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Isa Soares Tonight
French Officials Explore Introducing Curfews After Massive Protests Spiraled Into Violent Riots; Deepening Rift Between The U.S. And Ukraine As U.S. President Trump Lashes Out At Ukrainian Leader Zelenskyy As He Moves Closer To Russia's Putin; Early Voting Gets Underway Today In Several More U.S. States With Just Over 2 Weeks To Go Until The Midterms; Ukraine Defies Trump As It Targets Russian Energy Sites; Kenyan Cult Leader Found Guilty Of Mass Child Murder; Four Killed After Fire Breaks Out At Canadian Military Base; Arrests After West Bank Settler Violence; Trump Endorses Netanyahu Days Before Israeli Elections. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired October 19, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, French officials explore introducing
curfews after massive protests spiraled into violent riots. Some of the worst civil unrest the country has seen in years.
I'll be speaking to the mayor of Paris Center in just a moment. Then a deepening rift between the U.S. and Ukraine as U.S. President Donald Trump
lashes out at Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he moves closer to Russia's Vladimir Putin.
Plus, early voting gets underway today in several more U.S. states with just over two weeks to go until the Midterms. We'll have that and much more
for you ahead this hour. We do begin the hour, though, right here in Europe, where a number of governments are trying to restore calm after
widespread protests.
In some cases, those demonstrations have turned extremely violent. Demonstrations rocked cities from Albania to Italy, Portugal to Greece and
indeed Belgium. And grievances really range from accusations of government corruption to anger over the rising cost of living, as well as crumbling
schools.
And while protests were largely peaceful in France, violence exploded in some areas. Fires, looting and clashes with police left many people shaken.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIJE DE BOER, TOURIST: It's like a war zone here. We came to Paris to visit a friend and yes, our hotel is at Place de la Republique and we had
to evacuate our cars still there and our luggage. So, we're hoping everything is OK.
PAOLA FORMENTI, RESEARCH SCIENTIST: I think the protests are very legitimate. There is a lot of anger. There is a lot of difficulty in living
and studying. So, I believe it's legitimate. And of course, in this legitimate protest, sometimes are violent people, they take advantage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, French President Emmanuel Macron blamed the violence on seditious far-left factions, his words. He's vowing to hold rioters
accountable. And with the French election just six months away, the country's Prime Minister says the protests are a wake-up call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIEN LECORNU, PRIME MINISTER, FRANCE (through translator): This raises several questions for us. The first being how to protect the very
democratic framework, the presidential election. There's no way we will allow violent minorities to impose an agenda of violence and prevent us
from holding this election.
For me, this raises the issue of candidate safety, personal safety. It raises the issue of safety at campaign rallies, regardless of the political
parties.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Prime Minister there. Well, this video meantime going viral, in fact, offers a stunning contrast. A couple there enjoying drinks and a
cigarette near the Arc de Triomphe as the fire from the protests rages on in the background.
Let's get the very latest from Paris, mayor -- Center Mayor Ariel Weil. Glad to have you with us, mayor, really appreciate you being with us. Look,
the scenes as we just were outlining to our viewers were in some cases of mayhem, rioting that we haven't seen, frankly, in years.
How do you assess the protests over the weekend? And I was wondering if you could speak to what you are hearing from businesses on the ground. Do we
have -- no, we don't seem to have the mayor -- oh, he seems to have been frozen in his -- we'll try.
Why don't we try and reconnect with the mayor. It's important to get his perspective because in about what? Twenty minutes or so, I will be speaking
to a university student union to get her take on what is happening.
So, do we have the mayor? Should we try again? Let's try again. Mayor, are you with us? Right, it doesn't seem like we've got him. I'm going to try --
why don't we try and fix that? Mayor, are you with us? Right, he seems like -- no, OK. Can you hear me, mayor?
I don't think we have him, right. We're going to -- we -- well, we're going to try and fix that for you and come back. And I do want to show you some
of the other protests we have been seeing, because there have been many of you been seeing in the last few days in Albania, for example, we've seen
student-led anti-government protests are now in their seventh day.
[14:05:00]
Many of the demonstrations have become violent, asked for the Prime Minister, Edi Rama, to resign. Police have been using batons and water
cannon while demonstrators set buildings alight and then threw Molotov cocktails. It's a sharp turn from the largely peaceful Flamingo Protests,
if you remember earlier this year.
And those demonstrations voicing anger against a luxury coastal development backed by U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. That was
then. But the movement now shifted last week as students upset over the high -- really class of living -- cost of living and education.
They're all joining in. One Albanian parliament member spoke to CNN, they accused police of using excessive force. Meantime, Prime Minister Rama said
the protests hurt Albania's chances of joining the European Union.
So, that is Albania. Now, Albania, France, not the only countries being rocked by protests. Demonstrations taking place in Italy for a third day
today. Dozens were arrested in Milan this weekend after demonstrations there turned violent.
Again, the high cost of living and poor services bringing residents really to the streets. Now, we have got -- right, protests in France. We've seen
protests in Albania, we have seen protests in Spain. We have seen protests in Portugal.
You're starting to get a real picture of what is happening and the grievances that we're hearing from so many. We've heard in the case of
Italy, the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has been calling for emergency government meeting to try and address some of this.
But it is important we get the perspective, of course, those in government and those who are protesting. I want to connect, try and reconnect again
with you as I promised I would with the Mayor, Center Mayor Ariel Weil. I'm hoping, Mayor, that we have you connected. Can you hear me?
MAYOR ARIEL WEIL, PARIS CENTER, FRANCE: I can hear you very well. Can you hear me?
SOARES: Salute, great, I hear you --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: I hear you. Thank you for being with us, mayor. Thank you very much indeed. I'm glad we connected, mayor. Look, let me start -- let me
start first of all by getting a sense from you about curfews, because I heard the Prime Minister Lecornu saying they were, you know, potentially
imposing partial curfews or curfews in some cities.
What are you -- what can you tell us? Are there curfews in Paris? In what areas of Paris? What more can you tell us about this?
WEIL: Yes, absolutely. I mean, it was announced in, you know, just a couple of minutes, maybe an hour ago, that a curfew is going to be going on
now. It started -- it started really literally now. There's going to be a curfew per se around Lille and the Republic Square, which were heavily
heated by some of the protests and the looting over the weekend.
And there's an extended sort of a curfew whereby they can search pretty much anyone that has things that they shouldn't have or have masked faces.
So, that was announced just really as we spoke on a -- on a meeting about an hour ago, and it's taking place tonight.
SOARES: Right, and so then -- and it's taking place tonight, we'll get to get a better sense, of course, whether these protests -- whether these
curfews hold. But what is your assessment, mayor of, you know, the violence, the riots we have seen over the weekend.
Yes, there were pockets of very peaceful protests. But can you give us a sense of the riots and the damage caused?
WEIL: The damage is huge. I mean, you mentioned that we hadn't seen this in years. And you're absolutely right. We do remember --
SOARES: Yes --
WEIL: Of course, the Yellow Vests that had a tremendous protest --
SOARES: Yes --
WEIL: And weekends of protests in Paris where damage --
SOARES: Yes --
WEIL: Was done, but not to that level. I mean, I was speaking to a lot of businesses today and they had a feeling of being abandoned, really. And
that's what happened over the past few nights. They were looting -- there was looting.
There was arson going on. And the police was clearly, I think over number - - outnumbered. So, that was an issue. As other mayors I have called for stronger measures to protect businesses and residents alike.
SOARES: Not only have you called -- have you called for stronger measures, and correct me if I'm wrong here, because I was listening to radio, your --
a French interview earlier. And so, my French maybe were sketchy, but I heard you calling for the army, is that right? Did I hear -- did I mishear
you? Did you call for the army to be mobilized?
[14:10:00]
WEIL: Yes, I didn't exactly call for the army, what I said was that the extent that we were going to have a third night where people are calling
the police and they're being looted and they're being, you know, burned down, and the police doesn't have the numbers that they should have, then
the army should be an option.
Yes, but of course, you know, the army is not the best option to maintain order. And so, I prefer if we have enough police, and I hope that, that was
clearly not the case over the past two nights.
SOARES: Mayor, really appreciate you joining us on the show. Appreciate you bearing with us as we fix the technical issues. Thank you very much
indeed, mayor, appreciate it. Let's stay, of course, with these protests. I was telling you that protests are not only France and in Albania, but we've
also seen them in Italy.
Stefano Pozzebon, I think we have Stefano, do we have him? We do, wonderful, Stefano, glad to be with us. Look, as I was mentioning, they --
in certain parts where in Spain and Portugal we've seen mostly about housing, France is more student-led.
Can you give us a sense of what the protests there in Italy, what they're focused on? Is it cost of living?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think we've seen in Italy the same situation, very similar to France. And in fact, the breaking news
here, Isa --
SOARES: Yes --
POZZEBON: Is that the deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, announced literally less than an hour ago that they are deploying 500 troops to Milan
to support the local enforcement, law enforcement efforts. Like it's not clear how these troops will play, given that, of course, law enforcement in
Italy is in the hands of the police and the Interior Ministry.
But it's not the first time that we have seen boots on the ground across the peninsula. Soldiers have, in fact, been deployed in Italy since at
least 2008 to support the police and the Carabinieri in the public security tasks.
What stands out of the protests that happened in Milan in Saturday and Sunday, Isa, is two things, essentially. The first one is that just like in
France, they are violent pockets that move outside the institutional space for protesters.
So, these are not organized by -- for example, the trade unions or the opposition political parties. Here in Rome, for example, there was a rally
on Saturday with more than 100,000 people opposed to Meloni's liberalization plans.
However, of course, what stands out is the process that we have seen, the clashes that we have seen in Milan. The second thing that stands out in
Milan is just how young these protesters are. And we got numbers from the Italian police telling us that at least 270 people have been brought in for
questioning.
And out of these 270, 220 and plus were minors. So, of course, the task of bringing law enforcement is even harder for the police and for -- and for
the -- for the forces, especially because they're dealing with underage and minors.
We spoke with a professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca in the periphery of Milan to understand where this rage, where this anger, this
explosion of anger comes from. And I think our conversation was really interesting. This is what, for example, Dr. Lancini told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTEO LANCINI, PSYCHOLOGIST & PSYCHOTHERAPIST (through translator): We live in a society that has proposed patterns, where attacking others,
destroying and killing is normal. And then it's shocked when young people do it.
But we cannot decontextualize this from the violence that they have absorbed from adults in this mass media society of social media. I repeat,
this does not justify anything from the point of view of responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: And I think Italy so is having the sort of same debate that France is having right now, that the mayor was bringing to us of
understanding how to protest in a way that doesn't erupt in violence. There is general widespread condemnation to the scenes of violence that we've
seen across the weekend in Milan.
However, what remains is why people are taking to the streets, which is the cost of living, the inefficacy --
SOARES: Yes --
POZZEBON: Of some of the measures to support schools and education, of course. And so, what stands in the background when the violence finally
drops down, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, and I suppose one of the questions to that is also Stefano, I mean, is Meloni, is her government, are they meeting protesters? Is -- are
they meeting student unions? Are they having a discussion or is this done simply with force?
POZZEBON: Well, the student unions say that they haven't been able to speak with Meloni personally or with their representative. There was
videos, for example --
SOARES: Yes --
[14:15:00]
POZZEBON: Last week of student organization planting tents in front of the parliament, trying to bring the political world attention to the issue of
the cost of housing in particular, which here in Italy is considerable for students who do not live in the university -- in the university where they
are attending.
And so, yes, there is -- there is this feeling from the students that the Meloni government is not speaking to them. Meloni herself in the past has
referred to this protest, almost applauding the students who take to the streets peacefully.
Meloni comes from a background of student activism. She was the one calling for protest 30 years ago in the streets of Rome, so she knows that she
can't immediately disqualify everyone who takes to the street. But she pivoted very quickly to say that everyone should condemn the violence
without actually addressing what the students are calling her out for.
SOARES: Stefano, really good to see you, my friend, thank you very much, live for us there in Rome. And still to come tonight, right here on the
show, they have been following the campaigns for months. Now, it's their turn to decide. Voters -- more U.S. states are now casting early ballots
ahead of those critical Midterms. What the latest national polling shows ahead for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Now, early voting is getting underway today in several more U.S. states, including Texas, in an election that will decide the balance of
power in Washington during President Donald Trump's second term. Democrats are trying to retake control of Congress, riding a wave of voter discontent
about the cost of living, as well as other key economic issues.
Races in battleground states could tip the balance, and candidates have just 15 days left to make their case before November 3rd. President Trump
is the campaigner-in-chief for Republicans as polls show his party lagging behind.
A new CNN poll of poll shows Democrats have a clear advantage nationwide, 54 percent to 45 percent. But of course, U.S. elections are held state-by-
state. And a national advantage doesn't necessarily translate into victory at the polls.
That's why everyone is focused on turnout. President Trump is campaigning in a different state every day this week, as you can see that right in your
screen, he's starting today in Kansas, which has emerged as a rather surprising battleground, even though the last time a Democrat won a Senate
seat there was in 1932.
[14:20:00]
And I want to bring in our senior politics reporter, Stephen Collinson for more. I mean, Stephen, good to see you first of all, 15 days to go, low
approval rating for the President hitting a new low, right? And then we've got this campaign blitz, which really just speaks volumes here. Can you
speak to Kansas in particular that is surprising so many?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, that is a statement nobody expected to be on the -- you know, list of states that are quite
competitive in the Senate. But I think this is a trend that's going on throughout the last few weeks of this election.
If you look at that map that you put up there, all of those states that President Trump is going to in the next week, those are states that he won
in 2024, a number of them, Iowa, Ohio, for example, North Carolina. He won those states by a considerable margin.
So, I think that tells you a lot. This was supposed to be a tough year for Democrats, just in terms of which seats are up in the Senate. They have to
win a net gain of four seats, remember, and that requires them to win those seats in what we regard as Trump states, red states.
So, a lot of people didn't think that the Senate was in play at all this year however well the Democrats might have done or might do in the House.
So, very interesting where Trump is going, where Republicans are putting their money is in red states that looks like they're trying to hold back
the Democratic wave rather than have any realistic attempts of big gains themselves.
SOARES: Yes, it almost looks defensive from this vantage point. Look, I was looking at new polling that we had. And I was surprised that just 24
percent of Latino voters actually approve of President Trump's job. And that is down just for context for our viewer, that's down 14 points from
when Trump started the second term.
I mean, what have been the factors driving this swing in Latino voters? I mean, have they been taken for granted by the Republicans here?
COLLINSON: You know, there's an interesting trend in American politics that this community does get taken for granted by both parties in many
ways. Democrats always were accused of not pushing for comprehensive immigration reform because they wanted to use immigration as a wedge issue
to win the Hispanic vote.
But Latino voters did vote in bigger numbers for Trump in 2024 than they have in the past, ever since the days of President George W. Bush early in
the century. Clearly, the President's immigration enforcement operation has created a great amount of fear in the community. I think that is a factor.
But also, we do tend to look as analysts and journalists at the Latino community as though it's one big block that sways one way or the other.
Those voters are like every other voter, exceedingly worried about the cost of living.
They're paying $4 gasoline. They're seeing their grocery prices go up. So, that is also a key factor across all demographic groups. Trump is in
trouble over the economy, and it is a big issue in the Latino community as well.
SOARES: Yes, indeed, I mean, not a monolith. This is something I've heard from many voters as well. Latino guests I've had on the show who said, you
know, yes, immigration, ICE tactics, but also small businesses and the -- and really the --
COLLINSON: Yes --
SOARES: Cost of living and the economy has been a huge factor. I want to get your take, and I think this is something that has gone viral, a lot of
viewers would have seen this because in Michigan, viewers might be following.
There is a key Senate race between Abdul El-Sayed and the Republican Mike Rogers, and yesterday El-Sayed was hosting a town hall, and then there was
this exchange between him and a voter that asked a question about the Muslim Brotherhood. I'm going to play it, and then we're going to talk
afterwards. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you disavow the Muslim Brotherhood? --
ABDUL EL-SAYED, MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR U.S. SENATE: Sure, yes, absolutely. You're asking the question because implicitly you assume that
I'll have dual loyalties, right? You assume that somehow, I wouldn't disavow or that I'll have some higher order allegiance than to the
constitution. For me, that constitution is the guiding light.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And this goes much longer, but it does -- I mean, it is interesting that he keeps facing these questions, right? About potential
connections to the organization. Why do we keep seeing this?
COLLINSON: Well, I think when you can't win an election on the issues, as may well be the case for Republicans in Michigan on the economy, for
example, you try to win it by disqualifying the other candidate. And clearly, there have been these volleys of attacks on El-Sayed, not just
from conservative media, but especially, most vociferously from President Donald Trump himself.
[14:25:00]
They are trying to make him unacceptable. They're trying to make voters fear him, even though he's a Muslim who was born in the United States. And
that is what is going on. And frankly, this is something that is certainly in the President's ballpark.
He's frequently tried to prejudice voters against Muslims. He's used that kind of rhetoric before. Remember, in the -- you know, when he first came
to prominence politically, it was because of his campaign to argue that President Barack Obama, who he calls President Barack Hussein Obama every
time he mentions him, was not born in the United States.
So, this is the kind of politics that the President particularly, has trafficked in for a long time. And I think it's a symptom of the rather
dark turn of the campaign. Clearly, the tactic is that they hope to suppress the white vote, working class voters in Michigan for El-Sayed and
try to get them to vote for the Republican Mike Rogers.
But there's also, I think, the potential for a backlash. This is a state where there was a large Muslim community. And people also tend to -- you
know, they get repelled by this kind of dark campaigning as well. So, it's -- although it's a brutal tactic, it also comes with some risk for
Republicans, I think.
SOARES: Very important context there from our Stephen Collinson. Stephen, great to see you. Thank you --
COLLINSON: Thanks --
SOARES: Very much indeed, live for us there in Washington. Well, let's take a closer look at Latino voters we were talking about just there who
really flocked to President Donald Trump two years ago, but now seems skeptical of his policies.
We heard that from Stephen. Well, Arlette Saenz has more on the impact of that in one district in Florida. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYUMI CASTRO FERNANDEZ, FLORIDA INDEPENDENT VOTER: We had to make a difference --
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESONDENT (voice-over): Mayumi Castro Fernandez is knocking doors in Miami for this election, but this time she's walking a
different path after regretting her vote for President Trump in 2024.
FERNANDEZ: Because before everything go up. He not make it one promise that he did in that time.
SAENZ: She's among the Latino voters who could decide the Midterm elections. As an "NBC News" "Telemundo" poll showed only 27 percent of
Latino voters approve of Trump's performance.
(On camera): President Trump flipped Miami-Dade County in the last election, the first Republican to win here since 1988, and that victory was
fueled in large part by Hispanic voters. (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) President Trump or no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
SAENZ: Vote President Trump --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
SAENZ (voice-over): Domino Park in Little Havana sits in the 27th Congressional District, where two former TV anchors are facing off. GOP
Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar and Democrat Eliot Rodriguez.
(CROWD CHANTING USA)
ELIOT RODRIGUEZ, FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: We did not vote for this economy.
SAENZ: Salazar won by more than 20 points in 2024, but is now facing deep voter anxiety over the cost of living and Trump's aggressive immigration
enforcement. As south Florida feels the sting of Trump's immigration crackdown, Salazar pushed back with this ad.
REP. MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR (R-FL): Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far.
RODRIGUEZ: I think voters in this district are smart enough to see through this, and see this is a crocodile tears. She voted for these policies.
SAENZ: Karina Castillo; a Venezuelan-American in a neighboring district, voted for Trump in 2024, but now regrets it in part because of his
immigration actions.
KARINA CASTILLO, ATTORNEY & INDEPENDENT VOTER: I saw all the executive orders that he signed, and I start comparing to the constitution of the
United States. I saw all the violations of the law. At the time, I got scared.
SAENZ: Kevin Cooper; chair of the Miami-Dade GOP, argues the Democratic alternative doesn't sit well with many voters who have fled socialist
countries and may see similarities.
KEVIN COOPER, CHAIR, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY GOP: Are we going to be free, or are we going to continue to embrace socialism from the left? And the left
cannot win. That's not an ideology that people are really willing to accept.
SAENZ: Castro Fernandez is turning her frustration into action, canvasing with her local union.
FERNANDEZ: We need a change. I changed my mind. They can change too.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Arlette Saenz for that report. Well, U.S. President Donald Trump is ramping up his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy, Mr. Trump posted that the Ukrainian leader doesn't want to end the war and probably never did, as the White House tries to exert pressure
ahead of the Midterm elections.
The U.S. President has called Kyiv strikes on Russian oil refineries a disgrace. Well, in defiance of the White House demand to stop hitting
energy facilities, Kyiv over the weekend launched large drone attacks on key Russian oil targets.
Overnight, Ukraine reported a Russian attack on its own energy systems.
[14:30:06]
And as diesel reaches record highs, crude oil prices are sliding. Mr. Trump on Friday waived parts of U.S. sanctions involving tariffs on purchases of
Russian oil. And the sanctions package approved by Congress was named in honor of the late pro-Ukraine senator, if you remember, Lindsey Graham.
Let's get more from our Nick Paton Walsh, who joins me now. And, Nick, I want to pick up from what we've learned just in the last few hours from my
team just at the White House, that President Trump is receptive, was the word they used, to a meeting with Putin and China's Xi Jinping. Ukraine, of
course, not part of this little gathering. What has been the response from Kyiv to this?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I mean, I think ultimately what we were talking about here is a meeting that would
be Russia, Russia's main bank roller, China and Trump.
And more recently, it seems, Russia's clearest Western supporter in terms of what we've seen over the last few weeks. A meeting that is essentially,
as we've always heard from the Europeans, the kind of thing they don't want to have happen, a meeting about Ukraine without Ukraine. So, obviously,
there are many in Ukraine deeply concerned about what might emerge from this.
Still, it's important to remember that any particular proposal laid out by Russia and China on one side against Ukraine, and President Trump, who has
sold himself as in the middle, but recently been described by President Zelenskyy of Ukraine as very much more on Russia's side. That particular
proposal doesn't have to be accepted by Ukraine or by its European allies.
But it shows just how far we've really moved from a White House that always wanted to try and be sure it was at least pressuring Ukraine directly to
accept its ideas. But it might try and fashion a whole new framework or proposal with Xi Jinping of China and President Vladimir Putin of the
Kremlin.
So, a phenomenal few weeks, almost, I think, 20 days we've been through here in terms of America's relationship with European security. Ultimately,
it's certainly as bad as it was the relationship between the United States and Ukraine, as it was back in February 2025. But I think now those around
Ukraine and Ukraine itself are more inured to President Trump's, it seems, persistent sympathies towards the Kremlin position.
We have seen the White House alter their position markedly in the last few days. As you said, they've stopped that new sanctions bill sponsored by,
you know, Trump confidant Lindsey Graham. That's now not happening. The diesel deal, whatever went on with Starlink and Starshield, you know, it is
really confusing when you see the United States normally transparent in its moves.
Seemingly, according to Ukrainian sources, behind the slowing down of key defensive and offensive systems and communication systems for Ukraine,
Starlink and Starshield, Elon Musk trying to distance himself from that to some degree, President Trump sounding in public like he has no idea what's
happening.
Multiple sources I speak to really confused as to how this has happened. Yet it still makes huge difference on the front line to Ukrainian troops
fighting in defense of their own country. And then these repeated comments by President Trump about how Zelenskyy doesn't want the war to end.
I think it's important to remind people nearly five years into this war that, you know, every Ukrainian pretty much wants this war to end tomorrow
if it could happen because they were invaded by Russia. This is not the war of choice that it is for Vladimir Putin.
So, we're at a point here where I think it's really hard to perceive the last 10 days as showing very clearly prior to the midterms where Ukraine is
obviously a spot of sensitivity for President Trump, that he's increasingly publicly showing his Russian sympathy here.
SOARES: Yes. And that shift that you're talking about being very, very clear in the last week or so, leaving many leaders scratching their heads.
Nick, appreciate it. Thank you very much indeed.
And still to come tonight right here on the show, I'll be talking live to a student leader about the peaceful protests that spun out of control over
the weekend across France. We'll bring you that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:00]
SOARES: We take you now to Kenya, where the leader of a Christian cult and his associates were found guilty in the mass murder of children. Paul
Mackenzie has been found guilty in the murder of 119 children and one adult. Prosecutors say he instructed followers to starve themselves and
their children to death so they could reach heaven and meet Jesus.
Mackenzie was convicted, along with about 30 other people. Authorities have recovered more than 400 bodies from a forest in East Kenya, where Mackenzie
is accused of running a doomsday cult. The judge says he persuaded his followers to abandon their homes and move to the forest. Investigations
into the other deaths are still ongoing.
Our Larry Madowo joins us now live from Nairobi in Kenya. He's following the story. And from what I remember when I was reading, Larry, I mean, this
ruling lasted something like eight hours. Talk us through what we heard from the judge.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It did last more than eight hours, Isa, and that is because the judge had to go through the 191 counts of murder
and each of the 30 or so accused alongside this doomsday cult's preacher. He's a former taxi driver. And when he moved to Kenya's coast, started this
church called Good News International, had a TV station broadcasting his sermons around the country and on the internet, on YouTube and other
places.
And he preached against education and medicine and digital identity cards, calling them the mark of the devil. He was against Western influence in the
United States and others, a bunch of conspiracy theories there. But the heart of his message was this starvation as a way to meet Jesus. And he had
a hierarchy of who needed to get starved first, the children, the teenagers, the women, and finally the men.
And it went on for at least two years before he was finally discovered in March 2023 and arrested alongside his co-conspirators who were leaders
sometimes and forces of his ministry. And so, after a long day of reading the verdict and the legal basis for this case, the judge came down to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTICE DIANA KAVEDZA-MOCHACHE, MOMBASA HIGH COURT: Final verdict. I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved the case against all the 29
accused persons for the murder of 190 children and one adult, contrary to section 203 of the penal court. I reject the defense by the accused persons
that the victims were all below the age of 16, 16 years voluntarily fasted to death. Paul Nthenge Mackenzie convicted on all 191 counts of murder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: He will be sentenced November 6th. That carries the death penalty in Kenya, though Kenya has not carried out an execution since 1987. So, he
will likely be going to jail for life or multiple lifetimes.
[14:40:00]
There's still some victim impact statements and mitigation for him and the 30 co-accused.
So, it might come down to some kind of time served, but there will be a long jail sentences for all of them because this case has horrified the
nation. Children, some newborns starved by their own parents, some of whom were eating while the children starved to death. And when they died, Isa,
they were told to celebrate these weddings, they called them, because they were meeting Jesus.
SOARES: Just absolutely chilling, you know. And I was reading from Lady Justice Diana Kavedza who she said she was talking about postmortem
findings. And she said that indicated that some victims not only died from suffocation, Larry, but he said neck compression or head injuries, rather
also the starvation alone for the victims of those families. I mean, what are they telling you? Do they feel that justice has been done here?
MADOWO: It's kind of a bittersweet moment, which is you can't bring back the kids that died here. The family members, they lost in some cases,
entire families were wiped out. In one case, our family lost six children all under the age of 17. And you're right that some of the children were
not starved to death. The autopsies showed that some of them had signs of blunt force trauma, strangulation, and suffocation.
So, they were using every means possible. And that's why the judge said this was malice aforethought and that the legal basis, therefore, they
qualify for these murder charges, Isa.
SOARES: Absolutely horrific. Larry, appreciate you bringing us up to date with the very latest live there from Nairobi in Kenya.
We're going to take a short break. Do stay right here with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling it one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime. Four Canadian
servicemen members were killed after a major fire broke out at one of the country's largest military bases on Saturday.
And it happened at a Canadian forces-based grain rioting. That's about 210 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital Edmonton. Troops were taking
part in combat training with live munitions when the fire broke out. 39 people were treated in a local hospital for injuries. At least 19 of those
are in critical condition. Our Paula Newton has all the details for you.
[14:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Canadian military is still trying to come to grips with the scope of this tragedy. But Prime Minister Mark
Carney made it clear that, in fact, he called this one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime. And that includes
people, he says, dozens of people who are at this hour still critically injured.
And the resources that it took on the ground, so many people, because the fire was, in his words, violent and fast-moving. They had to be triaged,
not just there in the community, but were medevacked out to different locations in the province. I want you to listen now to Prime Minister Mark
Carney as he kind of describes exactly what they're facing here. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: And CFB Wainwright is where the women and men of our armed forces learn to do the hardest things this
country can ask of anyone. Those we lost, those who were injured, were training to defend Canada, to serve Canada.
And now, Canada serves them. We will be there for their families for as long as they need. We will care for the injured through every step of their
recovery. And we will stand by the women and men of our armed forces as they bear the weight of this loss. They will not carry it alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, this base, which is about a two-hour drive south of Edmonton, Alberta, is used for live training for the military forces all the time.
Well, this is live ammunition training. And while we do not know the details of exactly what happened here, I want you to look at some of the
video.
Look, they have tight procedures in place to make sure everyone is safe, but there was some kind of explosion or fire, and that, in the prime
minister's words, it was violent and fast-moving. In fact, members of the community had to scramble there to make sure they could hold the line on
that fire and to make sure it did not spread to the neighboring community. There had been high winds in the area, not a lot of rain.
Right now, they say that there is no danger to residents in the area, but still, many people trying to come to grips with this tragedy. And as the
prime minister said, dozens injured, and many of them have severe burns.
Paula Newton, CNN, Ottawa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Paula. While an Australian lawmaker is hospitalized after being hit by a car outside their office, 65-year-old MP Helen Haines
represents a district in rural northeast Victoria. Authorities say the driver was detained and a knife was found during a search of the car. Prime
Minister Anthony Albanese calls the incident a deliberate act, though there's been no reported motive. We'll stay across that story for you.
And still to come tonight, right here on the show, after an alarming spate of settler violence in the West Bank, Israeli police make a series of rare
arrests. We have reaction to you from Jerusalem after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: Well, after a surge of settler violence in the West Bank just over the weekend, Israel has now arrested at least 10 people suspected of
attacks on European diplomats and international journalists. On Friday, settlers attacked and hospitalized Washington Post photojournalist Heidi
Levine as she traveled with Palestinians at the start of the olive harvest.
The following day, settlers attacked a group of European diplomats visiting a Palestinian Christian town. The U.S. ambassador to Israel calls the
arrests a positive development. An Israeli human rights group says there have been more than 500 incidents of settler violence since the start of
the olive harvest last month, with Israeli soldiers being present at around a quarter.
While the arrests follow pressure from the U.S., the U.S. president has just given a ringing endorsement to Israel's prime minister, just days, of
course, before the Israeli elections. The two leaders have not always seen eye to eye over the past year. Jeremy Diamond is in Jerusalem with more on
the latest developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Prime Minister Netanyahu certainly received a shot in the arm for his campaign just over a
week before Election Day with this endorsement from President Trump posting on Truth Social that Netanyahu has been, quote, "strong, brave and
brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition." And he says that Prime Minister Netanyahu will never let the Israeli public down.
The Israeli prime minister quickly responding, saying together we'll finish the job, a reference to the fact that both men seem to have their eyes on a
potential next confrontation with Iran. That seemed to have played quite a role in President Trump's decision to endorse the Israeli prime minister.
But how much of an impact will this actually have on those Israeli elections in just over a week from now remains to be seen.
We know that President Trump remains by and large a very popular figure in Israel, but far less popular than he was, say, a year ago after he helped
secure that final ceasefire deal and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. Polling from the Jewish Public Policy Institute indicates
that the number of Israelis who expressed a, quote, "great deal of trust" fell from 34 percent this past March to just 10 percent in August. And
that's why perhaps this will have less of an impact than Prime Minister Netanyahu would like it to be.
It's also worth noting that while this is the first time President Trump has officially endorsed in an Israeli election back in 2019, he gave Prime
Minister Netanyahu perhaps an even bigger gift than a public endorsement by recognizing Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights, showing at the time
that Prime Minister Netanyahu could deliver for the State of Israel. And that's certainly the case Netanyahu is making.
But the opposition candidates, they are making a very different case, positioning this election as a referendum on the Israeli prime minister, a
referendum on the security failures that led up to October 7, 2023, when that Hamas-led attack killed more than 1,200 Israelis. The Israeli prime
minister is also under fire for not agreeing to launch a state commission of inquiry. That's something that the opposition candidates say that they
will do on day one in office.
Right now, polling indicates that the government block and the change block, they are basically running neck and neck, and both of them falling
short of the 61-seat majority in Israel's Knesset in order to form the next government. But there are a number of other scenarios, such as the
opposition candidates forming a minority government, which certainly seems to be potentially a viable option. But we will see.
The polls are set to close in Israel in eight days from now. And after that, there will be weeks of wrangling to decide who gets to even try and
form the next government, let alone who will become the next prime minister of Israel.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Well, more than a year since the cease-firing Gaza was agreed, around two-thirds of the population is still going hungry. And now, the
World Food Programme says it will have to make drastic new cuts to aid. The U.N. agency says funding has fallen by more than half compared to last
year. It says it is reducing the number of Palestinians it is sending aid to from 1.6 million to 1.1 million. It is also halving rations and says
some families will only receive a hot meal every other day.
[14:55:00]
Speaking to CNN, the head of the World Food Programme, Carl Skau, says the situation in Gaza remains dire. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL SKAU, ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: Our appeal is that this is not the time to look away. We now need the International
Community to step up, to make sure that we have the funding we need to sustain this effort to hold away famine, but also to frankly improve the
environment for us to begin the recovery work.
You know, we need to get what is needed to start repairing the water and sanitation systems. We need to make sure that people have proper shelter.
And on the food side, we just want the markets to function. If commercial foods can come in so that there is plenty of food on the markets, prices
will come down. People would afford also to buy some fresh foods. And for the resources we have, we would be able to basically help all the people we
need anyway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: That is Carl Skau, the head of the World Food Programme.
That does it for us for this hour. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster up next. I shall see you tomorrow. Have a wonderful evening.
Bye-bye.
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[15:00:00]
END
