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Connect the World
U.S. Congress Flirts With Default; Earthquake Strikes Central Philippines; Interview with Sex Trafficking Survivor Chong Kim; Abu Anas al-Libi Pleads Not Guilty; Iran Nuclear Talks; Tehran Taxi Drivers Respond to Talks; Positive Reviews on Iranian Talks; Leading Woman Eva Chen; US House Expected to Vote on Debt Ceiling; Banning Slang; US Debt Ceiling Plan
Aired October 15, 2013 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Tonight, Washington's dangerous cliff hanger. As the U.S. government moves closer to the brink of default, we explore the global impact with Mohamed el-Erian, the CEO of one of the world's biggest debt investors.
Also ahead...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was forced to watch a young child being raped and sodomized in front of me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I sit down with Chong King whose harrowing story of life as a sex slave inspired the critically acclaimed film Eden.
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ain't it good to have a (inaudible)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Stamping out slang. We debate a new initiative to ban the use of informal language in the classroom.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
ANDERSON: Well, there is no deal, not yet at least. With America less than two days away from defaulting on its debt, lawmakers in both the lower and upper chambers, the House and the Senate, are flirting with a potential financial catastrophe. In just about 10 minutes, the president is due to meet with House Democrats. And we will of course be following that for you.
Brianna Keilar ia at the White House for us. She joins us now. Brianna, if U.S. politicians cannot agree to raise the borrowing limit by 17th of October, the U.S. could default on its debt by the end of the month.
Now as the clock ticks down, it seems lawmakers take one step forward and at least two back. What's the very latest?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know that's how it feels, because we've been watching negotiations in the Senate between the top Democrat and the top Republican there. And things seem to be going pretty well. It seems that they had come to sort of what might amount to a tentative agreement that looked like a short-term extention of the debt ceiling, of that borrowing limit, and a short-term -- really a reopening of the U.S. government and then funding it for the short-term. You would have seen that go through January and February respectively. There were a couple of little Obamacare related concessions, one that actually Democrats like, another one that Republicans like, pretty small fry as far as the White House considers them.
But then what you saw today was the House come out, House Republicans came out and we'd heard a little bit about a proposal that they were putting forward to their rank and file, to all of their members that the speaker would put forward. It included, really, a similar plan to the Senate plan, but it included a few more what would have been concessions to Republicans.
Well, it was a very long meeting. It appeared that it didn't relaly go that well. And the speaker didn't announce any plans to have a vote on this proposal, presumably it seems, because he doesn't have the votes on it, Becky.
So at this point, you have talks kind of sidelined in the Senate while they're waiting to see what the House does. And we're waiting to see if perhaps the House may act on something, really anything, and what it's going to look like today.
There are some folks, some House Republicans who were saying they think there will be a vote tonight. But it's still unclear whether this is kind of the endgame, or this kind of ping ponging back and forth between the Senate and the House continues. And this clock is ticking towards Thursday.
ANDERSON: Well, it certainly is. We have 32 hours, 55 minutes and 24 odd seconds and change. Brianna, we thank you very much indeed.
The clock on your right-hand side, of course, is the clock that's ticking down to this debt default.
Let's take a look at what the markets are doing about all of this. Let's have a look at these markets for you.
The Dow Jones off about three-quarters of one percent. You can see to a certain extent dropping off toward the close of (inaudible). Very, very difficult for investors. They hate risk. And they hate uncertainty.
The NASDAQ off about a half of one percent. The S&P off about the same there as well.
Well, for our viewers watching around the world, I just want to put this story into context for you.
The U.S. federal debt stands at about $16.7 trillion, that is basically a credit card bill of almost $17 trillion that America may not be able to pay back if congress can't come to an agreement by Thursday.
You and I know about the consequences that we face with out own credit card bills, now imagine the potential consequences facing an entire country. And it's not just the millions of Americans who stand to suffer if the bills can't be paid, the global consequences of an American default cannot be understated. Foreign governments and investors owe about a third of that U.S. debt, a whopping $6 trillion worth.
China alone holds nearly $1.3 trillion. Japan not far behind as you can see, they're at $1.35 billion (sic). The Caribbean banks, the banking centers in oil exporting countries, about $287 billion and $257 billion respectively.
If America can't pay the interest that they owe they stand to lose billions.
Well, joining me now is Mohamed El-Erian, CEO of PIMCO, which is one of the world's biggest bond investors.
And if I haven't made the point clearly, perhaps you can be even more specific for me. Just put into context the effect of a default on Thursday for not just the U.S. economy, but for markets around the world?
MOHAMED EL-ERIAN, CEO, PIMCO: So, Becky, congress right now is playing Russian roulette not just with the U.S. economy, but with the global economy. The global economy functions with the U.S. at its core and within the core are U.S. Treasuries. So if you start threatening the standing of U.S. Treasury, your core made this systemic risk.
Now we've seen some damage in terms of economic activity, but that will be nothing compared to what would happen if the U.S. were to default on its debt.
Now this is not going to happen in the short-term, but the closer they get to the stage where they run out of money, the greater the market is going to start functioning really badly.
ANDERSON: 32 hours and change at present, you have written an article today for CNN Money (inaudible) Fortune Magazine, which suggests that even if there is agreement between these two opposing sides -- the Democrats of course suggesting that the Republicans are holding Washington hostage at present. But if there is no agreement, but even if there is an agreement to postpone a debt default and raise the debt ceiling temporarily, you've talked about that being akin to kicking the can down the road.
What do you mean by that?
EL-ERIAN: So, it's better than defaulting. So that's the good news, that if they come to terms with a short-term solution that's better than no solution.
The problem with a short-term solution is all the circus is going to start again in a few weeks and months time. And confidence is essential to the functioning of the global economy.
So we are entering the holiday season. This is where most of the spending takes place. And the more uncertainty in the system, the greater the impact on demand. And the greater people lose confidence with the functioning of the system.
So maybe a short-term solution is good news in terms of avoiding a catastrophe, but it doesn't fundamentally alter the fact that congress is really exposing the global economy to severe risk.
ANDERSON: Mohamed, you are the CEO of a company that trades an enormous amount of debt. You buy and sell the credit card liabilities of companies and countries around the world. Are we -- and we're talking $17 trillion here, of course, so far as the U.S. debt is concerned. What sort of long-term damage does what's going on in Washington do to the U.S.'s credit rating, its reputation and its future ability to raise money in the market?
EL-ERIAN: So if we end up in this repeated game in which the debt ceiling gets taken hostage by one political party or by the other, a few things are going to happen. First, people are going to start losing trust in the U.S.-centric system. They're going to start building pipes around the core, because the core no longer acts rationally and predictably. That's the first thing that's going to happen.
Second, the global standing of the U.S. will suffer. The national security interests of the U.S. will suffer.
Thirdly, the global economy as a whole will suffer. Remember, Becky, you cannot replace something with nothing. So there's nothing to step in to play the role of the U.S.
So if congress continues like this, both the U.S. and the global economy will be significantly worse off.
ANDERSON: Just as personally I have a credit rating, good or bad -- worse rather than better these days, I think, so sovereign countries have credit ratings of their own. In 2011, the U.S. lost what is the top credit rating when it was staring down the barrell of a default and a debt rating -- a debt ceiling rating at that stage as well.
Now Harry Reid, one of the main players in all of this for the Democrats has said that the U.S. risks a credit downgrade once again at present.
Now America currently has a credit rating of AA+. It was downgraded, as I say, for the first time in history two years ago by Standards and Poor. The move came four days after congress actually reached a last minute deal to raise the debt ceiling.
Currently there are only 14 countries in the world with the top AAA rating. America now on par with Austria and France.
The big three credit ratings have declined to comment on Harry Reid's remarks. How significant would a downgrade at this stage be for the United States?
EL-ERIAN: So no one can predict what the rating agencies are going to do. But if they were to downgrade, and if underline, because we don't know if they will -- but if they were to downgrade, it will be consequential. Why? Because of the plumbing of the system.
I think what politicians don't understand is the plumbing of the system is based on the fact that the U.S. is a AAA.
So I'll give you an example. If the U.S. gets downgraded across the board, then you cannot exchange collateral easy, which is a fancy way of saying that the system gets clogged up, which means people with cash can't allow the cash into the system because they're not getting anything back.
So a downgrade would clog up the plumbing system of the global economy and there will be consequences just like if your plumbing system at home gets clogged up.
ANDERSON: Muck in the U-bend I think a plumber would describe it as. Mohamed, always a pleasure, thank you very much indeed. Mohamed El-Erian there for you.
32 hours and change. These lawmakers in The States have got to get their act together. They have very, very little time.
The consequences not just huge for the U.s. of course for the global economy, that's you and me.
Still to come tonight, progress in Switzerland over Iran's nuclera program. We're going to cross live to Geneva and to Tehran for you.
Plus, the harrowing ordeal of one woman abducted and forced to work as a sex slave at the age of 19. Her remarkable story is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You are back with Connect the World, this is Cnn out of London. I'm Becky Anderson. It is 40 minutes past 8:00 here. A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 67 people in the central Philippines. The quake struck early in the morning, damaging buildings and injuring more than 160.
And most of the damage was centered aroud Bohol Province as CNN's Mari Ramos explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TITUS BORROMEO, TV5 REPORTER: The motion was like riding on a bus on a very rough road.
MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: That's how a Filipine TV reporter describes the moment Tuesday's devastating earthquake hit. The 7.1 magnitude quake toppled buildings, triggered landslides, and sent thousands of panicked people into the streets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I ran at out of the office, because all the glass was shattering. I was rattled with all the shaking from the earthquake, since it won't stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The earthquake stopped, but there was another tremor, so we rushed out. All of us tried to get away, but there was a big chunk of concrete that fell from the upper floors.
RAMOS: Many of those killed were hit by falling rubble. At least three were crushed to death trying to flee a crowded sports complex. Patients at one hospital were moved outside after hundreds of aftershocks left survivors on edge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We are not the only ones who decided to let them outside. The patients themselves wanted to get out because of the earlier earthquake.
RAMOS: The quake was centered more than 600 kilometers south- southeast of Manila near the city of Cebu in neighboring island of Bohol, both popular destinations for tourists.
A handful of historic churches were also leveled in the disaster. Tourist Robert Michael Poole says he saw widespread damage on the island of Bohol.
ROBERT MICHAEL POOLE, TOURIST: I was on the coast when the earthquake happened, which seemed to be very severely struck with roads, cracked, bridges down and one of the main churches here pretty devastated. People have been pretty calm. They're obviously all out in the street, but fortunately no real sense of panic, just sort of more confusion and shock.
RAMOS: Authorities are still trying to assess the damage, but many roads remain impassable. And power is still out across much of the area. And with dozens of people still missing, search teams are looking for anyone still trapped in the rubbel.
Mari Ramos, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, an alleged al Qaeda operative appeared in U.S. federal court earlier today. Abu Anas al-Libi pleaded not guilty to charges connected to the 1988 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa. Now you may remember he was captured by U.S. commandos in Libya earlier this month.
Well, Deborah Feyerick is outside the courthouse in New York with the latest. And how did he appear as he entered court today?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's very interesting. We've been seeing photos of him really as a young man, but he entered the court. His hands were shackled, his hair cut short, a full reddish beard graying around his face. He told the court he was 49-years-old, but in fact he looked significantly older. He seemed unsteady on his feet. He's had some medical problems.
He said two things through a translator. He said, yes, he understands the charges against him. And no, he could not afford a lawyer. So he is being appointed a court appointed lawyer. And that laweyr actually entered a plea of not guilty with respect to the charges.
He is accused of conspiring to kill Americans at two U.S. embassies both in Kenya and Tanzania. He also specifically charged with taking surveillance photos of the embassy in Nairobi. And it was that truck bomb attack that killed more than 200 people, most of them Africans, but a number of American U.S. personnel.
Now the judge did sign a medical order that will give him care while he is here in the United States. He then left the court. But it was so odd to see this man who was so young and so youthful in earlier pictures, his wanted pictures, walking in. He just seemed old and uncertain. And his eyes widened when he entered this sort of wooden paneled stately courtroom.
Again, he is now in the system. He is part of the process. He was interrogated by a team of high value detainee interrogators. And they were trying to get information about what he may have known about al Qaeda, because he's accused of being a senior aid -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Deborah Feyerick, good reporting there. Thanks, Deb.
Live from London, this is Connect the World. Coming up, Iran has set out its plans for the country's nuclera program to international negotiators. We're going to get you an update on the latest developments from Geneva.
And life living in a human factory, the chilling words of Chong Kim, abducted by her boyfriend and forced into the sex slave trade. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on now, baby girl. Be quite now. Just breathe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, a scene there from Eden, a film which brings the scourge of human trafficking right onto our front doorsteps. The film is based on the ordeal American Chong Kim suffered as a sex slave. Now her life was stolen from her when she was just 19. Over the next couple of nights, I'm going to bring you some special coverage as part of CNN's Freedom Project, our fight against modern day slavery.
Why? Well, because sadly slavery is very much alive and thriving. We make no apologies here at CNN for the fact that we want to help put an end to an industry that robs the lives and dignity as many as 30 million people around he world daily.
Meet Chong Kim.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: She thought he was her boyfriend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll be right back.
ANDERSON: But as recounted in Eden, the film based on Chong Kim's book "Not in My Town," he was a recruiter for the sex slave trade.
CHONG KIM: I didn't really know how to put my thoughts together at that moment. You're just in shock. All I could think about is the time when he caressed my face (inaudible) loves me and howm uch I believed in him. And then all of sudden it's a 180 and I'm thinking what happened? Where did it go wrong?
ANDERSON: You went through those initial days of captivity and then you were taken to an environment where there were other girls.
KIM: Yeah.
ANDERSON: And you were sex slaves.
KIM: Yes.
ANDERSON: And you were sold to the neighboring community as sex slaves. Walk me through those days.
KIM: Each unit had about 20 to 25 girls in each unit. They were brought in from Europe, to Southeast Asia, India, Africa and then girls in the U.S. would be traded off. So it was like a giant human factory.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today is going to be a good day. I can feel it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damn sure I don't have to explain to you the consequences if you cause trouble for me.
ANDERSON: Early on in her capture, Chong did try to escape. In the film, she runs to a house, but in reality Chong fled to a much more public place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop, stop, stop. I've got it under control. She's an addict. She's very dangerous. You don't want to get mixed up in this, you might get hurt.
KIM: I went to a shopping mall. People were gathering their kids and pulling away. And I said somebody help me, he's going to kill me. He's going to kill me. People pulled way.
He walked in with a military uniform, grabbed me by the hair, yanked my head back. And I saw the security went like this. And as soon as he threw me in the car, he said you're nobody. And that proved it.
ANDERSON: How long did this go on?
KIM: 1995 through 1997. And I ranked up as a madam in 1996.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can help you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to help me, you want to be a part of this?
KIM: That's when I started seeing the infrastructure of the organized crime. I started seeing how many corrupted politicians as well as very powerful people were also involved and fueling the fire as sex trade of children.
UNIDENIFIED MALE: I'm going to ask you if you are actually committed to this.
KIM: And I was like, well, who do I go to now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you going to do, shoot her?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. You are.
ANDERSON: How did you get out?
KIM: I was in one of the casinos. And I saw the vent. And it made me flash back to my childhood watching a James Bond film and I said can you really crawl through there? You know, that's what my thought was. And there was a maintenance guy that would come. And I would play with the thermostat. And he would say why are you messing with the thermostat? And I said, how do you get out?
He goes, oh no, I can't tell.
And so basically I manipulated him by making him fall in love with me.
I really took probably close to a couple of weeks. And he finally told me that if I go through I will end up in the laundry chute. To go through there and then once I get there then I can go out.
ANDERSON: Are there many people who are still in the position that you were in back in the 90s?
KIM: Yes.
ANDERSON: How many do you think there are? Are we talking tens, hundreds, thousands?
KIM: More than 1,000 as far as victims for madams it's a growing trend now. Women are taking over. They're getting tired of men controlling them, being pimps so they feel like you know what, a woman can do a better job. A woman can use her feminine charm to get more girls.
There was a story in New Jersey about a 17-year-old girl who sold her little sister, 7-years-old, to traffickers. And she made money off of her.
We're having girls going into junior high schools and high schools pretending to be friends with these kids in school.
ANDERSON: Do you live in fear for your life?
KIM: I do. But at the same time, I cannot get rid of the faces of the girls I couldn't save. I cannot get rid of the screams.
I was forced to watch a young child being raped and sodomized in front of me. And so it's always in my mind. And so I feel like when I speak I'm bringing voices together.
If we are the voters, then start asking questions to the leaders, "what are you going to do about these brothels that are in our town?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It won't be too long now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That is the story of one American woman.
And tomorrow night, we're going to continue our special coverage on human trafficking as we hear from a young British woman who can only be described as th girl next door. She, too, was forced into sex slavery by a man she thought loved her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOPHIE HAYES, HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR: I worked seven nights a week from 8:00 in the evening until 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning. I would have, on average, about 25 customers every night, the minimum was 18 and the most one night was 34. And it wasn't long before my spirit was crushed. I was so weary that nothing seemed to matter and I didn't care if I was dead or alive.
It happens to anyone. And anyone could be Sophie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You're going to hear Sophie Hayes' story tomorrow night as we continue our special coverage on modern-day slavery.
Well, the latest news headlines as you would expect here on CNN at the bottom of the hour.
And Iran's controversial nuclear program is once again is the topic of discussion amongst world powers. We're going to go live to Geneva to see if any progress there is being made.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: This is CONNECT THE WORLD, the top stories for you this hour at half past 8:00 London time.
It is day 15 of the partial government shutdown in the United States, and a self-imposed debt limit could put the US in default as early as Thursday. House Republicans are planning to put forth their own bill and a Republican congressman has told CNN a vote could come as early as tonight. It's unclear at present if the bill has enough votes to pass.
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 67 people and injured more than 164 others in central Philippines. The quake struck in the early hours. The Philippines news agency blamed most of the deaths on falling rubble.
An alleged al Qaeda operative appeared in US federal court earlier today. Abu Anas al-Libi pleaded not guilty to charged connected to the 1988 US embassy bombings in East Africa. He was captured by US commandos in Libya earlier this month.
Afghan president Hamid Karzai says an attack at a mosque near the capital of Kabul today shows the Taliban have no respect for Islam. The governor of Logar province was killed during a speech to mark the religious holiday of Eid al-Adha.
There's new hope in Geneva for a breakthrough in Iran's nuclear program. The US State Department says a meeting between American and Iranian officials on the sidelines of international talks in Geneva was useful.
Earlier, negotiators from Iran sat down with diplomats from six world powers. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is leading the talks, and a spokesman says Iran's foreign minister has made, and I quote, "a very useful presentation to the group." Now, an Iranian official says it's important both sides can agree on a clear timeframe for the steps ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABAS ARAQCHI, IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): We no longer want to take steps in the dark or deal with uncertainty. From this moment in time, the aim to the talks need to be clear. The timeframe needs to be clear for each stage and each step.
These points were raised and discussed in the session and they were received in a positive atmosphere. We will assess tomorrow afternoon whether we have achieved a positive result.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right. Well, Reza Sayah is standing by in Tehran. This story will be being reported there, of course. We'll try and get you to Geneva for the very latest from the meeting. First in Tehran, though, and Reza, how's this all going down there?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's no secret, Becky, that these nuclear talks in Geneva today are the talk of the town here in Tehran and throughout the country. A lot of Iranians see this as a golden opportunity to get out of decade-long sanctions that have been imposed on these people. They see this as a golden opportunity to improve relations with the West.
What adds to the drama is that nobody knows what's going to come out of these talks. Some people are skeptical, others are optimistic. But if anyone knows Iran and Iranians, they know that everyone has an opinion, everyone has a prediction. We heard some of those opinions and predictions while taxi-hopping in Tehran today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAYAH: The nuclear negotiations between Iran and the world's powers, is there going to be a deal? What should Iran give? What should Iran get? Will the US and Iran be friends again?
SAYAH (voice-over): Here in Iran, if you want to gauge public opinion, this is a good place to start: Tehran's taxi drivers, some of the most knowledgeable, well-read, educated cabbies in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Taxi!
SAYAH: So, off we went --
(CAR HORN)
SAYAH: -- in search of taxicab takes on nuclear talks.
SAYAH (on camera): So, what do you think? Are you optimistic a deal's going to happen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'm hopeful. What I want is for everything to get better for the people who've been through so much hardship.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We have to be hopeful, but we don't want to sell out our country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If some of the nations that everyone knows don't cause mischief, then I'm optimistic. Unfortunately, some want to take advantage of this situation because they know better relations will jeopardize their interests, so they want to spoil things.
SAYAH: In any fair deal, you have to give something to get something. What do you think Iran should give up?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): First off, Iran shouldn't have to pay a ransom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think it's fine if they come and investigate and see that Iran doesn't have bad intentions. Iran has good intentions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Iran shouldn't have to give up anything. We shouldn't have to give up our rights. What belongs to us is our business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I don't like for another country to come and make decisions for me. Everything should be based on friendship.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The only thing we should give is confidence to the international community that we are not deviating from our nuclear program.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Our nuclear rights belong to us. Why do other countries have theirs, but when it comes to Iran, they say we can't have it? Why?
SAYAH: Now, what do you think Iran should get in return?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Iran has to demand the right to the people that have been denied for years through sanctions and restrictions on oil sales.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We want them to lift the sanctions and give peace and calm to Iran so we can be friends with one another.
SAYAH: Do you trust the American government?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): History is always the best teacher, the end source of information. If you look at the history of our relationship with America, you can answer that question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If there are no more lies, that would be good. No more lies.
SAYAH: Tehran's taxi drivers, always engaging, intelligent, and very funny. Some are skeptical, others cautiously optimistic. They all say Iran has a right to a peaceful nuclear program, and they all say they want all sides to reach a deal because they want this 34-year-old conflict to end.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAYAH: A small sampling of the predictions and the opinions of Iran's famous taxi drivers. What's remarkable, Becky, is the unity we're seeing here throughout the country, even with rival political factions. You have the conservatives, the reformists, even people who were against the leadership four years ago during the 2009 uprising here, all appear to be onboard on this new campaign, this new push to improve relations with the West and reach a settlement in this nuclear issue. Becky?
ANDERSON: Reza, thank you for that. Reza Sayah is in Tehran for you. Chief US security correspondent Jim Sciutto is in Geneva for you this evening, joining us now. Jim, a very significant meeting on the sidelines of this meeting, as it were, a bilat between the US and Iran. What do we know of the details of that?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF US SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Those talks just finished up after two sessions today between the larger delegations from both sides. Now, neither side is giving the details of the discussions, but they are at least giving positive reviews, talking about a very positive atmosphere inside the rooms where they're meeting. A senior US official saying that it's the first time, quote, that they've had "detailed technical discussions."
And that's key because the demand from the European Union and the US coming into these talks was that Iran get very specific very early with what exactly they're offering on their nuclear program to move beyond the symbolic gestures, for instance, we saw in New York during the UN General Assembly, the famous phone call between president Obama and the Iranian president Rouhani.
We do know that the Iranians made their presentation in English for the first time, a Power Point presentation, the title of which was "Closing Unnecessary Crises, Opening New Horizons."
And the Iranian foreign minister gave some hints as to what's inside that proposal yesterday saying that he believes there could be an agreement between the two sides within a year, and that what the Iranians are addressing here are concerns on both sides that they're just, quote, "killing time" from the --
You've heard these concerns from the US and Israel that these talks really about Iran just buying more time to secretly build a nuclear weapon as opposed to making real progress on declaring their and proving that their nuclear program is civilian.
So, that's where we stand. Another round of talks tomorrow, and we expect to get more updates then about exactly what was discussed behind closed doors.
ANDERSON: Super, Jim. Thank you for that. Jim Sciutto's in Geneva for you. I'm in London, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up, "innit," "ain't," and "coz," some of the words we may not be hearing in the future if a school in Britain gets its way. That after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: She's a trailblazing CEO who dares her employees to fail. This week on our series, Leading Women, we meet Eva Chen, one of the few female top executives in global IT. Chen takes what I would describe as a bold approach when it comes to running her company.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You can call her a super commuter, from Taiwan to Tokyo to California, all in just seven days. A typical week for Eva Chen, CEO of tech company Trend Micro.
EVA CHEN, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, TREND MICRO: Trend Micro is a global company. We always say we are a security company, and cyber criminals are global, so cyber policemen have to be global.
STOUT: Trend Micro is the third-largest online security software company in the world. A leader in Cloud security, they say their goal is to protect user data and create a safe place for digital sharing.
CHEN: You're talking about a user, not end point.
STOUT: When it comes to running her company and her life, Chen takes a bold approach.
STOUT (on camera): Your personal motto is "dance your best dance and let others dance theirs."
CHEN: We are in the knowledge economy, right? The knowledge will create most of the value for our customers. And you cannot manage people for them to come out with knowledge or innovation. You must let them dance their best dance to unveil their best potential, and innovation comes from there.
STOUT: And this is it, this is your control center here in Tokyo.
CHEN: Yes. This is our Trend lab and control center here.
STOUT (voice-over): But with innovation, there are sometimes missteps. In 2005, an antivirus file made by Trend Micro caused computers all over the world to crash.
STOUT (on camera): Did you doubt yourself and your ability to be the CEO of Trend Micro?
CHEN: No, I didn't. Trend Micro's philosophy helped me to not doubt myself, by thinking what is the best way to address this problem? At the crisis time, you show your real face. It's a big challenge, but it's so great that the whole company came out stronger than before and came up with this security from the trial innovation.
STOUT (voice-over): Chen says they learned from that mistake, and those lessons helped propel Trend Micro to the forefront Cloud security technology.
STOUT (on camera): This is a quote from your company website about a philosophy here at Trend Micro, and it reads as follows: "We drive our growth by innovation, we encourage risk-taking, and our management style dares you to fail."
CHEN: Yes.
STOUT: Really? At Trend Micro, do you encourage your employees to fail?
CHEN: I have this philosophy of you create an environment for them to freely innovate and have fun without serious damaging the company, right? So, when I teach kids, I don't tell them, "Don't do this, don't do that." But you create an environment that's safe enough and let them explore. Just make sure that you create that safe environment.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, still to come on CONNECT THE WORLD, there is no space for slang in British schools, innit? We'll hear from our experts after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We'll get you back to our top story for a moment, the US debt ceiling showdown. Moments ago, CNN spoke with the Republican representative Devin Nunes of California. Now, he told my colleague Dana Bash that he expects the House to vote in the coming hours on its own plan to reopen the US government and, of course, avoid a possible US default later this week.
Other congressional sources say Republicans have dropped two demands related to Obamacare from their proposal. Do stay tuned to CNN for details. As you can imagine, we are all over this story like a rash, which takes me to a discussion about slang.
A school here in London has banned its students from using certain slang words. Harris Academy in the capital's south is enforcing the new rules in a bid to improve standards of English, they say. The school "ain't" happy, "coz peoples are like" using phrases such as "you woz" and "we woz."
"Basically," the school is cracking down on students staring a sentence with the word "basically." And it's now forbidden to end a sentence with, "yeah?" Yeah? Throwing the slang use of the words "extra" and "bare," and it all comes a bit confusing, doesn't it? Innit?
Debate over the ban raging on social media. Let's bring in our panel to discuss this. We've got BAFTA Award-winning actor Adam Deacon. He went to an inner city school in London and now graces the silver screen, so that school and his language -- or his proficiency with the English language hasn't done him any harm.
Connell McMenamin is a 17-year-old senior student at the Sixth Form College Farnborough here in the UK. He's the president of the student association there. And we are joined by David Lammy, who's a Labour member of Parliament who has come out in support of Harris Academy's move.
So, let's start with you, sir. David, what is it about slang that offends you so much? Is it just your age, do you think?
DAVID LAMMY, LABOUR MP: No, it's -- look, it's not offensive, and I come from a very poor background in inner-city Tottenham. But I'm really pleased that I had teachers, youth workers, others, who helped me understand and move away from the smallness of my post-co-ed environment.
And I think what the school is saying is, look, of course all of use slang. I use slang. But in the classroom, they're saying no, you can't use slang, and in the corridors, they're being very clear about what is required.
And in the end, with one in five young Londoners unemployed at this time, and with many employers saying that students aren't being versatile in understanding when it's appropriate to speak in a certain way and when, actually, in the end, you need to speak English to communicate effectively. I think this is actually really important. Or what happens is, these young people get held back.
ANDERSON: All right.
LAMMY: They -- if there's something that they can just speak as they want, "innit" and "is it." And "innit" and "is it" isn't going to get you a job, and --
ANDERSON: Right, OK.
LAMMY: I'm --
(AUDIO GAP)
ANDERSON: All right, David, yes --
(AUDIO GAP)
ANDERSON: Yes, I hear what you're saying. Adam, David says slang's no good for your prospects and improving your prospects means learning to speak the, I guess, Queen's English. Agree or not?
ADAM DEACON, BAFTA AWARD-WINNING ACTOR: I think slang's always been there. It's always -- it's not just a new thing. If you look at a cockney, cockney slang all the way into the street slang, whatever you want to call it, young people are always going to find a way to communicate with each other that I guess adults won't understand.
And as soon as you start putting a ban on something like this, I think it's just going to make the situation worse. After all, of course young people need to be educated in the sense of where is the right place to talk in a certain way. You can't go to a job interview and start, as you said, start talking "bare" and "innit" and all this.
ANDERSON: 'Sup blood?
DEACON: Yes, but that's not the way. That's not the way to do it. But I think that -- I think it's a bit of a class issue again, because I think that every walk of life have their own way of communicating with each other.
ANDERSON: Yes, I've heard that said today, and I wonder whether, Connell, you think that this is slightly classist, or whether you agree that in the end, improving ourselves and bettering our lot has got to be a good thing, isn't it?
CONNELL MCMENAMIN, SENIOR STUDENT: Well, I think improving the standards of English language is definitely something that's important for us in the UK, but if you look at the UK's most celebrated playwright, William Shakespeare, he made up his own words all the time.
And back in the day when my grandma was reeducated, words like "won't," "can't," and "don't" were considered slang, and now they're everyday language.
ANDERSON: Yes, that's a very good point. You make a very good point. We're finding that different words creep into what we believe is a kind of Oxford English dictionary, David, and we believe it should only be sort of full of acceptable words, and yet, informal language does creep in. So, where do you draw the lines? Is it accent that doesn't help here?
LAMMY: I think you draw the line in school. No one is saying that we shouldn't use slang and that we can't use slang and language just doesn't change. But we are saying that actually, most of the people on your panel are versatile and have the ability to move between established English and slang.
And in a world of social media and texting, where all of this has got very, very blurred, we hold a whole set of young people back if, indeed, they're not able to have that versatility. And there are young people in my constituency, they want to be barristers, they want to be accountants, they want to be bankers.
And let's not pretend and patronize them and say yes, it's cool, you can use "innit," "is it," and you're going to get that job on CNN.
ANDERSON: Yes, David's making a point, Adam, isn't he?
DEACON: Of course. I totally agree. In the classroom, that's probably not the right place to be talking in a certain way. I just think when you start putting a ban on it and you start using a big word like that, I don't think the government need to be coming in on such a -- in such a forceful way.
Because I think it's just going to make the situation worse. I think young people are always going to find a way to communicate which adults won't understand. So, if you start getting -- taking away these words, they're going to find other words to --
I just thought that there's a right time and place, and I think of course, young people need to be educated in a sense of there's a time and a place to talk in a certain way. I just think, again, it's the government kind of being too forceful with their tactics --
ANDERSON: Is this a nanny state once again, do you think?
DEACON: I think it's getting there. I think it's more and more rules that -- and it is a class thing. We're not saying that if you go to a school in Oxford, I've done talks there, and I can't understand some of the words that they use --
ANDERSON: Yes.
DEACON: -- because they have their own way of talking.
(LAUGHTER)
DEACON: You know?
ANDERSON: Well, that's only 40 miles up the road up, viewers. But things are very, very different there. Let's see -- hang on a minute, I'll come back to you. Let's just hear what some of the people on the streets of London we interviewed today had to say about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Innit" means: isn't it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You feel uncomfortable to say, "That's a good shop, isn't it?"
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Or like, "Innit good to eat --" or "Innit good to have a nice hour from work, innit?" Yes, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. We say it a lot more than we think.
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: "Bare" translates as "a lot of," "very," or an exclamation used in disbelief.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I -- "bare." I don't know. Oh, no, it's same like using "innit," it's like saying -- it's like not agreeing with something or saying something isn't there, or saying something's too expensive or. "It's bare pricey." I'm saying yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Naked.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fuzzy.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's used in the context of "a lot."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. So, if you have "bare" of something, it means you have a lot of something. So, "I've got bare trainers," or "I've got bare hats," or "I've got bare people who are at my party" --
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- which means, yes, I've got a lot of people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Ain't" translates as "is not," "are not," "am not," "do not," or "does not."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, "it ain't half hot." It -- no, that dates me a bit. "Ain't," "isn't." I'd say it isn't. Isn't. Yes, "it ain't good," it's --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Ain't Misbehavin'" was a song, wasn't it? "Ain't Misbehavin'?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was written by Fats Waller in 19 --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- 30 or thereabouts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: Brilliant. As soon as you ask anybody to explain any of these words, they just seem a bit ridiculous, don't they? "Bare."
DEACON: Yes.
ANDERSON: Did you know what "bare" meant?
DEACON: I do. I'm --
ANDERSON: Do you use it?
DEACON: I used to use it, I guess, in -- I guess a lot of the --
ANDERSON: What don't you use it anymore?
DEACON: -- the films that I've been in, I've kind of -- it's sort of about the street culture and the way young people talk, and I think that -- I think older generations need to understand that a little bit more, and I think they need to understand that, again, like Connell said it, it's that thing of the English language is always changing, and young people are always going to change the way they talk.
I think it's about embracing that in a sense and understanding that, of course, this is something so big, it's not a London thing, a UK thing. Young people need to be educated, of course they do.
ANDERSON: Yes.
DEACON: So, I totally agree with that fact. But I just think putting a ban on it, I just think, again --
ANDERSON: All right. And this isn't a government ban, we have to remind ourselves --
DEACON: Of course.
ANDERSON: -- and David making this point to me in my ear while we were listening to that short package. It's -- this is a school that is looking to ban --
DEACON: It's a school that's -- yes.
ANDERSON: -- it from the classroom as opposed to the government looking to ban certain words from its classrooms as it were. Connell, you made the very good point earlier on, Adam, that in the end, if you ban something, kids are probably just going to use it more, aren't they?
MCMENAMIN: Yes, it just becomes stigmatized and school kids at that age love breaking rules. That's kind of why some of their lessons for ones who are there. So, by saying you're not allowed to say the word "ain't," you could actually be encouraging the use of that language.
ANDERSON: Do you think, though, you'd be improving your lot if you just cleaned up your language, at the end of the day? Got a bit more sensible about it?
MCMENAMIN: Um --
ANDERSON: Not sure?
MCMENAMIN: Well no, not sure.
ANDERSON: All right.
DEACON: I think it should be -- if a young person is using these words in a classroom, then of course it should be pointed out it's not going to work in the workplace.
ANDERSON: Sure.
DEACON: People aren't going to hire you.
ANDERSON: Yes, all right.
DEACON: But it's the way of dealing with that, I just think, again, it's just to ban it, the label --
MCMENAMIN: Yes.
DEACON: -- especially certain words as well. When will it end? Is it a case of going up north and --
ANDERSON: All right.
DEACON: -- they've got their own slang there. Are we going to start banning that and --
(CROSSTALK)
MCMENAMIN: And there's no real way of policing it without kind of listening in to people's conversations in the corridors.
ANDERSON: There you go. That would be a nanny state. David, you two, thank you very much, indeed.
The team at CONNECT THE WORLD wants to hear from you. "Innit," "bare," whatever, facebook.com/CNNconnect, have your say. You can tweet me @BeckyCNN, your thoughts please, @BeckyCNN.
Let's get back to our top story for a moment. This is a big one. With the clock ticking down, the US debt ceiling showdown is on, of course. We're getting a clearer sense of where talks stand. House Republican sources say they plan to bring a bill to the floor tonight.
Now, that would include the following provisions: fund the government until December 15th, raise the debt limit until February, and only until February, and prohibit federal health care subsidies for members of Congress, their staff, the president, vice president, and administration officials and staff.
Of course, CNN will follow every twist and turn of this story, 32 hours and change is the deadline. You can see it there on the right-hand side.
I'm Becky Anderson, that was CONNECT THE WORLD. From us in the studio, thank you for watching.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
