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Netanyahu Defends Trump's Gaza Plan To Skeptical Hardliners; Red Cross Suspends Operations In Gaza City; No Signs Of Compromise, White House Says Firing Imminent; Europe Works On Strategy For Russian Drone Incursions; Greenland Stages Largest Ever Military Drills; Indonesia School Collapse: 59 People Still Trapped; Crews Searching for at Least 59 People Missing since Monday; U.S. Federal Authorities Arrest Dozens in Memphis; Jane Fonda Relaunches Committee for the First Amendment; Remembering Jane Goodall; FIFA Backs First Afghan Women's Refugee Football Team; Youth-led Protests Rock Many Cities Worldwide. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired October 02, 2025 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:33]

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Paula Newton, ahead here on CNN Newsroom. The tightening siege of Gaza City. The Israeli military is pushing Palestinians to the south as the prime minister presents a U.S. peace plan to some skeptical members of cabinet.

The blame game is in full force in Washington as the U.S. government shutdown enters its second day. And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE GOODALL, CONSERVATIONIST: That's when I decided I'm going to grow up, go to Africa, live with wild animals and write books about them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Conservationist Jane Goodall dedicated her life to science, animals and activism. We'll discuss her legacy and lifelong work studying chimpanzees.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from New York. This is CNN Newsroom with Paula Newton.

NEWTON: So the Israeli military appears to be tightening the siege of Gaza City. The country's defense minister warns residents that now is their last opportunity to flee as the IDF activity pushes forward at full force. Palestinians are heading south towards what Israel says are humanitarian zones in central and southern Gaza. But the humanitarian crisis on the ground remains dire. Aid still scarce.

Organizers of a Gaza bound aid flotilla are vowing to continue undeterred after more than a dozen vessels were intercepted by the Israeli military. Now a number of passengers, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were detained.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed some boats were stopped and passengers transferred to an Israeli port. It also says the Israeli navy had contacted the flotilla earlier and asked it to change course.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the Israeli navy. You are approaching a blockaded zone. If you wish to deliver aid to Gaza, you may do so through the established channels. Please change your course toward the port of Ashdod where the aid will undergo a security inspection and then be transferred into the Gaza Strip.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now the interception has sparked global outcry and protests in several countries, including Turkey. The foreign ministry there called Israel's action an act of terrorism.

Protesters also took to the streets in a number of Italian cities. A major Italian labor union is calling for a national general strike Friday right across public and private sectors in solidarity with the flotilla and the people of Gaza.

Israel's prime minister is defending meantime, U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan to skeptical members of his cabinet. Sources say Benjamin Netanyahu told hardliners there's a very big opportunity here. But the cabinet has yet to even schedule a vote on the plan. CNN'S Jeremy Diamond reports now on reaction from Hamas.

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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hamas negotiators sat down Tuesday night with top officials from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey to go over President Trump's 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza. According to an official familiar with these talks, Hamas is now, quote, carefully reviewing this proposal and consulting with other Palestinian factions. They are expected to prepare and then submit their response to this 20-point proposal.

This comes after President Trump said that Hamas has about three to four days to respond to this proposal. And there's no question that a lot of pressure is being brought to bear on Hamas to accept this 20- point plan or at least respond positively and with reasonable counter proposals.

You know, I spoke with a source familiar and involved with this U.S. plan who said that the United States is willing to engage in reasonable negotiations with Hamas, willing to accept reasonable counter proposals from Hamas. But this source said that the United States will not engage in what they described as lengthy, protracted negotiations.

One example I was given is that the United States is willing to negotiate over how exactly Hamas's disarmament, Gaza's demilitarization will actually take place, but not over whether or not that is going to happen. And this is where we are already seeing how difficult and contentious these negotiations may very well be. Hamas has said that disarming is a red line for them. They have refused it when it's been raised in the past.

[01:05:00]

Israel, of course, has said that it will not end the war unless Hamas is disarmed and Gaza completely demilitarized. There are a series of other issues here that Hamas is also likely going to want to negotiate. But this source involved in the U.S. plan told me that the message that is being sent right now is that the region and that the United States and Israel are moving on with or without Hamas.

And that's because we saw that in this 20-point plan from the United States there are provisions for what happens if Hamas rejects this proposal, that Israel would be able to continue with its military operations, but ultimately gradually transfer over territory to this international security force that will be established as part of a transitional authority in the Gaza Strip.

But there are still a lot of questions to be answered about that as well. This 20-point plan is quite light on the details of the implementation of a lot of this. So there's no question that there are a lot of negotiations, a lot of discussions that still need to happen before any of this can have a chance of becoming a reality. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Now, inside Gaza, the Red Cross says it is suspending operations in Gaza City as Israel threatens to cut off the northern part of the enclave. The organization says its team stayed as long as they could to help the most vulnerable as the city faces a worsening humanitarian crisis. The loss of assistance will put more pressure on the few strained health care facilities still operating in Gaza City.

So we're now in day two of the U.S. government shutdown and there are no signs of any tangible progress in funding talks. Lawmakers won't be holding any more votes until Friday at the earliest. And the White House warns that federal layoffs, not furloughs, are imminent without revealing how deep those cuts could be. It's also unclear how most federal agencies will be affected by the funding freeze.

But it's health care subsidies that remain the most contentious issue in this political standoff. They're due to expire later this year. Democrats want them extended, but Republicans want them gone.

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SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D) SENATE MINORITY LEADER: They've had since March to do this. We've asked them to vote on it three times, the Republican senators, and all three times they voted no. We need a real answer now. If they kick the can down the road, you know, as Martin Luther King once said, senior, later means never.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R) U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: It simply continues. The Biden era spending levels that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats have already supported in the past. They just did it most recently in March. And he gave long speeches about how it was so critically important that we not shut the government down.

So there's nothing for me to give. There's nothing to negotiate. I don't have any Republican priorities to put on the table because we sent over a clean CR and that's why none of this makes sense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: CNN's Jeff Zeleny reports now from the White House.

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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: President Trump was not seen or heard during the first day of this latest government shutdown, a fairly extraordinary development here on Wednesday at the White House. The president often is taking a lead, playing a leading role in most any policy, big or small. But in this shutdown, he sent his Vice President, J.D. Vance out to the press briefing room on Wednesday to make the case that yes, federal government workers could be laid off during this shutdown.

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: We are going to have to lay some people off if the shutdown continues. We don't like that. We don't necessarily want to do it, but we're going to do what we have to keep the American people's essential services continuing to run.

ZELENY: And the word is layoffs, not furloughs. Of course, that is what happens during most shutdowns. Federal workers are furloughed. They are not allowed to come to work. They are paid later on. This is something different entirely. The Office of Management and Budget is working up a plan to lay off federal workers. Some are calling it DOGE 2.0, if you will. Of course, that remaking of federal government in the workforce that Elon Musk tried to do earlier this year but then effectively walked away from it.

So the White House clearly is making moves during this shutdown. But interestingly, the president is not playing a leading role in this.

Now, some White House officials are saying that they believe the president is still holding out hope that a handful of Democrats will come forward, essentially not comfortable with the pain of this shutdown and vote with Republicans to refund the government for a short period of time. That is very much an open question. Of course, three Democrats already have and independents who vote with Democrats.

But look, other Democrats say the fight is for a reason. They're pointing to the Medicaid cuts. They are pointing to the health care premium increases that will happen. So for all of this, President Trump clearly, of course presided over a 35-day shutdown during his first term in office is very much an open question how long this will go. But for day one at least, President Trump taking a wear backseat at least here at the White House. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE) [01:10:02]

NEWTON: Europe is on high alert after repeated Russian drone incursions. Still ahead for us, political leaders look at ideas that could potentially keep Russian drones at bay.

Plus, Greenland is staging its largest ever combat exercises meant to deter aggression from Russia and China. But here, why? Some say it's really a message for the U.S. President.

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NEWTON: Ukraine is accusing Russia of intentionally risking a radiological incident after a power blackout in a second Ukrainian nuclear plant.

[01:15:00]

Officials say the Chernobyl plant lost power for three hours on Wednesday after Russian strikes on a nearby substation. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the blackout affected a structure that contains radioactive debris from the 1986 nuclear disaster.

Meanwhile, the Zaporizhzhia plant has been without external power for more than a week following Russian shelling. Now the facility is in shutdown mode, but it still needs electricity to cool its reactors and prevent a possible meltdown.

European leaders are trying to come up with a strategy to deal with suspected Russian drone incursions. They discussed the issue at a meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday, including a proposal dubbed the Drone Wall. That would be a network designed to detect and intercept incoming drones.

Now, there's little information about what that would look like or how long it would take to build, but the Danish prime minister says some response is definitely needed.

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METTE FREDERKSEN, DANISH PRIME MINISTER: I hope that everybody recognizes now that there is a hybrid war and one day it's Poland, the other day it's Denmark and next week it will probably somewhere else that we see sabotage or we see drones flying or we see. Yes, you can -- there are many different kind of episodes.

So I see this from a European perspective. There is only one country that are willing to threat us and it is Russia. And therefore we need a very strong answer back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, the meeting came after recent Russian drone incursions into Poland and Romania after and after drone sightings forced Denmark to temporarily close some of its airports last week. Russia denies any role in the incidents in Denmark. Greenland is staging its largest ever military drills with the

publicly stated aim of deterring Russia and China. But many are wondering if the war games are really a message for Donald Trump. CNN's Matthew Chance is there.

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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN Chief Global AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a vast landscape, remote and virtually untamed. But Greenland has emerged as a key Arctic battleground as Russia and China vie with NATO allies for Arctic influence.

CNN was invited here by the Danish military to observe their biggest ever combat exercise, dubbed Arctic Light. Much of Greenland, ruled by Denmark for three centuries, is a moonscape of jagged ice, a frozen desert rich in resources the size of Alaska and California combined.

Danish military officials say this unforgiving terrain is virtually unconquerable, but they're still training hard to repulse any would be attackers.

COMMANDER SEREN ANDERSEN, DANISH JOINT ARCTIC COMMAND: We are here to protect Greenland and in order to protect Greenland, we have to train because if you're not up here and conduct training, you're not able to defend Greenland. So that's what we're doing.

CHANCE: What are the security threats to Greenland who are you protecting it from?

ANDERSEN: Yes. Against Russia, that is the main threat for Greenland. There's not a threat now, but there's a future threat. So we are looking into a threat when the war in Ukraine is over.

CHANCE (voice-over): But such a remote danger begs the question why Denmark is ramping up military spending right now to the tune of billions of dollars and pouring its limited resources into the Arctic.

CHANCE: Or Greenland has become a highly contested territory seen as strategically important. And Denmark has deployed its air force, its navy and its land assets here to show that it is in charge very much and is increasing its presence.

Now, the purpose of this exercise is to deter countries like Russia and China, we're told by Danish military officials, which are increasingly active in the Arctic region. But the real message, the real target audience for all of this is in Washington and President Trump.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we're working with everybody involved to try and get it.

CHANCE (voice-over): That ambition appears to have dropped off the White House agenda, at least for now.

TRUMP: One way or the other, we're going to get it. CHANCE (voice-over): But in the icy fjords of Greenland, with naval

exercises underway, too, it's still seen as the most pressing diplomatic challenge, although Denmark's top general, who CNN met on board a Danish frigate, was careful not to admit it in public.

[01:20:00]

CHANCE: Is the real reason for these maneuvers, the remarks by President Trump about the sovereignty of Greenland. Is it intended to send a message to Washington?

MICHAEL HYLDGAARD, DANISH CHIEF OF DEFENSE: This is a military exercise. It is to demonstrate our ability to protect Greenland. And that's the military side of it.

CHANCE: It's not meant as a message to Washington that Greenland can protect this, that Denmark can protect Greenland.

HYLDGAARD: I'm not politician, so I have a military task.

CHANCE (voice-over): But as we flew out of Greenland, it was clear that military task carries a key Danish political goal, not just to deter Moscow and Beijing from ever invading this vast Arctic expanse, but also to convince Washington there's no need to take Greenland as its own. Matthew Chance, CNN, Greenland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Antigovernment protests in Serbia are not losing steam 11 months after they began. The latest rally was held in Belgrade on Wednesday when thousands of protesters briefly blocked a bridge. There was no violence or clashes with police. The protests began after a railway station roof collapsed in northern Syria last November, pardon me, killing 16 people.

The protesters blame corruption for the incident and are calling for snap elections. The he also accused President Aleksandar Vucic of ties with organized crime, which he and his allies deny.

Actress Jane Fonda is relaunching a McCarthy era committee. Why? She and hundreds of Hollywood figures say it's necessary now to defend the First Amendment. That's ahead on CNN.

Plus, dozens of people remain missing days after a boarding school collapsed Indonesia. We'll have the latest on the rescue efforts as crews race to find survivors.

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[01:27:02]

NEWTON: And welcome back. You are watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Paula Newton. Authorities in Indonesia are racing to find at least 59 people missing after their boarding school collapsed on Monday. Now at least five people have died, but several children have been found alive and were communicating with rescuers. Crews are working to get food, water and oxygen to those who remain

trapped. CNN's Ivan Watson has been following this story for us and he now joins us from Hong Kong. I mean, Ivan, look, this seems absolutely excruciating to me, especially given the collapse happened on Monday. But can you fill us in on the rescue efforts because they seem pretty extensive.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They are. I mean, there is a massive effort underway. There have been cameras and special equipment used. We've seen images of the rescue workers, you know, prying themselves into gaps in the rubble of this four-story school that collapsed on Monday. There's an investigation into why and how it collapsed with reports that cement was being laid on the top floor of the building and that there weren't appropriate building permits for the construction that was underway.

The authorities have been using everything from special cameras to thermal detectors last night to try to find signs of life. They were able to see successfully rescue five people Wednesday night from the rubble here. But this window is closing as the authorities are saying it's approaching now 72 hours since this building collapsed with scores of children still feared to be missing underneath.

With the authorities saying they've brought in some 30 ambulances now and heavy equipment for what could be the next phase, moving from search and rescue to a much more grim phase of this operation. And scenes of some of the parents who are conducting this just awful vigil, desperate to find news of their loved ones, as some of them are telling our reporter on the ground in Sidoarjo that they're praying for a miracle.

We have heard from the mother of one child who was successfully rescued talking about what she has gone through. Take a listen.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I thought there was only a 20 percent chance he'd make it, but I kept saying in the name of God. My child is strong. My child is strong. I kept reciting praises for the prophet. Just now he was found. My son made it out. Praise be to God. His injuries were only on his face and some bruises on his legs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: So again, just a terrible situation. This school had approximately 1,500 students. The building collapsed during afternoon pray on Monday.

[01:30:04]

There is a top government minister in Indonesia who has said that this disaster, this tragedy should be a wake-up call when it comes to regulations and construction permits around things like this kind of an Islamic school, saying that more needs to be done to protect a repeat of this kind of tragedy, Paula. PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: And Ivan, just to kind of pick up on what

you said before. There had been construction at this school going on because obviously the parents are wondering what could have caused something like this.

WATSON: Sure. And again, that minister had said often these types of Islamic boarding schools are funded. They're a community effort to kind of put them together and to construct them.

These are not, for example, we've heard that there wouldn't have been classrooms that had computers in them or even strict daily attendance monitor that students could move between classrooms, for example.

But there was also some heavy construction apparently underway and cement being laid on the roof of this four-story building at the time that the collapse took place.

We don't have a complete explanation for how and why this happened. But calls coming from senior levels of the Indonesian government for stricter regulations around buildings like this in the future, Paula.

NEWTON: Yes. Ivan, you know that mother had her prayers answered. But hang on to that. I know it's 59 missing, but these children are young and they are strong, and so we'll wait to see what unfolds in the coming hours.

Ivan Watson for us in Hong Kong. Thank you.

Now, U.S. authorities are making dozens of arrests in Memphis, Tennessee. It's the latest city run by Democrats to see the deployment of federal officers and National Guard troops on the premise of cracking down on crime.

And President Trump says the National Guard is, quote, "now in place" in Portland, Oregon. Several Trump administration officials visited Memphis meantime, on Wednesday.

Listen.

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STEPHEN MILLER, TRUMP ADVISER: I see the guns and badges in this room. You are unleashed. The handcuffs that you're carrying, they're not on you anymore. They're on the criminals. And whatever you need to get it done, we're going to get it done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Attorney General Pam Bondi said more than 200 officers have been federalized. The Secretary of Defense said the surge is meant to support local law enforcement.

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PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Yesterday I talked a little bit about liberating our warfighters on the battlefield. Our job here is to help liberate all of you, law enforcement. To provide the National Guardsmen who can secure facilities and secure law enforcement and stand alongside you so you're freed up to go out and provide safety and freedom to the citizens of Memphis. Great American cities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, opponents of the troop deployment say federal resources should go elsewhere and point out that the armed forces traditionally do not perform law enforcement functions in American cities.

Nearly eight decades after Hollywood stood up to McCarthyism with the Committee for the First Amendment, actress Jane Fonda is relaunching the organization.

The move comes after Jimmy Kimmel was pulled from the air amid public pressure from Donald Trump's FCC chair over comments about Charlie Kirk's killer.

Fonda says people need to come together as Americans are being silenced in what she calls the most frightening moment of her lifetime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE FONDA, ACTRESS: No president has ever sent troops into the Democratic cities across the country, saying full force. No -- no -- no president. As far as I know, has tried to control the Federal Reserve, the central bank. He is amassing power in a way that will destroy our democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: More than 550 Hollywood figures have officially joined Fonda's fight. The original Committee for the First Amendment was created in 1947 to defend free speech and government overreach in the McCarthy era.

Jane Goodall has died. Next, we remember the life and legacy of the conservationist who revolutionized the study of primates.

[01:34:13]

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NEWTON: Conservationist Jane Goodall is being remembered for her revolutionary work studying chimpanzees. She died Wednesday at 91 from natural causes, that's according to her institute. Current and former world leaders and top names from the business world are posting their condolences.

Goodall had been fascinated with Africa and its animals long before she traveled to Tanzania in 1960 to study primates. Her field of study helped to broaden the world's understanding of animal behavior and their emotions.

Goodall's work also broke barriers for women and changed the way scientists study animals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE GOODALL, CONSERVATIONIST: Who is Jane Goodall today?

Well, she's two people. She's sitting here talking to you, just me, Jane. And then there's that icon out there, which has probably been created by Geographic, Discovery, even CNN. And I try and live up to that one.

[01:39:54]

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Did people say, excuse me, who are you?

GOODALL: The scientists did. And you know, fortunately, I'd loved animals all my life. I had an amazing, supportive mother. And I had a great teacher when I was a child who taught me absolutely.

These professors at Cambridge may be very knowledgeable and learned and erudite, but this teacher taught me that when it comes to animal personality, mind and emotion, they're wrong. And that was my dog.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: For more on Jane Goodall's legacy, I'm joined by Loren Blackford. She is the executive director for The Sierra Club. And she joins us now.

I first offer my condolences to you and your entire community. I mean, what a giant, really. Her legacy will speak for generations to come, I'm sure.

To me, she seemed to be the very conscience of the earth. Her impact so profound. Can you explain why the mark she left in the world will be, in your words, indelible.

LOREN BLACKFORD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE SIERRA CLUB: Absolutely. I think she was -- she was just the very embodiment of somebody who loved nature but also loved people.

And so it was, I think, both her passion for animals for places. But also how well she connected with everybody of all ages. Old, young, children -- she could just relate to folks so well.

And so people were so brought in to that passion she had for the natural world.

NEWTON: And she certainly felt to the very last an urgency to bring people into that world.

I want you to listen now to an interview she did with Christiane Amanpour here at CNN. Listen.

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AMANPOUR: How much of a mortal threat or a planetary threat do you think we're under right now?

GOODALL: It's a huge threat. We are, you know, the big difference between us and chimpanzees is the explosive development of our intellect. So how is it that the most intellectual being to ever walk the planet is destroying its only home?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: You know, Loren, she said that very often. In fact, even just in the last few weeks, she repeated that thought.

And this links very specifically to her life's work with primates. Why was it so groundbreaking? And how did it shape the world's attitude towards conservation?

BLACKFORD: I think she showed us all how to love nature and she was courageous and inspiring. Here she was as a young woman who went off to Africa and confused -- and just got these scientists to believe in her and take her in, and showed us a world that people weren't paying attention to.

And so I think, again, she just helped people connect and see and she saw the devastation. She was so dedicated to helping everybody understand how great the risk was. And she traveled in her final days, in her final years, just almost nonstop.

But at the same time that she was talking about this disaster that is befalling us, that we are creating with our big brains, she also did it with humor and joy.

She took everywhere with her this stuffed monkey, Mr. H. And she connected well with children, but others as well, and could talk about really hard topics but in ways that left people inspired and wanting to engage and work with her and do their part.

NEWTON: Yes. As you said, she had great candor, but so much poise and connection with everyone she met. You know, you clearly cherish the past she carved for women in science and conservation.

How do you view her legacy when it comes to this in terms of women, in that world?

BLACKFORD: I think she showed women that they could overcome the barriers. I mean, when she first started, she had to convince people to take her seriously. She was encouraged to go back and get a PhD so she could do the work.

And she just wasn't discouraged. She just kept at it. There was no path that was created for her. She created it. And I think that's a huge inspiration to women of all ages.

I mean, I remember as a kid being so inspired by her and learning about her work and how much she loved animals. And I loved animals. And it was you could relate to her.

[01:44:47] BLACKFORD: But she was so courageous, like she was -- she was, I think the embodiment of femininity that is both, gentle and loving but also fierce and brave.

And she embodied all of that and invited people in. And I think that will always be an inspiration to women of any generation. And you know, to then be taken -- taken very seriously in the sciences, in conservation, kind of in any room she went into.

NEWTON: Loren Blackford, I think your words do great service to her legacy as we continue to really celebrate at this point in time, her life and her career.

Loren Blackford, for us from The Sierra Club, appreciate it.

BLACKFORD: Thank you.

NEWTON: Pope Leo is calling on governments around the globe to protect the environment. At a climate conference near Rome, the Pontiff said damaging the natural world is incompatible with the Christian faith.

It's the Pope's first major speech on the environment since his election in May. Leo paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who said responsible stewardship of the environment is a moral imperative for Catholics.

The Pontiff also said he hopes world leaders will listen to the cry of the earth.

Young people are rallying to make their voices heard. A look at some of what's driving the growing Gen Z protests across the globe. That's ahead on CNN.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The building just fell -- oh.

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NEWTON: Isn't that terrifying?

Investigators are searching for what caused the building in New York's Bronx neighborhood to collapse on Wednesday. Residents say they heard an explosion, smelled gas and felt what seemed like an earthquake as pieces -- you just saw it there, right -- pieces of the apartment building basically collapsed into the street.

Thankfully, no injuries or deaths were reported. That was according to the New York mayor's office. But the incident has sparked concerns that a similar accident could happen elsewhere in the city.

It's also reignited conversations over safety conditions in buildings under New York's housing authority. Internet and cell phone services are back up and running in

Afghanistan after a 48-hour blackout. A Taliban official said there were technical reasons for the outage but did not respond on whether the Taliban had ordered the services to be cut.

The blackout caused significant chaos and disrupted banks, international trade, travel and access to online learning, a key educational lifeline for women and girls.

In recent weeks, Taliban officials cut fiber optic links to some provinces with officials citing morality concerns.

A group of young Afghan athletes is celebrating victory before they even take the pitch. FIFA is backing their bid to compete as the first Afghan refugee women's football team.

CNN's World Sport anchor Amanda Davies has their inspirational story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to start.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So congratulations to the 23 players.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: 7:00 a.m. on a Friday morning in the northwest of England. A milestone moment after a sleepless night awake with nerves.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You should feel so proud.

[01:49:48]

DAVIES: Susan, Sevin, Elaha, Najma and Zainab, all named as part of the squad for the first FIFA-backed Afghan women's refugee team. Said to be reunited with fellow Afghan players scattered in exile around the world to represent their country at last.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Honestly, just an amazing moment for all of us. I can't wait to share it with my family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're probably going to see me from TV, but the thing is, it's how sad it is that I don't have them by my side to celebrate them like other -- my teammates who are going to share with their family.

DAVIES: In 2021, Elaha was 17 and had earned her first call up for the Afghan women's national team as a goalkeeper. She never got to play.

For her and her teammates, their role as footballers and what that meant in the eyes of the Taliban meant they were forced to flee their homes and country.

Elaha's father was ill, so her parents were unable to travel. She and her brother had to leave without them.

I feel very honored being your passenger after you just passed your test. Am I safe?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Like you guys should trust me.

DAVIES: For everything they've lost, there are so many ways this group live in defiance of the rules the Taliban have imposed on women in Afghanistan. Learning to drive, gaining an education, securing jobs and playing football.

The only thing they've not been able to do is go from playing their football here in Doncaster to representing their country, wearing the shirt of Afghanistan on the international stage.

NARGES MAYELI, AFGHAN SOCCER PLAYER: FIFA has said that Afghanistan's women national team title should come from Afghanistan Football Federation which we do not accept, and it is running by Taliban now. And we do not recognize Taliban.

ZAINAB MOZZAFARI, AFGHAN SOCCER PLAYER: We want the people to recognize us as an international women -- Afghan, and we are tired of calling -- call refugee. We've been called refugee for four years now.

DAVIES; Because the Taliban believe women playing sport is against Sharia law and have refused to acknowledge the women's team, their ability to play internationally has depended on the intervention of world footballs governing body, FIFA.

It has taken until now for them to create the Afghan women's refugee team. Set to take part in a four-team tournament in Dubai in October.

None of this would have been possible without Khalida Popal, the first ever captain of the original Afghan women's side, founded in 2007.

KHALIDA POPAL, FORMER AFGHAN SOCCER CAPTAIN: We have been screaming out loud. We have been knocking every closed door to listen, to get FIFA's attention, to listen to our voices. And we have really faced silence.

For four years, these girls lost their time.

DAVIES: FIFA did not respond to our questions about the desire of some of the players to be referred to as the national team. It did, however, stress in a statement that its financing, facilities and personnel, in what it called a significant and landmark step forward in giving Afghan players the international platform and recognition to which they aspire.

Amanda Davies, CNN -- Doncaster.

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NEWTON: Now, FIFA also told CNN that it has worked to improve the situation of Afghan women's football in the country, and for players in exile since their evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021. Morocco is seeing massive anti-government demonstrations right across

the country. The youth-led protesters are accusing the government of investing billions to prepare for the 2030 World Cup, while the country's hospitals and schools are falling apart. The demonstrations are among a growing wave of so-called Gen Z protests happening in several countries.

Our Hanako Montgomery has our story.

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HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Moroccans taking to the streets and demanding an end to corruption, better health care and education reforms.

The nationwide, youth-led protests have rocked the north African nation for several days.

This video shows a police van suddenly ramming into demonstrators in the city of Oujda. The fate of those involved remains unclear.

The government issued a statement this week saying it's open to dialog, quote, "within institutions and public spaces to find realistic solutions". That's according to Reuters.

Over in Madagascar in east Africa, another movement led by young people has swept the island nation. This time over water and power cuts and not even the president dissolving the government has put a stop to the unrest.

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MONTGOMERY: The United Nations says at least 22 people have been killed and more than a hundred injured. But the government rejects those numbers.

Morocco and Madagascar are the latest in a number of youth-led uprisings in different parts of the world. In Kathmandu, Nepali Gen Z led tens of thousands of protesters into the streets two weeks ago, furious over government corruption. In Indonesia, protests swelled after a 21-year-old was killed by police in August.

Elsewhere, crowds took to the streets in the Philippines and France. And in several of these protests, this skull flag has been raised.

So what does the flag mean? Well, it comes from Japan's best-selling manga, "One Piece.

In the story, the flag is the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hat pirates who don't just hunt treasure, but also fight oppressive powers and demand freedom. For protesters, that message hits home.

EMMAS MUHAMMAD FERDAUS, MURAL ARTIST: This is a symbol of warning for the government so they have to look at their people.

Many Indonesians are hoisting the "One Piece" flag because they want the government to listen to them.

MONTGOMERY: The protests around the world may have different origins, but the anger is the same. That's why young people have turned this skull flag into a global banner of defiance and freedom.

Hanako Montgomery, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Now one of the most immediate and visual -- and visible casualties of the U.S. government shutdown is sitting right in New York Harbor. The governor's office says the Statue of Liberty could literally go dark because the state won't be paying to keep the landmark open.

New York previously paid to reopen the monument during the last shutdown in 2018 after it initially closed and thousands of tourists were turned away. Apparently, Lady Liberty will not be getting the reprieve this time around.

Now, a cow that was set to be slaughtered is now living her best life at an animal sanctuary in Arizona. Moo-Tilda (ph), as the cow is now known, was being dropped off at the facility back in August when she -- you'd call it going on the lam, but were not going to say that, are we? She managed to run away.

The escape was caught on camera, and when the owner of the animal sanctuary saw the video, she knew she had to take action. She rallied community support and raised $2,500 to buy Moo Tilda. Cows are actually quite sweet.

Thanks for watching. I'm Paula Newton.

CNN NEWSROOM continues with my friend and colleague, Lynda Kinkade.

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