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France Prime Minister Resigns After Less Than A Month On The Job; Indirect Israel-Hamas Talks Set To Begin In Egypt; Chief Israel Negotiator Not Initially Attending Peace Talks; Donald Trump Authorizes National Guard Deployment To Chicago; Shutdown Enters 6th Day With No Sign Of Compromise; Some Syrians Skeptical Election Will Bring Change; Heavy Snows Trap Nearly 1,000 Near Everest's East Face; Trump Urges Google To Restore Univision To YouTube T.V.; CNN Boards La Dolce Vita Orient Express. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired October 06, 2025 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:34]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi. This is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky Anderson
in Abu Dhabi.
Well, the time is just after 6:00 in the evening, a fresh political crisis in France, the prime minister resigns less than a month after his
appointment.
And negotiators from Israel, the U.S. and Hamas are gathering in Egypt to discuss Donald Trump's cease fire plan for Gaza nearly two years into the
war.
And the U.S. shut down blame game. Could it backfire on the Republicans, or will it be the Democrats?
We begin with France descending into deeper political gridlock. The country's fifth Prime Minister in two years, quitting less than a month
into his tenure, he is citing irreconcilable differences.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIEN LECORNU, OUTGOING FRENCH PRIME MINISTER (voice over): There are a lot of red lines in the mouths of many, at least some, not everybody. There
are rarely green lines.
However, the very principle of building a compromise between political parties is to be able to combine green lines and take into account a
certain number of red lines, but we cannot be at both extremes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Sebastien Lecornu's news short resignation coming just hours after unveiling his new cabinet. His ministers were supposed to convene for
the first time today. Instead, it is back to square one for a government that has been essentially spinning its wheels for over a year now, putting
President Emmanuel Macron in an even tougher spot than he was before.
CNN's Melissa Bell back with us this hour. And Melissa, Lecornu officially France's shortest ever serving prime minister. What happened and just what
are the consequences here?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: All kinds of consequences in the immediate future for France's 2026 budget. The
timetable by which this budget needed to be presented to parliament, which was by mid-October, just a week away now, means that, however quickly and
if the French president decides to nominate a new prime minister, he simply won't have time to organize around himself for government present and draw
up a new parliament -- a new a new budget in time.
So, that's looking extremely unlikely at this stage. It doesn't look like they will get before parliament in time the proposals for 2226 budget.
Remember, in the context where, Becky, it was extremely urgent that budget reform was pushed through, that budget cuts were made because of this
growing debt crisis that France's faces. So, that's one, first, very important consequence to come out of this.
The other is, of course, that, as you say, after just 27 days, this hope that this particular prime minister, a very close ally of President Macron,
but also someone who is considered relatively consensual, able, it was thought to cobble together a government by drawing on the mainstream left
and right in order to try and govern and draw up that proposed budget. The fact that he's failed does lead to questions about what can happen next.
He's the fourth politician drawn from the political center here in France to try and fail to do that, which suggests that at this stage, although
technically he could -- constitutionally he could, it's very unlikely that political -- that politically, Emmanuel Macron might choose, once again, to
try this -- tried and failed attempt to lead from the center with a centrist M.P. -- P.M., rather.
The only other choice -- choices available to him would be to choose, say, a prime minister drawn from the far right with all the difficulties that
would have in getting consensus on the left, or a prime minister drawn from the left with all the difficulties you'd have in drawing consensus from the
right.
And especially given that this latest scalp to be claimed by France's instability went this time, not because he lost the vote of confidence, but
the very cabinet ministers he'd appointed 12 hours ago, many of them extremely disgruntled on the traditional right by the fact that not enough
of them got seats.
So, there's now this rupture between President Macron Center and the traditional right, and that makes it very difficult to see how naming a new
prime minister would help.
The other solution, Becky, would be yet another dissolution, a second one in as many years, with the danger that at this stage, the polls suggest
that Marine Le Pen's far right party would do even better this time than it did in 2024 with, of course, repercussions then for President Macron's
majority and also his ability to lead.
[10:05:12]
What he said is that he will stay on now until the presidential election of 2027 whatever else happens, Becky.
ANDERSON: France, of course, suffering a ratings downgrade some weeks ago, earlier this year. The markets' under pressure on the back of the prime
minister's departure, and we're just going to show the CAC 40 the stock market and how it closed down, just less than 1.5 percent today, we're not
seeing a route.
One expert suggesting the worst case scenario for France's financial markets would be a Macron resignation. Assuming that he does survive, what
are the ramifications for the French president and for France at this stage?
BELL: Well, on the quest -- on the question of a particular resignation of the French president, it's extremely unlikely. The far left are calling --
have been calling for some time for his impeachment, which works slightly differently to the way it works the United States, very difficult procedure
for them to put through Parliament.
Essentially, it has to be his decision, because that procedure is so difficult to go and again, this is not speaking in the wake of this
particular resignation, but the last one, Francois Bayrou, he said, look, I'm staying whatever is happening. The chorus of people calling for his
resignation has certainly been grown, but he seems determined to stay.
So, again, we go back to his options, either dissolution or naming a new prime minister. There are growing calls that dissolution is the only option
left open to him, with the prospect of the far right looking better than ever.
And the danger, of course, at this stage is, as you mentioned, alluded to in your questions just then, Becky, that as this political gridlock
continues, which is likely to as long as he's president, there's simply no way around that. It's very difficult to see an alternative to a sort of
lame duck presidency with a lot of political instability until the presidential election of 2027 should he decide to stay as he's pledged to
so far.
What that means is that the French debt, which has now reached about 116 percent of economic annual output, will not be resolved in terms of the
fact that there will be no budget pushed through, because that would take tough political choices. It would take a big majority, it would take
political will. There's none of that here in France right now, and that means that that's set to stay. Hence what you saw today, further difficulty
on the (INAUDIBLE) as a result of this latest resignation. It simply does not look good for France's ability to tackle this, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. It's good to have you, Melissa. Thank you. Melissa Bell is in Paris.
Well, to the latest push to end the war in Gaza and in direct talks between Hamas and Israel due to start today in Egypt. Teams from both sides have
now arrived, and a Hamas source says the first negotiating session will begin this evening, local time, where mass delegation includes lead
negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, who survived the Israeli airstrike on Doha last month. He has started initial conversations with Egyptian and Qatari
mediators.
The Israeli team will start talks without lead negotiator Ron Dermer who the prime minister's office says would join negotiations at a later stage,
both sides have expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump's 20- point plan to end the war, though a number of major obstacles do remain. He is urging both Israel and Hamas to move fast.
CNN's International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson joined me last hour from Egypt with a look at what to expect as these critical talks get
underway.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think perhaps the principal thing here is that President Trump has weighed in heavily when
Hamas said that it was willing to countenance the release of all the hostages, one of the 20-points most important point for Israel that
President Trump immediately told Prime Minister Netanyahu to stop the bombing inside of Gaza. Now it diminished. It didn't dissipate completely.
A hundred people have been killed since President Trump said that. But that was pressure on Israel.
And equally, over the weekend, while the president has said, perhaps these talks will last a couple -- a couple of days, and I think he was sort of
signaling that it will be quicker than that originally. He has also said to Hamas, if you don't get on board with this, you face complete obliteration.
So, I think it's President Trump's involvement. It's the buy in from the region and the fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu appears at the moment to
be following what President Trump is asking of him.
But it is significant, as you say, that Ron Dermer, Prime Minister Netanyahu's top confidant, if you will, and minister of strategic affairs
was going to come in person, now isn't going to come in person may join the talks later.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:10:06]
ANDERSON: That's Nic Robertson in Cairo the latest there. Jeremy Diamond back with us this hour from Jerusalem.
And given what we've just heard from Nic, what are you hearing about Israel's expectations for these talks from your vantage there?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, the bottom line, Becky, is that Israel is hoping to reach a conclusion in these negotiations very
quickly. They, alongside the United States, are putting pressure on Hamas to agree to the plan, basically as it stands, as quickly as possible in
order to get those 48 Israeli hostages out as soon as this week.
We had heard the Israeli prime minister over the weekend saying that he hoped to be able to return to deliver a message to the public that the
hostages are coming home during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which starts tonight and is set to last for one week.
But we know, of course, that these negotiations are likely to face complications, and that's because, despite the optimism, despite the
momentum behind these talks, there are still major differences that exist between Israel and Hamas over some of the key points in this 20-point plan
that President Trump has put forward to end the war in Gaza.
Of course, beyond this issue of disarmament, whether or not Hamas will actually agree to disarm as part of a post war Gaza plan, there are more
immediate issues that deal with the first phase of this agreement, which would be the release of the hostages and Israel carrying out an initial
kind of preliminary withdrawal of Israeli forces within the Gaza Strip.
The map that President Trump put out this weekend for that initial withdrawal represents the deepest lines of control for Israeli forces that
have ever been presented in these cease fire negotiations with some Israeli troops remaining, as far as you know, 6.5 kilometers deep inside of the
Gaza Strip. And so, you can expect that that will be an issue that Hamas will seek to negotiate.
You know, overall, we will have to see how Hamas responds to the kind of time pressure that is being put on them by the United States and by Israel.
In the past, Hamas has been, you know, not sufficiently satisfied with assurances that if he gives up the hostages, that this will actually lead
to a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end of the war in Gaza.
The U.S.'s 20-point plan seeks to address all of these things at the same time, but there does seem to be some pressure, particularly from the
Israelis, to see that release of hostages move forward before everything else is finalized and ironed out. We'll have to see how Hamas responds to
that, whether that's something they're willing to do, or whether they'll insist on a full and final agreement being fully negotiated before any
hostage releases begin to take place.
ANDERSON: Jeremy, while I've got you, of course, any deal is expected to ensure a huge surge in humanitarian aid, much needed in the enclave. The
Gaza flotilla that was intercepted last week by the Israelis was intent on getting its aid into Gaza. Just for our viewers' sake, to get us bang up to
date, what happened to that aid and to the participants who were taken off those boats by the Israelis?
DIAMOND: Well, as of now, 171 of those flotilla participants have now been deported by Israel. That includes as of today the prominent activist Greta
Thunberg, who was also deported today. There are now allegations being made by a legal team representing the group of activists about, "Serious abuses"
that some of these detainees faced in Israeli custody.
We heard from some of the participants in this flotilla who were already deported, alleging that Greta Thunberg specifically faced abuse in Israeli
custody. This legal team is saying that there was physical violence, including at least one activist sustaining injuries to his hands. They also
said that activists were forced to kneel with their hands zip tied for at least five hours.
The Israeli government, for its part, is denying all of these claims of abuse, insisting that these are lies that are being spread as part of a,
"Fake news campaign." They say that the only violent incident that happened was one of these activists, they say bit a medical staff member at the
prison where they were being held. And they are insisting that Israel did not abuse any of these activists, Becky.
ANDERSON: Jeremy is in Jerusalem for you today. Jeremy, thank you.
Last hour, I spoke with CNN Global Affairs Analyst Barak Ravid. He told me why he thinks the initial absence of Israel's lead negotiator is not a big
deal, and also why, after speaking to President Trump himself over the weekend, Ravid is more optimistic than ever before that a comprehensive
deal will finally be reached.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[10:15:19]
BARAK RAVID, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: The only reason Ron Dermer is heading the negotiation team was a political decision by Netanyahu eight
months ago after Trump assumed office, and Netanyahu decided that he's going to conduct those negotiations with the United States and not with
Hamas. This is why Dermer came into the picture, and he's going to be in Egypt once White House Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared
Kushner, are going to arrive either tomorrow, on Wednesday.
So, that's why Dermer is not there. I think it has zero significance of the actual negotiation that's being run by professionals that actually know the
details. That's number one.
Number two, Donald Trump is completely adamant on getting a deal in the coming days and he will do anything in his power to make it happen. That's
what I learned from talking to him directly over the last few days and from talking to all of his closest advisors. He does not take as an option
collapse of those talks and that will end with no deal.
I don't think Donald Trump and his team will allow either of the negotiators from the -- from both sides to leave Egypt without a deal. This
is why I think there is a bigger chance than ever before that this will get done in the coming days.
ANDERSON: I think perhaps a confusion over Ron Dermer is that at the beginning of 2025 as many people understand it, he took over the sort of
lead role for these negotiations from David Barnett, who was, you know, head of Mossad. So, I think for some time there has been perhaps some
confusion as to the role that Ron Dermer is playing. He's certainly been asked to lead this delegation there has need by the Israeli prime minister
as you rightly point out.
Look, the other person that you name check there, who will reportedly be on the ground with Steve Witkoff is Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law.
There have been questions about his presence in these sensitive talks, given that he has no role in the current administration.
This is what CNN -- sorry, this is what reporters were told at a White House briefing last week when Karoline Leavitt was very specifically asked
about Jared Kushner's role.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did the White House decide that it is appropriate for Jared Kushner to be working on matters that involve Qatar, the UAE,
Saudi Arabia? Three countries that combined have given him more than $2.5 billion for his investment firm.
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think it's frankly despicable that you're trying to suggest that it's inappropriate for Jared
Kushner, who is widely respected around the world and has great trust in relationships with these critical partners in these countries.
ANDERSON: I think most people will agree it was a perfectly sensible question. I guess the sort of you know, the follow up question to that is,
what is Jared Kushner's role at this point alongside Steve Witkoff? What's your sense, Barak?
RAVID: First, Becky, I have to say that I might not be most people, but I actually agree with what Karoline Leavitt said. Jared -- if anything, for
Jared Kushner to put his head into this swamp in the Middle East, this is something that will be very bad for his business. War in the Middle East is
not good for business, for anybody, and I think that what at least I see from covering this day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute, when
Kushner's involvement in this issue increased, this is when the progress started. This is why I think it is highly -- it is highly important that he
is involved now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was my talk with CNN Global Affairs Analyst Barack Ravid.
I want to take a step back to appreciate the historical context around these Gaza talks taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, seen here at the
very bottom the of the Sinai Peninsula. Sharm El-Sheikh describes itself as Egypt's city of peace for its role in hosting several peace talks in the
past, perhaps the most symbolically significant peace summit there took place in March 1996.
[10:20:09]
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, gathered with dozens of
world leaders to bolster the Oslo Accords, the Israeli Palestinian peace process of the time.
Well, today also marks one of Egypt's most significant holidays, the October 6th Armed Forces Day, which commemorates the Egyptian military's
surprise attack on Israel that kicked off the 1973 Yom Kippur war. It became a key memory in the Egyptian national consciousness, and is
considered by many in the Arab world as a cornerstone of legitimacy for the Egyptian army. Curious intersection of history, that an Israeli delegation
is now in the very same peninsula on the very same day.
Well, still to come, why the governor of Illinois is calling the president's latest move a Trump invasion of his state.
And the U.S. Senate will vote again today on a bill to fund the government now shut down for a sixth day, we are hearing the chances are of agreement
are slim to none. More after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me. I'm Becky Anderson from our Middle East programming headquarters, and we are closely following
President Trump's moves to address what he says is out of control crime in selected cities in the United States.
On Sunday, a federal judge temporarily blocked an attempt by his administration to deploy National Guard troops from California or any other
state to Portland, Oregon. The president also ordered the deployment of hundreds of Texas National Guard members to Illinois and other locations in
the U.S., according to the governors of Illinois and Oregon. JB Pritzker is the Illinois Governor and is calling President Trump's move an invasion.
Well, CNN Whitney Wild following the story for us from Chicago, so many moving parts of this story. So, just if you will get us up to date on what
is happening in Chicago and in Portland, if you will.
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, what we have been watching here and waiting for was a lawsuit filed by Illinois. We know
that they have been preparing for this. There has been a question about whether or not the National Guard would deploy to Illinois for up to six
weeks now, Becky. We now know that Illinois has filed a lawsuit in federal court to try to stop the National Guard from deploying here in Illinois.
The question has been, how many National Guard assets? When are they actually going to deploy? Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has been the main
source of very limited detail on this, and he said most recently that he believed up to 300 members of the Illinois National Guard would be
activated to go throughout the state.
[10:25:00]
He also said yesterday that he believed members of the Texas National Guard would be basically commissioned to come up to Illinois to assist the
Illinois National Guard assets.
We have not yet seen National Guard walking through Chicago. We do not have any information that they have actually have boots on the ground in
Illinois.
But certainly that is what officials here have been waiting for, and why they really, minutes ago were it felt like they had enough standing to file
this lawsuit.
The big problem here, Becky, is that nobody is talking. Local officials have said over and over, they have no direct communication with the Trump
administration. Here's more from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JB PRITZKER (D-IL): They are the ones that are making it a war zone. They need to get out of Chicago if they're not going to focus on the worst
of the worst, which is what the president said they were going to do. They need to get the heck out.
They want mayhem on the ground. They 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. Well, we didn't need them before they showed up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILD: So, Becky, here's the context of what's been going on in Chicago and why, you know, DHS feels like they are justified in sending the National
Guard.
For several weeks, we've seen protests outside an ICE facility in a place called Broadview, Illinois. It's about 10 miles west of Chicago, and some
of those protests have erupted into clashes with federal law enforcement. We've been there. We've seen it. We've, you know, been there as they've
launched pepper balls at protesters. I was breathing in that pepper ball spray right at the at the front line here.
But local law enforcement has also been trying to send assets there to make sure that these don't blow up further.
So, for example, Becky, the Illinois State Police was out at Broadview last week to try to do some crowd control. But even still, DHS says that they
feel justified in bringing in the National Guard.
On Saturday, there was another protest that erupted in the city after Customs and Border Protection and border patrol agents got into a shooting
after they say that they were conducting an operation and they were boxed in and then rammed by up to 10 vehicles. One of these suspects was at least
on DHS radar as posing a potential threat. There are two people who are now facing charges in that case, and then finally, just to wrap it up, in
Portland, there have been two rulings from federal court there saying that the president cannot -- you know, cannot launch the National Guard there,
either from California or Oregon. That case certainly going to appeal.
And then, Becky, finally, we'll see, because these cases are all going to culminate, and eventually we'll see, you know, where they end up, if they
end up at the Supreme Court for that final decision, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, it's good to have you, Whitney, thank you for that. You are bound up to speed, folks.
So, meantime, the U.S. government shutdown is now in its sixth day with no end in sight. In the coming hours, the Senate will again vote on proposals
from both sides. It does appear that neither side is ready to compromise. Democrats want an extension on Obamacare health insurance subsidies before
Americans begin enrolling next month. Republicans say that can wait until the government is funded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): 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-LA): 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 Obama care is not working. We're
trying to fix it.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-CA): 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): 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)
ANDERSON: Well, Arlette Saenz is on Capitol Hill this hour. Can we expect things to move forward in a positive way this week? What's the -- what's
the sense at this point behind the scenes?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, up here on Capitol Hill, it still appears that there's no end in sight to this government shutdown. The
Senate will vote later this evening on two efforts -- to advance two efforts to reopen the government, one being that Democratic proposal and
another Republican.
But so far, there does not appear to be any movement from either side towards the other bill, meaning that this standoff could extend for quite
some time.
Now, House Speaker Mike Johnson, right now, speaking to reporters, talking about how trying to place the blame on Democrats for the shutdown.
[10:30:01]
What we're really hearing from leaders is not any type of negotiations, but instead, they are engaging in this messaging war. And a lot of that
messaging comes down to the Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.
That is at the center of Democrats demands, but Republicans say that any negotiations on that topic cannot begin until after the government reopens.
Here is the top Democrat and Republican in the House talking about that matter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): But the time is now to address this health care crisis.
CRAIG MELVIN, ANCHOR, NBC NEWS: But why now?
JEFFRIES: Well, absolutely. The enrollment period opens on November 1st. Notices have already started to go out, indicating that premiums, co-pays
and deductibles for tens of millions of Americans all across the country are going to dramatically increase.
ALI VITALI, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, NBC NEWS: Should families plan on paying more next year for health care?
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Boy, I hope not. I mean, we are working to bring the costs down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: So, all eyes this afternoon will be on that Senate vote and on senators who are returning back from their time over the weekend in their
home states. They did not stay in session to try to debate or move forward any discussions relating to the shutdown.
So, now, there's really a lot of questions about how long this will last and what the eventual resolution will be, as right now, we don't really see
any formal negotiations between Democratic and Republican leadership or President Donald Trump.
ANDERSON: Arlette Saenz is on Capitol Hill for you.
Time there is 10:30 in the morning or just after -- it is just after 6:30 in the evening here from your Middle East programming headquarters for CNN.
I'm Becky Anderson, this is CONNECTED THE WORLD.
Coming up, Syria has undertaken its first election since the fall of Dictator Bashar al-Assad. But serious questions do remain about how
democratic this vote actually was. More on that is after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson.
Here are your headlines this hour.
And France has lost its fifth prime minister in two years. Sebastien Lecornu resigned on Monday in a surprise move that came just hours after
unveiling his new Cabinet. He blamed a lack of compromise among political parties for his government's collapse.
Well, hundreds of trekkers stranded by a blizzard on Mount Everest have been rescued. That is according to state -- Chinese state media. We are
hearing that about 350 people have been guided to safety. More than 200 others are still on the mountain, but are in contact with rescuers.
[10:35:00]
From our source in Egypt, says indirect talks with Israel on reaching a cease fire in Gaza will be gone Monday evening, local time.
Another source says an Israeli team has now arrived in Egypt. Both sides have voiced support for U.S. President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for
ending the war, despite several major obstacles. President Trump is urging both Israel and Hamas to move fast.
We are expecting the results of Syria's parliamentary elections soon. This is the country's first election following the fall of dictator Bashar al-
Assad in December last year. To be clear, it is an indirect vote. Two- thirds of the new parliament will be made up of candidates elected from a list approved by the transitional government led by President Ahmed al-
Sharaa. The remaining third will be directly appointed by al-Sharaa himself.
CNN's Ben Hunte has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN HUNTE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice over): A milestone in Syria. The country held its first parliamentary elections on Sunday, after decades of
dictatorship.
Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, says it's a step forward after nearly 14 years of civil war and the demise of Bashar al Assad's regime.
AHMED AL-SHARAA, PRESIDENT OF SYRIA (through translator): To have moved from a stage of war, chaos, and destruction, to one of elections and
collective participation within only a few months is no small feat. The mission of rebuilding Syria is a shared responsibility, not entrusted to
one person or a few individuals, but to all Syrians, each of whom must contribute to rebuilding their country.
HUNTE (voice over): But the vote wasn't open to the general public. Instead, members of approved electoral colleges cast ballots to pick two
thirds of the new parliament, with the final third to be appointed by the President. The interim government says, after years of war, the temporary
electoral framework was needed because there is no accurate voter registry, with one elector explaining the logistical challenges of a popular vote
would be too great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There are cities that are completely destroyed. More than half of the Syrian people are still
displaced. Many people do not have documents. There is no infrastructure that allows for direct mass elections for all the people.
HUNTE (voice over): But not all of Syria's provinces participated in the elections. Authorities say security and logistical challenges prevented
parts of the country outside of the central government's control from holding elections.
Those areas are still controlled by Druze and Kurdish factions, which critics say raises questions about how inclusive the new parliament will
be.
Women were guaranteed 20 percent representation in the electoral colleges, but it's unclear how many will be elected or appointed to the new assembly.
Some Syrians say they are pessimistic the elections will bring about real change.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Frankly, I'm not hopeful for anything. Nothing. I hope that something will happen for the better. I wish
as a person that something will happen for the better, but I have no hope for anything.
HUNTE (voice over): Under Bashar al-Assad, all Syrians could vote, but the elections were widely considered shams. One of the tests of this new
assembly will be to pave the way for a popular vote. But until then, some Syrians say this vote, even an indirect one, is better than before.
Ben Hunte, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, Oslo Airport reopened this morning after her shutdown caused by a suspected drone sighting. While today's disruption was very
brief, it is the latest in a wave of similar incidents, disrupting flights across Europe. In recent weeks, thousands of passengers in Germany faced
delays. On Saturday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said he assumed that Russia was behind many of these incidents. He said, so far, all of them had been
armed.
Well, I spoke to an expert last week about the impact of incidents like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRSTEN FONTENROSE, FORMER SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR THE GULF, UNITED STATES NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: What it's done is, had these NATO nations invoke
Article four of their agreement, which immediately convenes them. And so, they are starting to talk about things like better cooperation, on air
defense, on the interoperability or lack thereof of their current drone defenses, on things like creating an E.U. drone wall across that eastern
border, and altering current policing mandates, they may have to work together to shift their focus to things like air defense.
So, it's really causing NATO to kind of be inward looking, which, if you are Russia, and granted, Russia has denied responsibility for these, but if
you are Russia, this is one of your objectives. I think there are about four. One of them is keep NATO distracted. They'll pay less attention to
the battlefield, if they're focused on their own security and consultations with each other about how to make sure that they are less vulnerable.
They are also obviously focusing on intelligence gathering. If you are Russia, potentially flying these over NATO critical infrastructure, you are
looking at those vulnerabilities.
[10:40:05]
And one thing to point out is, when the drones were cited over the Belgian base that was mentioned, they were cited during a drone -- a counter drone
exercise. So, an exercise intended to test the counter drone systems. We don't know how many other times intelligence collection drones have flown
over that same base, perhaps when those systems weren't being practiced. So, the sightings that we're seeing could just be the tip of an iceberg.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that was Kirsten Fontenrose points out this takes some of NATO's focus away from Ukraine, which is still under almost daily
bombardment from Russia.
Officials say five people were killed in aerial attacks, Saturday night, while neighboring Poland scrambled military aircraft early on Sunday to
guard against any new incursions.
Well, hundreds of the hikers on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest are now reportedly safe after being stranded by a blizzard. Chinese state media
reporting about 350 people have been rescued, more than 200 others still waiting on the mountain, but they are in contact with rescuers, apparently,
CNN's Will Ripley has the very latest for you.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Freezing winds, chest high, snow drifts, almost zero visibility, hundreds of trekkers caught in
really brutal conditions on Mount Everest right now. A powerful Blizzard swept across the Tibetan side of the Himalayas. Many people were stranded
outside for hours or even days with temperatures plunging like that, hypothermia is a real risk.
The storm buried trails. It cut off escape routes in a remote valley on the eastern flank of Everest. The rescue effort has been slow. It's been
dangerous. That part of Everest is much harder to reach than the north face, which is also in Tibet, but it has a paved road leading almost all
the way to base camp.
Teams of villagers and emergency crews have been mobilized to dig through the deep snow and help guide people down the mountain by hand. All the
trekkers are now believed to be accounted for. Groups were being brought to safety in stages. Many are finally on lower ground. They are getting warm
meals, they are getting medical checks, and they're getting a chance to recover.
The blizzard hit during China's National Day holiday, when trekking traffic peaks. October is usually one of the safest and most predictable months for
trekking. Cooler temperatures, clearer skies, and far less risk of heavy storms once the monsoon ends. But this time, snow, rain, thunder, and
lightning, all arrived at once.
Further south in Nepal, the same weather system triggered deadly landslides and flash floods. Roads and bridges were washed away and dozens of people
died. Officials are still assessing the full impact of the storm on Everest conditions do remain severe. Nature, of course, always calls the shots on
the world's highest mountain. The weather decides when and how people come down.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
ANDERSON: Well, ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson:
The fight between YouTube and top Spanish language broadcaster Univision, what the U.S. president is saying about it. That is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:22]
ANDERSON: Donald Trump wants Google to restore access to Univision on its YouTube T.V. streaming service. Now, let me just give you the background to
this. Google drop Univision last week over a contract dispute. The U.S. president is portraying Univision as a crucial political tool for
Republicans, saying it's bad to have the leading Spanish language broadcaster in the U.S. blacked out on YouTube T.V. The Trump campaign made
big gains among Latino voters, of course, during last year's election.
Look, I want to bring in our chief media analyst, Brian Stelter. Got a couple of things I want to talk to you about. The first is this. President
Trump not far off with his comments. He did win an impressively big share of the Hispanic vote in 2024 worth pointing out, Univision is a huge outlet
for Latinos in the U.S.
I just wonder what you make of this. It certainly just underscores the importance of YouTube T.V. in this new world of media, doesn't it?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Yes, absolutely. YouTube T.V. has really become the new dominant player for a cable-like bundle of channels.
A satellite like bundles of channels in the United States, basically taking over and taking market share from those old-fashioned players that provide
cable and satellite service.
So, YouTube T.V. is really dominant in the marketplace. Has a lot of power now. Of course, it's owned by Google. And just the other day, President
Trump reached a settlement agreement with YouTube over his lawsuit relating to being blocked on YouTube after the January 6th insurrection.
So, YouTube paying him $22 million actually paying the National Mall to help build his ballroom at the White House. And now, a few days later,
Trump upping the ante, pressuring YouTube in a new way, basically siding with Univision and trying to get this Spanish language broadcaster back on
YouTube T.V. It's just another example of President Trump and his pressure campaign against media companies.
And I think this one is interesting because he's saying he thinks Univision is really important as a political tool, or even a weapon in the upcoming
midterms. He believes it's important for Republicans to be on that Spanish language broadcaster. And so, yes, it's important to note how the president
thinks of these media outlets. In this case, he is thinking about how to use it personally to advance the Republican Party agenda.
ANDERSON: It's fascinating, isn't it? And we are seeing mother contract disputes with YouTube T.V. And so, we'll watch to see how those work out.
You're right to point out its importance in certainly in the U.S. market.
(CROSSTALK)
STELTER: Yes.
ANDERSON: And increasing importance around the world.
(CROSSTALK)
STELTER: Yes.
ANDERSON: We heard in the last hour that Bari Weiss will become the new editor in chief of CBS News. Now, her media startup, the free press, is
being acquired by CBS parent company, Paramount.
So, who is Bari Weiss, Brian? What does this mean for editorial direction of CBS News going forward? And is there a sort of a wider story here?
STELTER: Yes, there definitely is. First of all, Bari Weiss was an opinion writer and editor at the New York Times, who quit in 2020, decrying The
Times for illiberal attitudes. This was at the height of the social justice movement in the U.S. And she then launched an outlet called the free press,
which has been known for its anti-woke commentaries and columns and features.
I would say it's more than just anti-woke. I would say that it's a heterodox media outlet that tries to appeal to moderates in the U.S.,
sometimes with a more of a right-leaning approach, sometimes more the left- leaning approach. Bari Weiss would say that she is trying to appeal to the great middle in America that's been underserved.
Now, she's been able to sell her startup for $150 million to the new owner of Paramount, David Ellison, and she is becoming the editor in chief of CBS
News.
There is a lot of staffers at CBS News very uncomfortable about this. They are wondering what she is going to do, and how she is going to change or
shake up CBS News.
You know, Weiss comes with a clear editorial point of view. Her web site, for example, publishes editorials and commentaries. So, she is coming in
with attitude and opinion into a news outlet that prides itself on a nonpartisan approach.
But, of course, many on the right say CBS News is hopelessly biased. They are hoping that Weiss will straighten things out. And frankly, we don't
exactly know what the new owner, David Ellison, wants out of CBS News. He is talking about restoring truth and fairness at the news division, which
is leaving staffers wondering, what is so broken? What is so wrong to begin with?
[10:50:02]
I think there is a really interesting argument playing out here in the United States about how to appeal to audiences of varying political points
of view. This is a anti-Trump versus pro-Trump country. Those are where the battle lines are drawn.
And yet, both Ellison and Weiss are saying they want to appeal to the great middle, the 70 percent or so of Americans who don't identify with the
extremes but are more moderate in nature. Does that audience really exist? Can you appeal to a center right Republican and a center left Democrat at
the same time? That's what Weiss and Ellison want to do, and I'm very curious to see if they can achieve that.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely, as are the rest of us. There is -- this is a huge deal. It's a multi-million-dollar deal, which, of course, could also
mark a new era in M&A in this very disrupted sort of media landscape. So, we'll watch that as well. Brian, always good to have you. Thank you very
much indeed.
Ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, a passion for pasta married with a love of luxury. Now, that I've got your attention, come take a trip on the ladle.
Dolce Vita Orient Express. That is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, more than 140 years after the original Orient Express launched, a new version of the luxury train is now offering guests a ride
through the Italian countryside.
CNN producer Antonia Mortensen, got a taste of the high life on board the train that is evoking the charms and style of the past. Have a look at
this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANTONIA MORTENSEN, CNN SENIOR FIELD 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 $3-1/2 thousand. I have my tickets. Let's go.
MORTENSEN (voice over): But first, to our cabins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mrs. Mortensen.
MORTENSEN: Thank you.
And here it is. B1. Let's have a look.
Oh, 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.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can help you at any time during your excursions. For example, we can text at any time. I will set you a room. For example, I
will bring you something to drink, breakfast. OK?
MORTENSEN (voice over): The train was launched back in April. The dream child of Paulo Barletta, whose company teamed up with the historic Orient
Express.
PAULO BARLETTA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ARSENALE GROUP: The money that you are spending, they are 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 with you for months, for years.
MORTENSEN (voice over): With over $230 million invested to date, the bet is big.
[10:55:01]
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.
MORTENSEN: Stuffed veal.
WALTER CANZIO, CHEF, LA DOLCE VITA ORIENT EXPRESS: A food like everything needs to give you emotional. 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, very typical of the region.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MORTENSEN: Yes. Delicious.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. In 10 minutes, we will arrive at Sant'Angelo-Cinigiano, the gateway to the town of
Montalcino.
MORTENSEN: The company operate 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.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Montalcino.
MORTENSEN (voice over): We were shown around this town and tried some of its best wine.
MORTENSEN: Brunello di Montalcino. Cheers, everyone. Salute.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Salute.
CHRISTINE ARROWSMITH, GUEST, LA DOLCE VITA ORIENT EXPRESS: Well, this is another level.
COLIN ARROWSMITH, GUEST, LA DOLCE VITA ORIENT EXPRESS: Superior.
MORTENSEN: What's more of this? I mean, we like Italian --
COLIN ARROWSMITH: Yes.
CHRISTINE ARROWSMITH: Just -- yes.
MORTENSEN: 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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Wow, that's tough work, but someone has to do it. That is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
