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One World with Zain Asher
Protests Enter Fourth Week as Government Eyes Budget Cuts; Hackers Heat Up French Supermarket Fridges, Sparking Fires; Bulgarian Sailors Missing After Drone Attack in Black Sea; Saudi's Riyadh Airport to Remain Closed Amid Houthi Attacks; Pope Leo XIV to Undergo Surgery Today to Remove Lung Nodule; King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain Visit to Ceuta and Melilla. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired October 13, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. This is "One World". Ahead on the show, France's students
and labor unions are taking to the streets again today as the National Assembly begins debating the 2027 budget.
We're live in Paris with the latest. Plus, Pope Leo has been admitted to the hospital to remove a growth on his lung today. His first hospital says
since becoming pope. And the Spanish monarch is visiting in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta today. This after recent mass crossings of migrants from
Morocco.
We'll look at what the visit means for the larger migrant crisis in the region. Right, thousands of arrests and hundreds of injuries. We are in the
fourth week of massive student protests in France. Right here, you see riot police deploying tear gas at protesters. The French government recently
suspended the use of stun grenades.
This after one teenager lost a hand. As of last week, police have made more than 6,000 arrests nationwide. These are live videos you're looking at now
in Paris, where it's just gone 5o'clock in the early evening. You see something in the distance there set on fire. This movement's key issues
include teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and crumbling school infrastructure.
Earlier, climate activist Greta Thunberg joined demonstrations in the Paris suburb of Saint Denis. He argues the French students deserve wider support
and calls the police response quote, extremely violent. And that has been an ongoing criticism of these protests. The police have been somewhat
heavy-handed.
Again, you're looking at live pictures there in Paris, where there appeared to be something on fire. You see smoke billowing in the air. A lot of
people there milling around. Let's go straight to our Paris Bureau Chief, Saskya Vandoorne joining us live now from Paris.
Saskya, just talk to us about what the scene is like where you are. Obviously, most French universities, I understand it. 90 percent of French
universities are closed today. A lot of people still discontent about the education budget proposal, saying that it still doesn't address some of the
key issues here, Saskya.
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: Yeah, Zain. Well, we're here. This is at the end, really, of the Paris protest, you were mentioning that
fire. We're just meters away from it. We have seen protesters facing off with riot police, sending projectiles, and the riot police has responded
with tear gas.
But you were mentioning, Zain, the violence that we have seen emerged during these protests, and it really has been at a level incredibly,
incredibly extreme. You had a teen who lost an eye after he was hit with a rubber bullet. Another teen who lost his teeth after he was hit with a tear
gas canister.
And all of these injuries are being caught on camera. The videos are circulating on social media, and it is galvanizing support for this
movement. Now, I'm joined here by Zeina. She is a school monitor. She has been at many of these protests. Zeina, what do you make of the violence
that we have witnessed since the start of this unrest?
ZEINA RAYMOND HAREK, SCHOOL MONITOR: I think we can see, like even today, we are still here specifically, starting to tell to the government what we
want and what we need. And the only answer we got is violence. Is what she said, children losing their hands, their eyes. Someone got like shoot at.
Like I feel like this is not what we expect. We are here at peace, and even today, we see that they are not hearing us the right way, and the answer is
not like as Pacific as we are.
VANDOORNE: And Zeina, the government has made some concessions. Do you think they go far enough?
HAREK: No, because all they do is to -- they're closing the high school, which means like we are not able to reorganize again. They close
everything, and we're trying to still show up in the street, and that's what we do. And I feel like it's going to last like a little bit longer
than usually.
Why do you think there is still momentum in this movement?
VANDOORNE: Because now it's not only about the students. It's not only about high school.
HAREK: Like on Saturday the 17th, we are trying to have a general movement and to show that the social workers are trying to join us, the hospital,
the culture, everything is going bad in France, and we have to vote right in 2027 because if we don't, then this is what we are going to have like
for the next four years.
[11:05:00]
VANDOORNE: So, there we go, Zain, and we're going to continue walking with the protesters as they make their way to -- Zain.
ASHER: All right, Saskya Vandoorne live for us there, and you bring up such an important point about not just the protests themselves and what protests
are demanding, but really the sheer level of the accusations of police brutality after you're seeing teenagers losing eyes and essentially another
teenager losing a hand as well.
Saskya Vandoorne, thank you for that. Appreciate it. All right. Hackers in France took aim at an unusual target. Supermarket refrigerators turning
fridges into ovens, effectively by raising their temperatures. They launched a cyberattack that raised temperatures in fridges to as high as 50
degrees Celsius.
That's 122 degrees Fahrenheit. That sparked fires and obviously spoiled the food. Causing supermarket chains like Carrefour and Intermarche thousands
in damage, millions, I assume, in damage. France's National Cyber Security Agency has launched an investigation into the hacks.
Anna Stewart joins us live now from London with details. So, first and foremost, obviously, this is aside from the fact that it was hugely
expensive for the supermarkets involved in terms of losing food that they would have to have obviously thrown out. How did the hackers manage this?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was all to do with connected fridges, which is of course very common in supermarkets. Fridges generally are
controlled from a distance, so maintenance can be across all issues. And the fridges that were targeted here were all using the same software from a
Danish company that crucially had not been updated.
There had been a software update in August, and those fridges that hadn't been updated were vulnerable to this attack. Now we're talking about
hundreds of fridges in France. It's also believed some fridges elsewhere in Europe have been targeted as well. As you say, it's not just the fires, but
the spoiled food.
The cost of this attack is vast. In fact, the Intermarche CEO, speaking on BFMTV, a French network, said it could cost tens of millions of euros
nationwide in just a single day. Now the extraordinary part, of course, of this attack is we have no idea what the motive is, and no one at this stage
has taken any responsibility.
An investigation has been launched. It is pointing out the vulnerabilities behind IoT, the Internet of Things. These appliances are connected to the
internet, and you think about our home, Zain, everything from my doorbell, the nanny camera, the thermostat, it's all connected to the internet.
And for a long time, some security experts have been raising awareness over, particularly some brands. If you're buying cheaper brands that you
know, go out of service, are they all having software updates? Are they secure? Now, here is an example of an IoT, you know, security issue.
Now imagine how much worse that could be in the future with artificial intelligence, rogue agents with so many devices connected to the internet.
It's more important now than ever to ensure security and ensure that you have security over your devices. So, this is really a wakeup call.
Of course, it'll be very interesting to see who is behind this particular attack. We don't believe this was AI, but it does raise alarm bells for the
future as well, Zain.
ASHER: All right, Anna Stewart live for us there. Thank you for that. At this hour, crews are looking for several missing Bulgarian sailors. This
after their vessel was hit by a drone attack in the Black Sea. Bulgaria's Prime Minister says the attack is likely connected to Russia.
In response, he summoned the Russian ambassador for a meeting. The HS Dignity was sunk just 15 nautical miles from Bulgaria's coast. A second
vessel, Ukrainian-owned ship, was also struck by drones. All 15 of its crew members have now been rescued. All right, Donald Trump is suggesting that
Ukraine and Russia did not actually agree to an energy ceasefire, despite making an announcement on the social media platform that they did on Sunday
morning.
On Monday, neither Moscow nor Kyiv confirmed any ceasefire was in place, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would abide by the
terms if Russia did as well. Hours later, the U.S. President told reporters that both sides had agreed to the energy truce because he said they agreed.
But hours after Trump's original announcement, Zelenskyy said that Russia had carried out a new round of energy strikes, and since last night, he
said Moscow had launched attacks using more than 100 different weapons. Trump insists both parties support a ceasefire and says they want to make a
deal, but that they don't know how.
Zelenskyy, meantime, says Ukraine's position is unchanged, and that Kyiv is ready for de-escalation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: We continue to engage in entirely constructive dialog with the U.S. President's team. In fact, our
negotiating team is in contact with them virtually every day.
[11:10:00]
Everyone in the U.S. is aware of, and many support our position that everything must be conducted fairly. Ukraine is ready for an energy
ceasefire, and we have, in fact, proposed such a ceasefire on more than one occasion. Russia must take steps toward calm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: And for more on how to make sense of the president's conflicting messages, I'm joined live now by Ian Bremmer. He's the President and
Founder of GZERO Media Group and the Eurasia Group. Ian, thank you so much for being with us. I want to start by these reports.
Just President Zelenskyy essentially saying that that Kyiv had actually received no warning from Western partners, from Western allies, before
Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on Monday night, the fear is that the U.S. may have been withholding intelligence. Just obviously, we're
not certain about that.
But just given some of the threats that Trump has made in the past, what do you make of that?
IAN BREMMER, PRESIDENT & FOUNDER OF GZERO MEDIA & EURASIA GROUP: Well, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister has contradicted that today, while in Poland,
said that there's been no suspension, at least not yet, of American intelligence support. Now and it's clear that President Zelenskyy is quite
publicly animated and upset with what he has seen and heard from the Americans, particularly from President Trump, over the past several days.
The threats to end the attacks on Russian refineries, or else Trump clearly blaming Zelenskyy more than Putin, despite the fact that Putin is the one
responsible for the war, and he's been saying that Trump is weak and the rest. So, I mean, I'm not surprised that his first response to attacks that
come in would be that this is the Americans shutting it down, but again, from his own foreign minister, that appears to be not the case, and so at
very least we shouldn't be taking that as definitive as of right now.
What we have seen is that the United States has intimated that there might be questions about ongoing weapon sales, intelligence support, Elon Musk's
provision of Starlink, for example? All of these things clearly show a level of leverage that the Americans might be willing to use if they do not
get more of what they wish to hear from the Ukrainian side.
ASHER: Yeah, especially because you had Trump Administration officials asking Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries, and as part of that,
they essentially said that Kyiv owes Washington because of intelligence, and a lot of people interpreted that as some kind of veiled threat.
Just in terms of Trump, essentially is suspending sanctions on Russian diesel. Obviously, Zelenskyy is not happy about that. He sort of labeled it
as a birthday gift to Vladimir Putin. What does that mean for the Russian economy, Ian?
BREMMER: Not much. If it were to all go through, I think it was something like 0.05 percent of Russian GDP. So, it's not meaningful, but politically
it's very meaningful. The idea that the Americans would go over the heads of the Europeans who are adding to their sanctions, and that Trump would do
an about face.
This is the same American president that has been warning the Indians and other countries aligned with the United States to suspend their purchases
of Russian oil or else. But now that prices have gone up on the back, particularly of the ill-fated American war against Iran, and midterms are,
you know, sort of coming real soon.
The Trump is going to lose, or his Republican Party is going to lose. Now it's OK to buy the Russian diesel. So, I mean, clearly, this is a shock to
the Europeans who are facing strikes indirectly and some directly from Russia, front line NATO states. It's a shock for the Ukrainians too.
Having said all of that, Ukraine does not need America the way they did a year ago. A year ago, Trump was very angry because American taxpayers were
paying for Ukrainian defense. That is no longer true. American taxpayers are paying nothing. It's all on the back of the Europeans.
So, the Europeans have a lot more to say there. A year ago, the Ukrainians relied on American intelligence for pretty much all of their strikes
against Russia. That's increasingly not true. The Ukrainians have a lot of those capabilities themselves, and it's not very credible for Trump to say
that he would suspend arm sales to NATO that go to Ukraine because American defense companies are making bank of all of that expenditure from European
taxpayers.
So, although Trump is angry with Zelenskyy and Trump is certainly putting more pressure on him.
[11:15:00]
Part of the reason why we see Zelenskyy publicly antagonizing the Americans is because he has a few more cards in his hand than he did when President
Trump kicked him out of the White House a year ago, April.
ASHER: When he was wholly reliant on the United States. So, just in terms of the news we got over the weekend, you had Trump essentially announcing
this energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, and both parties. Well, at least Ukraine came out and said, well, that's news to us.
You had then now Donald Trump saying, well, actually, they didn't agree to an energy ceasefire after all. But obviously, an energy ceasefire would
benefit Ukraine massively, not just because winter is approaching and there's obviously the humanitarian aspect, the economy aspect of it.
It would be important for the Ukrainians. Talk to us about how an energy ceasefire would benefit Russia as well.
BREMMER: Well, I mean, an energy ceasefire benefits Russia because the Ukrainians are attacking lots of Russian refineries, and so you've seen gas
shortages and lines across the country, including in Moscow and Petersburg. Russian elites are being hit by this, you've also seen lots of attacks from
Ukraine on logistical centers, on data centers.
Trump not as worried about that because it's not affecting the American economy in the same way that Trump doesn't seem to be bothered as much by
Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilians. And I mean, one might imagine that if the Ukrainians, instead of attacking Russian refineries to hit the
Russian economy and the global economy, if they were just killing lots of Russian civilians, which they could do and they haven't done, that
President Trump would be less bothered by that as well.
Look, Trump is extremely frustrated that he hasn't been able to bring this war to an end, and the Ukrainians, even though they have more cards, they
are more vulnerable than the Russians are. They're more susceptible to American threats, and in that regard, Trump has been much more willing to
go after them individually.
But when he suddenly announced that there was a ceasefire, I mean, you know, you can understand why the media institutions would run with that?
The President of the United States says the ceasefire historically, like I mean, if an American President would say that, usually it would be because
there was some resemblance to reality that there had been some diplomacy with the two countries that they would have agreed.
Maybe they disagree on the actual wording, but nonetheless there would be some semblance of truth. It turned out, and we heard this from Trump in the
past hours, that the reason that there was a ceasefire is because he said there was a ceasefire, which is very exciting if true, because then you can
just say whatever you want and it happens.
But even though the United States is the most powerful country in the world still, it turns out that Trump cannot magically determine the behavior of
other countries, and that is a real problem for him. He's frustrated about it.
ASHER: Yeah, even though he thinks he can. You're right. We are living in different times. Ian Bremmer, you have to leave it there. Thank you for
that. Right, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen is warning civilians to evacuate parts of the country's capital, Sanaa, ahead of a planned
special operation there.
The warning comes as Saudi Arabia's main international airport remains shut as attacks by Houthi rebels continue to rattle the kingdom. Saudi forces
say they intercepted three ballistic missiles on Monday. The latest strikes targeting Riyadh's airport and a military base as well.
Over the past week, the violence has killed at least 20 people and wounded hundreds more. The U.N. is condemning the latest escalation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANE DUJARRIC, U.N. SPOKESPERSON: Attacks on civilians, attacks on civilian infrastructure, are a violation of international law, and they
must stop. The secretary general also remains deeply concerned about the ongoing military escalation inside Yemen and calls upon parties to exercise
restraint and prevent any further escalation.
He urges all parties to uphold their obligation under international humanitarian law and to refrain from directing attacks against civilians
and civilian infrastructure, and to take constant care to spare the civilian population as well as civilian objects.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attacks on airports and other targets within the kingdom. The militant group has warned
airlines against operating flights to Saudi Arabia. CNN's Nic Robertson has more on how the escalating violence is rattling the kingdom.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: This does put the kingdom in a very difficult position. Just this week, it is hosting a
global summit on energy. It is hosting a huge investment conference for Saudi Arabia in a couple of weeks' time.
It is absolutely in the sort of international business spotlight and the strikes on the airport and the airport now closed until the end of the week
that sends a hugely negative message to potential investors and that's a key thing for the Saudis and I think that's why we heard from the energy
minister today talking about whether it's the Houthi strikes or the Iranian strikes that the Saudis are not going to be bowed by all these attacks
coming their way.
[11:20:00]
This is how he framed it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE ABDULAZIZ BIN SALMAN, SAUDI ENERGY MINISTER: There is no way that somebody will break our back. We are like a phoenix. We come out of the
ashes all the time, and every time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So, this really underscores their message of stability. But then there's that message of strength they want to portray, and built into that
is how to stop the Houthis perpetrating these attacks, how to send a strong enough military signal, and as we know, the Saudis are already backing with
air strikes the internationally recognized government in Yemen as they try to oust the Houthis from the country.
That could potentially be a very long conflict indeed, but Saudi Arabia is now in a position of taking strikes from the Houthis, and the Houthis say
that is because they're involved with the backing the internationally recognized government in Yemen. So, all the tensions around this, none of
its going away.
So, the question becomes how does Saudi show strength. How does it stop the Houthis from doing this? It is building an international coalition of
military support. It does have these air strikes, and as we know, President Trump at the moment is mulling whether or not he will provide more support
above the intelligence level support that's being given at the moment by U.S. personnel in Saudi, and also the sort of air-to-air refueling capacity
that the UK also is providing.
ASHER: Nic Robertson reporting there. All right, still to come here on "One World". Pope Leo seen here arriving at hospital in Rome, where he is due to
undergo surgery to remove a growth on his lung. We have details of that ahead as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Right, Pope Leo is expected to undergo surgery today to remove a lung nodule that doctors found during a recent health checkup. The Vatican
says the pontiff checked into Rome's Gemelli Hospital earlier today. The pope says the nodule was caught early, which would make it easier to treat.
It is his first hospital stay during his 17-month papacy. The pope is expected to recover there for at least a week. Let's go straight to CNN's
Christopher Lamb in Rome. What more do we know, Christopher?
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Pope is, we understand, undergoing surgery this afternoon. We are expecting an update
from the Vatican later today into the early evening to find out how that surgery has gone.
[11:25:00]
I spoke to a lung expert and pulmonologist who said that these kinds of surgeries are minimally invasive. The pope is someone seen to be in
generally good health. This news that he needed surgery, which he announced himself to the people in St. Peter's Square did come as a surprise.
One cardinal said it was like a bolt from the blue, but there is a hope that this can go smoothly. The pope is in the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
This is a hospital long associated with popes. There's a special area for the popes on the 10th floor of the hospital.
That goes back to the time of John Paul II, who had many stays in this hospital, and we've also seen an outpouring of prayers and support being
pledged to Pope Leo from Chicago, his hometown, to Peru, where he served as a bishop and a missionary, and a country where he hopes to visit early next
month, and that is what we understand.
One of the reasons why he wanted to have this operation quickly, so he could be ready for that trip. Obviously, this is an anxious time for
everyone in the Vatican and those in the church following the news, following updates about this surgery for Pope Leo to remove that growth in
his lung.
ASHER: Right, Christopher Lamb, live for us. Thank you for that. Right, still ahead on "One World", Spain's king gets a first-hand look at the
effects of the summer's mass migration crisis in Ceuta. We're taking it after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher. There are some -- here are some headlines rather that we are watching for you today.
[11:30:00]
Saudi Arabia's main international airport remains closed as Houthi attacks continue to rattle the kingdom. Saudi forces say they've intercepted
missiles over Riyadh, while the Saudi-led coalition warns civilians in Yemen's capital to evacuate ahead of a planned military operation there.
U.S. President Donald Trump is suggesting that Ukraine and Russia did not actually agree to an energy ceasefire, despite making an announcement on
his social media platform Sunday morning, but they did. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv confirmed any ceasefire was in place, but the Ukrainian President said
that Russia has continued launching attacks.
Pope Leo is expected to undergo surgery today to remove a lung nodule that doctors found during a recent health checkup. He's expected, or rather,
he's checked into Rome's Gemelli Hospital and will recover there for at least a week. The pontiff says the nodule was caught early, making it
potentially easier to treat.
France is facing more student protests as the government begins debating budget cuts. Earlier, Climate Activist Greta Thunberg joined a
demonstration. The movement is into its fourth week, and key issues include teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and crumbling school
infrastructure.
As of last week, police have made more than 6000 arrests nationwide. All right, Spain's king and queen visited the Spanish enclave of Ceuta today to
show their support for residents. This after a massive influx of migrants. Thousands turned out to see the first visit from a monarch to Ceuta in
about 12 years.
Back in July, some 80,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco, causing a migration crisis and straining relations between the two countries. The
King Felipe and Queen Letizia are also visiting a cemery, cemetery, rather, for those who died in the migration surge. Pau Mosquera joins us live now
from Madrid with more details.
So, walk us through what this visit by Spain's King and queen is supposed to symbolize, because it's not very often you see the Spanish monarch going
to the enclaves. I mean, obviously they travel around Spain, the main land, regularly, but not so much the enclaves. Why is that, and what is this
visit supposed to symbolize, Pau?
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Zain. The visit to Ceuta is about more than just ordinary royal protocol. It's a historic moment for
two specific reasons. First of all, we do have to take into account the political and diplomatic context. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are
visiting both Ceuta and Melilla today, Tuesday, and tomorrow, Wednesday, two months and a half after Ceuta faced a major migration crisis when
nearly 70,000 people cross irregularly from Morocco.
So, the queen and the king' intention is to show support, solidarity, and closeness to the local people. But also, they are sending a very powerful
message that both Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish territories, despite the claims that may come from the other side of the border.
On the other hand, the second reason is the -- of these visits. As you were saying, Zain, this is the very first time that King Felipe VI goes to Ceuta
after ascending to the throne back in 2014. This means that this is the first royal visit that has taken place in 19 years since 2007, when his
father, King Juan Carlos I, visited both Ceuta and Melilla.
And it's worth noting that by then the trip ended with -- anger and the temporary withdrawal of its ambassador to Spain. So, the visit today
basically started with a stop to the city council, where they received the kiss to the city from its president Juan Jesus Vivas. Vivas actually
thanked the royal couple for the visit and also for showing support to all the local residents. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUAN JESUS VIVAS, PRESIDENT OF CEUTA: Ceuta holds firm yet refuses to simply resign itself to the status quo. The people of Ceuta rightfully and
legitimately demand a return to normality, achievable only through the return to Morocco of all those who arrived en masse during those fateful
days in July and who still remain in our city.
Ceuta demands the establishment of a foundation that clearly and unequivocally marks a before and after, a foundation that enables a future
of security, stability, and well-being for Ceuta and its citizens, on equal footing with the rest of the Spanish people and within the shared framework
of the European Union.
Ceuta demands the adoption of whatever measures are necessary to ensure that neither border control nor the economic model nor anything else vital
to Ceuta depends on a third party.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:35:00]
MOSQUERA: So, the visit, Zain, will now resume with another stop to the only Muslim cemetery that there is in Ceuta to pay tribute to the thousands
of people that died when trying to cross to the autonomous city, and they will end with meeting with small representation of the population of Ceuta,
Zain.
ASHER: Right, Pau Mosquera live for us there. Thank you. Madrid. Appreciate it. Right, as Pau just mentioned, the King and Queen of Spain, their visit
is essentially to show support to residents there, who are dealing with the massive amounts of migration in Ceuta.
Spanish police cleared the last migrant camp at Ceuta's Guano Beach this weekend. Several vans arrived, with police having migrants leave their
tents and sit in groups. Police then took them to busses, taking them to a center for temporary assistance of foreigners, working, workers then rather
clean the camp, discarded the tents, mattresses, and personal goods.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMED, MIGRANT FROM MOROCCO: We have been waiting here for nearly two months now, and we are patient. We're just waiting to submit our asylum
application and see our chance. If the application is admitted, that is good. If it is not, there is nothing we can do.
When we go near the tent, security chases us away. They ask us to go near the beach here and said they will pick us up from here when there are tents
available. So, they ordered us to camp here, and we're just waiting for our turn.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Let's bring in our guest Matteo Villa. He's a Senior Research Fellow in the Migration Program at the Italian Institute for International
Political Studies. Matteo, thank you so much for being with us. I think one of the things that's interesting is that this visit by the King and Queen
of Spain is actually a big deal, not just because of what it symbolizes and obviously showing solidarity with the enclave, but because of the potential
risk it has to sort of strain relations with Morocco, as these sorts of visits have done in the past.
We were just saying earlier that that some of the last makeshift camps have been cleaned up in anticipation for the king and queen's arrival. However,
even though most of the migrants were sent back to Morocco after the surge over the summer. There are still many migrants who are still in Ceuta, and
a lot of them have been sleeping on beaches.
MATTEO VILLA, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW AT THE ITALIAN INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL STUDIES: Yeah.
ASHER: They've been sleeping on the streets. They've been sleeping in doorways. There's been accusations of abuse and essentially unsafe living
conditions. What do we know about what life is like in Ceuta for the migrants that remained?
VILLA: I mean, it's large force. Those who stay there are still risking their lives for sure, and of course also facing the most likely possibility
of being returned to Morocco, those who stayed are those usually who cannot be actually returned back. So, it means they are also the most vulnerable.
Usually they are the minors, so people who could not be returned due to the, you know, the agreement that Spain and Morocco do have. And yes, it's
a -- as well because as you perfectly described last time the king visited Ceuta, it sparked a political crisis. Although let's remember, it was very
different days back then.
In 2022, Spain did make a huge political concession to Morocco by recognizing, almost recognizing the let's say that fact that Western
Sahara, which is not internationally recognized as part of Morocco is and could be in time become part of Morocco. So of course, the relationship is
different.
But again, let me stress the fact that even the King of Morocco a few days ago made remarks saying that the expression remains fraught and the you
know the migration black male weapon still stays there.
ASHER: And just from a political perspective, I mean it's been quite a few, a tough few months for Pedro Sanchez and his leftist government. He's
calling for snap elections. He's had not just the housing crisis where you had a lot of people turning out to protest, but the fact that the woman,
the sort of older woman, 87-year-old woman who sort of whose eviction sparked the crisis, the housing crisis, she ended up dying two weeks later.
And then obviously before that you had the housing crisis, rather, sorry, the migration crisis and thousands of people entering Ceuta. So just walk
us through what this means for him politically. We've had a wave of right- wing governments gaining more and more power across Europe.
VILLA: Yeah.
ASHER: Is this the sort of fodder they need for other sort of right-wing parties to stand more of a chance in Spain now?
VILLA: I mean, you've seen exactly what's been happening. These -- even today, the king is going to Ceuta alone and not with Sanchez. Why? Because
actually, the President of Ceuta is also from the Partido Popular, so right wing, let's say the center right wing party, which was the main opposition
to -- the Socialists who Sanchez lead.
[11:40:00]
Still, I mean, if you look at the opinion polling, Spain is also set for a deep change of government and also for a rise of not just the center right
but the far right. And yes, it's something that's been sweeping throughout Europe. But Spain was, you know, an example of this kind of bulwark in
mediating between staying within a humane approach, probably of course socialists' human approach to migration, but also managing the migration
effectively, and this is set to change almost you know with a high likelihood.
So, another let's say left wing government that that is set to fall by November, and this crisis is the example of that, but also probably also
the fractures that are pyramided in Europe. In this crisis, all Centre right governments or even right-wing governments in Europe did not side
with Spain against, you know, a regular migration crisis from Morocco, but sided against Spain because they claimed that Spain didn't make its utmost
to, you know, to avoid that.
So, you can see fractures appear in Europe.
ASHER: Yeah, I mean, talk to us about the blame game, because yes, I mean, obviously people are blaming Pedro Sanchez's government within Spain, but
also across the EU. I mean, in the aftermath of thousands of Moroccan migrants making it to Ceuta, we saw so much blame for the Spanish
government, just that their migration policies were quote, unquote, too generous, a little bit too lax.
That there needed to be new border checks at sea, air, and land, ports of entry. I mean, there was some obviously blame for the Moroccan side as
well. Some people talked about the fact that Moroccan soldiers were just very sort of passive and didn't do enough to stop the surge of migrants.
Walk us through how that is feeding into the politics of this.
VILLA: I mean, let's be sincere. This is mostly political blame game, as you said, because in the end, after a few days, of course, the crisis did
not originate from Spain. Actually, it originated most likely from a scam by migrants. We don't know whether it was, you know, let's say government
directed.
It probably originated from the bottom up, and then Morocco just let you know stood by and let these crises happen because it you know it was it was
good for them. But in the end, what happened is that within a few days, most of the people managed to reach Ceuta, which lets remind ourselves it's
80,000 people populated.
So, the 80,000 doubled the city in just a few days. Over a few days, 70,000 of them appear to have been sent back to Morocco already. So, it wasn't
really, you know, a matter of you know Spain being unable to control these flows was mostly a you know a way for right wing parties to blame the last
socialist government, which is showing a humane face to migration right now, and then shifting maybe also scoring some domestic political points.
Let's -- let me point to the fact that ill as well. We did suspend the so- called Schengen agreement, meaning that people coming from Spain to Italy need to show their passports now. Usually in Europe, you shouldn't. Only
for let's say, I think out of hundreds and of thousands of people coming from Spain, just a few, I think 20 were sent back to Spain.
So again, it was a political blame game. There were no figures to back it up, but I understand. You know, as migration is being used by other
governments to put some pressure on European countries, it is of quite obvious that Europe doesn't show its solidarity between members, but it
only uses it as, yeah, political fodder.
ASHER: Yeah, we saw Giorgia Meloni especially pointing the finger at Pedro Sanchez. And Pedro Sanchez fired back that Italy actually has a bigger
problem with migration, just in terms of the sheer numbers, than Spain does right now. That was his -- that was how he fired back.
Matteo Villa, thank you so much for that. We appreciate it. All right. Still ahead on "One World", forecasters are keeping a close eye on
Hurricane Simon. Details ahead on the damages it's caused in Mexico before making landfall.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
ASHER: Hurricane Simon is slowly moving northwest offshore of Mexico's Pacific coast. U.S. officials say the storm has weakened to a Category 2.
Federal authorities are working to restore power in some coastal areas. Forecasters say more strong winds and rain are expected in the coming days.
Valeria Leon has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hurricane Simon is battering Mexico's Pacific coast, leaving a trail of destruction across coastal towns and
popular tourist destinations.
LEON (voice-over): Huge waves crashing into beachfront businesses, flooding restaurants and shops with water rushing into nearby streets. In the State
of Jalisco, flood waters rose to more than 2.5 feet in some areas, leaving entire streets under water. Military personnel have been deployed to
communities along Mexico's Pacific coast, helping residents' clear water from their homes.
In some neighborhoods, families are using buckets to remove the water, while piling up sandbags to keep more from coming in.
MARIA ELENA VAZQUEZ, RESIDENT: Everything got flooded from here to there, everything, my closet, everything.
LEON (voice-over): In Manzanillo, in the State of Colima, residents woke up early Sunday morning to find water pouring into their homes.
CECILIA PALOMAR, RESIDENT: At dawn, around 03:00 a.m. the water started to rise. It had risen before, but not like this.
LEON (voice-over): Mexico's government has activated its emergency response plan, deploying about 3,000 personnel to help communities affected by the
storm.
ROCIO LOPEZ, WAITRESS: We're a bit worried, and here we are guarding our businesses, which is our source of work and that of many other families.
LEON (voice-over): Meanwhile, in the popular tourist destination of Puerto Vallarta, workers are being co-leaded to help evacuate visitors from the
coastal area. Local authorities have announced plans to transport tourists farther inland to Guadalajara, the state capital. Simon -- has also been
felt farther south in Acapulco, one of Mexico's best-known Pacific beach destinations.
Authorities there report one dead and two people injured. Simon is just the latest in a series of powerful storms to hit Mexico. Just two weeks ago,
Hurricane Polo struck Baja California Sur and Sonora, bringing flooding and strong winds.
LEON: With communities still recovering from previous storms, Simon is bringing yet another wave of destruction. Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: We'll be right back with more after the show break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
ASHER: Right as Russia and Ukraine exchange fire in a war that seems to only escalate. A beloved Ukrainian football team is finding a temporary new
home in London. CNN's Christina Macfarlane went to Stamford Bridge to find out more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): This team haven't been able to play at home since 2014. After being forced to flee their stadium
following the annexation of Crimea, the players have crossed the border hundreds of times to compete in one of football's most prestigious
tournaments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many hours have we been driving?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not counting. I stopped counting after five hours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five, yeah. We haven't even crossed the border into Poland yet.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk are used to going the extra mile to play their football.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Finally, we come to London.
SERHII PALKIN, CEO OF FC SHAKHTAR DONETSK: Travel issue is the biggest problem what we had because sometimes to reach our final destination to
play Champions League games, we can spend even two three days.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): This season, Shakhtar Donetsk have traded their destroyed Donbas arena for a stadium at one of the most famous clubs in the
Premier League. After failing to qualify for the Champions League this season, Chelsea's owners came to an agreement for the Ukrainian club to
host its four home matches at the bridge, which would include a clash against the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham when they faced Real
Madrid in January.
PALKIN: For us, London it's football capital of the whole world, and Stamford Bridge it's great legendary stadium. And for us it's very
important to be here, and for our players it will be additional motivation to show attracting beautiful football like in our DNA.
MACFARLANE: Well, and there's a big Ukrainian diaspora here in London. I think there's something like 32,000 Ukrainians in London. Is this a chance
as well for you to connect with them?
PALKIN: For us, it's very important to give them this breath of air, you know, that Ukraine come here.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Although the fans will be able to support the team in a home stadium, they won't be able to buy a home shirt.
MACFARLANE: So, tell me why it's the away kit and not the home kit right now.
PALKIN: Because one month ago we got a call from Puma, Puma Ukraine, and they saying ask, can you please take some part of your T-shirts and away
from our warehouse because we have chance that it will demolish, and can you imagine in two days, this warehouse was completely demolished by
Russia, and Puma lost everything.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): The opportunity is driving business too. Club sponsored DTEK is Ukraine's biggest private energy firm. Its CEO Maxim
Timchenko believes now is the time to invest in Ukraine.
[11:55:00]
MAXIM TIMCHENKO, CEO OF DTEK: It's very symbolic for us to be to have our appearance, appearance of company brand for the first game here in such a
legendary stadium, to deliver our message to hundreds of millions of people in the world that Ukraine is not only the country where we're fighting,
where we're surviving. but the country where we invest in the future.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): A season spent at Stamford Bridge will be a memorable chapter in the history of this Donets Club, but the goal is
always to return home.
PALKIN: Even now, from time to time, I switch on TV and switch on video and watching how our fans supported us in Don Barina. It was amazing. You
cannot compare emotionally with anything you know you have, because home it's home.
MACFARLANE: You believe you will return?
PALKIN: It's our dream.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Christina Macfarlane reporting there. Right, stay with CNN. There is more "One World". My colleague Bianna Golodryga, after a short break. Don't
go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
