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Four Palestinians Killed In Anti-Hamas Operation; At Least Three Killed In Montana Train Derailment; Germany Votes; Biden Economic Agenda Hangs In The Balance This Week; Myanmar Regime Puts Activists' Families Behind Bars; Afghan Refugees Hope To Start New Lives In Britain; Officials Paying $30,000 For Tips On Brian Laundrie's Whereabouts; Pfizer Boosters Available In U.S. For Qualified Recipients; Canary Islands Volcano In New Explosive Stage. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired September 26, 2021 - 05:00   ET

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

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ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Robyn Curnow live in Atlanta.

A train derails in Montana. We'll hear from one passenger who will tell us how it felt.

And German voters go to the polls.

Plus President Biden's signature legislation could be in jeopardy. We'll examine the divisions among Mr. Biden's own party.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Robyn Curnow.

CURNOW: Emergency crews are on the scene of a deadly passenger train derailment m rural Montana near the U.S.-Canadian border. Three people were killed and a number of others were injured.

According to Amtrak, there were more than 140 passengers and 16 crew members on board at the time. The railway says eight cars of the 10- car train derailed. The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation.

The train, called the Empire Builder, was traveling from Chicago westward to Seattle. At about 4:00 pm Mountain time, it lurched off the tracks. One of the passengers on board described what happened. She described a shocking scene, with entire train cars tipped over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEGAN VANDERVEST, DERAILED TRAIN PASSENGER: So when we got off the train -- and initially we saw just our train, the first 4 or 5 cars and the one behind our -- the car behind ours was slightly off. And then the car behind that was in between 2 sets of railroad tracks. And the one behind that one had completely tipped over and fallen over.

That was the most shocking part, like immediate shock when we got off because we didn't know anything that significant had happened. And when we came around, ambulances were blocking our view further on.

By the time we crossed, if you look about 100 yards down, there were three cars that were completely tipped over. And that was completely, completely jarring.

And from then on it was a lot of chaos. The reaction from passengers was mixed. There was a wide range of ages and stuff and a wide range of experiences.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: We'll continue to follow this story throughout the day, right here on CNN.

To Germany now where voters are casting their ballots in an election that will have consequences far beyond their borders. The race will determine who will succeed Angela Merkel after nearly 16 years in office. She's become a de facto leader of the E.U. and a symbol of stability. It is unclear who will fill her shoes.

Polling shows the race is just too close to call. On Saturday, Ms. Merkel made her final pitch to rally voters behind the conservatives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA MERKEL, CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY (through translator): And this future government, I think we all agree, should ensure prosperity, security, peace and that is what we are standing here for because we, from the Christian Democratic Union, are making an offer for this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Fred Pleitgen is in Berlin and joins me live.

Folks are still voting. It is a critical, critical election.

What are they saying to you?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Robyn, voting is still in the early stages. More folks are now showing up to this polling station. Of course, one of the things people have been telling us in the run-up to the election is they realize it's a pivotal election, an important election because, after 16 years, Angela Merkel is no longer on the ballot.

And because of what you were saying before, because this election is certainly too close to call, one of the things in the early stages of this campaign, it looked as though the Christian Democrats were going to decide this for themselves.

But they have since seen a dramatic drop in their numbers. Their candidate had unforced errors along the way that maybe didn't help the cause. You had the Social Democrats that really picked themselves out of the hole.

[05:05:00]

PLEITGEN: The Social Democratic candidate is ahead in the polls. But it is too close to say who will win. Olaf Scholz was at a polling station earlier and he cast his own ballot in Potsdam, outside of Berlin. I want to listen to what he had to say after casting his vote. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLAF SCHOLZ, SOCIAL DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE: Now I hope that as many citizens as possible will go to the polls and cast their votes and make possible what has become apparent; mainly, that there will be a very strong result for the SPD and that the citizens give me the mandate to become the next chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Now of course, all the three main candidates do want that mandate. But one thing that is very clear is that there is not going to be one dominant party in the German Bundestag.

A coalition is going to see at least very strong partners, with the governing main party, certainly, the Green Party is looking as though it's going to pull off serious gains compared to the elections they've had in the past.

We've been talking about in the past couple hours, is that the environment and climate have been a major issue in the election campaign. Of course, we had the horrible flooding that took place in Germany in July.

And that drove home the point that this country needs reforms that will bring its very large industrial economy into being a green economy. It looks as though all the candidates understand, if they want to become chancellor, they need to have a strong green agenda.

CURNOW: As you're talking to me, we're a looking at live pictures of Armin Laschet waiting in a queue, about to ,vote from the Christian Democrats. Certainly, you mentioned climate change.

What are the other real issues?

Immigration, no doubt and an increasingly divided German society.

PLEITGEN: I think you're right. Laschet voting in his hometown in the west of Germany. He is the governor of the largest German state, North Rhine-Westphalia, and that is where he is casting his vote.

Immigration is also a big topic and has been since 2015, since you had that giant wave of refugees. And then it's also things like social reform, things like the industrial economic reforms as well, those certainly are things that are on people's minds. One of the other things we have to keep in mind, is the agenda that

was put in place by the government that preceded Angela Merkel. That's one of the things that some people think maybe Angela Merkel didn't do enough to reform the economy and make it fit to be strong throughout the 21st century.

CURNOW: Thank you very much, thanks so much, Fred Pleitgen. We'll continue to check in with you in the coming hours.

I want to turn from Germany to Washington. Government agencies are bracing for a possible shutdown at the end of the week. Congress must pass legislation before Friday to keep that from happening. And that's not really a sure thing.

The president is seriously hampered by deep divisions within his own party. Some moderates are complaining that the $3.5 trillion budget is too expensive. But the progressives say they have compromised enough and will not agree to less.

The first test will come on Monday when the House is expected to vote on a separate $1.2 trillion measure. Arlette Saenz has the latest from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Biden spending the weekend at Camp David, as his legislative agenda is making a make-or-break week. Speaker Pelosi told her colleagues that she wants to see both the bipartisan infrastructure proposal and that sweeping $3.5 trillion economic agenda reaching the House floor this week, as they are hoping to advance the president's priorities.

President Biden spoke with Speaker Pelosi and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer on Friday. And they talked about the future and way forward on both of those measures.

The president has acknowledged that Democrats have been at a stalemate. But he also says he is learning more about what the moderates are hoping to see with that larger package, since many are opposed -- some are opposed to that 3.5 trillion-dollar figure.

The president is expected to the return to the White House on Sunday.

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SAENZ: And he could possibly hold other meetings with lawmakers heading into the week as well as make phone calls, hoping to get this agenda across the finish line -- Arlette Saenz, CNN, The White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Thomas Gift is a lecturer in political science at University College in London.

This is a make or break week for Mr. Biden and the Democrats.

What do you think is going to play out?

THOMAS GIFT, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, Robyn, it's really good to see you. Democrats are really backing themselves into a corner here. If they can't at least get the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill through the White House with a clear majority, voters are going to blame them in 2022.

And I think voters should blame them. I think it's a false equivalency to say this is just a situation between progressives and moderates. Polls show upwards of 60 percent to 70 percent approval among the American electorate.

Progressives are essentially conditioning support for infrastructure on a massive $3.5 trillion spending agenda; that best case scenario would need to pass through reconciliation.

If infrastructure doesn't get passed and I think Democrats still have hope it will, I do think it's the progressive wing that should be seen as culpable, even if the Democratic Party as a whole will have to endure the consequences.

CURNOW: Are the progressives then, holding Americans hostage here and what does that tell you?

GIFT: I personally think that that is a fair assessment. Anyone who's been following the internal workings of the Democratic Party could have predicted that at some point this divide would lead to a stalemate on a live policy question. We're seeing it right here.

Until now, a lot of this rift between moderates and progressives seemed fairly symbolic, like drama over defund the police or court packing. But infrastructure is a defining issue for the Biden White House.

And it's really going to take effective negotiating, including by the president, to ensure that his party doesn't allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. If Democrats want to know what it's like to be a failed governing majority, they will continue ratcheting up these tensions within their party.

And it will be a huge gift to Republicans. And you can see Kevin McCarthy almost daring Democrats to go down that path. He's forcing progressives and moderates to compromise.

CURNOW: We've seen Nancy Pelosi laying down the gauntlet and the president in long meetings with all sides.

What can be done?

I don't know what can be done except for one side essentially giving in. Biden is clearly hanging his hat on at least getting this infrastructure through. I think he's going to hold firm.

Biden has built himself from the outset as focused on investing in America domestically, came out of the gates with an extremely ambitious set of spending proposals, spending probably $6 trillion. The White House did sign the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package. But

if it can't get any additional spending done before 2022, that would be a disappointment.

Looking ahead to the midterms, Democrats have almost no room for error. It makes it difficult to return home and explain why a Democratic-controlled House couldn't get it done.

I think Biden needs to make the case and hold firm and hope that Democratic progressives are going to wilt amid that pressure. But it doesn't seem necessarily clear at this point.

CURNOW: OK. Thomas Gift, always good to get your analysis. It's going to be a big week for the White House. Appreciate it. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

GIFT: Thanks.

CURNOW: The migrant camp on the U.S.-Mexico border has been cleared. But the future of thousands of Haitians remains uncertain.

Plus, fury in the West Bank over the deaths of four Palestinians. What we're learning about what Israel says was an operation against Hamas.

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CURNOW: We're tracking this emerging story out of the West Bank, where Israel says it's killed four Palestinians, arrested two others. They say it was part of an anti-terrorist operation. Let's go straight to Jerusalem and Hadas Gold.

Hi, what more do we know about this?

HADAS GOLD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What we understand from the Israeli military and Palestinian authorities, this was a major operation that took place across five different locations in the West Bank.

The Israeli military saying there were four Palestinians killed and two arrested. However, the Palestinians say five were killed. Two Israeli soldiers were critically wounded.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement, the security forces took action overnight in Judea in Samaria, against Hamas terrorists who were about to carry out terrorist attacks.

Now Robyn, Israeli officials have long been concerned over Hamas gaining a foothold in the West Bank. They already control the Gaza Strip. They have been very concerned about their activities in the West Bank. [05:20:00]

GOLD: A Hamas spokesperson says the operation was a result of forces in Ramallah and issued a warning saying that the option of resisting it by all means is best meant to confuse the operation and force it to stop its crimes.

They called on them to end the security coordination with Israeli officials. But Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas said the operations were a crime and that they were the latest Israeli violations.

He said the continuance of this would lead to an explosion of the situation. People are concerned here. Things have remained very tense since the end of that 11-day conflict in May between Hamas-led militants in Israel.

It remains to see how Hamas will respond, especially as the Israeli prime minister is expected to address the United Nations tomorrow.

CURNOW: Thank you for that update, Hadas Gold.

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CLAUDE JOSEPH, HAITIAN PRIME MINISTER: We believe we need to work together. Because what the situation in Del Rio shows is that the problem of one country, in our region, is a problem of all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Haiti's foreign minister speaking about the treatment of migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border. He's among officials saying they're shocked after U.S. border guards were seen confronting migrants. Haiti's prime minister Ariel Henry spoke to the U.N. and said migration won't end until more is done. Rosa Flores has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I've been here in Del Rio, Texas, for more than a week. I saw the first tents of this migrant camp go up. And then the numbers in that migrant camp, at times, swelled to about 15,000 people.

Now once those numbers started to drop, we started seeing heavy machinery roll in; that happened on Thursday. By Friday, the entire migrant camp had been leveled.

According to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, about 2,000 Haitians were returned to their home countries. About 5,000 remain in Customs and Border Protection custody. Those individuals are still being processed.

About 8,000, according to DHS, voluntarily returned to Mexico. And a very small percentage of these migrants were actually allowed to stay in the United States, pending their immigration cases. A local nonprofit here in Del Rio telling us they've helped about

1,600 people in the last week. Those individuals were released into this community. I actually talked to some of them.

Some of the Haitians that I talked to had spent so much time in South America, they spoke Spanish and Portuguese. That's how I was able to talk to them to. Some of them say they left Haiti because of security and economic concerns.

Some of them citing the recent assassination of their president and saying, look, if the president can't be safe, how can they expect to be safe?

Now these migrants, some of them are going across the country, like New York, New Jersey and even Florida. I can tell you that the Del Rio mayor has said that there is a silver lining to this humanitarian crisis that was literally in his town for more than a week, with about 15,000 people living under a bridge.

He says that no one died and at least 10 babies were born -- Rosa Flores, CNN, Del Rio, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: In Myanmar now, thousands of people have been arrested since the military coup about eight months ago. But when the military junta can't reach their opponents, it goes after their families. Paula Hancocks reports that they put a 5-year-old girl behind bars.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A five-year-old girl sings along to her favorite song. At first glance a picture of innocence. But Su Htet Waing's innocence is gone taken away by Myanmar's brutal military.

Soldiers arrested her along with her mother and older sister because her father, a leader in the pro-democracy movement, was in hiding. Released after 18 days, she spent her 5th birthday behind bars. She is now reunited with her father. Hiding in the jungle, Soe Htay send us audio clips through his mobile.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): The young girl says she was forced to stay in a half sitting, half standing position, widely considered to be a stress position.

The U.N. Committee against Torture describes these conditions as contrary to the convention against torture TOM ANDREWS, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON MYANMAR: I have seen the points of interest being abducted. It's just a degree of outrage that it is just hard to put into words. Just how angry I am at the depth that this military junta is willing to go.

HANCOCKS: We sent the military detailed questions about the girl's detention. They have not responded to our emails or texts.

UNKNOWN: She's still suffering some mental trauma. She wakes up in the morning crying saying, I miss my mom and I mess my older sister. Why aren't they back yet?

HANCOCKS: Soe Htay refuses to give up on his fight for democracy despite his seemingly desperate situation. He says his wife and daughter have been sentenced to three years in prison and have been separated from each other. He heard his daughter contracted COVID-19 in prison but has since recovered.

Khin Maung Zaw (ph) is a social influencer with around 700,000 followers on Facebook. She's been active in the civil disobedience movement collecting donations for protesters. If you're going into hiding when the military try to arrest her. Instead she says, they arrested her parents and sister-in-law. The latter has since been released.

My father was on medication she says. But he doesn't have any in prison. I sent food but I have no idea if it gets to him.

I heard from a source that my father has been tortured. Sometimes I feel like I'm losing my mind.

Khin Maung Zaw (ph) says she feels guilty, her parents are suffering. Desperate, she has no contact with them and guilty she can longer help protesters from hiding.

ANDREWS: (Inaudible) in which they are intimidating people to an extraordinary degree. People are extremely fearful.

HANCOCKS: Two more families torn apart by a ruthless military junta intent on holding power no matter the cost of the people of Myanmar -- Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: After nearly 16 years in power, German chancellor Angela Merkel is stepping down. German voters are heading to the polls right now.

Plus, thousands of Afghanis are in limbo. We have that story after the break.

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CURNOW: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Robyn Curnow in Atlanta. It is 31 minutes past the hour.

Our top story: German voters are heading to the polls in an election that certainly will determine who succeeds Angela Merkel in power. She is stepping down after 16 years in power. The Christian Democratic Union hopes to remain in power but the race is too close to call. Fred Pleitgen is live.

It is too close to call but one man is moving ahead and might be the next chancellor. Tell us about him.

PLEITGEN: You're absolutely right. That man is Olaf Scholz. And he really is a phenomenon. Only two months ago it seemed he was down and out. I think the Social Democratic Union was polling around 14 percent or 15 percent at that time.

But since then, they have managed to get up to 25 percent or 26 percent and move ahead of the others in the field. The margin is still very small and the race is too close to call.

With Angela Merkel not on the ballot, there's a lot up in the air. There is no doubt that Olaf Scholz has already achieved a lot more than people thought he could achieve. He did it pretty much by being silent and speaking very softly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN (voice-over): It might not look very exciting but this is a rally for the frontrunner in Germany's election campaign. Olaf Scholz speaks softly, has no catchy slogan and, yet, is ahead in the polls.

OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN SOCIAL DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE: I'm a Social Democrat. The people know this. But they know that I'm a very pragmatic man, that I want to rule the country with all (INAUDIBLE), having in mind what is necessary for such a big country in Europe.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): After 16 years of Angela Merkel, Scholz, who is the finance minister in Merkel's cabinet, is trying to pull off a win by appearing to be very similar to Angela Merkel. And his no-frill style seems to be resonating with voters.

PLEITGEN: Only a couple months ago it seemed as Olaf Scholz had no chance of winning the upcoming election. But now he is firmly in the lead and could be well on his way to becoming Germany's next chancellor.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Folks at this rally outside of Berlin say they believe Scholz would govern with a steady hand, just like Merkel has.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He appears very confident in what he promises.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, one thing is his experience certainly and what he has achieved in the past.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): But not everything Olaf Scholz has done in the past as finance minister is viewed positively. He faced criticism after failing to detect the impending bankruptcy of electronic payment firm Wirecard and was recently questioned by a parliamentary inquiry committee, investigating about allegedly not following through on a money laundering investigation, which he denies.

His main rival, Armin Laschet, who is actually from Angela Merkel's party, accuses Scholz of wanting to move Germany to the left and possibly cooperating with the left-wing Socialist Party.

"You have to be clear because the people don't want the leftists in a federal government and tonight once again you have not been willing to be clear," Laschet said. But Scholz told me Germany would not seriously change its domestic or foreign policy if he wins.

SCHOLZ: The trans-Atlantic partnership is important for us and is important for the United States. And I'm willing to make -- to work very hard that this will be a strong base for our international politics.

[05:35:00]

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Olaf Scholz's personal popularity is much higher than his party's popularity. And while his Social Democrats are currently polling in first place, the race to succeed Angela Merkel is far from decided.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: And certainly, on this day, on the day of the election, it remains very much undecided, as the Christian Democrats have sort of pulled up to the Social Democrats a little bit. Olaf Scholz is still in the lead but that lead seems to have narrowed in the past couple hours, past 48 hours before the election took place.

We've been talking about the fact that this is a key election and it seems that the electorate is aware of that as well. People have seen more folks turn up than they have in the last election. We spoke to the head of the polling location. You can see there is a queue here and no doubt across Germany on this very important day as well, Robyn.

CURNOW: The beginning of a new era indeed. Fred Pleitgen, we'll check in with you again. Thanks so much.

Earlier, I spoke with Julian Reichelt about why the election results are expected to be so close. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIAN REICHELT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "BILD": Today, the next chancellor, whoever that will be, will win with something like 23 percent or 25 percent. So for the first time in German history, only a fourth of the country will actually have voted. This time it's only a fourth and that's because there are so many

topics that divide Germany. There is the debate between climate and, for example, jobs in the German car industry.

There was a devastating flood here in Germany that was handled very badly by the government. And it turned many people away from the governing party.

So as I mentioned, there is immigration, there are so many topics, over the past years, that Angela Merkel always portrayed under her leadership as a uniting leadership. That has actually driven Germans apart.

And that is what you will see in election results today, with, probably, six parties making it into parliament and a fragmented party landscape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Tune in for CNN's special live coverage of the German elections. Salma Abdelaziz, Hala Gorani and Fred Pleitgen will break it all down, later today, beginning 11:55 am in New York, 5:55 in the afternoon in Berlin, right here on CNN.

And police have made an arrest in the murder of London schoolteacher, Sabina Nessa. A 38-year-old man was taken into custody on suspicion of murder. Police are calling it a significant development. Police say 28-year-old Nessa was murdered last Friday.

And off to Afghanistan, where shocking images show the disturbing lengths the Taliban seem to be willing to go to deter crime. we must warn you that the video you're about to see is graphic and difficult to watch.

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CURNOW (voice-over): Crowds gathered in Herat after the Taliban killed four alleged kidnappers and hung their bodies on display in different locations around the city. A journalist tells CNN, the men were accused of kidnapping a merchant and his son and were later freed by Taliban.

A Taliban member told the AP, the Associated Press, the group would restore severe punishments like executions and amputations as a warning to others. The U.S. condemned these actions, calling them a gross abuse of human rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: But thousands of Afghans who managed to flee the Taliban are hoping to start new lives in Britain. Many arrived with little more than the clothes on their backs. As they start to build their future, they see both uncertainty and a helping hand from complete strangers. Nada Bashir has this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At this Central London hotel, hosting Afghan refugees, donations have been piling in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have had products like shampoo, baby food.

BASHIR (voice-over): Volunteers here are working daily to support refugees, evacuated by the British government.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of them have come with just a backpack. Even at that, some of that no shoes on their feet.

BASHIR (voice-over): Aziza and her 2 children were among the thousands airlifted from Kabul, she said fleeing the Taliban was a traumatic experience but the support and kindness of these volunteers has given her hope for a better life in the U.K.

AZIZA, AFGHAN REFUGEE (through translator): I hope to live without fear, to live in peace and security with my children and family.

[05:40:00]

AZIZA (through translator): I don't want to hear any more gunshots or explosions.

BASHIR: Why was it so important for you and your family to leave Afghanistan?

AZIZA (through translator): After the Taliban entered, everyone was scared, everyone was very horrified and afraid. Kabul was in a very bad situation. People were in a state of horror, people were afraid to leave their homes.

BASHIR (voice-over): The government plans to resettle some 20,000 Afghan refugees, including 5,000 over the next year. Dubbed Operation Warm Welcome, the resettlement scheme will prioritize those who assisted U.K. efforts in Afghanistan, allowing refugees to come into the country through official routes to receive permanent residency.

But for the more than 3,000 Afghan nationals already in the asylum system, the reception has been far from warm.

BASHIR: Under current government policy, Afghan refugees who arrived in the U.K. prior to the fall of Kabul will not be eligible for immediate resettlement. Instead, they face the agonizing wait to find out whether or not they will be turned away.

BASHIR (voice-over): In Oxford, Allison and the team at Century Hosting are working around the clock to connect Afghan asylum seekers with temporary host families.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is cruel to leave people in limbo. The government says it's not safe to send them back now.

Do they really believe it's going to be safe to send them back in the next five to 10 years?

But they've been bombarded with emails by people from all over the country, saying what can we do to help, what can we do to help?

And many of them are suggesting that, yes, of course, they have a spare bed, a spare room that they can make available to a refugee.

BASHIR (voice-over): These two families are among the dozens of families across the U.K. preparing to host Afghan asylum seekers. They believe the country has a duty to support the people of Afghanistan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact that we are partly responsible for the situation they find themselves in, we feel it's only right to do something about this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're very lucky. We have a lovely home, we've got some jobs, we have got our family, they have got nothing.

So why not share some of that with somebody else, somebody who needs it really more than us?

BASHIR (voice-over): For now, the government says it has paused all enforced returns for Afghan nationals denied asylum. With those at risk of persecution assured they will not be expected to return to Afghanistan.

But until a decision is made, the future for thousands of vulnerable Afghans here in the U.K. remains uncertain at best -- Nada Bashir, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: And there is much more to come here on CNN. Law enforcement scours a swampy wilderness for the fiance of Gabby Petito.

Plus, Pfizer vaccine boosters can go into the arms of those who qualify. That's ahead.

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CURNOW: A memorial service will be held later today in New York for Gabby Petito. The 22-year-old was killed while on a cross-country van life road trip with her fiance, Brian Laundrie. There is a federal arrest warrant for him. Rewards are offered for any information that could lead to his location.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADIA ROMERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are still many unanswered questions and to figuring out what happened to Gabby Petito before her death and where is Brian Laundrie now.

So here in Florida, there is an ongoing search at this reserve to try to see if Brian Laundrie is there. His parents told investigators that he was coming here last Tuesday and that they haven't heard or seen from him since. That's what's happening here in Florida.

In Wyoming, that's where investigators found the body of Gabby Petito. At least two people now have come forward, saying that they know that Brian Laundrie was in the area where her body was found because they gave him a ride when he was hitchhiking.

In Moab, Utah, there is an investigation ongoing about what happened after a domestic dispute call. Police interacted with Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie. And now there is an investigation as to how those officers responded and if they did so in the right way.

And on Sunday, in Long Island, New York, there will be a memorial for Gabby Petito -- Nadia Romero, CNN, Venice, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Pharmacies around the U.S. are scheduling Pfizer vaccine booster shots for those who qualify. Drugstore chains like CVS and Walgreens are making them available. More than 70 million remain unvaccinated. Alison Kosik has more on the booster rollout.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: To boost or not to boost: that seems to be the question on a lot of people's minds. And the CDC has weighed in with its recommendations. And now millions of Americans are eligible for a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Who should get that booster?

There has been controversy about this but this is what the CDC advises. People 65 years old and older and residents in long-term care settings should get a booster. People with 50-64 years old with underlying medical conditions should get a booster.

What are examples?

Cancer, kidney disease, obesity and diabetes.

Who may get a booster?

You'd qualify here if you're between the ages of 18-49 with underlying medical conditions. And if you're between 18-64 years old and are in a congregate setting like a nursing home, prison or work in a high-risk occupation for exposure, like in a hospital or grocery store, so basically, adults at an increased risk of COVID because of where they work or institutional settings.

And finally, who should not get the booster right now?

Only people who got the Pfizer vaccine for their first two shots are eligible for a booster right now. If you got Moderna or Johnson & Johnson you should not get the booster right now. The government will roll out more data and information for those who got the Moderna and J&J vaccines in the coming weeks.

Experts are also still waiting on data on whether mixing and matching vaccine brands is safe and effective. Also you shouldn't get the booster right now if you've been fully vaccinated less than six months.

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KOSIK (voice-over): And booster shots are not recommended for children under the age of 18 -- Alison Kosik, CNN, New York.

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CURNOW: Staggering numbers to report on coronavirus. Since the pandemic began, more than 231 million infections have been confirmed around the world. More than 4.7 million people have died.

Hundreds demonstrated in the Netherlands on Saturday after proof of vaccination became compulsory to get into most public venues. The launch of the so-called corona pass comes as the country is lifting most social distancing measures.

And Vietnam is also trying to prop up its economy which has suffered under lengthy lockdowns.

Britain's Prince Andrew has been served with legal papers in a lawsuit. Details on the sexual assault allegations against the Duke of York, next.

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CURNOW: We are getting new video into CNN of the erupting volcano in La Palma, one of the Canary Islands.

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CURNOW (voice-over): It's been erupting for a week, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. Now drones flying near the volcano show its cone is broken, as you can see here, opening a new explosive vent. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate as lava and ash engulf the area.

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CURNOW: And Prince Andrew's attorneys are acknowledging that he has been served with court papers in a civil sexual assault case. Max Foster has the details on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: This is a break through for Virginia Giuffre and her legal team. They've long struggled to engage Prince Andrew in this case. His legal team have now officially acknowledged they've been served papers, which allows the case to continue if the judge signs off on it.

And they'll have to respond by the 29th of October or potentially face default judgment. The central claim is that Prince Andrew sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre starting at the age of 17 in three different locations, including London and New York.

She says she was trafficked to Prince Andrew by Jeffrey Epstein. In the past, he's always denied these allegations. We'll have to see how he responds to this case. He may choose to challenge the jurisdiction of this court in this case altogether. He may seek to make several legal challenge instead or before even addressing those central allegations -- Max Foster, CNN, Hampshire, England.

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CURNOW: I'm Robyn Curnow. Thanks so much for joining me the past few hours. For viewers in the North America, I'm going to hand you over to the team at "NEW DAY." For the rest of the world, "Follow That Startup" is next.