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Israeli Cabinet Approves Ceasefire Plan by Trump; Major Earthquake Jolted the Philippine Province of Davao Oriental; Nobel Peace Prize 2025 to be Revealed Within a Few Hours. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired October 10, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

Israel's government approves the U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire plan. Exactly when the fighting will stop is an open question.

Trump administration is striking at the U.S. President's political enemies again, this time indicting the New York Attorney General who defeated Trump in court.

And the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced in just about two hours from right now. We'll discuss who's in the running.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: We begin in Gaza where there have been fresh Israeli strikes in Khan Younis and Gaza City amid a push for a ceasefire with Hamas. This all comes just hours after Israel's government approved the U.S.-brokered plan. Israeli sources say that approval means a ceasefire is in effect after more than two years of war.

The agreement includes the release of all hostages held in Gaza in the days ahead, but it's not clear if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given the ceasefire order to the country's military. Listen to how U.S. President Donald Trump described the agreement.

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-- agreement is a fragile one with uncertainty around a number of key issues. Senior U.S. officials acknowledge that the plan could still fall apart amid mutual distress between Hamas and Israel. Israel's Prime Minister thanked U.S. officials for helping get the deal across the line.

Netanyahu touted the agreement's terms, securing the release of hostages still held in Gaza. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: The central one of these war aims is to return the hostages, all of the hostages, to living in the dead. And we're about to achieve that goal.

We couldn't have achieved it without the extraordinary help of President Trump and his team, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, they worked tirelessly with Ron and his team, our team. And that and the courage of our soldiers who entered Gaza and the combined military and diplomatic pressure that isolated Hamas, I think, has brought us to this point.

I want to personally thank both of you, Steve, Jared. It's been long hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: A word of the Gaza ceasefire unleashed a flood of emotions throughout the region, especially for Israelis and Palestinians affected by the war. CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports from Tel Aviv.

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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From celebratory dancing in the streets of Gaza to tears of joy in Tel Aviv's hostage square, Israelis and Palestinians have waited two agonizing years for this moment, a ceasefire agreement has been struck. All of the hostages will be released and the war in Gaza is coming to an end.

Amid celebrations, the Israeli cabinet formally approving the deal, triggering an immediate ceasefire. Israeli troops will begin withdrawing from parts of Gaza while holding on to 53 percent of the strip, according to an Israeli official. Within 72 hours, humanitarian aid will surge into Gaza and the hostages will go free.

UNKNOWN: President Trump, you have the best crowd in the world. What do you guys have to say to President Trump?

UNKNOWN: Thank you.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT (on the phone): Thank you very much, everybody.

UNKNOWN: You did it.

UNKNOWN: Thank you.

UNKNOWN: This is amazing.

TRUMP: The hostages will come back. They're coming, all coming back by Monday.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Amid a full court press from the United States, a deal brokered in Egypt quickly rippled through the region.

Whoever doesn't have Internet and is not aware the war is over, this journalist shouted in the streets of northern Gaza, a ceasefire has been agreed. By daybreak, the news was everywhere.

This feeling is the most beautiful feeling I have ever felt, this man says. Today, after two years of suffering, hunger and humiliation, we feel reborn. Today is a day of victory.

Israel has yet to declare it, but mediators from Egypt and Qatar say this deal will lead to an end of the war. Hamas says the U.S. also provided those assurances.

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We have received guarantees from the mediating brothers and from the American administration, all confirming that the war has ended permanently.

In Israel, a festive atmosphere awaits the hostages.

DIAMOND: For two years, Hostages Square has been filled with the sound of protest. But tonight, as you can hear behind me, it is nothing but celebration.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Michel Illouz is among those celebrating.

MICHEL ILLOUZ, FATHER OF DECEASED HOSTAGE SON: I'm familiar with all these kids by poster. And now I will be able to meet them physically. And I'm so excited for them.

But for Illouz, it's bittersweet. His son Guy is among 28 deceased hostages in Gaza.

ILLOUZ: I will get him by DNA, by bones. How can I recognize him? How can I be able to bury him without to recognize him?

And I'm so afraid from this moment because it's kind of starting of recovery. I hope so.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Adding to the uncertainty, Hamas doesn't know the location of all hostage bodies. And Illouz doesn't know if he'll ever get closure.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

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BRUNHUBER: And live now to London and CNN's Salma Abdelaziz. So, Salma, we saw some of the joy rippling through Gaza here as this was announced. Take us through how Palestinians have been reacting to this.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And before we get into that reaction, Kim, I think it's important to note that there is serious fear, chaos, and confusion on the ground. Because after it was announced that Israel's government had approved this deal and it was believed that a ceasefire has gone into effect, we have seen airstrikes taking place, particularly in southern Gaza, in Khan Younis. Now, after the deal was approved, it was unclear if Prime Minister

Netanyahu had actually issued the orders to the Israeli defense forces to cease fire. So on the ground, of course, families are terrified.

It is unclear if a ceasefire has gone into effect. Gaza's civil defense has told families to continue to shelter and to avoid areas with Israel's military in it until there is an official announcement from Israel's Defense Forces. So it gives you a sense again of the gray zone, the chaos right now on the ground.

And you describe joy, but for so many Gazans who have lost loved ones, who have been displaced seven, eight, 10, 20 times as we hear so many families on the ground say, this is relief at best, a chance to mourn, a chance to catch your breath, a chance potentially to find out where your next meal comes from. I want you to hear directly from Palestinians, take a listen.

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NASSER AL-NAJJAR, GAZA RESIDENT (through translator): It is a good feeling. Praise be to God. We are very happy about the announcement of the ceasefire and the end of the genocide, killing, displacement and destruction.

But something is still missing. We have lost so many victims, the dead and the wounded, and we paid a heavy price. We hope for a better future and that peace will prevail for everyone.

UNKNOWN (through translator): Throughout the war, we lived through extremely difficult conditions. But after the ceasefire was announced, we finally felt a bit of relief and peace of mind. Although we lost our children and our homes, we're happy and praying that God will compensate is something better.

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ABDELAZIZ: So what happens next? Well, the release of hostages is believed to take place very quickly once all of the moving parts are sorted. That's something that, of course, aid agencies are involved in making happen.

There is going to be an exchange. You're going to see Palestinian prisoners released as well in exchange for those hostages that will be released from Gaza.

Aid, very important here. Aid is supposed to flood in, there's tons of it quite literally sitting on the border. So that will begin to bring some relief, some comfort to those families in Gaza, many who have struggled to just find the next meal.

But there's a lot we don't know about this deal. There's a lot that has yet to be decided. Importantly, the post-Gaza war plan.

Who will govern Gaza? What role will Hamas play, if any, at all on the ground? What happens if Hamas doesn't step down? There are still so many questions, Kim. So, at best, this feels like a

fragile and perhaps not even yet implemented truce on the ground in Gaza for those families who are so desperate for some relief.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, still so many challenges and roadblocks, as you say. And Salma, you're hearing from some other voices about the potential for a ceasefire. What have you been hearing?

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ABDELAZIZ: Well, I wanted to read a statement that was issued by a mother who works for Save the Children. And I think she begins to capture just all of the pain, the need for relief, the need for aid, the need for help at this time. So if I could just pull up her statement.

Her name is Shurouk, she's 31 years old, and she's a Save the Children staff member in Gaza. If I could pull up her statement.

"I want an immediate ceasefire. I want the luxury to be able to collapse, to fall apart for just a moment, to cry, to scream, to say a proper goodbye. But there is no time for any of that.

Every day is a desperate search for food, for water, for safety, and for a tiny patch of dignity, as every day I try my best to do what I can for my own daughter while bringing a voice to the suffering of countless other children in Gaza."

Now, Shurouk, again, the staff member who wrote the statement, lost her husband in the first two weeks of war. He was killed in an Israeli attack. And she has been displaced eight times since then, while she's continued to work for an aid organization and to try to bring relief to those around her.

I think her story alone gives you an indication of just how difficult this crisis is on the ground and how a ceasefire, as desperately needed as it is, is only the beginning of a very long journey towards recovery, if that's indeed what's going to take place now.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, a poignant letter there. Salma Abdelaziz reporting from London. Thank you so much.

A reaction to the ceasefire deal is pouring in from all around the world. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem questions what will happen next with Gaza reduced to rubble after two years of war. Here's what he told CNN's Erin Burnett earlier.

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CARDINAL PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA, LATIN PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM: I don't have the words about this. All the words cannot represent really what has been for the population of Gaza this period. And also the horror of the deaths, the dead people and so on, is a crime, of course. I think crime, horrific crime, unacceptable and morally unjustifiable. All what we can use of expression are not able to in a way to express

properly the level of suffering, pain and also anger within the population. We don't know what is going to happen after the war, if the war will finish, really finish.

And everything has to be rebuilt anew. All the infrastructures, housing, houses, schools. Don't forget this is the third year without schools.

So how to talk about the future of the children if they for three years without school? And hospitals, water, everything has to be rebuilt anew.

For the first period they will be totally dependent from the humanitarian support from abroad, from the international society or any other institutions. And the rebuilding will take years.

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BRUNHUBER: Alright, joining me live from Gaza is Tess Ingram, spokesperson for UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund. Thank you so much for being here with us. I really appreciate it.

So just to start off, if you could, I mean, I know there are reportedly there were still strikes early this morning. So things are still tenuous. But describe to me the feeling on the ground there now that apparently there is this ceasefire that's been agreed to.

TESS INGRAM, SPOKESPERSON, UNICEF: Yes Kim, when the news broke yesterday, there was huge celebration in Gaza, hope that this conflict was over. But then for many people, they returned to the desperation of just trying to survive, existing in the wasteland that is the Gaza Strip, trying to get food and water, find shelter. That reality persists for people.

So while they're cautiously optimistic, they are enduring suffering. And they are, of course, wary about whether this will fully come into place and whether it will be sustained. Because as you said, there were reportedly attacks in Khan Younis and in Gaza City this morning.

And we know that when there are attacks in the Gaza Strip, that they kill and injure children.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So the efforts to try to alleviate some of that suffering that you're talking about, assuming the ceasefire does hold, when do you think UNICEF teams will actually be able to get back into Gaza and start delivering that much needed aid?

INGRAM: Well, we've never left Gaza, we've been here the whole time delivering aid. But our hope is that the ceasefire will allow us to scale up. That's the goal here because there have been, of course, a near complete blockade that has stopped us from bringing in enough aid.

[03:15:04] So we need to see all available crossings into the Gaza Strip open so that we can get hundreds of trucks worth of aid in every day. UNICEF has more than 1300 trucks pre-positioned outside the Gaza Strip ready to come in with nutrition supplies, medical supplies, other lifesaving care for kids. So we hope that the ceasefire will come into force today and that we will see that scaling up of aid in the coming days.

BRUNHUBER: You talked about some of the things that you're hoping to deliver. I mean, what is at the very top of your list and what do you and your team sort of need to tackle first?

INGRAM: Nutrition is at the very top of our list. Of course, the famine has been confirmed in Gaza City. So we're really trying to bring in more nutrition supplies and make sure that they get to the children and the families who so desperately need them wherever they are.

We're also really intent on making sure that we can repair water systems because water, of course, goes hand in hand with food. So we're bringing in equipment to provide safe drinking water for people.

We're also bringing in shelter because so many homes have been destroyed here. It's coming into winter. So tarpaulins and tents are really necessary.

They're the top three on our list. But, of course, the needs are immense after two years of atrocities. So there's also education supplies, mental health kits and a number of other lifesaving pieces of aid coming into Gaza with UNICEF.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. We've been hearing that sort of aid trucks that you were talking about that are needed to surge aid are waiting just miles from Gaza for months. I mean, if things do open up, how quickly can that be sort of mobilized and get those supplies to the families who need them the most?

INGRAM: That's the million dollar question, Kim, because, as you say, we've been waiting months to do this. The trucks are pre-positioned in various points around the Gaza Strip, ready to come in.

The question on how fast this can surge really depends on when and if crossings into the Gaza Strip open and then how those crossings operate. We need the bureaucratic impediments that have prevented us from bringing in large volumes of aid to be lifted so that we can really scale up five times more to bring in the aid that people need now.

There's two million people, half of whom are children, so this has to happen fast. And we saw that it's possible in the last ceasefire in February. So our hope is that that can be repeated again starting tomorrow.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. So there's one thing getting the aid into Gaza and another sort of getting it to the people who need it most, because we have to obviously make sure it doesn't get stolen or siphoned away. I mean, there's been a lot of back and forth about who's responsible for some of those problems once the aid does get into Gaza.

From your perspective, working with UNICEF, what needs to happen differently this time to make sure all of that food, medicine, supplies actually reach children and their families?

INGRAM: We know that when the volume of aid increases, the desperation decreases. Basic economics. So if we see the volume of trucks go up, we'll see the looting go down.

And we are already seeing that this week with a slight improvement in the aid coming in. So that's critical, we've got to get the volume up and then we need to make sure that community distributions happen and household distributions. That's what UNICEF does.

We bring aid to women and children in their places of refuge. We take it from our trucks and put it directly into their hands and that's how we know that it's getting to the people who need it. Winter clothes, nutrition supplies, and other materials that they need.

BRUNHUBER: We'll leave it there, I really appreciate it. A huge task ahead of you, Tess Ingram in Gaza. Thank you so much.

INGRAM: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: The left bank of Ukraine's capital is without power after a massive Russian attack. And utility workers are scrambling to contain the damage. Ukrainian authorities say dozens of people were injured in Kyiv and other areas. One child was killed in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.

Russia has been striking Ukraine's energy infrastructure almost daily since last month, which follows its game plan from previous years when it targeted sources of heat ahead of winter.

Russia is taking responsibility for shooting down an Azerbaijani passenger jet last December. President Vladimir Putin says his air defenses struck the jet while targeting a Ukrainian drone over southern Russia, 38 people were killed in the Azerbaijani airline's crash, which he later called a tragic incident.

But the Russian president had stopped short of taking responsibility for it until now. This announcement came during a summit in Tajikistan, also attended by Azerbaijan's leader.

Alright, still to come, another of President Trump's political enemies is now facing criminal charges. Prosecutors say they indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James next.

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And President Trump's push to send National Guard troops into Chicago is now on hold. Look at why a judge says she sees no need to deploy soldiers to the city and what that ruling means. All that and more ahead on "CNN Newsroom," stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BRUNHUBER: Peru's Congress has removed its president from office. Dina Boluarte was impeached during an overnight debate a short time ago after losing most of her allies in Congress. Lawmakers approved her removal, claiming permanent moral incapacity to face the onslaught of organized crime.

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Boluarte refused to attend the vote, arguing that due process was rushed, then held a separate address to the people after her impeachment. Peru has now had eight presidents in less than 10 years.

After months of pressure from President Trump, the U.S. Justice Department indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on bank fraud and false statement charges in Virginia. The indictment comes as Trump continues to call for his political opponents to be prosecuted. James' charges stem from a mortgage she took out in Virginia in 2023.

Prosecutors say she falsely claimed on paperwork that the Virginia home would be her primary residence, securing her favorable loan terms. Meanwhile, James says the President is weaponizing the legal system.

The mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois are celebrating a district court ruling that will keep President Trump from deploying National Guard troops in their state for two weeks. The judge said she found no credible evidence that there has been a rebellion in the state that would justify sending in soldiers.

Omar Jimenez reports on the decision and what comes next.

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OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a big moment, this judge granting a temporary restraining order to block President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops here in Illinois for at least 14 days. Now, this came as part of what she described as a high-level summary, sort of an oral ruling, but she was very detailed, the judge, April Perry, in how she described her reasoning in getting to this particular place, and I want to take you through some of it now.

Now, one of the things that she talked about over the course of this is really about this definition of rebellion, since that is some of what the federal government had cited, and the need to have the National Guard here, sort of this fear of getting to a place of open rebellion. She described rebellion as, quote, "deliberate, organized resistance openly opposing the government as a whole," and then said, "I have seen no credible evidence that there has been rebellion in the state of Illinois."

She said that the evidence, as she moves through her oral ruling today, the evidence demonstrates that the deployment of the National Guard may lead to, quote, "civil unrest." She also said Judge Perry said that she finds that deploying the National Guard will, quote, "only add fuel to the fire that the defendants have started" in her characterization. And really, a lot of what she talked about came down to this one

particular aspect, and that was that the court was left with having to make a, quote, "credibility determination," and she found that the Department of Homeland Security, the assessments made by them were, quote, "unreliable." She even mentioned Broadview, which is where we are, just outside Chicago, and some of the protests that we've seen here over recent weeks. She said, she described how at one recent protest, there were 200 protesters, and there were 100 state and local law enforcement officers on site, and that state and local law enforcement were able to maintain control.

So these were some of the details that, again, she was taking those in the courtroom through, one after the other, as she issued this oral ruling, or sort of this high-level summary, as she described. We're expecting the details of her written decision to come over the course of Friday, but we do know that this was a motion that was granted in part, so we are also waiting to see what the other parts are here.

But nonetheless, a significant moment. If past holds true, the Trump administration will push for an appeal, most likely here, and pursue that effort aggressively. But again, for right now, at least the next 14 days, President Trump has been blocked from deploying National Guard troops, on the same day that we first saw Texas National Guard troops take their steps here in the Chicago area.

Omar Jimenez, CNN, Broadview, Illinois.

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BRUNHUBER: The U.S. Coast Guard is buying four icebreaker ships from Finland. President Donald Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb unveiled the agreement during a White House meeting on Thursday, it's part of a larger deal to construct up to seven more icebreakers in U.S. shipyards, and is expected to cost more than $6 billion. The move would bolster the U.S. ability to put military assets in the Arctic as the influence of Russia and China grows in the region.

North Korea is set to mark the 80th anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party on Friday. Pyongyang has already released images of leader Kim Jong-un with some top Russian and Chinese politicians. These celebrations usually involve major military parades.

Analysts say the North may showcase its newest intercontinental and hypersonic missiles. The South Korean military says the parade may happen at night and could involve tens of thousands of people.

At least one person was killed after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Philippines. It was off the eastern side of Mindanao, 123 kilometers, or 79 miles from the island's capital, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

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You see them there, firefighters crouched on the ground outside their station as sirens blared during the quake. Video from the moment the quake struck showed panicked people rushing out of buildings trying to keep their balance as the ground shook violently. The threat of a tsunami has since passed and there are no immediate reports of damage.

Well Palestinians and Israelis are celebrating, hoping the war in Gaza is coming to an end. We'll have the latest on developments in the Middle East when we come back.

And we will soon learn the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. We'll get an expert's tip on the leading contenders. That's coming up next, please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom." Let's check today's top stories.

Israel carried out strikes in Khan Younis and Gaza City Friday morning amid a push for a ceasefire with Hamas. Those comes just hours after Israel's government approved the Gaza ceasefire plan brokered by the U.S. Israeli sources say that approval means a ceasefire is in effect, but it's not clear if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given the ceasefire order to the country's military.

Parts of Ukraine's capital are in the dark following a massive Russian attack on the country's energy system. Officials say dozens have been injured in Kyiv and other areas overnight, and one child was killed. Moscow is stepping up strikes on energy infrastructure, as it's done before, ahead of winter.

The U.S. Justice Department indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on bank fraud and false statement charges. The indictment comes as President Trump continues to call for his political opponents to be prosecuted. James' charges stem from a mortgage she took out in Virginia in 2023, she's accused Trump of weaponizing the legal system.

President Trump says all hostages held in Gaza should be released by Tuesday, as part of the new ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas insisted that all hostages be released at once, not in small groups as seen under previous ceasefires. Twenty hostages held in Gaza are believed to be alive and will be returned home, along with the remains of 28 deceased hostages.

CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke with a woman whose family members were kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz and later killed in Gaza. Yifat Zailer says she's happy about the ceasefire, but it won't erase the pain of losing her loved ones.

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YIFAY ZAILER, FAMILY MEMBERS KIDNAPPED AND KILLED IN GAZA: A great sense of relief, I must say. The same sense you feel like after holding your breath for too long, I guess. But the irreparable pain of losing my family is something that I will have to learn how to live with for the rest of my life.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, "AC360": For so long you did not know what had happened to Sheree, you didn't know what had happened to Ariel and Kafir, and I mean, those images of them being taken, I think, touched so many people around the world in those terrible days immediately after October 7th. How have you gotten through each day since then?

ZAILER: It's been such a nightmare. No one could have written this kind of horror script. I think hope is what helped me when everything else broke into pieces around us.

I still haven't processed completely and accepted completely what happened to us. It's going to take time, and this permanent ceasefire will give us the time to heal finally and understand what we lost and how to move forward from this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize will be announced in less than two hours. The prestigious honor has been awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee since 1901. The winners are individuals or organizations which the committee has deemed to be a champion of peace.

Past laureates have been activists, moral leaders, journalists, and aid groups. The nominees are unknown in advance, so the decision of the five-person committee can often be a surprise.

Alright, I want to get some insight now from journalist and historian Theo Zenou. He's live with us from Paris. Thank you so much for being here with us, I really appreciate it.

So, I want to start with the biggest name in the potential candidates here, President Trump. He's been pushing hard for a Nobel after his work on Middle East ceasefires. Do you think he has a strong case?

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THEO ZENOU, JOURNALIST AND HISTORIAN: I think it's very unlikely that he will win this year's Nobel Prize because however strong his case is, the Nobel Prize takes months and months of deliberation to be awarded. The peace plan that Trump announced was announced three days ago, and right now phase one of his peace plan, the release of the hostages and the permanent ceasefire are being ratified.

This is very important, but it will take time to see whether this peace deal holds. So if Trump has a strong case, it will be in years to come, but it's unlikely that it will be for today.

BRUNHUBER: Okay, so you don't rule him out for the future. We should highlight that his name has been pushed by many world leaders, including those who are involved in trying to end the war in Gaza. Aside from the timing of this, are there any other reasons why you think the committee might be kind of hesitant to recognize him?

ZENOU: Well, there are many reasons, and the key one is this. Individuals cannot nominate themselves for the Nobel Peace Prize, and it's also not confronted upon to campaign so openly for a prize, right? This is not an episode of "The Apprentice."

And so Donald Trump making it about himself, insulting the committee, saying it would be a travesty if it did not win, it would be an insult to America, will rub the committee the wrong way. They won't want to be seen as caving in to his pressure. They want to preserve the independence of their decision making.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, good point. And of course, there is also, as you said earlier, a timing issue in the sense that there's a big difference between stopping fighting and actually solving a conflict. So can you explain what the Nobel Committee is really looking for when they evaluate peacemaking efforts?

ZENOU: They're looking for peacemaking efforts that make a difference in the long term, right? They're looking for an individual who upholds fraternity between nations and peace congresses, those are their terms.

And Donald Trump has a very facile understanding of peace, for him peace is the absence of fighting. So if people are not bombing each other, then it's peace. This is why he often claims peace wins, when it really means ceasefires.

So we'll have to see in the long term whether the Gaza peace holds.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So outside of President Trump, who do you think are the leading contenders this year, do you think?

ZENOU: The contenders are kept secret. We will never know for 50 years who is on the short list. However, of course, there is speculation.

So Yulia Navalny, the widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, has been mentioned. Her husband died in a Siberian jail last year. This will be a powerful message to support dissidents worldwide and against Putin's regime.

They've also been mentioned of the Emergency Response Room, which is a humanitarian group in Sudan made up of volunteers that's been coming to the rescue of civilians.

There's also been mentioned, perhaps, of the International Criminal Court. This would be in support of international law, which has come under attack over the last year.

So there could be any number of candidates. But it's very similar to a papal conclave. We can speculate, but only the people inside the room know what's really happening.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. The ICC would be certainly a controversial choice in this country, with President Trump taking exception to their stances. More broadly, what do you think makes a strong Nobel Peace Prize

candidate in 2025? And what do you think the choice that they'll make will say about where the world is right now?

ZENOU: I think they will look for someone who is forward-thinking and who brings people together. That will be the key qualities they're looking for, because we live in a very polarized world.

And Donald Trump plays a part in that polarization, but he's certainly not alone. And we also live in a world where we're going through a crazy change, a very fast-paced change.

The fight of climate change is still upon us. It's an existential battle for the century. So if I had to bet my money, it might be someone who's doing something to try and solve it.

BRUNHUBER: Oh, interesting. Well, can I put you on the spot for a name?

ZENOU: I will leave that to the committee. But I believe someone like Attenborough in Britain would be a very good choice, because he's dedicated his life to communicating about nature, to warning about climate change.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, interesting. All right.

Well, we'll see whether that pans out, Theo Zenou in Paris. Thank you so much for speaking with us, I appreciate it.

[03:45:07]

U.S. military personologists days away from missing their first paycheck. If Republicans and Democrats don't end the government shutdown, we've got the latest coming up.

Plus, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is warning air traffic controllers not to call out sick. That story, plus how the shutdown's impacting flights after the break. Please stay with us.

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[03:50:03]

BRUNHUBER: The U.S. federal government shutdown is now in its 10th day. Republicans in the Senate failed once again to pass a stopgap funding bill on Thursday. And with the shutdown expected to extend into next week, military service members could soon miss their first paycheck.

In a private call to GOP members, House Speaker Mike Johnson stressed that he wouldn't put a standalone military pay bill up for a vote on the floor. Republicans are also frustrated with fellow House member Marjorie Taylor Greene for blaming the party's leadership for the shutdown.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is warning air traffic controllers that they could be fired if they don't show up for work. They are essential employees who must work during the government shutdown, even though they aren't getting paid. Some airports are experiencing flight delays due to controller shortages.

CNN's Pete Muntean has more.

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PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: There is no way to tell where flight delays caused by air traffic controller staffing shortages during this government shutdown will crop up next. On Thursday, Newark was on the list of delays, also short-staffing at places like the Boston Center air traffic control facility in Nashua, New Hampshire, also the control towers in Roanoke, Virginia, and at Bradley in Hartford, Connecticut.

On Wednesday, the air traffic control tower here at Reagan National Airport was so short-staffed that the FAA had to delay flights in the name of safety for about six hours on Wednesday night, led to about a quarter of all flights for the day being delayed here at Reagan National Airport. The larger issue is the margins are razor-thin. There are so few controllers to begin with in the United States, a nationwide shortage, and just a few of them calling out sick in certain areas can lead to an outsized impact.

Remember, 11,000 air traffic controllers in the U.S. essentially working without pay right now. Their last paycheck comes next Tuesday. The Union of Air Traffic Controllers insists there is not some sort of coordinated sick-out effort taking place right now.

It has led Southwest Airlines to issue a memo to all of its workers saying they should be ready for these air traffic control delays anywhere in the U.S.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Reagan National Airport.

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BRUNHUBER: Scientists are excited about two fossils unearthed in South America. Coming up, how these discoveries help scientists gain a deeper understanding of the dinosaurs that lived 70 million years ago. Please do stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Britain's top royals made a rare joint appearance ahead of a United Nations climate summit. King Charles and Prince William attended a countdown to COP 30 reception at London's Natural History Museum on Thursday.

In four weeks, the Prince of Wales will take his father's place at this year's summit in Brazil. He'll join other political leaders from across the world as well as climate campaigners and big business leaders in talks aimed at securing more action and finance to tackle global climate change.

Paleontologists have uncovered rare dinosaur fossils in southern Argentina. The team discovered a sauropod femur with unusual proportions on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, they unearthed a duck- billed dinosaur's shoulder blade.

Now, they're not sharing the exact location of the finds to protect the area's cultural heritage, but they say the fossils date back 70 million years. Now, the site is known for the many different fossils discovered there. Scientists say the site offers one of the most complete windows into the pre-extinction world of dinosaurs.

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MAURO ARANCIAGA, PALEONTOLOGIST (through translator): First, this material is spectacular. For now, it's unique because in this location, we haven't found another femur with these characteristics.

We've found large femurs, but not like this. Same with the other parts.

It's the only animal with small legs. It's the only small foot. Let's say there's no other.

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BRUNHUBER: Pop culture fans are gathering in the Big Apple for this year's New York City Comic Con. The annual convention kicked off on Thursday. It's considered the largest pop culture event on the U.S. East Coast.

Roughly 250,000 people are expected to attend the four-day festival, including celebrities like Sigourney Weaver, Glenn Powell, and the voice actors from "K-Pop Demon Hunters."

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GREG MENDEZ, COMIC CON ATTENDEE: This is actually like probably my seventh New York City Comic Con, love it. It's kind of being like reconnecting with everything geek, and it's kind of being coming back to my tribe. So when I'm here, I'm with my people.

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BRUNHUBER: And New York City Comic Con continues through Sunday, October 12.

Basketball superstar LeBron James will reportedly miss the Lakers' opening night game set for the 21st. According to multiple reports, it's due to sciatica, pain that originates in the spine and spreads down the back of the leg.

The reports say James' condition will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks. The basketball league's all-time leading scorer hasn't been participating fully in the Lakers' team practice, they missed the team's first two preseason games. All right. Thank you so much for joining me, I'm Kim Brunhuber in

Atlanta. "Amanpour" is next, and then stay tuned for "Early Start" in about an hour.

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