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Negotiators to Tackle Trump's Peace Plan in Egypt; Federal Judge Halts National Guard Deployment to Oregon; Blizzard Triggered Hikers on Mount Everest, Hundreds Affected and None were Died. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired October 06, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world and everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, negotiators from Israel, the U.S. and Hamas are gathering in Egypt to discuss Donald Trump's ceasefire plan for Gaza nearly two years into the war.

Denied again. A federal judge blocks the Trump administration from deploying any National Guard troops to Oregon.

And with the U.S. governments in shutdown, critical federal food assistance programs are on the chopping block. We'll hear one new mother's story.

Then later, rescue operations are underway after a blizzard traps hundreds of hikers on Mount Everest.

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

CHURCH: Good to have you with us.

Well, all eyes are on Egypt today where key negotiations are set to begin between delegations from Israel, Hamas and the U.S. The goal, finalizing a ceasefire deal based on Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza plan. The U.S. President says technical teams will work through and clarify final details, he's also urging everyone to move fast, saying, quote, "time is of the essence or massive bloodshed will follow," something that nobody wants to see.

And he had this to say when asked about setting a deadline for Hamas to release the hostages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Very quickly, we had some very good meetings. The countries of the world, a lot of the countries surrounding Israel, frankly, Muslim, Arab and many others have had great meetings with Hamas and it looks like it's working.

So we'll wait for a little while, see how it all turns out. Very quickly, I think it's going to go very quickly. The meeting seemed to be very good.

We'll find out. We'll let you know soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But amid signs of progress, Israeli attacks inside Gaza are ongoing. Hospital officials say Palestinians and Khan Younis buried loved ones on Sunday that were killed in weekend strikes.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is following developments from London. She joins us now live. Good morning to you, Salma.

So a lot of hope is riding on this Gaza peace plan proposed by the Trump administration ahead of critical talks in Egypt today. So what more are you learning about all of this?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and they do, of course, have the potential to be the most consequential talks that we've seen since the start of this conflict nearly two years ago. But there is a lot that needs to be worked on, Rosemary. And you have to remember, this has all happened so quickly.

A lot of this diplomatic activity, this flurry occurred over the weekend when Hamas responded to President Trump's 20-point peace plan, perhaps in a way that Israeli society, the Israeli government and others had not expected. It didn't draw any red lines, which is how we've seen Hamas statements placed in the past.

Instead, Hamas saying it was willing to sit down and speak in these negotiations, as well as showing that it was willing to potentially release those 48 hostages. But the devil is, of course, in the details.

I want to focus on phase one, potentially, of this peace process, if it goes ahead, because this is a very complicated 20-point peace plan that looks at post-war Gaza as well.

So let's focus on phase one, which, if it went ahead, would see the release of 48 hostages. It is believed that only 20 of those hostages are living in exchange. A certain number of Palestinian prisoners would be released, up to 2000 potentially.

And this would happen within the framework of some sort of ceasefire.

So where are the complications? Where are the objections?

Well, first of all, Hamas has to agree to release those hostages without actually having a clear plan to end the conflict, something that in the past, Hamas has not seemed willing to do. Are they going to shift their position on that?

Secondly, the map of withdrawal. So President Trump's plan includes a phased withdrawal of Israeli

forces, which would mean Israeli troops would still occupy potentially parts of Gaza throughout this process. Again, something Hamas has said it is unwilling to accept. And on the other side, of course, we've seen Prime Minister Netanyahu go as far as saying that he wants to occupy Gaza City in its entirety.

[03:05:04]

So is there middle ground there to have a withdrawal phase that makes both sides happy, that is accepted by both sides while hostages are being released, while a ceasefire takes place?

I think what we have seen happening over the last few days is a strong indication, first of all, of the work of mediators. You have Qatari mediators, Turkish mediators, Egyptian mediators on the ground trying to push Hamas on its position, on its red lines, to open up that window of opportunity to try and draw an agreement.

You also, of course, have President Trump pushing on all sides, including on Prime Minister Netanyahu's side, to try to have that opening, that window of opportunity.

Now, President Trump was asked specifically how he would respond if Hamas refused to hand over weapons, to step down completely, to withdraw from its rule of Gaza. And he said the response to that would be complete obliteration.

So you have very much this sense that these negotiations are happening under the gun and that's the other thing to take away here. Hamas' position may have shifted significantly because of the conditions on the ground.

You have a horrifying death toll that includes nearly 18,000 children killed over the last two years that's according to the United Nations, you have a famine on the ground, a genocide that's been declared by an independent U.N. inquiry.

So very much these negotiations happening at a critical junction where relief is needed on the ground. But a lot of the backlash as well in Israel is going to be happening today.

Over the weekend, of course, people were stepping away from governments. You're going to see those responses coming in today. And a lot to lay down there when you're having indirect negotiations, meaning that mediators are going to have to shuffle between these two sides, find the middle ground.

Yes, there is hope. Yes, there is optimism. Yes, there is a sense that it is different this time.

But we have seen these negotiations fall apart time and time again, Rosemary. And that is the fear here.

CHURCH: Indeed. CNN's Salma Abdel-Ziz bringing us that live report from London. Many thanks. Well, supporters and families of the remaining hostages in Gaza are

adding pressure to secure their release. On Sunday, they joined a rally in New York Central Park ahead of the second anniversary of the October 7th attacks.

About 1200 people in Israel were killed and more than 250 taken hostage by Hamas. Some 47 hostages are still in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Noga Senderowitsch joins me now. She and her family have been close for decades now to two men kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th. Yael Horn was released after 498 days in captivity. His younger brother, Eitan, remains a hostage.

I want to thank you so much for talking with us.

NOGA SENDEROWITSCH, FRIEND OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE EITAN HORN: Thank you.

CHURCH: So as the second anniversary of the horrifying October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel approach, and as the Trump administration's peace plan makes the potential for the release of all the remaining hostages more likely than ever before, I wanted to get your thoughts. What are your thoughts right now?

SENDEROWITSCH: We're hopeful. We're very hopeful, more hopeful than we've been in quite some time. But we take it with a grain of salt.

We've seen these types of potential deals happen. We get our hopes up, we get excited, and then they fall through. We truly believe this is it, this is coming.

But we are very cautiously optimistic. That would be the best way to put it.

CHURCH: Right. And Noga, are you able to speak on behalf of Yael, who was released after being captured by Hamas on that fateful day? What's he saying about the anniversary and the possible release of the hostages, including his brother?

SENDEROWITSCH: I'll tell you what, Yael was released in February 2025. And the first thing he did, I mean, it wasn't even a month after his release, that he was already here in Washington, speaking with members of Congress, speaking with President Trump, and fighting for his brother's release. And that's exactly what he's been doing since that very moment.

He has not focused on any of his rehabilitation. In fact, I don't think he is doing any because there is none until his brother and all of the hostages are home. So the potential for having them home, you know, again, he's very excited, of course, but we're all very cautiously optimistic, we want to make sure we're not getting our hopes up and then just getting crushed again.

But we are very excited at the potential of getting our Eitan back (inaudible).

CHURCH: And what has it been like for Yael, trying to get back to normal life after being held hostage for 500 days?

[03:10:02]

SENDEROWITSCH: It's a good question. Like I said, there is no getting back. What he focuses on is a constant battle to bring his brother, whether it's awareness, whether it's going out in the streets, whether it's going to rallies and protests within Israel, whether it's coming to the United States, which he's been multiple times since his release already to speak to members of Congress all over the world, actually, different news outlets.

That's all he does. That's really, truly all he does. And there's nothing else for him until Eitan comes home.

And I know that many of the hostages feel very similarly, that there's really no true rehabilitation. There's no true getting back on path or even looking, trying to heal the trauma until this trauma is over.

We're still in it. So that's what we're waiting for.

CHURCH: Of course. And it's been very difficult for all of these, the families of the hostages, getting excited about the possibility of release and then having their hopes dashed, as you point out, and as we've been reporting, this is closer than it's ever been. But how difficult is it for the families to sort of start getting excited about this possibility and then finding out that it's not going to go forward?

SENDEROWITSCH: Honestly, it's brutal. I think these are some of most nerve-wracking times for many of the hostage families, whether their loved ones are no longer alive or they are.

There's a lot of turmoil internally in Israel. People just really, the grand majority of Israelis, you can see polls all over the place, really want the hostages home.

So being so close, you can feel the anxiety, you can feel the excitement, but you also can feel that hesitation to not get too excited just in case something goes wrong, because it's so devastating. But there's a lot of buzz, there's a lot of excitement and a lot of hope.

CHURCH: Absolutely. And Noga, what are you able or what would you like to share with us about Eitan, who for now remains a hostage in Gaza, but could potentially be released soon?

SENDEROWITSCH: Eitan is just an amazing human being, just a teddy bear. People talk about how much he used to work with youth before he was kidnapped, with youth at risk. A lot of those people are coming out and saying, this guy saved my life, this guy was my only friend, this guy was the only person that cheered me on when I didn't have anybody else.

Sort of like a big brother to a lot of people, just a really sweet person who loved to have fun, who was a huge soccer fan, very big family man, was an amazing uncle, is an amazing uncle. His niece and nephew are waiting for him eagerly to go back to soccer games. So we just can't wait to have the light of the family back, I think he's just a light human being.

CHURCH: Noga, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it.

SENDEROWITSCH: No problem. Thank you for having me. I appreciate you giving this voice to those who can't have it right now.

CHURCH: A federal judge is blocking Donald Trump from sending any National Guard troops to Oregon. On Saturday, that same judge told President Trump he could not deploy the Oregon National Guard to the city of Portland.

The White House then said it would send National Guard soldiers from California or Texas but this new ruling, late Sunday, shot down those plans. The White House cites the need for troops to protect federal agents and facilities during protests.

Well meanwhile, troops are being deployed to Illinois amid demonstrations outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility near Chicago. CNN's Rafael Romo has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The president and his administration are framing anti-ICE demonstrations in democratic-led cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland as violent protests carried out by, quote, domestic terrorists.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday morning, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated without providing evidence that protests and confrontations with federal agents are part of an organized movement funded by gangs, terrorists and drug cartel members. She cited drivers in Chicago who allegedly rammed their cars into a vehicle carrying federal agents, prompting one agent to shoot and injure a woman.

The Department of Justice announced that two people have been charged in a federal court with using their vehicles to assault, impede and interfere with the work of federal agents in Chicago.

[03:15:05]

KRISTI NOEM, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I've encouraged the governor of Oregon and of Illinois and that Attorney General should go down and spend some time with our ICE officers and with our Border Patrol officers and encounter the protesters that they do because these individuals are shouting hateful things at them, threatening their families, putting their hands on them and acts of violence are occurring on a regular basis.

ROMO: And in an interview with CNN also on Sunday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker criticized the Trump administration for last week's raid in the city of Chicago featured in a DHS video posted on X this weekend. According to the governor, U.S. citizens, children and elderly people were detained for hours without cause.

GOV. J.B. PRITZKER (D-IL): What kind of a country are we living in? And this raid at this building is emblematic of what ICE and CBP and the President of the United States, Kristi Noem and Greg Bovino are trying to do. They want mayhem on the ground, want to create the war zone so that they can send in even more troops now they're claiming they need 300 of Illinois' National Guard.

ROMO: A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN that the raid was part of a multi-agency operation that led to the arrest of 37 undocumented immigrants, most of them from Venezuela, but also included people from Mexico, Nigeria and Colombia.

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, nearly a week on and the U.S. government shows no signs of reopening. We'll tell you what's keeping lawmakers from striking a deal.

And the longer the shutdown goes on, millions of Americans could lose government assistance for food, how it's affecting families. That's just ahead.

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CHURCH: In the coming hours, lawmakers will return to Capitol Hill to vote on bills that could end the U.S. government shutdown. They'll hold a fifth vote on a spending bill drafted by Democrats, which includes measures to restore parts of the Affordable Care Act. And on a gap bill by Republicans, which would fight until late November.

But nearly a week into the shutdown, neither Democrats nor Republicans seem willing to budge on their demands. Here's what party leaders had to say on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), U.S. HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Well, the last time there was a conversation with Republican leadership was in the White House meeting last Monday. And unfortunately, since that point in time, Republicans, including Donald Trump, have gone radio silent.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-FL), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: Republicans are the ones in Congress working to improve health care access quality and make it cheaper. We want to bring the cost down of health care.

Premiums are too high but it's not because of Republican policies, it's because Obamacare is not working. We're trying to fix it. SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), U.S. SENATE MINORITY LEADER: I've encouraged my Democratic members to sit and talk to Republicans. It's always good when Democrats and Republicans talk to each other. But two points.

First, in those conversations, the Republicans offered nothing. And but second, the only way this will ultimately be solved is if five people sit together in a room and solve it.

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD), U.S. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: The Democrats just need to open up the government. Right now, we're at a stalemate. They'll get another chance on Monday to vote again and I'm hoping that some of them have a change of heart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: A new CBS News poll provides insight into who Americans think are responsible for the shutdown. 39 percent say President Trump and congressional Republicans are to blame, 30 percent say it's the fault of congressional Democrats, 31 percent say Democrats and Republicans share the blame equally.

Well, the continued shutdown also threatens families that depend on government assistance. While funds for October were already released, an extended shutdown could pose problems for the coming months. Jenn Sullivan has more details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENN SULLIVAN, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): This is baby Zivay. He's now one and a half and thriving. But his mom, Ashley Vasquez, says that wasn't always the case.

ASHLEY VASQUEZ, BABY ZIVAY'S MOTHER: He just didn't have an appetite and he wasn't putting on weight.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): Zivay was put on special nutritional drinks that his family received through WIC, a federal-funded program for women, infants and children. It provides aid to more than six million low-income families to help cover expenses for food, breastfeeding support and health education.

But that money could soon be at risk if the government shutdown continues.

NEIL MENEFEE-LIBEY, SR, POLICY MANAGER, U.S. NATIONAL WIC ASSOCIATION: For really young children whose sole source of nutrition may be infant formula, the loss of WIC would be absolutely devastating because their families don't have other options.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): Neil Menefee-Libey with the National WIC Association says if the government doesn't pass a spending bill within the next two weeks, funding will likely run out.

MENEFEE-LIBEY: That really puts us in a crisis point very quickly. SULLIVAN (voice-over): Funding for other assistance programs like the

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, could also be at risk. Roughly 42 million people depend on SNAP to help cover groceries. October's benefits were already sent out, but come November 1st, it's unclear whether people will receive assistance as politicians continue to debate.

JEFFRIES: Republicans refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credit.

REP. MIKE LAWLER (R-NY): This is not about health care. This is about Democrats wanting to show their progressive left base that they are fighting against Donald Trump.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): Meanwhile, it leaves vulnerable parents like Ashley Vasquez unsure how they're going to pay for their families.

I'm Jenn Sullivan reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Earlier, I spoke with Larry Sabato, the Director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, and I asked him about the political and practical consequences of a prolonged government shutdown as new polling shows Americans are blaming Republicans. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA-CENTER FOR POLITICS: It's really interesting in following this one. It's a little bit different than some of the other shutdowns. In this case, the polls have been remarkably consistent.

Trump and the Republicans in Congress do get most of the blame, and by a decent margin it's not a couple of points. Democrats, of course, get the blame among hardcore Republicans and a slice of independents.

[03:25:05]

There's still a large group, though, between 20-25 percent of Americans who either blame everybody or don't know who to blame. Well, over time, they will distribute themselves depending on what happens and how long this goes on. The Republicans have been more effective at offense.

They have been blaming the Democrats pretty consistently with lines that seem to go over well. But the Democrats have the better argument because of health care. Most Americans are concerned about the health care cutbacks and worried that they may not be able to afford insurance at all.

So that's blowing the Democrats. It's difficult to know where this will go. It certainly seems to be lasting quite some time.

CHURCH: That is the concern, isn't it? Of course, Larry, the White House says federal workers could be laid off if no deal on the shutdown is reached. And President Trump blames the Democrats for those potential layoffs, while the Democrats refuse to budge, as you point out, insisting on keeping health care subsidies in place.

And the White House is also freezing funding for blue cities and states amid this shutdown. So the consequences are many, aren't they? There's just a few. So how do they reach a deal with where things stand right now?

SABATO: Well, the obvious way for them to reach a deal is through a compromise. But neither party seems very inclined to do that.

They're both pretty dug in and listening to the leadership. Sometimes you can tell if one party is feeling the pressure more or is hearing from voters who are unhappy more. And I don't think that's happening, they both seem to think they're winning.

And that combination is dangerous, Rosemary. It will produce a longer shutdown.

Now, it could change at any point if, for example, we go past October 15, which is the next payday. And that will be a day when troops don't get paid, when the TSA workers don't get paid, when air traffic controllers don't get paid, and loads of other people, too.

It doesn't take long for the bills to pile up and people to have no resources. So that would be a critical moment, the middle of October.

CHURCH: Yes, I mean, it is nerve-wracking for those workers, isn't it? And Larry, inflation and the economy are the top issues, with most Americans saying Donald Trump's policies are making them financially worse off. That is according to most polls, including the latest CNN News poll.

What does this potentially mean for the midterms next year?

SABATO: Trump is in a precarious position. He was low in his first term and of course, he lost badly in the midterms of 2018.

Well, this is the second term. And if anything, he has gone downhill quicker than he did in the first term. His overall average is somewhere around 42 percent job approval, which isn't terrible some presidents have been in the '30s and even the '20s.

But it certainly isn't robust. And it isn't enough just to have your base behind you in a midterm election. You have to have at least 40, 45 percent of the independents.

Right now, he's not even close to that. So there are real stakes here but it is early. It's more than a year away from the midterms. And I'm sure they have some positive scenarios in mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: A new push to end the war in Gaza. Delegations from Israel, Hamas and the U.S. are set to begin negotiations in Egypt. Just ahead, what President Trump is saying about those talks.

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[03:30:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom," I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

Senate Democrats and Republicans will return to Washington today to vote again on bills to reopen the U.S. government. Democrats want to extend health care subsidies tied to the Obama-era Affordable Care Act. But Republican Senate Leader John Thune says those demands are, quote, "unreasonable and unrealistic."

The Trump administration is considering a $10 billion bailout for American farmers. The move comes in an effort to remedy surging costs from trade war tariffs, immigration-related labor shortages, plummeting commodity prices and soaring bankruptcies.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are set to begin in Egypt today. Delegations, including from the U.S., hope to finalize a ceasefire deal based on Donald Trump's Gaza plan. The U.S. President says he expects discussions to go on for a couple of days.

Well Donald Trump is also sharing his hopes that those talks will result in a deal. CNN's Kevin Liptack was with the president in Virginia, where he marked the U.S. Navy's 250th anniversary.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Trump is voicing optimism that his 20-point plan to bring peace to Gaza will reach the finish line. But at the same time, the President seems highly aware that this is a fragile negotiation. That's part of why he's deploying two top administration officials, his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to Cairo to ensure that this plan reaches finality.

And it was interesting, as the President was speaking here in Norfolk, you know, ordinarily he is not shy about talking about his efforts to bring peace to conflicts around the world. But when he was speaking from the podium here, the President didn't seem to want to talk about this in too much detail. Listen to what he said.

TRUMP: We're putting out a lot of fires. Maybe some of you will be angry.

You'll say, what's he doing? We want to fight. You know what? If we can solve them the way I'm solving them, we solve seven. We have another one that's taken 3000 years, and we're pretty close, but I don't want to talk about it until it's done.

LIPTAK: So you hear the President saying that he didn't want to talk about this too much, essentially suggesting he didn't want to jinx success. And that is sort of a theme from what we've been hearing from other administration officials today.

[03:35:00]

We heard the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, acknowledging that the war is not over yet, that work remains to be done, and suggesting that the next several days will be critical, saying that we want to see this happen very fast. And, quote, "if it doesn't, I think the entire deal becomes imperiled."

We also heard the President, as he was coming here to Norfolk, say that this was a good deal for Israel, it was a good deal for the Palestinians, suggesting that there was no need for flexibility, but allowing that there will have to be, quote, "some changes to the text." And what those changes are, of course, could determine whether or not this deal is successful.

Now, today in Norfolk was very much about demonstrating U.S. naval might. The President flew to the aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, he viewed a demonstration with ships, with submarines, with naval aircraft. He then flew here, landed on Marine One aboard the USS Harry Truman, as the strains of the "Top Gun" theme song were playing, really kind of demonstrating his role as commander-in-chief and talking to the Navy, to the assembled sailors, about the Navy's 250th anniversary.

But still, the conflict in Gaza very much at close range here. The USS Harry Truman recently returned from the Red Sea, where it was involved in battling the Houthi rebels, that sort of a fall-on conflict to the Gaza War.

And so, certainly the President wanting to demonstrate his role as commander-in-chief here, but also wanting to talk about the war that he hasn't been able to resolve, the conflict in Gaza.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, at the Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Ukrainians in the western city of Lviv are surveying the destruction after a massive Russian air attack.

Lviv's governor says Russia launched its largest ever assault on the region overnight into Sunday, involving 140 drones and 23 missiles. At least five people were killed. Four of the victims were members of a single family who died in a strike on their residential building.

Russia also targeted the city of Zaporizhzhya on the opposite side of the country, at least one person was killed in that air attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces fired more than 50 missiles and nearly 500 drones over the weekend, proving once again that Putin craves the destruction of Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Sadly, there's no strong adequate response from the international community to what's happening. Constant escalation and brazenness of these strikes. Putin is doing it and seems to mock the West and its silence and lack of strong actions in response, Russia has rejected every proposal to end the war or even to halt the strikes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meanwhile, Russia's president is warning the U.S. against supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles. Vladimir Putin is saying that move would lead to the destruction of U.S.-Russian relations.

Ukraine's President has asked the U.S. government to sell the long- range missile systems to European nations, which would donate them to Ukraine. If that happens, Kyiv would have the ability to strike deep inside Russia. White House officials have recently said that Donald Trump is considering allowing the deal to go through.

In the coming hours, Syria will release the results of its first election since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. Officials are describing Sunday's indirect vote as a defining step in Syria's political transition, but critics are calling it unrepresentative of the people.

Authorities postponed the vote in three minority-held provinces, and although women have been guaranteed 20 percent representation, it's unclear how many will be elected or appointed. The election will fill 210 parliamentary seats in which two-thirds of lawmakers are elected by local bodies and one-third appointed directly by the president.

Still to come, CNN takes you on board the Orient Express. And it's no mystery this time, just a look at one of the most luxurious rides through Italy. Back with that in just a moment.

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[03:40:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back to CNN. This is your Business Breakout and this is how Asian markets are starting the week.

Japan's Nikkei hit a record-high to start the trading week. This follows the ruling Liberal Democratic Party choosing former economic security minister Sanei Takeichi as its new leader. That makes her likely to become the country's first female Prime Minister.

And these are the business headlines.

Taylor Swift leads at the box office and in streaming music. Her new film, the official release "Party of a Showgirl," brought in $46 million worldwide in just three days. And her new album, "Life of a Showgirl," became Spotify's most streamed album of the year.

After 63 years in business, the American pharmacy chain Rite Aid has closed all of its remaining stores. The company filed for bankruptcy in May, marking the second time in less than two years. More than 1000 other Rite Aid stores have been sold to rival pharmacies and grocery chains.

More than 800,000 Uber and Lyft drivers in California now have the right to join a union. A new state law allows them to bargain collectively for better wages and benefits. Currently, rideshare drivers are classified as independent contractors, unionizing could help them gain access to paid sick leave and overtime pay.

Well more than 140 years after the original Orient Express launched, a new version of the luxury train is offering guests a ride through the Italian countryside. CNN producer Antonia Mortensen got a taste of the high life on board the train that's evoking the charms and style of the past.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANTONIA MORTENSEN, CNN PRODUCER: We're about to take you on a once in a lifetime experience. 24 hours on La Dolce Vita Orient Express, Italy's newest and most luxurious train. A trip like this will set you back around $3,500.

I have my tickets. Let's go.

MORTENSEN (voice-over): But first, to our cabins.

MORTENSEN: And here it is, B1. Let's have a look.

[03:45:02]

My goodness, this is quite a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be.

MORTENSEN (voice-over): The train has 30 cabins, deluxe and suite, each with private bathrooms. It also features a dining cart, lounge, bar and relaxation area. And it's hard to imagine that this used to be an old Italian railway train from the '70s that was totally gutted and rebuilt.

MORTENSEN: The train has been tailor built and every detail has been meticulously designed. It has a very strong feeling that harks back to the La Dolce Vita 1960s era here in Italy.

UNKNOWN: I can help you at any time during your excursions. For example, we can text at any time. I will set your room, for example.

I will bring you something to drink, breakfast. Okay?

MORTENSEN (voice-over): The train was launched back in April. The dream child of Paolo Barletta, whose company teamed up with the historic Orient Express.

PAOLO BARLETTA, CEO, ARSENALE GROUP: The money that you are spending is very much worth it. Because in those two days you are leaving so much that at the end of the journey those memories will stay for months, for years.

MORTENSEN (voice-over): With over $230 million invested to date, the bet is big. And this is the first of six trains the company aims to have on the Italian railroads by 2027 and then beyond.

The menu has been designed so that each bite tells the story of the regions we pass.

WALTER CANZIO, CHEF, LA DOLCE VITA ORIENT EXPRESS: Food, like everything, needs to give you emotion. If a food can give you emotion, you will make the perfect plate. We search to discover the region with the food, so using the ingredients.

MORTENSEN: We have the almond and saffron sauce. And saffron is very typical of the region. Delicious.

UNKNOWN: Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. In ten minutes we will arrive at Sant'Angelo Cini Giano, the gateway to the town of Montalcino.

MORTENSEN: The company operates eight different routes all over Italy. And it's not only the onboard experiences that are important to them. It's also the off-board experiences that they offer to their clients.

MORTENSEN (voice-over): We were shown around this town and tried some of its best wine.

MORTENSEN: Brunello di Montalcino. Cheers everyone. Salute.

COLIN ARROWSMITH, GUEST ON THE LA DOLCE VITA ORIENT EXPRESS: This is fishy. Another level.

CHRISTINE ARROWSMITH, GUEST ON THE LA DOLCE VITA ORIENT EXPRESS: What's marvelous, I mean, we like Italian designs. It's just, yes, there's something about it.

MORTENSEN (voice-over): The train is a prototype for a much bigger expansion that stretches beyond Europe. The company say there is a gap in the market and plan to take their luxury train concept to Saudi Arabia, where they will be launching as soon as next year. And then Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and beyond.

Antonia Mortensen, CNN, aboard the La Dolce Vita Orient Express, Rome.

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CHURCH: Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a Himalayan blizzard on Mount Everest. We will bring you the latest on the race to rescue them. That's next.

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[03:50:00]

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CHURCH: Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a blizzard on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest have been guided to safety, according to Chinese state media. The storm began on Friday night and continued through Saturday, it trapped visitors in a remote valley near the mountain's eastern face.

About 350 people have reached safety and more than 200 others still on the mountain but in contact with rescuers. Officials say the remaining trekkers are being escorted down in stages.

So let's go to Taipei, where CNN's Will Ripley has the latest on the rescue efforts. So, Will, what are you learning on this?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So the good news is there are no reports that anybody has been killed. Although they certainly got very cold, frigidly cold, and unexpectedly so because this was a very busy time on Mount Everest.

This is actually the Chinese National Day holiday period. It's also the month of October, which on a typical year would bring clear skies and stable weather to Mount Everest. But this time, take a look at what happened instead.

These folks were caught up not just in snow but also rain and thunder and lightning all at once. So it was a true blizzard. This is the same system that caused those deadly floods and landslides in Nepal.

So you had these hikers that were thinking they could get to the summit of Everest and instead it's freezing winds, deep snow, zero visibility. The snow was up to chest level, so they couldn't pass on the trails. They had to dispatch hundreds of locals in addition to the usual mountain guides just to try to dig out a path so that people could walk off the mountain.

And that left hundreds of people trapped in this area known as Karma Valley, which is on Everest's eastern flank in Tibet. It's particularly remote, particularly hard to reach. Obviously, there's no road, certainly no quick exits from this area.

Now the north face, also in Tibet, that's actually easier because there's a paved road that leads almost to base camp. So for folks who were there when the blizzard hit, it was a bit less of an ordeal than for those that were on that eastern flank.

But the good news is people have been brought down group by group. The trails have been dug out. They've been bringing people down on these particular routes.

The rescues are certainly slow. They're dangerous for everybody, the rescuers as well. These are very steep, very high altitude terrain.

But the villagers who did all that digging have gotten people to safety, medical care if they needed it. Maybe a warm bowl of soup, which would feel like a blessing from heaven, I think, Rosemary, after being stranded out in the cold for that many hours or even days in some cases.

And again, the great news, at least at this stage, we don't have any reports that anybody was killed. So it could have been a lot worse, certainly.

CHURCH: Absolutely, and we salute those rescuers indeed. CNN's Will Ripley, thanks so much for bringing us that report live from Taipei.

Well, these wild dogs could be the key to bringing their species back from the brink of extinction. They face setbacks and threats, including climate change and poaching.

[03:55:08]

But conservationists believe they have a fighting chance to survive and thrive. CNN's Ben Hunte has the details.

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BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): After being functionally extinct for decades, these African wild dogs are making their return to Uganda. The painted dog or Cape hunting dog is known for its predatory instincts, rounded ears and unique coat colors. These endangered carnivores can run more than 44 miles per hour and are crucial to ecosystem balance in Africa.

THOMAS PRICE, DIRECTOR, CTC CONSERVATION PARK: Well, in Uganda, they're not only an endangered species, they're technically functionally extinct. There are rare sightings of single animals or two animals here and there. But there's not been any denning activity seen in Uganda for decades.

HUNTE (voice-over): Now that could change. The organization Conservation Through Commercialization has brought in eight wild dogs from South Africa to the Uganda park in hopes they'll regrow the population.

PRICE: One of our females is highly pregnant at the moment, and we do hope, if all goes well, that she will have offspring by next week.

HUNTE (voice-over): Officials say fewer than 7000 African wild dogs remain worldwide. Due to poaching, habitat loss and climate change, but these dogs seem right at home in their Ugandan habitat.

PRICE: Well, they're doing great because this is their natural environment. I mean, they used to be here, so there's nothing we need to adjust for them.

HUNTE (voice-over): Gone for decades, their absence caused ecological imbalance, but their comeback from the brink of extinction is a welcome change.

Ben Hunte, CNN.

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CHURCH: And thanks for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "Amanpour" is coming up next, then stay tuned for "Early Start" with Brian Abel, starting at 5:00 a.m. in New York, 10:00 a.m. in London.

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