Do I get rich with my startup or will all collapse? And the ecological fallout of the climate crisis ruins all systems. It can be kind of everything and nothing. And young people are faced with that uncertainty and take to the streets.

I think on France, we do have to also say that there are young men that are taking advantage of the situation like this, where they destroy and terrorize local businesses.

So, opportunistic looters. And that's unfortunate because, as I explained, there are very real concerns across Europe behind these protests.

RIPLEY: I mean, I think you're really laying out so eloquently the angst, the understandable angst of Gen Z protesters. I guess my question is why not channel this anger into upcoming elections? Why is Gen Z taking to the streets now?

FINTELMANN: It's an interesting question, especially because Europe is faced with a super election year next year, where a lot of the biggest countries in Europe are facing elections. France in around six months, Spain now in November already, Italy is facing elections, Poland is facing elections next year.

So, they are -- I think this is a precursor to what we might see next year, where young people feel that it doesn't really matter which party is ultimately in power, that the fundamental system behind it, this promise of, you know, you will have it better in the future, that promise doesn't hold true anymore. That kind of social contract is broken.

[05:10:12]

And therefore, I think many people feel frustrated with -- with the current parties that are on offer. And no one has really managed to -- to capitalize on it yet. In France, it's the left that is trying, but when protests turn so violent like this, I mean, it also -- it also hinders something.

And I think an interesting comparison is when we look back around eight years to the last big protests that were youth-led, not just in Europe, but across the world, which were the climate protests, Fighters for Future. The vibes back then were a lot more optimistic. It was a lot more, we can change the world, we just have to convince enough people to protest and vote the right way. And now it feels a lot darker and a lot more pessimistic than eight years ago.

RIPLEY: Yeah, I think leaders have to take a hard look and try to figure out what they need to do to restore the faith of these young people in our institutions, because clearly there's a lot of that lacking right now.

Julius, we need to leave it here for now. I have a feeling this is a discussion that we're going to be continuing, though, and I really appreciate your time and your insights. Thanks for joining us here on CNN.

FINTELMANN: Thank you very much. Thank you.

RIPLEY: Protesters in several American cities take to the streets on Saturday for "No Kings" rallies. The demonstration started last year to protest President Donald Trump's policies. Now, 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 displeased with the current administration and their way that they act like kings. It's 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)

RIPLEY: President Trump held a rally in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and he promised to make a $100 million investment in a pharmaceutical plant in that state if Republicans hold on to Congress. That's the latest offer to pay voters in an attempt to hold on to power. And 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 also reminded people in the crowd that he didn't have to be there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), 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: Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed campaigned in the Michigan city of Caro on Saturday, and he's facing a tough race against Republican Mike Rogers, who has consistently outspent him in the campaign. At a town hall-style gathering, a man pressed El-Sayed to say that he would disavow the Muslim Brotherhood. The candidate asked the man why he would ask that and then affirmed that the U.S. Constitution is his guiding light.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDUL EL-SAYED (D-MI), SENATE CANDIDATE: I'm going to swear an oath to the Constitution of the United States. And that Constitution guarantees us all the right to practice whatever faith we want or no faith at all. And now, you assume, you assume, Tommy, that because I am Muslim, that somehow I would have some allegiance to something that is not our Constitution. That's your assumption. That's implicit in the question.

And what's interesting to me is that this is not the first time people have asked those kinds of questions. Because do you know who John F. Kennedy is? When he ran for president, he was asked whether or not he was going to have allegiance to the Pope at the Vatican, because, of course, he's Catholic. And his answer, famously, was that he was not running to be a Catholic president. He was running to be president and happened to be Catholic.

I'm not running to be a Muslim senator. I'm running for U.S. Senate and happen to be Muslim.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: Joining us now for more analysis on the U.S. midterms is Natasha Lindstedt. She's a Professor of Government at the University of Essex.

It's good to have you here. Thanks for your time.

All right, so we're now just over two weeks until the midterms. I guess I'm wondering if this election is becoming a referendum on Trump's economic record, or are there other cultural issues at play here?

[05:15:12]

NATASHA LINDSTEDT, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: No, it's really all about the economy. And we can see with the recent poll from the "Associated Press," it shows that 80 percent of Americans think that the economy is the most important issue. And this is really above and beyond all the other issues that have tended to help Trump in the past, whether it be cultural issues or immigration. These are far less important for Americans.

And what doesn't look good for Trump in that same poll showed that 80 percent of Americans disapprove of the way he's handling the economy. And when we see him on the campaign stops in different cities, he's not really focusing on this at all. He seems to be completely out of touch. He might be focusing on certain Republican candidates' physique or their appearance. He's focusing on Joe Biden or Barack Obama again, or that he renamed the Gulf of Mexico with the Gulf of America. At times, he's even making promises to give everybody $5,000, which would cost the budget $1.3 trillion, so it's completely impossible.

So, he's not showing that he's tapping into the key issues that Americans care about, which is so clearly the economy.

RIPLEY: Why do you think that President Trump is concentrating campaign appearances in states he already won comfortably?

LINDSTEDT: I mean, that's a great question, that people were just completely perplexed by, why he's on the campaign trail at all when you have a president whose approval rating is in the 30s, and usually that president during the midterm election might stay away from campaigning because he's worried about how that might affect other candidates. But Trump loves the adoration. He loves campaigning. He hasn't campaigned as much as he has in past years, maybe just due to slowing down, but he loves the feeling he gets from the crowds.

Now, officially what they're saying is that they're trying to drum up support because they think that when he's on the ballot, that's going to get out the base, and they're also hoping to continue their fundraising blitz, and they do have more money. The Republicans do have a lot more money, twice as much than the Democrats do, but he hasn't really focused on some of these more less friendly states where if he's right and he's not doing as bad in the polls as he thinks, and he's actually going to help support these candidates in these really tight races, he hasn't gone there. He tends to go to the places where he's more comfortable and avoiding places where he might face more uncomfortable protests and so forth.

RIPLEY: What is at stake for Trump's remaining presidency if there is a sizable Democratic victory?

LINDSTEDT: So, I think he's going to say that it was rigged. He won't even acknowledge this because he knows that this is a complete referendum on his presidency, and it shows just how unpopular he is. I mean, we saw with the 2018 midterms, so when he was first running -- when he was first president, the House lost 41 seats. The Republicans lost 41 seats while they were able to just barely maintain the Senate.

So, he had a referendum on him before, and Republicans were having deep conversations about whether or not they needed to abandon him, and in the very end, they decided that they were going to continue to support him, and since that, he really has the Republicans, you know, under his thumb. But this is really going to be important, impactful for the Republican Party as well.

Do they decide to keep with him, to stick by him? And there's rumors that there's going to be a lot of people within his administration after the midterms that are going to leave or to retire or resign, because they can see that the writing is on the wall here that his presidency is not popular. They don't want to be associated with it anymore.

RIPLEY: I know you mentioned it's all about the economy, but how much do you think the Iran war could play a role here, particularly with independent voters?

LINDSTEDT: So, it actually plays a huge role because it is tied to the economy, because people think that it was a senseless war. There are a lot of Americans that have no idea why we were there, and the only thing that they can see very clearly, at least the correlation, is that gas prices are up to over $4 a gallon, diesel over $6 a gallon. In some places, 30 percent to 40 percent increase in gas prices, which affects the cost of living.

And Trump has been lamenting why people are so concerned with this cost-of-living issue. He thinks affordability is something that Democrats made up. But because this issue is so important, that's why there are a lot of people paying attention to what's going on in the Iran war.

And even people on "FOX News" are questioning, when is this war going to end? And Republicans have quietly admitted this war has been terrible for their midterms because of how it's affected prices for people, mostly at the gas pump, but of course it has knock-on effects on groceries as well.

RIPLEY: Yeah, people feeling the pinch all over. We'll leave it there for now. Thank you very much, Natasha Lindstedt, Professor of Government at the University of Essex. Appreciate you joining us. If I can say Essex properly, that'd be even better. I hope you have a great day.

[05:20:09]

Thank you so much.

LINDSTEDT: Thanks for having me.

RIPLEY: So, we continue to follow this developing story out of Canada right now. Authorities there say several people are dead or injured in this fire at a military base that has been sparked by what's being described right now as an unspecified serious incident.

Numbers won't be announced until next of kin are notified, we're told. But we are hearing from an official at a local hospital who said that health care centers in this area are, quote, "completely overwhelm." Canada's defense minister is providing some early details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MCGUINTY, CANADIAN MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENSE: I'm saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base. We will have more to say in the coming hours and days. At this time, our thoughts are with the families and with everyone impacted by this tragic event.

(END VIDEO CLIP) RIPLEY: So, we know right now that the fire began at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, which is one of the country's busiest army bases. Officials say strong winds pushed the fire across base fencing. And then late Saturday night, the municipal district said the fire was, quote, "being held at this time." But crews will continue to monitor the area.

There is much more here on CNN NEWSROOM live from Hong Kong. Political pressure is mounting on President Donald Trump and there is this real pushback right now over giving Russia a break from sanctions.

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[05:25:35]

RIPLEY: Russia's second largest city on fire overnight in one of Ukraine's largest drone attacks of the year. Now, this is according to Russian officials in the state news agency, they say Ukrainian drones hit residential homes in St. Petersburg. There are reports of major damage and casualties. The targets reportedly included the city's oil terminal, which is one of Russia's largest petroleum shipment hubs. Ukraine's president says his country also was on the receiving end of deadly fire overnight, including new strikes on its power grid.

So, all this is unfolding as U.S. President Donald Trump takes political flack over his decision to waive the upcoming sanctions on Russia. He's facing right now bipartisan pushback from U.S. lawmakers. There are calls for an investigation. There are claims that he is capitulating to the Kremlin.

Ukraine's president is invoking the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who was pushing the sanctions before his passing. So, for more on that, Nada Bashir, live in London, keeping an eye on all the developments.

So, let's begin first, Nada, with this new reporting about these overnight attacks that Ukraine has launched. What are you learning about that?

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, we are just getting information coming in from the Russian Ministry of Defense as well as Russian state media. As you mentioned, this is being characterized as one of the largest drone attacks carried out by the Ukrainian military on Russian territory, one of the key targets of this is, of course, the St. Petersburg oil terminal, one of the key hubs for the transportation of oil shipments in Russia. This is, of course, Russia's second city, and there have been reports of damage sustained to civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings and civilian casualties.

But according to the Defense Ministry, they have said that Russia shot down more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones overnight. And this comes, of course, after that warning from President Zelenskyy that Ukraine would bring an end to its temporary pause on targeting Russian energy infrastructure in response to Russia's own attacks, which have continued since the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump of a so-called energy ceasefire. Since that announcement last weekend, we have continued to see Russian attacks targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure with no such pause on their end.

And, of course, as you mentioned, Will, we have continued to see those attacks overnight once again. I can just read you a little bit from President Zelenskyy's latest statement on these overnight attacks, saying, "In total, over this past week, the Russians have attacked Ukraine with almost 2700 attack drones, 1700 aerial bombs and 66 missiles, most of them ballistic. The main targets of these strikes are energy facilities -- the Russians are trying to cause a blackout, and America should see that Russia is not taking any reciprocal steps in response to sanctions relief or agreements."

And, of course, this comes off the back of growing frustration on the part of Ukraine and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following, of course, the announcement, the executive order announced on Friday by U.S. President Donald Trump to lift and waive those sanctions that were set to come into place and into effect in the coming days targeting Russian fossil fuels.

These sanctions would have laid tariffs of up to 100 percent on five of the main importers of Russian crude oil or gas. And, of course, that was a key aspect, key element of Russia's ongoing war effort and war machine. So, this will be a significant blow, of course, to Ukraine.

We have seen the Ukrainian president in response to this trying to shore up support amongst his European allies, who have announced that they will be looking at further sanctions to put pressure on Russia in the face of these latest moves by the U.S. president. However, President Zelenskyy has said that his own officials have been in touch with American officials with talks expected potentially over the coming week.

RIPLEY: Nadia Bashir, always appreciate your updates. 10.30 in the morning almost there in London. Appreciate your time. Thank you.

Another story we're following right here on CNN NEWSROOM, the White House is demanding that Israel crack down on settlers. There has been yet another wave of attacks in the occupied West Bank. The question now, will Netanyahu act ahead of elections that could determine his political future?

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[05:33:28]

RIPLEY: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Hong Kong. Welcome back. I'm Will Ripley.

Let's take a look at today's top stories: Protests turning violent in France. More than half a million people marching through the streets in mass anti-government demonstrations there. Police deployed tear gas. Looters stole from French shops. They also set fire to buildings.

Some protesters say they were motivated to turn out over the weekend because of growing wealth inequality in France. This comes after weeks of student-led demonstrations gripped the nation. Cities and towns across America hosted "No Kings" rallies less than

three weeks before the U.S. midterm elections. Huge crowds marched in the nation's capital. Organizers say this time the focus was on getting people to vote early. But the "No Kings" movement began as a protest against the Trump administration.

Russia's state news agency is reporting one of Ukraine's largest drone attacks of the year. Officials say one of the targets was the country's second largest city, St. Petersburg, including its massive oil terminal. But Ukraine is also reporting new Russian strikes that killed at least two people and left a dozen others wounded.

The White House is demanding action now from Israel's government. In this 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.

[05:35:02]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly downplayed settler violence, is casting doubt on the attack, posting on social media, quote, "Serious accusations require serious evidence."

Now, just one day earlier, settlers had also attacked a veteran "Washington Post" journalist, Heidi Levine. Now, she was accompanying a group of Palestinians during the start of the annual olive harvest, and she had to go to the hospital. She required surgery after the assault.

CNN's Jerusalem Bureau Chief Oren Liebermann is joining us now, and it's good to talk to you about this. Oren, what is driving this escalation of settler violence, and do you think how much responsibility does Netanyahu's government bear for this?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're seeing a series of brazen attacks across the occupied West Bank. Part of this is for months now we have seen increasing settler violence, and then it's also the beginning of the annual olive harvest, and that in and of itself brings a surge in settler violence. We saw it last year, and it looks like we're seeing it again, and the Trump administration here is clearly taking notice.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Israel to crack down on settler violence. That's something we haven't seen Israel do now over the course of recent months, and we saw that here not only on Friday in an attack on veteran American "Washington Post" journalist Heidi Levine, but also on Saturday in a settler attack against European diplomats who were trying to visit the Christian town of Taiba, not far away from where the attack happened on Friday. So, let's walk through both of these.

On Friday, Heidi Levine was accompanying a group of Palestinians for the annual olive harvest, and that's when settlers attacked them. Levine, who was hospitalized after the attack, says she was thrown to the ground, beaten, and that the settlers stole her cameras and her passport. She was clearly wearing a vest and a helmet that identified her as press, and yet the attack continued. She was rushed to a Ramallah hospital by the Palestine Red Crescent Society, and then she was taken to a hospital in Israel where she is recovering. She underwent surgery on her hand because of that attack.

The "Washington Post" issued a statement saying, we are outraged by this unwarranted attack on a journalist doing her job and urge a thorough investigation and follow-through from authorities. Yet one day later, we see another settler attack near the village of Taiba, that Christian village, on a group of European diplomats, French, Belgian, and Polish. Condemnation from across Israel. That is, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, the Israeli military, Israel police, all condemn the attack on European diplomats. Many of them also condemn the attack on Heidi Levine.

All but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who tried to cast doubt on both of these attacks, saying that there has to be evidence that, despite the fact that we have video and pictures of both of the attacks and the aftermath, why would Netanyahu be doing this? Well, he's in a tight race for re-election, and it appears he's trying to appeal to his right-wing voter base and make sure he doesn't upset them with only days to go, even, it seems, if that upsets the Trump administration.

RIPLEY: Very few journalists know this story better than you are, and Liebermann, always appreciate your expertise and insights. Thanks for joining us on this Sunday, live from Jerusalem. Appreciate you.

So, in less than an hour, Pope Leo is set to make his first public appearance since undergoing lung cancer surgery. He will lead the traditional afternoon Angelus Prayer in St. Peter's Square. The 71- year-old pontiff was just discharged from hospital yesterday after spending four days in the hospital, and doctors say Pope Leo is showing steady improvement and can even resume his normal daily activities.

So, on top of all of it is our CNN Vatican Correspondent, Christopher Lamb. He broke the news yesterday that the Pope was going to be released from the hospital in lightning speed.

What are you learning, Christopher, about the Pope's schedule now in the coming weeks? Is it still going to be full steam ahead and a full schedule in Latin America, or are they going to be scaling things back?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Will, it seems that the Pope is planning to make that trip to Latin America from the 6th to the 17th of November. He's going to be, he hopes to be in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The Pope's surgeon essentially green-lighting the trip, saying that there's no clinical reason that he can't travel.

But, of course, there's still a lot of uncertainty because the Pope, you know, only a few days ago had that surgery. The recovery seems to have gone well. We are waiting for him to appear from the window of the Apostolic Palace where he lives, which overlooks St. Peter's Square. There's a big crowd already gathering around me for that, a lot of anticipation for his first words to people after his hospitalization. It was here and from the same spot where he will speak that he announced he was going to have this surgery seven days ago, exactly the same time, same place, seven days earlier. So, you know, a lot's happened in that time.

[05:40:09]

There is, as I say, a lot of anxiety in the Vatican and uncertainty about how he's going to respond. It does seem that he wants to get back to work as quickly as possible. But the longer-term prognosis is unclear.

And, look, well, the trip to Latin America and to Peru does include going to some high-altitude places where oxygen is less available to breathe. And, therefore, there is a question over that. Could the trip be scaled back in some way?

But, you know, for now the pope is about to make that appearance here in St. Peter's, and his recovery in the short term seems to have been going pretty well.

RIPLEY: How has this shaken folks there at the Vatican, Christopher, to happen so early in the papacy?

LAMB: Well, the news of the diagnosis of the pope came as a big shock for people in the Vatican. I mean, there have been some talking about the kind of the shock of rippling through a hall where a big meeting was taking place when the news came through, because the assumption has been that the pope is in very good health, relatively young for a pope, keeps active, in a physically good condition. I mean, as a cardinal, he had a personal trainer, which is pretty unusual.

But I think there has also been a sense that maybe they were taking the good health for granted. I mean, although the pope is relatively young for a pope, 71 is not that young. So, it's all a bit anxious and uncertain inside the Vatican, too.

RIPLEY: Understandably so. All right. Christopher Lamb, we'll be watching closely what happens there behind you in the coming minutes, it seems. It's great to have you with us on this Sunday. Thank you very much.

Coming up next on CNN NEWSROOM, live from Hong Kong, we're going to turn to Wichita, Kansas, and just a terrible situation there. Two people dead, one of them just six years old. Why did this truck barrel onto a soccer field? And what are police saying about the woman behind the wheel?

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[05:45:19]

RIPLEY: Police say a six-year-old child is one of two people killed and nearly a dozen hurt when a truck plowed onto a Kansas soccer field. And this happened right in the middle of a game. So, now the focus turns to the driver who is in police custody.

Here's CNN's Mark Morales.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK MORALES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTER: 911 calls came pouring in after a truck drove onto the field of a youth soccer game and struck adults and children at a sports complex in Wichita. Paramedics and police arrived at the scene a short time later and actually found community members rendering aid to some of the injured victims.

Now tragically a six-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man both died in the ordeal. Neither one was related to the other. There was also 11 other injuries. They were taken to local hospitals. Ten of those had traumatic injuries. However, they are all expected to survive.

Now part of this also included the driver of the vehicle, she stayed on the scene. Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses gave a briefing and actually spoke about what investigators plan to do now.

Take a listen.

AARON MOSES, POLICE CAPTAIN, WICHITA: We are still working to determine how this happened and why this happened. Our investigators are here, they're at the hospital. They interviewed over 30 witnesses here at the scene. They've conducted additional interviews over the phone.

If you have video or photographs from what occurred today here that here at Stryker, even if you don't think it is related to the incident, please share it with us through that link on our social media pages.

MORALES: Now the driver of that vehicle. She's a 34-year-old woman. She had two juveniles in the car. She's cooperating with investigators. And as of right now, she's in police custody.

Mark Morales CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: This is CNN NEWSROOM. We are live in Hong Kong, and there's this new startup that's bringing celebrities and athletes directly to their fans in the form of an avatar. So, we're going to explain this new technology, how it works, and who's already signed up.

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[05:51:12]

RIPLEY: Game 5 of the American League Championship Series is scheduled for later tonight in Cleveland. This follows a very exciting game four that saw the Tampa Bay Rays even the series at two-two against the Cleveland Guardians. Tampa Bay took a two-one lead in the 6th inning and then they broke it open with a 3-run 7th inning. The Rays went on to win the game 7-3. And the winner of this best of 7 series will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series.

All right, now to this new startup that has your favorite athletes and stars seeing double, sort of. The Los Angeles-based Genies has launched these A.I. avatars. And they give a face to some of the biggest names in sports and celebrities. So, CNN creators Bijan Hosseini sat down with the founder to talk about this new approach to A.I.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BIJAN HUSSEINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker, and this is also Candace Parker.

CANDACE PARKER, A.I. AVATAR: You, welcome to Post Moves. So glad you can make it. What should I call you?

CANDACE PARKER, WNBA CHAMPION: So, I'm the real Candace.

HUSSEINI (voice-over): The Avatar on the other side knows Candace's career better than most, even if it was never around to witness any of it.

CANDACE PARKER, A.I. AVATAR: Wait, hold on. The real Candace? OK, that's wild. I'm your genie.

HUSSEINI (voice-over): Genies is an A.I. startup based out of Los Angeles, California, with a $200 million bet that every athlete, every celebrity, every person will have an A.I. personality.

HUSSEINI: Candace, in your opinion, who is the greatest of all time?

AKASH NIGAM, FOUNDER & CEO, GENIES: It's a good question.

HUSSEINI: We got to settle the debate once and for all.

CANDACE PARKER, A.I. AVATAR: Look, Candace is on that WNBA Mount Rushmore.

NIGAM: Ooh.

CANDACE PARKER, A.I. AVATAR: No question. Two-time MVP, three chips with three different teams. But if you're asking me to pick one across both leagues,

Candace would probably say MJ for the NBA side.

HUSSEINI: There you go.

NIGAM: First off --

HUSSEINI: I love that she's speaking in third person, which is great.

NIGAM: Yes. Which is actually pretty important because the reason why all these talents have decided to sign up is because this isn't actually replacing them. Like that is not Candace Parker. That is Candace Parker's genie, and so this is kind of like her like extension of her identity.

HUSSEINI (voice-over): The company's founder Akash Nigam says Genies' ambition is to be the visual layer for AI going forward. Behind these avatars is A.I. software making it all work. From a few photos, a voice recording, and some background on the person, Genies builds what it calls an engine-ready character.

It's not a video, but an asset that can operate in real time on any platform, the final result, an avatar that's stylized, almost cartoonish, and that's on purpose.

NIGAM: Fans don't want to talk to a hyper realistic version of Candace Parker or any talent. If her like lip even moved slightly in a way that maybe like the real Candace Parker would not move, a fan would immediately one be like that's off, and two is just creepy. This, the fact that there's a layer of separation, is what keeps Candace Parker comfortable, and then also her fans comfortable too.

HUSSEINI (voice-over): Akash says the style is also a defense against what those in Hollywood fear.

NIGAM: It's like widespread news that LA, Hollywood in general, and AI don't get along. Their concerns with AI is all around the deep fakes being able to replace them. This mitigates that completely. The reason why we've been able to sign up so much of entertainment and media, they have a huge checklist of things that need to be true in order for them to launch an interactive character.

HUSSEINI (voice-over): Genies have secured a massive list of intellectual property, including the Players Association of the NBA and MLB, as well as Webtoons and Hello Kitty's parent company. They have some big players backing them as well, including Silver Lake and Bond, as well as Former Disney CEO Bob Iger. They've also collaborated with artists ranging from Justin Bieber and Cardi B to athletes like Russell Westbrook and Candace Parker herself.

[05:55:18]

PARKER: First, what jumps out to me is the mannerisms. Like all of those are mine, down to the baby hair, to the hair, to the highlights. All of it is super real. I think it's really cool.

This is Candace Parker. Welcome to Post Moves.

HUSSEINI (voice-over): Candace's podcast reaches thousands of people at once, but her genie is built to do the opposite, to engage with one fan at a time.

PARKER: I love breaking down the game of basketball, and so to be able to see my genie saying things similar to what I would say, and being able to have the knowledge of other things that I have already said is simply incredible.

HUSSEINI (voice-over): Still, as with any new tech, questions are raised.

HUSSEINI: Are you sure people want this? I mean, we've seen a huge pushback from Gen Z when it comes to AI and tech. What is your data showing you? And because that will be your main consumer down the line.

NIGAM: So, the data is showing the opposite like we know that Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and then also respective fan bases. That are baked into all the I.P. that we've signed up want this. They want personalized one- on-one experiences, right?

PARKER: What would you say the best part of Candace's game was?

CANDACE PARKER, A.I. AVATAR: Versatility, no question.

HUSSEINI (voice-over): Ask Candace what she actually gets out of her genie, and the answer is a lot simpler.

PARKER: I mean, if I ever need a height machine. I'll just talk to my genie.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: Thanks to Bijan for that.

In Chile, some popular real-life human horror scenes came to life, although they were humans dressed as zombies. Downtown streets in Santiago transformed for the city's annual zombie walk.

Hundreds of horror fans dressing in elaborate costumes with props inspired by popular movies, including the killer clowns you just saw there, also zombies, of course, and just plenty of other characters that can give you nightmares as we get ready for Halloween.

That is CNN NEWSROOM live from Hong Kong. Thank you for watching. I'm Will Ripley. CNN THIS MORNING is coming up next.

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