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Desperate Search in Gaza for those Missing & Killed in War; At Least 139 Dead After Boat Capsizes Off Djibouti; Oil Prices Add Pressure to Republicans Ahead of U.S. Midterms; Trump Heads to Ohio for First of Three Campaign Stops This Week; Man City Beat Liverpool in First Match Since Guilty Verdict. Aired 9-9:45a ET

Aired October 12, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ISA SOARES, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Pope Leo announces he will undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule, raising questions about his health and

recovery. It is 03:00 p.m. in Vatican City. These are live images. And it's 02:00 p.m. right here in London. I'm Isa Soares. This is "Connect the

World".

Also coming up for you, Saudi Arabia's main airport comes under Houthi attack second second straight day. This as Donald Trump considers joining

Saudi strikes in Yemen. And as always, we are just what less than 30 minutes away from the start of trading on Wall Street. I want to show you

how futures are doing right now. Just show you those images, bring it up.

Last time I looked, they were pretty flat, to be completely honest, as we start the week, and they remain pretty flat right across the board.

Investors keeping an eye on oil prices and all the geopolitical developments ahead of not only bank earnings but also inflation data later

this week. I'm going to leave that for just a moment. Those markets, we'll keep an eye on them.

We do begin though in the Middle East, where Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport has been attacked twice in two days. Sunday's blast

came just one day after a Houthi missile strike killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300 others. There's now dramatic security video of

the moment of Saturday's attack.

I will show it to you, but a warning, the footage is disturbing. Have a look at this. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthies have claimed responsibility for

all of the weekend attacks, the deadliest on Saudi Arabia's soil in more than a decade. Now, questions swirling over how Riyadh will respond, and

that's where I want to begin this hour.

I want to go straight to our Nic Robertson. And Nic, I mean, just looking at that footage to you know at the airport just shows how shaken the

Kingdom must be right now. Speak to us about what you're hearing of how Saudi Arabia and how Riyadh may respond now?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Look, I think there are a couple of takeaways specifically, specifically from that video we've just

seen. These were pilgrims on their way to Mecca. You can tell that because the way they're dressed. And it was very interesting that the Saudi

authorities did release that video from the airport.

Because it sends a very strong message across the region to its allies and partners in the Gulf and more broadly in the Middle East and to other

Muslim nations around the world. That here are the faiths faithful on their way for religious duty pilgrimage, and they are being caught up in these

Houthi attacks.

So, it sends a very negative message about what the Houthis are doing. And I think the other takeaway here is, while the weekend itself, Saturday and

Sunday, deadly attacks, 13 killed, more than 300 injured. Saturday terminal four at the big sprawling King Khalid International Airport hit again

Sunday. One person killed, 11 injured.

Then, just a couple of days prior on Wednesday, a deadly attack at the same airport one person killed. On Thursday a deadly attack at the same airport.

Three people killed. So clearly, Saudi Arabia appears to be having a problem defending this airport, this civilian airport, and I think that's

worth restressing from these Houthi attacks.

So, there's going to be a dynamic here, and we can inference some of it from the first video that was released, and of course, the narrative that

this is a civilian airport that the Houthis are hitting for whatever reason they say in defense of themselves and the air strikes that Saudi is putting

behind the internationally recognized government in Yemen.

There is this perception that the airport's not safe, and we have heard today that the airport authorities in Saudi are going to postpone opening

the airport as they do more checks there.

SOARES: Two questions, just picking up on what you just said. On the first point, Nic, in terms of Saudi defenses, I was looking at some numbers. I

mean, Forbes reporting that Saudi Arabia spent something in the region of $83 billion in defense spending in 2025.

So why do they -- why do you think they're struggling to defend something, you know, rockets from 500 miles away? And second, what will Saudi be

looking at from the United States? Because President Trump is weighing how to aid here, the Saudis, whether to engage against the Houthis.

ROBERTSON: There are a couple of parts here. When Iran and the U.S. and Israel had that war earlier on in the year, what was being hit in Saudi

Arabia by attempted by the Houthis, more so by Iran's proxies inside of Iraq and by Iran itself were the were the oil infrastructure. It was oil

facilities.

[09:05:00]

It's the revenue generating part of the Saudi country that was the target of the Iranians. And you know the Saudis have spent huge amounts of money

to build defenses, the Thad defenses, Patriot type defenses. All of these, we don't know because the Saudis don't speak about this publicly.

But it might be reasonable to expect that the Saudis were still protecting the oil infrastructure, and the Houthis have perhaps detected gaps of how

to evade Saudi air defense systems and penetrate them by going after these civilian airports, so I think that's part of the picture. What are the

Saudis looking for from the United States?

They are being provided at the moment with satellite reconnaissance intelligence, real-time data analysis of what the Houthis are doing and

what they're trying to attack and where their concentrations of forces are in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is backing the internationally recognized

Yemeni government forces, who just announced over a week ago that they were having a major operation to push the Houthis back from the Red Sea part of

the coastline they'd snatched a month ago.

And reclaim the whole country. So, they'll look for more satellite intelligence. They'll look potentially for more re-fueling, but what the

Saudis are doing is stepping up their air strikes on Houthi positions. We can expect to see more of that. We can expect them to try to pull in a

greater and larger coalition of support.

We know the British are providing air-to-air re-fueling, so in this vein, the Saudis will look to the U.S. to see what else they can do to have the

U.S. side by side in battle Saudi aircraft with U.S. aircraft, that would be a very, very powerful message.

But as we know, President Trump hasn't made up his mind about it, and the Houthis told President Trump we know this because he said it. The Houthis

told him they weren't looking for a war with the United States.

SOARES: Yeah, interesting to see what, if anything, the U.S. president does, given that what we 22 days or so until midterm elections and how that

will play out. Nic, really appreciate your analysis as always, Nic Robertson, for us there.

As Nic was just saying, you know what we heard Saturday's Houthi attack was the deadliest on Saudi soil in more than a decade, and it marked a major

escalation in the Houthi campaign, as you heard there from Nic. So where does Riyadh go from here?

Our Mustafa Salam says the Houthis have grown increasingly powerful, and the choices really are stark. Saudi Arabia already provides air cover for

Yemen's government forces, and sending in ground troops would threaten stability and draw the Kingdom into an expensive ground war.

You can find Mustafa's complete analysis as you can see there on any of CNN's digital platforms. Do invite you to read a fantastic read from

Mustafa. Meanwhile, tensions are already playing out at sea. A Nicaragua flag tank appears to have been struck in the Gulf of Oman, sparking a fire

on board.

On Sunday, this video was reposted on social media by Iranian state media, which claimed the ship had ignored warnings from Iranian forces and tried

to cross the Strait of Hormuz, encouraged by the U.S. The incident comes amid a recent spike in attacks on commercial shipping in the region.

And meanwhile in Gaza, an Israeli strike killed at least two Palestinians earlier today, and that is according to health officials. The Israeli

military says it targeted a militant in the area, according to Reuters. And this video here shows Palestinians inspecting a house hit by an Israeli

strike in Zawayda in Central Gaza, and that comes as strikes continued elsewhere in the territory.

On Sunday, another Israeli strike killed three people in the tent in Khan Yunis in Southern Gaza. The military says it was targeting militants there

too. Israel accuses Hamas of rearming and violating the ceasefire. Hamas denies the charges and accuses Israel of undermining the peace deal.

While with the ceasefire still under strain, Gaza health officials say at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed since the deal took effect a year

ago. And more than 74,000 have been killed in Gaza since the war began in 2023, following Hamas' attack on Israel. Three years later, a desperate

search is ongoing for those killed and those missing in Gaza. Jomana Karadsheh has that story, but first a warning, a report contains disturbing

images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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

they wore that day three years ago. This is what it's come to in Gaza.

[09:10:00]

Those who survived trying to identify those who did not. Three years in, the smallest detail carries the most weight, a scrap of clothing enough to

bring a family its answers, and the deceased, their dignity.

The search is painstaking. Today, sped up by Gaza City's only excavator, finally here to remove the rubble from the 2023 Israeli bombing that killed

dozens of Antalib's families. Israel spam the entry of heavy machinery into Gaza until it says Hamas is disarmed, but that means leaving the whole

devastated strip with only two excavators, according to local officials.

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

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

seems impossible.

Over 60 percent of Gaza is under Israeli control and off limits for Palestinians. For three long years, Suha (ph) has been searching among the

dead, looking for her boy. She says her son Jihad (ph) was shot and killed in front of her in November 2023 during the Israeli military's forced

evacuation of Gaza City.

She had to leave his body behind at the hospital and flee. She's been searching for him ever since. Our cameraman met Suha last year as she and

other families gathered to dig out the makeshift graveyard at Shifa Hospital.

She spotted this blanket. She's certain it's the one he was carrying that day. A year on, we found her still looking for her son. But in this place,

it seems there's no peace, not for the living, not even for the dead. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Our thanks to Jomana Karadsheh and team for that powerful report. I want to turn our attention to Russia because the Trump Administration sent

a warning to Ukraine just over the weekend, stop striking Russian energy sites, or the U.S. stop sharing intelligence as well as European purchases

of U.S. weapons. That is according to two European officials.

The threat comes after President Trump said he struck a deal to supply markets with Russian diesel fuel to bring down prices if you remember on

Friday. Then on Sunday, President Trump announced a quote energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Yet Ukraine's president said Russia had

violated Mr. Trump's agreement with strikes on energy facilities in Kyiv and the Kharkiv region, so have a listen to this response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Yesterday, we were all hardly surprised that after a sudden but very important post from the American

President saying that he had secured an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. That at that very moment, Russian jet-powered Shahed drones were

flying in our scars.

And immediately after the post, Russia launched a targeted strike on a power plant in Kharkiv, causing further damage to our energy system. It was

clear that Putin does not read truth also.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, that's the view from President Zelenskyy. Let's get more from Matthew Chance, who joins us this hour from Moscow. So, Matthew, give us a

sense of what the Kremlin's saying about this energy ceasefire that President Trump has announced. I mean, is the Kremlin the same page as

POTUS here?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, if they are, then they probably are. Yes, but they're not saying it. I mean,

in terms of what they've said, it's pretty thin. I mean, they're basically not commenting on this Trump announcement that there's an energy ceasefire

between the two countries directly.

[09:15:00]

Only saying that in the past those kinds of ceasefires have not come too much, and they're absolutely right about that. There was a couple of energy

ceasefires in 2025. There was one earlier this year, and they all lasted, you know, just a couple of a days.

But of course, it is in the interests of the Kremlin for something to happen for American diplomacy to pressure Kyiv to stop its relentless

strikes on oil refineries across Russia. They've been continuing on a daily basis, and they've been continuing also over the weekend as well.

It's led to huge shortages in the country of fuel, particularly of diesel, at this very important time. And so, look, it's like this energy deal, this

energy ceasefire, and this diesel deal that the United States has agreed with Russia. It's basically Russia agreeing to a whole lot of things, but

not being able to, not needing to give up very much, but getting a whole lot of benefits from it.

The main benefit being is that if the agreement is violated, if they can't deliver the diesel, or if the energy, the strikes on its oil refineries

continue, they'll be able to blame the Ukrainian military, the Ukrainian government, President Zelenskyy, Trump will probably do the same as well.

And so, it sort of drives a wedge. This agreement does this energy ceasefire between you know Washington and Kyiv, and more broadly, you know

splinters even further unity in the Western alliance, Isa.

SOARES: Matthew Chance for us there in Moscow. Appreciate it, Matthew. Thank you. You are watching "Connect the World", and still to come for you

this hour. New information trickles in after a devastating shipwreck off East Africa. We'll have a live report for you on that.

Plus, Pope Leo faces surgery this week after doctors discover lung nodule. What the Vatican says about his condition as well, and as recovery, we'll

take a short break. We'll see you in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: We are learning more this hour about a tragedy at sea off the coast of East Africa. That's where a boat carrying more than 300 migrants

capsized last week, apparently bound for Yemen, but -- more than 139 people died and dozens remain missing. Our Larry Madowo joins us now for more from

Nairobi in Kenya.

I mean, Larry, this is just incredibly devastating loss of life, and I understand from what I was reading, there's still many, many people

missing. So, what more are you learning this hour?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Isa. 84 people are still unaccounted for after this boat disaster, one of the deadliest shipwrecks

we've seen on this journey. They set out on Thursday evening local time from Djibouti, hoping to make it across to Yemen on the Bab Al Mandeb

Strait.

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

children.

[09:20:00]

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

that have not been verified, and so they're not part of that count. So, it is very likely that that death toll could rise.

This is a perilous but popular journey that takes migrants from the Horn of Africa across the Red Sea into the Arabian Peninsula, hoping for well-

paying jobs in Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, in the United Arab Emirates, or in Qatar. But many don't make it. Tens of thousands begin this

journey, fleeing poverty and conflict and the effects of climate change, but some don't make it.

Last year, about half a million attempted this journey, and more than 900 either died or remain unaccounted for, according to the International

Organization for Migrations Missing Persons report, and that is why this is even more devastating because people keep trying to make this journey.

Listen to one IOM official in Djibouti.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAFIYA IBRAHIM, RESPONSE COORDINATOR, IOM DJIBOUTI: The death toll could rise as search operations are still underway. The IOM is working alongside

local authorities, particularly the Obock Prefecture, which is coordinating operations on the ground. The first survivors located have been taken care

of and assisted by the IOM.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: The survivors were received at the UN Migration Agency's Center, where they were receiving medical support after consuming sea water, as

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

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

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

basically trying to get them across this dangerous journey.

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

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

Yemen and the Iran-backed Houthis.

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

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

SOARES: Yeah, the human cost, of course, of this geopolitical action that we are seeing play out. Thank you very much, Larry. Good to see you. We

appreciate it. Well, here in Europe, Pope Leo XIV is set to undergo surgery this week to remove a lung nodule discovered during a recent health check.

The 71-year-old says it was detected at a very early stage, which is very good news. The Vatican says the Pope will spend a week in hospital, and

decisions requiring his signature will be delayed until he returns. Our Christopher Lamb is near the Rome Hospital, where the Pope will undergo his

operation.

And Chris, I imagine a lot of nervousness, probably from the faithful there, understandably so. What do we know at this hour, Chris, about the

risks about this surgery, and critically, I know I understand we now have a date on when this will go ahead?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Isa. Pope Leo is expected to come to this hospital, the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, for to be

admitted on Tuesday morning, late morning, ahead of this planned surgery to remove the small growth in his lung.

He made the announcement that he was going to have this surgery to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's. It was a surprise announcement, and it

has created a lot of anxiety and concern in the Vatican because, of course, Pope Leo has only been Pope for around 17 months. He is seen as generally

in good health.

I mean, there's no known underlying health condition that he has. He keeps fit. He exercises. He plays tennis. He swims. So, the announcements that

the Pope himself made that he's going to have this surgery is of concern for people in the Vatican.

But all we know at the moment is that the Pope will be coming to the Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday late morning to be admitted. His first time

that he's come into hospital since his election as Pope ahead of that surgery to remove this small growth on his lung, which the Pope has said is

localized and has been caught early.

SOARES: Right. And then in terms of recovery, do we have a sense? I know you're not medical doctor Chris, so I don't want to throw any curveball at

you from the conversations you had, what are you hearing in terms of the recovery? Because I know that Pope Leo has a very busy schedule, right? He

is supposed to be in Latin America in early November.

[09:25:00]

Is that still expected to happen?

LAMB: Well, right now the Pope is saying that he wants to make that trip. That's what he said on Sunday. We haven't heard anything to the contrary

from the Vatican, but we do know the Pope is going to have around a week's recovery in hospital after the operation. That's what the Vatican expects.

And this trip to Latin America, which is due on November the 6th until the 17th, is a one that has a jam-packed agenda for Pope Leo. He's going to be

due to go to Peru, which, of course, is the country he served as a missionary and a bishop for many years. Huge numbers of people are

expected, but it isn't exactly clear how that is all going to play out at this moment, Isa.

SOARES: Chris, I know you'll keep us abreast of the very latest there. Christopher Lamb for us in Rome? Thanks, Chris. Up next on "Connect the

World", the start of trading and business headlines, including those global oil prices and how energy costs could prove to be yet another pressure

point for Republicans ahead of the midterms. It is Monday, you're looking how trading is looking like at this moment, pretty flat. We'll have more

after a very short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: A very warm welcome back, everyone. I'm Isa Soares in London. You are watching "Connect the World". Riyadh's King Khalid International

Airport remains closed after it was attacked twice over the weekend. In Saturday's blast, a Houthi strike killed at least 13 people and wounded

hundreds more. U.S. President Donald Trump says he's considering getting involved.

According to Gaza Civil Defense, 8,000 people remain missing there, and their remains are likely buried underneath the rubble. A year into U.S.

brokered ceasefire meant to end Israel-Hamas conflict. Israeli strikes continue.

European official says the U.S. has told Ukraine to stop striking Russian energy or risk losing intelligence sharing and weapons purchases. This

comes as President Trump announced an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on Sunday. Yet Ukraine said Russia has already broken the Trump

agreement by striking a power plant in Kharkiv.

[09:30:00]

Well, you're looking at the applause there and enthusiasm on October the 12th. That's the opening bell for you on Wall Street. Let me make sense of

the flag. It is Italian American Heritage Month, as you can see, and that's where you're seeing the flag. And let me show you the stock market.

As I was showing you earlier, the DOW pretty much flat today, trying to make sense of all the geopolitical developments we've seen. It's a crucial

bank earnings week as well. I think on Tuesday we have Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and J.P. Morgan Chase schedule to report, but keeping a

close eye, importantly, on oil prices and the very lates on the ground there in Ukraine and Russia.

Well, speaking of oil, we're just over three weeks until the U.S. midterm elections. Republicans are already facing voter frustration over the

economy, and high energy costs could add to their challenges as they fight to hold on to control of Congress. I want to have a look. I was mentioning

oil prices.

I want to have a look where oil prices stand right now for you. Brent Crude, there that's the global oil benchmark, hovering around $106 or so a

barrel as Iran steps up a tax on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, despite, of course, President Trump's pledge not to strike Tehran before election

day.

And that is translating to economic hardships for drivers. U.S. gasoline prices average well over $4 a gallon, and that's up more than $1 from just

a year ago, and that's according to AAA. And diesel is averaging more than $6 a gallon, and it's not just sky-high fuel costs as Republicans scramble

to avert losses in one safe seat.

One Republican House lawmaker running for re-election suggests U.S. President himself is a political liability, telling CNN, Trump is dragging

the party down. Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly urged voters to pretend he's on the ballot, remember, isn't sitting this one out. He kicks off a

campaign blitz, and there you see it across several states.

Beginning later today in Ohio, where early voting numbers suggest Democratic gains in some of the state's most Trump-friendly counties. And

the president's numbers, well, they tell a very different story. A CNN poll conducted in the last two weeks shows Mr. Trump's approval rating stands at

just 36 percent among likely voters in Ohio.

So, let's get put all these threads together for you and get the latest from our Kevin Liptak, who joins me now from the White House. Kevin, happy

Monday. Good to see you. Look, from what I've been hearing, the mood is certainly souring among some members of the GOP.

We heard warnings last week of a bloodbath come midterms. Now we've got these comments from House Republicans saying Trump is dragging the party

down. What else are you hearing from Republicans? Speak to the mood right now.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. And I would say it's a clear-eyed view of what the prospects are now about three weeks out from

election day. You know, you do hear some Republicans who insist that the polling that we've seen all has some kind of fatal error in it.

You know, perhaps they're not polling enough rural voters. Perhaps the polls are overweighted to Democrats. You also hear Republicans point to the

massive cash advantage that they are enjoying in this race, but in a lot of ways, that does seem sort of like cope. You know, this is not a good

picture for Republicans.

And you know, the most honest Republicans I think will tell you that this is going to be a very tough election cycle for them. But that isn't

stopping the president from putting himself out there. You know, when he said some months ago that he was going to be out every day of October

campaigning, there were some people who were kind of skeptical that he was willing or even able to do that.

But he is doing that. He's sort of out campaigning, whether Republicans want him to or not. There are a lot of Republicans who would rather he lay

low, just given how unpopular a lot of elements of his record are, but he's making this campaign all about himself, and that is by intention.

He and you know his advisers think that if his base of supporters don't go out to the polls, then that will not bode well for Republicans. Then you do

see this enthusiasm gap reflected in some of the early voting numbers. Democrats voting early by far wider margins than Republicans are.

Now, historically, Republicans in recent election cycles are more likely to vote in person on election day, and so these numbers aren't necessarily

predictive, but it does give you a sense of that enthusiasm gap that the president is trying to close.

[09:35:00]

SOARES: And you were mentioning the kind of the massive cash advance. I want to ask my Producer Arya (ph), can you bring up that graphic showing

just the blitz that we've got? Of course, the campaign blitz from the president in the days ahead. I mean, we've got 22 days, Kevin, to go until

the midterms, he's going to where?

If we bring up Ohio, Alaska, there we go, Arizona, Montana. Give me a sense of the strategy. I mean, I'm interested in this massive cash advance you

were talking about. Where are they spending this huge war chest?

LIPTAK: Well, you start to see them kind of triaging it in a lot of ways, and it's interesting where they're spending, but it's also interesting

where they're not spending the money. They've pulled out, for example, from North Carolina, the Senate race there between Roy Cooper, who's the

Governor, and Michael Whatley, who's a Trump Republican, that had not been going well for Whatley.

They've pulled the money out of North Carolina, and they're putting it in to Kansas, which is a deep red state that Trump carried overwhelmingly the

last three elections. But now the incumbent Republican there, Roger Marshall, seems as if he is in some trouble, and so they're trying to

essentially triage, even though they have all of this money to spend, trying to find places where it will do the better.

The other place where you're seeing a massive Republican spending advantage is in Texas. That's where James Talarico is battling against Ken Paxton,

who is the Republican endorsed Trump endorsed candidate there. Talarico is leading in most of the polls, and so they're trying to close that gap with

this massive money advantage.

And you see that in the president's travel as well. You know, it is very rare for a president to go out all the way to Alaska. It takes a very long

time to fly out there. President's time his most valuable resource. That's sort of an adage in Washington.

So, the president spending the time to go out to Alaska just gives you a sense of how embattled the Republican there is as well. And so, you see in

the money and in the schedule sort of exactly where you see Republicans having some concerns.

SOARES: Yeah, that speak volumes, that trip. Thank you very much, Kevin. Good to see you. Appreciate it. Well, let me get you up to speed on some

other stories that we are following it's in our radar right now. Protests in India are continuing today after thousands were arrested this weekend.

India's opposition leader is leading a march this Supreme Court in New Delhi. They are calling for the chief election commissioner to resign and

protesting revisions to voter lists that they say favor Prime Minister Modi.

Hurricane Simon is churning just off Mexico's Pacific Coast, bringing heavy rain as well as strong winds. The Category III storm could dump more than

300 millimeters of rain in some areas, which could lead to dangerous flash flooding as well as mudslides. Simon's forecast to make landfall in

Mazatlan on Wednesday night.

And up next for you in sports, Liverpool supporters had a field day on Sunday as the Reds welcome disgraced Manchester City in the English Premier

League. We'll have all the details for you coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:00]

SOARES: Two Renoir paintings have been found after they were stolen from museum in the South of France. If you remember last month, local

authorities say six people have been arrested after a national search. And these are the recovered paintings during the heist, thieves cut through a

fence and climbed through a window, initially stealing four works of art but dropping two as they fled.

And the incident sparked calls for better security and funding for France's many cultural heritage sites. Well, after the long international break,

Manchester City finally took to the pitch for the first time since being found guilty of over 100 financial breaches.

And there arguably couldn't have been a better place for their return than at rivals Liverpool, a team City has gone head-to-head with on many numbers

of occasions just over the last decade. Don Riddell has that for us, and as we're seeing very briefly there, some of them had very colorful displays. I

will leave it to you to explain. Good to see you though.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, good to see you too. Some of those Liverpool banners are works of art, and many of those Liverpool fans feel

as though Manchester City stole all those titles. Just to reference your previous story.

It was a quite extraordinary situation at Anfield yesterday. And as you referenced, I mean, you could hardly have scripted a better fixture for

City's first game after they were found guilty of more than 100 breaches of the financial regulations, because these two are great rivals.

The games at Anfield are always so intense. And Liverpool are the team who feel as though they lost the most to City's wrongdoing over the last 15 or

so years. So, I mean, it was kind of a perfect fixture. It's not the result Liverpool would have wanted. But what was so weird about this was that we

were all left wondering, what does this result even mean?

City won the game 3-0, but I mean, are they going to win the Premier League title? And if so, do they get to keep it? It's just like the whole thing is

such a mess. So, the Premier League is awesome, and this was a great game with great goals, but it's just so weird because nobody knows what to make

of it anymore.

SOARES: Yeah, there's just so many questions still being asked, and I can understand why so many fans are so confused and perplexed about where

things go, Don, really appreciate it. I know you have more on this on "World Sport". And that's "World Sport" after this break, I'll be back and

"Connect the World" in what 15 minutes or so. The rest is with Don.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:45:00]

(WORLD SPORTS)

END