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Israel Receives Remains Of Three Hostages From Hamas; Donald Trump Tells Pentagon To Prepare For Possible Action In Nigeria; New Yorkers Set To Pick Their Next Mayor Tuesday; Big Tech, Innovation And Energy Converge At UAE Conference; 2PointZero CEO: United States-UAE A.I. And Advanced Tech Relationship "Extremely Important"; Transportation Secretary: Flight Delays "Only Going To Get Worse"; Some Latino Trump Voters Say They Are Not Happy With Him; The UAE Blueprint. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 03, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:44]
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of the show. I'm Erica Hill joining you from New York, where it is 10:00 a.m.
Turkey hosting a crucial meeting on what's next for the cease fire inside Gaza. But will it make any difference for desperate Palestinians in the
enclave?
Plus, a race to the finish line for candidates in key U.S. elections. Just what will tomorrow's votes tell us about the mood in America?
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Becky Anderson live from ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi, where leaders from the world's biggest players in energy and tech
are meeting, and where Microsoft just announced a huge new investment in A.I. in this region. I'll have all of that and more from ADIPEC later this
hour.
HILL: We do begin this hour in Istanbul, where the cease fire in Gaza is in sharp focus. Foreign Ministers from several Muslim majority countries
meeting a short time ago to discuss the next stage of President Trump's cease fire deal and the formation of an international stabilization force
to monitor the fractious truce.
Speaking after those talks, Turkey's foreign minister said the work is ongoing to achieve a United Nations mandate for such a force. And also said
Turkey wants a post war framework for Gaza where, in his words, Palestinians ensure Palestine's governance and security.
Paula Hancocks is following these developments for us from CNN's Abu Dhabi bureau.
So, Paula, walk us through not only the significance of today's meeting, but what came out of it.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, this was a meeting of foreign ministers from some majority Muslim countries. We understand that
obviously the focus was Gaza. It was about the security and the governance of Gaza.
Now, significant that it is being hosted by Turkey, that it's being held in Turkey as this is a country that was a key mediator in the final weeks and
months before this cease fire was secured between Hamas and Israel.
But also interesting because Israel has made it fairly clear that it does not want the Turkish military to be involved when it comes to this
stabilization force, certainly not with boots on the ground in Israel or in Gaza.
So, we are seeing here from the foreign minister in Turkey some key points. There is no love lost, as I said, between the two countries. So, pointing
out that it does not believe Israel is doing enough when it comes to securing humanitarian aid and allowing that aid into Gaza. It is an
accusation that has been leveled against Israel in the past by others, and Israel has always denied it.
The Turkish foreign minister also pointed out that Hamas is ready, it believes to hand over power to a committee of Palestinians.
But looking at the actual stabilization force, this ISF, which would have boots on the ground, and this meant to keep the peace. He said that
countries will commit to that when they know the true definition of it, and make sure that it does have a mandate.
So, this is just another step in the process to try and move from Phase A to Phase B, and to tackle those very thorny questions about security and
governance in the future Gaza, Erica.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Paula, also, Israel confirming that remains handed over by Hamas are in fact, those of three deceased hostages. What more do
we know?
HANCOCKS: Yes, this was confirmed a little on -- little earlier today, the families have been notified. This was three soldiers who were killed
fighting against Hamas on October 7th. There's 40-year-old Colonel Asaf Hamami, he was killed as he was trying to defend one of the kibbutzim just
along the border of Gaza on October 7th.
Captain Maxim Neutra, a 21-year-old American Israeli soldier. He had been mentioned earlier as well by the U.S. President Donald Trump, saying that
he had spoken to his parents.
And also, Sergeant Major Oz Daniel, a 19-year-old who was also killed while fighting against Hamas in the kibbutzim.
[10:05:04]
Now, we know, as of now, there are still the remains of eight Israeli hostages inside Gaza. We know that there is an Egyptian team, for example,
with heavy equipment that is trying to help locate those remains. They have the technology. They have the expertise that are trying to find remains of
people in rubble and underground.
And we've heard from the IDF chief of staff as well saying that the mission, as far as he's concerned, is not over until all of the hostages
are returned, Erica.
HILL: Paula, appreciate it. Thank you.
We want to return our attention now to Africa, where President Trump is leveling new threats of military action in Nigeria. Writing on Truth Social
over the weekend that, in his words, if the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, then the U.S. military may very well go
into Nigeria. "Guns-a-blazing, to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities." Here's a little
bit more from the U.S. president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria, and they have other countries very bad
also, you know, that part of the world, very bad. They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. Not going to allow that
to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: CNN's Nic Robertson has found these developments for us. So, Nic, I guess, sort of a two part question to start with. Number one, what is the
reality of these claims that President Trump is making. And then two, how is Nigeria's government reacting to the threats from the U.S. president?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and I think the sort of two things coincide in a way that both the Nigerian government and
agencies sort of that investigate these attacks say that the data doesn't stack up with what the president is describing.
Indeed, the former Nigerian foreign minister is also the former finance minister is also currently the Director General of the World Trade
Organization in London today, speaking earlier on with CNN, said that it's a very complex situation that it is not, perhaps as simple as the president
portrays it, that there are other issues, there are environmental issues.
And this is what the research is finding. And this is what, you know, government officials inside Nigeria are saying that, yes, Christians are
being killed, where these Islamist terror groups operate in the north of Nigeria.
But also in perhaps even greater number, Muslims are being killed. Most the majority of the north of Nigeria is majority Muslim population. So, Muslims
are being killed as well as Christians, at the hands of these radical Islamists.
So, the picture that the President paints that this is just hitting Christians is being, if you will, taken apart and taken exception to.
And the other thing that's being pointed out is this is not a religious -- this religion is not the only issue here. There are issues there of
community of land use, the farmers there who grow crops on the land, traditionally Christians. But there's also conflict with the herders who
move and follow the cattle, they're mostly Muslims.
So, the issues there are complex and beyond the way the president presents them.
We've also heard from the advisor to the president of Nigeria, who said, look, we don't take what the president is saying at face value. We sort of
see it as he's done with other situations around the world, as a sort of an opening statement that may lead to a conversation with other Nigerian
officials.
And he said bluntly, we welcome support from the United States, as long as it respects the sovereignty, territorial integrity of our country. He said
we would like better fighter aircraft to combat these Islamist groups, better drones, better equipment.
He said, we have the troops. What we need better is the -- is support -- military equipment support from the United States. I think at that level,
what the president is stating as a cause is being taken down, and where -- how it's being reflected back by the government in Nigeria is, yes, there's
an issue of people being killed in our country, we would like some help, can you do it?
HILL: Yes, well, in terms of that help too, part of that initial post from President Trump started with him warning that he would end, in his words,
"All aid and assistance to Nigeria," before going on to talk about going in guns-a-blazing. In terms of that aid and assistance that already exists,
what would that -- what would that impact be?
ROBERTSON: Well, the impact would be probably improv -- greater impoverishing the north of the country where aid is being delivered.
I visited there with, at the time, the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, before he became prime minister, 2017, I think it was, about eight
years ago, almost. The conditions on the ground were the same. I was there with his foreign development official as well, who was the minister for
that who was in charge of aid, and the aid was going into hospitals there to help with the people who've been injured in these attacks, and the aid
as well, was going to feed people in that area where the effects of this Islamist violence was destroying the economy, because people were being
blown up by suicide bombs in the middle of their towns, in the middle of their markets.
[10:10:28]
Indeed, I talked to one young man in the hospital there who said, look, you know what we really want here is actually talks with these rebels to leave
us, the civilians, alone, and let us get on with our lives.
So, even back then, people were saying, we need help, not only with food aid, not only with the medical aid that's coming in. But we need a -- we
need aid as well, support, if you will, to get into a conversation with these groups and stop the attacks.
So, think at all those levels, when you stop international aid going in, you worsen the conditions and situation of the population.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Nic, appreciated the context. So key as always. Thank you.
Well, President Trump over the weekend also weighing in on another area of foreign policy concern, Ukraine. On Sunday, President Trump revealed he was
not actually considering sending those long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, as had been discussed.
CNN, of course, had previously reported the Pentagon gave the green light to provide those missiles to aid in the war against Russia, after assessing
that giving missiles would not negatively impact the U.S. stockpiles.
Well, Trump, though, over the weekend, stated there was no final straw. Here's more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: There's no final straw. Sometimes you have to let it fight it out. They're fighting. They're fighting it out. It's been a tough war for Putin,
he's lost a lot of soldiers, maybe a million, that's a lot of soldiers, and it's been tough for Ukraine. It's been tough for both. Sometimes you have
to learn it. Sometimes you have to let it, you know, just get fought out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Tuesday is election day here in the United States, and while it is what's referred to as an off-year election, there's still plenty at stake
here, including two big gubernatorial races, one in Virginia, one in New Jersey. California voters will weigh in on a big decision when it comes to
congressional redistricting, and perhaps one of the most watched battles is the race for New York City Mayor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I say Zohran, you say mayor. Zohran.
CROWD: Mayor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Zohran.
CROWD: Mayor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Zohran Mamdani the young democratic socialist, a rising star of the left, is leading in the polls. There he is out earlier today. He was
walking across the Brooklyn Bridge there, making his final pitch to voters. There's attorney general alongside him there.
CNN's Gloria Pazmino joining us live from New York. He and the other candidates have been out and about all weekend, a very busy weekend of
campaigning. He also heard from former President Obama over the weekend. Where do things stand now with just hours to go until election day?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Gloria Pazmino That's right, Erica, he talked about that phone call earlier this morning. He said that he was
thankful to have the former president's support. He thanked them for his time, and we know that Obama, in that call, offered to be a sounding board,
not quite a full endorsement of Mamdani's race, but Obama, we understand, did say to him that he was watching the election closely and that his
campaign had been impressive.
Now, there's been a whole lot of symbolism behind this election, and there's a lot of potential for history making. If Mamdani is elected on
Tuesday, he would be New York City's first Muslim mayor. He would be one of the youngest in a century. He would be the first South Asian, the first
immigrant mayor in many, many years. And he has taken that symbolism to the end of the campaign here today, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and to
city hall here behind me, sort of marking an end to this campaign, talking about the possibility of a new dawn here in New York City, making that
early morning address, reaching out to his supporters, speaking directly to New Yorkers, asking them to get out to the polls.
He told me he's feeling confident, however, not complacent, and he knows that the next several hours until the polls close tomorrow, at 9:00 at
night, will be pivotal for him to continue to drive up support.
Now, he's making his way around the city. So, is Andrew Cuomo, who's running as an Independent, the former governor of New York and the
Republican in this race, Curtis Sliwa.
Now, you mentioned President Trump. He was on CBS "60 Minutes" last night talking about this race. In fact, Trump has loomed very large over this
election. This is, of course, Trump's hometown, and he's made it clear that if Mamdani is elected, he would consider cutting back funding for the city
of New York.
Take a listen to how Mamdani responded to that and Trump's comments saying that he would support Cuomo if he were voting in this election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[10:15:00]
ZOHRAN MAMDAN (D), NEW YORK MAYORIAL CANDIDATE: Now Donald Trump may speak as if it is his decision, but this is money that this city is owed. This is
money that we will expect to collect and I will take every single day after this election to put together my city government, my city hall, to ensure
that it is prepared, not only for the threats from Donald Trump, but also the threats from an affordability crisis that has put one in four New
Yorkers in poverty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAZMINO: Now, Erica, more than 700,000 New Yorkers have already cast their ballots. That may not sound like a lot of people for a city of eight
million, but it is actually breaking the previously set records. The last time we had a mayoral election, polls are closed today. They will reopen
tomorrow, and it looks like at least for now, this election is on track to make history.
We do not know what's going to happen tomorrow, but we do know that New Yorkers are engaged and paying attention to this election in a way that
they haven't done in many years, Erica.
HILL: That is for sure. Gloria, really appreciate it. Thank you.
Still to come here in CONNECT THE WORLD after the break, back to Abu Dhabi where Becky Anderson is leading our coverage of a key energy conference
underway right now. World leaders calling for trillions of dollars, trillions in investments to meet the new demands of artificial
intelligence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm here at ADIPEC, which is the huge annual energy gathering hosted by Abu Dhabi at the center of today's conversation here is
meeting the energy demands of the artificial intelligence era.
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE's Minister for Industry and Advanced Technology, and CEO of the National Energy giant here is calling for
massive investments. He says $4 trillion annually will be needed to power energy grids and data centers.
And as things get underway, Microsoft announced a major investment of its own. The tech giant says it will be pouring $15 billion into the UAE by the
end of the decade.
Now, despite OPEC Plus today pausing its production, output increases in the first quarter of 2026, the UAE remains bullish on long term oil and
gas, in part driven by this A.I. boom. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SULTAN AL JABER, UAE MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY: Tune out the noise. Track the signal and the signal, my dear colleagues, is
telling us that near term uncertainty is real, while long term demand remains very strong.
It is telling us to balance cost discipline with capital investment. Stay laser focused on efficiency, while investing in people, technology and A.I.
[10:20:03]
In short, while we may face headwinds in the months ahead, the long term outlook shows demand growth for every form of energy across every market.
And ladies and gentlemen, our response to that demand should focus on the data.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the war in Ukraine has reminded us how world events have a habit of forcing the energy industry into new shapes. Just consider the
European Union long dependent on Russian energy, but now promising to phase out gas imports from Russia by 2027.
Robin Mills is an energy analyst and the CEO of Qamar Energy. In a new op- ed out today, he says Europe should be looking east and south, writing, and I quote here, "To the West, across the stormy Atlantic. It has the U.S. The
swelling wave of American LNG is certainly vital, and Brussels is committed to buy more of it. But over dependence on Washington looks unwise with
today's turbulent trade. Swapping reliance on one erratic fossil fuel promoter for another risks Europe's climate and political principles. So,
the east and south become more critical."
Robin Mills joining me live here at the conference, I'm really pleased to have you. Just expand on what you mean, how is all of this uncertainty
reshaping the energy calculus for Europe and further, where do you see Donald Trump's actions or threats of action? Not least on, for example,
Nigeria, Venezuela, creating more uncertainty, Robin?
ROBIN MILLS, CEO, QAMAR ENERGY: Sure. Well, look, I think Europe was as a gas importer. Was always very well tied into Russia, and it was part of a
continent in that sense. Now, of course, it isn't. The Russian gas has mostly been phased out by 2027 It should all be gone.
The U.S. has stepped up and said, look, we will supply liquefied natural gas to fill this gap. Yes, that's been absolutely vital. But of course, we
know that the political approaches of Europe and the U.S. right now are very different, and particularly on climate.
And as I say, I think Europe is very dependent on Russia. It doesn't want to swap that for an equal dependence on the U.S. So, the U.S. will be
important, but Europe also wants to and has to look, as I said, both South and East.
And when I say East, of course, I don't mean Russia, but I mean the Middle East and the routes that come up through Turkey and the Mediterranean.
ANDERSON: These further threats, or certainly actions or threats of action by Donald Trump. Let me just -- can you just give me a sense from your
perspective, how his words are creating further instability in these markets.
MILLS: Yes, it's a big concern. Because, look, you know, Venezuela used to be a huge oil exporter. Not so much these days, but Nigeria isn't. It isn't
an important oil producer, you know, the most important in Africa.
And these threats, they may lead to nothing, you know, but if they do lead to serious further conflict, instability, and that could be military
action, but it could be sanctions or trade measures or whatever. That, of course, damages different parts of the global energy system, which is
already under a lot of strain.
You know, we've lost -- we've lost Russia. We've lost -- we've lost Iran, which is a major supplier. We've had interruptions on trade routes. How
many more of the -- of these pillars can you knock out?
ANDERSON: Dr. Sultan Al Jaber talking about how in the short term, this industry, and I'm talking about the energy industry as a whole, needs to
kind of fasten the seatbelt, as it were, because things could be pretty rocky.
But he went on today to talk about his optimism about long term demand for the oil and gas industry, massive demand for electricity, fueled not just
by the -- fueled by the A.I. era and the A.I. boom that will take oil and gas, it will take, you know, a plethora of other smorgasbord of other
energy sources as well. And what do you make of his projections?
MILLS: Well, you know, one striking thing was he says that oil demand will still be above 100 million barrels per day, beyond 2040 and I think, yes,
that does indeed look to be the world that we're heading for now.
Will all demand go much higher? Maybe, maybe not, but at least it won't -- it won't be collapsing.
And indeed, he points to the need for energy, not just for A.I., but that's a big one, but also for basic living standards in much of the world, in Sub
Saharan Africa, in particular, in South Asia, basic things like air conditioning for two billion people and so on. And yes, that'll mean solar
power. It'll mean wind power, but it will also mean oil and gas.
ANDERSON: U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum here at ADIPEC today beating the drum for investments in energy infrastructure to power A.I., to power
the revolution, which he contends will be a generational game changer.
[10:25:00]
His message here, the U.S. sees the UAE very specifically as a strategic partner in that energy and A.I. arms race. Can you explain what this U.S.-
UAE multibillion dollar partnership looks like in practical terms?
MILLS: Yes, well, it's been very notable since Donald Trump's visit here, and a partnership that goes both ways, right? So, the UAE is investing
heavily in the U.S. in the energy sector, in the A.I. sector and other areas, and similarly, U.S. technology is coming here. You saw the
announcement today that NVIDIA chips would be permitted in to be sold to the UAE, partnership with Microsoft.
So, you know, the UAE is an energy rich country, a Western ally and a U.S. ally, a stable country, and therefore one that seems like a good partner
for this, this kind of A.I. development.
ANDERSON: Largely absent this year here, conversations around climate and net zero. You talked about Europe's commitment to climate at the beginning
of this conversation. Should we be surprised, given that COP 28 of course, was held here just two years ago, almost to the day, when the UAE
consensus, sort of, you know, delivered what was quite an important moment in the sort of road towards moving away from fossil fuels. Is it now all
change?
MILLS: I think the emphasis in the rhetoric is different. Yes, definitely that the climate talk is -- there's less. It's downplayed. I think in
actions, no, I don't see a big change, if anything, I see in an acceleration in this region, in climate friendly technologies, because they
aren't a lot more competitive than they were even a few years ago. They make economic sense, they're practical, they're far more reliable. And that
this is the trend, very much, that China is going down.
So, I sat in a gathering yesterday with Dr. Sultan, and we had Doug Burgum and others there, and the debate was very much between the Americans, of
course, pushing the line, as you have been saying, whereas the Europeans were pushing back and saying, you know, renewables are indeed competitive.
We have no problem finding our economy on them. We have a short term issue of competitiveness and investment, yes, but this is a long term direction
for us.
ANDERSON: It's fascinating, isn't it? It's good to have you, always good to have you. Your insight analysis, so important. Thank you very much.
At the back end of the first day, the conference has cleared out. There have been thousands of people, thousands upon thousands of people here
today, and they will be back tomorrow for day two, 2PointZero Group, a newly evolving massive investment vehicle here in the UAE, already
reportedly worth $33 billion and it's set to become one of the largest listed companies on the Abu Dhabi stock exchange in the coming weeks,
according to the Group CEO Mariam Almheiri.
Well, she was here today, and I spoke with Mariam earlier about what can only be described as an aggressive investment and growth strategy. She
explained that it is driven by two so-called mega trends. I began by asking her about the recent mergers that have brought 2PointZero this far. Have a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIAM ALMHEIRI, CEO, 2POINTZERO GROUP: The thought behind it was, let's create a next generation investment platform 2PointZero and how can we
ensure that? Because we did a private capital placement, and I had two tasks. I had to make sure that I'm giving an exit to my investors in less
than two years, and making sure I reach a total asset value of about $27 billion by the time I go to market. So, those are my two tasks.
So, as we've been growing 2PointZero as we've been kind of bringing the structure into two mega trends, being energy and consumer, we were on the
path to go IPO.
And as we were doing so, we then got an offer from Multiply and Ghitha (PH) to do this mega merge. And when we studied it, it actually made sense,
because I still would be able to tick the boxes of providing an exit within the two-year time frame, and also ensuring that the total investment value
was exceeding the $27 billion mark. And at the same time, I actually was in a better position for the next phase of growth.
ANDERSON: You talk about two mega trends that you are laser focused on. One is energy and the other is the consumer sector. Is that investment strategy
on the one side, energy and A.I., and on the other, the consumer sector an effort to mitigate the risk of any downside in this massive surge in A.I.
investment and interest?
[10:30:06]
ALMHEIRI: I would say yes. But also, look at it this way, for every dollar you invest, you are investing in both these multi trillion-dollar sectors.
So, it's a yes, but it's also on the opportunistic side, a fantastic opportunity, knowing that these two mega trends are exponentially growing,
ANDERSON: What does the increasingly expanding U.S., UAE, AI and advanced tech relationship look like through the 2.0 groups lens?
ALMHEIRI: Extremely important, Becky. We've got an excellent strategic relationship with the U.S. In fact, Secretary Burgum is as well here at
ADIPEC, I just had a meeting with him. The two subjects we talked about was energy and critical metals and minerals.
Because of the space we're in on the kind of A.I. enablement, it's critical that we have these deeper discussions on how we can align everything you do
on energy and critical metals and minerals is about long-term investments and, in fact, the --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: And securing a global supply chain. That's what the U.S. wants to do at that point.
ALMHEIRI: Absolutely. Exactly, exactly.
ANDERSON: So, you have an offer --
ALMHEIRI: Yes.
ANDERSON: For Donald Trump's administration at this point.
ALMHEIRI: Absolutely, absolutely. And we are, again, the $1.4 trillion commitment that we have, we are really trying to push forward, right now,
Becky, it's not about a lack of ideas or capital. It's the speed. So, speed of deployment that we feel is something that we need to work on together to
get the money to where the projects are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Look, as the world embraces AI, we are learning advanced technology and massive energy demand go hand in hand. And at this
conference here in Abu Dhabi, they are sharing a single stage, large language models and data storage on the necessary scale will require more
energy. At the same time, the energy industry looking for new ways to or for ways, at least, to capitalize on the A.I. boom that it is fueling.
This cycle is one that is defining the future of investment in this region and around the world. The CEO of ADNOC, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, opened this
event a few hours ago by focusing on two points, smart public policy that looks beyond mercurial politics and data driven investment that does not
ignore the reality of demand.
That second point underscored by the news that Microsoft plans to put $15 billion into the country by 2030. The other key point that I'm hearing
again and again on the ground here in the UAE and very specifically at ADIPEC, is that all this must work for people. Energy policy and an
advanced tech must work for citizens of the countries developing them.
Well, that is it for our special coverage here at ADIPEC. My colleague Erica Hill will be back with a lot more news after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:35:48]
HILL: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Erica Hill. Here are your headlines.
Foreign Ministers from several Muslim majority countries meeting in Istanbul to discuss the next stage of Donald Trump's Gaza cease fire deal.
That includes the formation of an international stabilization force to monitor that truth -- truce.
Speaking after the talks, Turkey's foreign minister said countries are still working on a planned U.N. mandate for such a force.
Officials in Afghanistan say 20 people are known to have died after a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit the north of the country. There are
feels that -- fears that death toll will continue to rise as search and rescue teams get to work. The quake struck near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif
in the early hours of Monday morning.
Tuesday is election day here in the United States. Key races could serve as a gage on how voters feel about President Trump and his performance so far
in his second term. At stake here too, gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, the mayor's seat in New York City, and also a proposition in
California. Voters will weigh-in on a potential change to the state's congressional maps.
At the start of a new work week in the United States, Americans are faced with a broken government, still shut down. And if it is not reopened in a
matter of days, this will be the longest on record. This is now day 34 with no end in sight. And with the holidays fast approaching, millions of
Americans are continuing to go without pay. Many are at risk of losing health care, and some have already lost their food assistance aid.
34 days in, President Trump contends, though his role in the shutdown is limited.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: All they have to do is let the country open and we'll fix it. They have to let the country open --
(CROSSTALK)
NORAH O'DONNELL, CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CBS NEWS: But ending the government shutdown --
TRUMP: And I'll sit down with the Democrats and we'll fix it.
O'DONNELL: But so, you're saying your plan is to tell the Democrats to vote to end the shutdown.
TRUMP: Correct. Very simple.
O'DONNELL: And that you will put forward a health care plan?
TRUMP: No, we will work on fixing the bad health care that we have right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: The U.S. government shutdown is also creating plenty of snags when it comes to air travel. The country just coming off its worst weekend for air
traffic control staffing since the shutdown began. Airports are forced to shuffle operations at major hubs in an effort to handle all the flights
with fewer workers.
Joining us now from Washington, aviation correspondent Pete Muntean.
So, just walk us through, Pete, what is -- what is happening behind the scenes with the staffing shortages when we talk about air traffic control?
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, air traffic controllers is a huge issue. But the video we just showed there, the long
lines there at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, where they just tweeted that the lines for security there are about three hours long
right now.
As for today, when it comes to air traffic control, the FAA just updated the list of shortages and the facility responsible for flights arriving and
departing into Newark, Liberty International Airport, huge international hub, short staffed.
Also, the center facility responsible for controlling high altitude flights around the New York area. Those are the only two spots of concern for today
so far. But history has shown that -- has shown that can change really, really fast. You know, it's kind of exactly how we started out on Friday,
which kicked off the worst weekend for air traffic control staffing shortages since the start of the shutdown 34 days ago, and this is what we
have been monitoring.
This is the Federal Aviation Administration's National Airspace operations plan. It's published every few hours, and it shows the FAA facilities with
short staffing.
A list on a normal day, maybe two, one, maybe no facilities listed there. On Friday, there were 46 different facilities. The three New York City
airports have been especially hard hit. And the FAA says nearly 80 percent of air traffic controllers were out on Friday at facilities that handled
New York flights, and that is what creates the bind.
And the FAA says it has no choice, in some cases, but to slow the pace of flights and put into place ground delays or ground stops.
I want you to listen now to what Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had to say about that yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN DUFFY, UNITED STATES TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: I think it's only going to get worse. We have controllers who some of them are new controllers. We
have trainee controllers who are very helpful in the tower. They don't make a lot of money.
[10:40:00]
And they are now confronted they haven't had a paycheck for over a month. They are confronted with a decision, do I put food on my kids' table? Do I
put gas in the car? Do I pay my rent or do I go to work and not get paid? And they are making decisions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MUNTEAN: In all this weekend, some more than 16,000 flight delays across the entire United States. Remember, air traffic controllers still working
without pay during this shutdown. That $0 paycheck they received a little under a week ago was only insult to injury.
Secretary Duffy said yesterday that the Trump administration is looking for pots of money to pay controllers despite this shutdown, but he says the
rules are pretty strict, and the Trump administration must follow the law. Erica.
HILL: So, Pete, what I'm hearing is it doesn't sound like there is a lot that can be done until the government reopens, frankly. So, if for folks
who are traveling, what can they expect? Is there anything that they can do to get a better sense of what that experience might look for -- look like?
MUNTEAN: Well, the big thing, and I -- the question I get so often is whether or not it's safe to fly right now. And the analogy I would use is
if you come to a stoplight, the power goes out, essentially turns into a four-way stop. You get those blinking reds or blinking yellows. It's not
really any less safe, it's only less efficient.
And so, what's happening now is the Federal Aviation Administration will essentially slow flights if there are not enough air traffic controllers.
You know, they are facing so much stress. There is already a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers, and so, some of them are calling out
simply because they are stressed, simply because they can't fully focus on the job.
The big thing right now is to just be patient. You have seen the lines. You've heard about the air traffic control delays and staffing shortages,
things are going to be a bit slow. The only hope right now is that this ends before the huge Thanksgiving rush here in the United States.
And transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says, if that continues, if the shutdown continues, the Thanksgiving rush will be what he calls a disaster.
HILL: Yes. Sounds that way. Yes, the old pack your patience adage, but perhaps, also pack some empathy and some grace for those who are dealing
with this, and are, again, not getting paid. Pete, appreciate it. Thank you.
Some of the Latino voters who backed Donald Trump in 2024 tell CNN now they are not happy, so far, in this second term. Among the reasons, the
president's massive immigration crackdown tactics and also economic worries.
Here is more now from CNN's Maria Santana.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Normally, at this time, Ricardo Francisco's Dominican restaurant is full, serving clients pica
pollo, pernil, and the traditional tres golpes, mashed plantains with fried eggs, cheese, and salami.
SANTANA: Yes, Tres golpes, three hits. This is my favorite dish, the platanos.
SANTANA (voice-over): But he says business has dropped about 35 percent in the past year.
SANTANA: Do you think that Trump's immigration policies and the way he's cracking down on immigrants, that that has something to do with it?
RICARDO FRANCISCO, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER (through translator): Of course, that's had a lot to do with it. There are fewer people out on the streets.
Now, they prefer delivery instead.
SANTANA (voice-over): When we first met Francisco last year, just after the election, he said he backed Donald Trump, trusting his economic plans while
brushing off his talk of mass deportations.
FRANCISCO (through translator): No, I don't agree with mass deportations because almost all of us here are immigrants. I think Trump should
reconsider that, and I think he will.
SANTANA: It hasn't even been a year since Trump has been in office. And you don't like what he is doing with immigration.
FRANCISCO (through translator): No, because many families have been separated. I think the government should refocus and pay more attention to
the economy.
SANTANA (voice-over): That frustration seems to be growing across Allentown. Large crowds recently gathered throughout the region as part of
nationwide No Kings protests. A once industrial hub in northeastern Pennsylvania, the city is now home to a majority Latino population that
swung sharply toward Trump in 2024.
JOHNNY HERRERA, BARBER (through translator): The majority of us regret it very, very much much.
SANTANA (voice-over): Johnny Herrera, a barber at a local shop, says that many here feel deceived by Trump.
HERRERA (through translator): Right now, I don't support him. He said he would go after the undocumented immigrants doing wrong and help those who
are working and doing the right thing. But that's not what's happening.
SANTANA (voice-over): Back at the restaurant, Francisco worries that if things don't change soon, he may have to close.
FRANCISCO (through translator): I don't have the resources to keep this place running long term.
SANTANA (voice-over): But he is still not ready to completely give up on Trump.
FRANCISCO (through translator): He has time to recover, to regroup, and to govern well. I think so.
SANTANA (voice-over): He hopes he is right this time. And if he is, he says next time lunch is on me.
[10:45:02]
SANTANA: I'm going to come back.
SANTANA (voice-over): Maria Santana, CNN, Allentown, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: When we return, a closer look at how the UAE has laid out a blueprint for future proofing amid the A.I. boom. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Can an energy company be an A.I. company? Earlier this summer, the Siemens Energy chairman said his company was now an A.I. stock. The
comments highlight the fundamental role that companies like Siemens play in building the infrastructure for AI development, becoming, as he said,
essential to that industry.
My colleague Becky Anderson spoke to the Siemens energy CEO Christian Bruch at ADIPEC, the conference in Abu Dhabi about their role in A.I. And also,
about creating resilient strategy in uncertain times.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIAN BRUCH, CEO, SIEMENS ENERGY: First of all, what the chairman was referring to is that a lot of people who are invested in an A.I. also
invest in us, because we are actually providing the foundation for Artificial Intelligence with at the end is electricity. And it's needed,
and without electricity, no A.I., no knowledge built up and nothing.
At the same time. I always have to remind us, electricity is also part of a lot of other things, right? Yes, the share of electricity is -- the share
of A.I. is continuously growing in electricity, but it's still obviously only a couple of percentage points in the overall electricity consumption.
But we are trying to keep a balance of serving all the different industries with electrical equipment. A.I. became a growth engine, particular, over
the last 18 months. But at the same time, is also making sure that you bring electricity to the people and other areas.
ANDERSON: The current geopolitical landscape is fraught and largely uncertain. One thing is clear, though, this rapid expansion of electricity
demand is raising new challenges for the power systems resilience.
In his opening speech, Dr. Sultan discussed resilience as a new strategic imperative. What do you view as necessary for the energy sector to do to
build that resilience?
BRUCH: I think, one element in resilience is also diversification. I mean, think about your supply chain, where you are dependent on the one single
supplier which sits in the country, which might be all of a sudden not be available for whatever reason, right? And this is where the only thing what
you can do is really diversify and make sure you have options, optionality.
But we are trying to do, as a company, on the one side, driving optionalities, which sometimes also means localization. I mean, we are
investing a lot here in the region to make sure that we can balance, to either get people from the U.S. or from Europe or from here, and have
factories everywhere.
And the other thing is to really ourselves get more agile and being able to faster react on certain things, which includes, for example, A.I.
application to our own company.
[10:50:01]
ANDERSON: Yes.
BRUCH: How can I ensure that as an organization, I react fast on changes which come, because it will come. The only thing I 100 percent know that I
cannot predict the future.
ANDERSON: In what is an increasingly fragmented world, we are seeing the rise of sort of nationalism, national projects, very sort of local, locally
focused investment. The UAE's approach, as laid out here in the opening speech, is threefold, optimizing energy, attracting capital, and advancing
technology to fast-track progress. That is the approach. Do you see that as a blueprint in 2025 and what does that mean for Siemens Energy?
You and I spoke before this interview about just how long you've been coming in and out of the UAE. So, I'm just wondering whether you can
reflect on the progress that you've seen and the approach as it were in '25?
BRUCH: I have to say, I mean, the country developed tremendously over the last three decades, and this is since I am traveling in and out of the
country. But what I think the UAE today is, it's a loud voice in the world on how you drive energy for this. I mean, if you compare, I mean, also
think about ADIPEC, right? And think about the start of the conference. It was relatively small conference. Today, it's the place in the world where
the energy industry meets.
And, I think this -- what Dr. Sultan also said today in the morning is very true. Right? I mean, you have to combine the capital boldness and having
this openness, this innovation, affinity, and that is what brings the region very well together. What I like about the UAE and also other
countries in the Middle East, they have a very clear strategy, which is very plannable.
A lot of the things what you see today is not really new. If you have listened to the people down here for the last years, it's a consequence of
what they have been saying before. So, it's plannable. You can really strategically structure your actions. And for us, it means, I mean, my team
down here is around -- we have around 4,000 people in the region. We are investing -- we are growing in the region, and we would rather do more than
less here in the region and in the country, because it is a very predictable environment.
And, you know, that you get support in the country from the decision makers, and you know that you also get the talent in the region, in the
meantime of really having the brightest, smartest and the capital as well.
So, I think the UAE is now sticking out of the energy world as one hub where future energy solutions are defined. And this is why so many people
come here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: That was again the CEO of Siemens Energy Christian Bruch, speaking to my colleague, Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi earlier today.
Stay with us. CONNECT THE WORLD returns after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Finally, for you, this hour, Los Angeles preparing to party again. The city will host -- hold a championship parade for the Dodgers later
today. The team, of course, winning a very dramatic World Series on Saturday and Game Seven for the ages, beating the Blue Jays 5-4 in extra
innings. Quite the thriller in Toronto, Saturday night. It is the second title in a row for the Dodgers, their third in six seasons.
[10:55:03]
And with a $350 million payroll for their star-studded roster, fans are hoping perhaps more parades are in L.A.'s future. That's going to do it for
this edition of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Erica Hill. Thanks so much for joining us today, and be sure to stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
