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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Meeting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome; Syria Appealing for Permanent Sanctions Relief from U.S.; Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa Will Remain as Transitional President for Four More Years; Bill Gates Calls Massive USAID Cuts "Tragic"; Trump Lifts Export Ban on Some Nvidia Chips to China. Aired 10- 10:45a ET

Aired December 09, 2025 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to what is the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky

Anderson here in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 7 in the evening.

President Trump targeting the E.U. in a new wide-ranging interview.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's president meeting with European leaders as they get set to offer a revised peace plan to the U.S.

And we will get to Syria one year after the ousting of Bashar al Assad as president.

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ANDERSON: Finishing up a whirlwind two days of diplomacy in Rome, meeting today with the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, as Ukraine gets set

to offer a revised peace plan to the U.S., Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the U.S. is looking for a compromise.

But finding one may be difficult. President Zelenskyy insists Ukraine has no intention of ceding territory to Russia, a key demand from his Russian

counterpart to end this war.

Earlier today Mr. Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo just outside Rome. He thanked the pope for his support and his calls for a just and lasting peace. And

more on that as we get it this hour.

Well, the Trump administration, meantime, is working on plans for what would happen if Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro were ousted. That is,

according to several sources familiar with the planning.

During his interview with "Politico," which you will hear some of during this show, Mr. Trump evaded questions on what he was preparing to do. Have

a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DASHA BURNS, "POLITICO": So how far would you go to take Maduro out of office?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't want to say that. But --

(CROSSTALK)

BURNS: But you want to see him out?

TRUMP: His days are numbered.

BURNS: Can you rule out an American ground invasion --

TRUMP: I don't want to --

BURNS: -- in Venezuela?

TRUMP: -- rule in or out. I don't talk about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: To Syria, where the interim president is marking one year since the fall of the Assad regime. Ahmed al-Sharaa performed prayers at the

Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and told an enthusiastic crowd that Syria would continue to rebuild and grow.

The president was dressed in military fatigues, recalling his role in leading an impressive rebel takeover of Syria, which pushed Bashar al Assad

out of the country this time last year and propelled Mr. Al-Sharaa to the presidency.

Well, let's get you to Damascus now. And Michael Ohnmacht has been the charge d'affaires of the E.U. delegation to Syria since September of 2024.

He joins us live from the Syrian capital.

It has been more than interesting times for you in that file, with that file, since September 2024. Scenes in Damascus of jubilation a year on from

Bashar al Assad's ouster. Just describe the atmosphere, if you will.

MICHAEL OHNMACHT, CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, EUROPEAN UNION DELEGATION TO SYRIA: (INAUDIBLE). First of all, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak

to you today and from my experience on the ground, especially since the liberation or the revolution took place last December.

So we had very festive days, which started already before and in the provinces, which were taken earlier or liberated earlier, as they would say

here, from the Assad regime. And, altogether we had a very positive atmosphere in Damascus in all these days, even if the weather didn't play

100 percent the role needed.

But all in all, very peaceful celebrations and a moment of rejoicing --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Right.

OHNMACHT: -- after the fall of the dictatorship that lasted for more than 50 years.

ANDERSON: Even with these scenes, like those that we've witnessed, the economic reality in cost of living, impact of sanctions could deteriorate

that liberation dividend, if you will, that Syria is benefiting from.

I spoke to Filippo Grandi, the head of the UNHCR, about this just earlier on today.

[10:05:03]

Have a listen to his thoughts.

FILIPPO GRANDI, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES: The Syria administration, the government, I think they're still very much in the

making. I think it's important that they fully internalize that they're responsible for the future of the whole country.

So they have to make conditions as favorable as possible for aid and investment to come in. This is not just about aid. It's about investment.

On the other hand, you know -- and this is progressing but not fast enough. And on the other hand, the international community must step up. I always

say that we seem to never learn that, once there is an opportunity for peace, you have to move fast and decisively and with big resources if you

want to prop up peace and make it durable.

Otherwise you backtrack. I think president Trump's decision to lift the sanctions was capital, was very, very important. I may have issues with

U.S. policies on aid but I think that that was major because that can allow investment to come in.

But then it's the administration of Syria that has to create the conditions legally and other and security-wise to let investment go in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The E.U, of course, has lifted sanctions. The U.S. promising to do the same.

Just how quickly do you think the impact of the lifting of those sanctions can be felt by the ordinary Syrian?

OHNMACHT: I think it's not only the lifting of the sanctions but I think progress on the Caesar Act would be very important. And if we see that this

is a -- is a new operation, we had lifted -- we have preceded U.S. already started in February and then in May '25 to lift our sanctions.

But what we need is also to create a friendly environment for investment. And the E.U. is also -- I mean, what Filippo Grandi said is right. I mean,

we need to be in, to help this transition through aid but through cooperation also and through investment.

And this will be a big challenge that the government has to take up. But I think we want to take it up to create this environment.

ANDERSON: So are E.U. companies already engaging in business, in trade with Syria?

If not, why not?

And if yes, which companies?

OHNMACHT: Yes. I mean, we have E.U. companies engaging in Syria. I mean, we could see more and especially if the business environment gets better.

I mean, you have all the big companies of the state which are trying to get back. And you have the smaller and medium sized companies, where Europe is

very strong in to engage. I mean, we have a -- we had a big investment, for example, for (INAUDIBLE). But I don't want to, see, overestimate one.

But we have also first European airlines getting in, into the Syrian market, smaller ones. But we will see that and we will see more if the

conditions are easier. And I think also the legal situation here, encouraging investment, has to develop. And I think there is consciousness

at the governmental level that it has to develop.

I mean, the security situation is also a challenge but then we will see, I think, more.

ANDERSON: The investment opportunities are huge and these investment opportunities are across all sectors -- Turkiye, Saudi, Qatar. They've got

first-mover advantage on the business front. Russia currently reconsolidating influence.

Should the E.U. and, frankly, the West be concerned that the window for what is a huge opportunity to completely rebuild the industrial sector in

this country -- is the window, you know, not somewhat closing to a degree if you want to counter Russia here?

OHNMACHT: No, I don't think -- I mean, we have had first movers from the E.U. and I think what we can also see is, for us, it's a long term

development. It's a long term relationship with the new Syria. And it's a partnership for the future.

So I don't think that we are too late that we are in, we are here. We are on the ground also as a E.U. delegation. We are one of the biggest Western

representations here.

And what we -- what we need to have, I mean, is also that all sectors cooperate. But I don't see too much competition. I see also chances with

the Gulf investors, for example, where we also are on a close political line with, to come in here and to create synergies.

ANDERSON: Yes. My colleague, Christiane Amanpour, interviewed al-Sharaa over the weekend at the Doha forum. You may have already heard this

interview but, for the benefit of our viewers, let's just take a listen again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: -- a broad idea of when we'll have actually proper representative elections, like for

a president or a prime minister?

[10:10:00]

AHMED AL-SHARAA, SYRIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): After the liberation of Damascus, we organized a national conference and we have a

declaration for the constitution as a result of this. This declaration, until we have a final constitution, gave the current president a mandate of

five years and then there will be elections.

During these five years, many laws will be enacted and the constitution also will be drafted during these elections and it will be presented during

this period and it will be presented to the people.

So, the constitution, as you know, will be the main source of power, so I would say in five years. There's already one year that's gone. So we still

have four years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: There has been -- and to pursue this line, there has been growing concern over the new government's consolidation of power during

these parliamentary elections, concerns over an election timeline of four years.

How do you view the way in which the president himself is governing and dealing with domestic issues?

OHNMACHT: I mean, there have been a lot of challenges. I mean, there has - - we have seen also violence. And we are concerned about that.

But I think the direction is the right one. And to be -- to make this transition serious success, it has to be inclusive. And I think this is --

everybody realizes or starts to realize that.

And I think, I mean, he was talking about presidential election or the naming of prime minister. We have now the naming of a parliament, which

will create a legislative body. There is also in the constitutional declaration the possibility for legislative election in a much shorter

term.

And I think for, also, local elections can be done. I think this is something that the Syrians have to decide altogether. And -- but I think we

are standing with democratic transition process. But we also have to see that stability of the country is very important.

ANDERSON: Michael, it's good to have you. Really appreciate your time. Really important file, really important story, one that we are across, you

know, regularly. And I appreciate your time today, with your insight and analysis.

Look, I have a brilliant team of producers here in Abu Dhabi with me. And one of those producers, Tala Alrajjal, is originally Syrian. And she took

the opportunity to visit Damascus for the first time since she was a kid. She brings us her experience now on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TALA ALRAJJAL, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): "Assad is out. There is no forever."

That's what these young Syrians are chanting in the heart of Damascus as they mark the first year in more than half a century without the Assad

family's tyranny.

ALRAJJAL: Even in the rain, people are still coming out here to celebrate. And there's been effectively almost a drought in this area. Everyone's been

telling me there's been no rain and there was little rainfall last year. And so everyone felt so much relief with the rain today.

And it really almost had a metaphorical quality accompanying all of these celebrations, where people are marking one year of freedom.

ALRAJJAL (voice-over): I'm here in the city where I was born but have never lived. For the first time in 16 years, I'm returning to a homeland

I've never truly been able to know and reuniting with relatives who have lived through decades of conflict.

And to my surprise, there is an infectious energy here. At least this week, the city is alive with hope and optimism. People are briefly setting aside

just how expensive food and electricity have become.

And there's serious skepticisms over the new president's leadership and saying that, even if there is a long way to go, they're excited that at

least they can speak freely.

ALRAJJAL: So we found these socks that say "Abu Raqbeh." And this is basically a caricature of Bashar al-Assad. And it's a Syrian turn of phrase

that basically means "long neck."

It's pretty much making fun of his appearance, which is something that would have been absolutely unthinkable and no one would have dared to have

done while he was in charge, out of fear of being kidnapped, tortured and killed. That is the level that people were not allowed to speak out

whatsoever against the Assads.

And to see this here in the souk is such a sign of the times and of how much things have changed.

ALRAJJAL (voice-over): Still, just steps away in the souk are these flags that are reminders of Assad's brutality. They say "One year without

torture, one year without Saydnaya," which was Assad's notorious military prison, and "one year without chemical weapons."

And that's what this moment has really been about. Suffering is absolutely still here but it's coexisting with relief for a new beginning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, Tala wrote about her experience as well and you can find that firsthand account across CNN's digital platforms.

[10:15:05]

Right. I want to turn back to a conflict that is still raging, of course, as the war in Ukraine heads into another difficult winter. The country's

leader on a diplomatic push again. The latest leg of president Zelenskyy's Europe tour is Rome. And that is where we find CNN's senior international

correspondent Ben Wedeman.

What's your takeaway from Zelenskyy's latest diplomatic flurry?

And what should we expect out of this meeting with the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what he's clearly trying to do is shore up European support at a time when president Trump is

putting very blunt pressure on Ukraine to agree to this 20-point peace plan that the administration put out a few weeks ago.

This is a plan that would involve Ukraine having to surrender the Donbas region, parts of which it still controls, that it has lost a lot of blood

defending. And certainly Zelenskyy and many Ukrainians feel that, after all that sacrifice, they can't just give up that land.

So he is trying to get European support, certainly from Giorgia Meloni, who is probably, of all the major European leaders, the closest ideologically

to Donald Trump. Now he met this morning also with Pope Leo.

And Pope Leo -- afterwards, the Vatican put out a statement that he expressed his urgent desire for what was described as a just and lasting

peace, because the feeling is, among many in Europe and Ukraine, that the peace being proposed by the U.S. administration is neither just nor will it

last.

And -- but we heard from president Trump in that "Politico" interview that his attitude is Zelenskyy should take this U.S. peace plan because he can't

afford to not take it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURNS: If this deal, if Zelenskyy rejects this deal --

TRUMP: Yea.

BURNS: -- is there a timeline, is there a point at which you say, OK?

TRUMP: Well, he's going to have to get on the ball and start accepting things. You know, when you're losing, because he's losing ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: And I think one of the reasons why Ukraine is losing at the moment is because over the last, what, 10 months of the Trump

administration, the U.S. support for Ukraine has really evaporated.

Now the United States no longer provides weapons to Ukraine but rather sells those weapons to Europe, which then provides those weapons to

Ukraine. Clearly, the signal from the United States to the Russians is that we are not going to support Ukraine indefinitely.

And if you just keep on going, you'll get what you want. And, of course, what Russia wants is basically the contents of the U.S. peace plan that

president Trump is advocating, Becky.

ANDERSON: Always good to have you, Ben. Thank you.

Ben's in Rome, where the time is 4:17; 7:17 here in Abu Dhabi. From our Middle East programming headquarters, I'm Becky Anderson. Of course we will

be back after this quick break. Stay with us.

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ANDERSON: Well, the Trump administration is working on plans for what would happen if Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro were ousted. That's

according to several sources familiar with the planning. Let's get you to the White House and CNN's Kevin Liptak, who is standing by live.

What more are you and the team learning about the administration's plans then for Venezuela?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And the plans are being very closely held, which I don't think is a surprise.

But what we have gleaned is that they are developing options for how to potentially fill a power vacuum in Venezuela if Nicolas Maduro were to

either leave voluntarily or was forced from power by some action by the U.S. government.

And what officials have said is that this is essentially prudent steps as they execute this massive American military buildup in the region, as they

continue this strategy of targeting drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and as president Trump continues to threaten publicly land strikes inside

Venezuela.

Now what officials have said is that the president remains wary of what the fallout effect of those strikes might be. He is not interested in bringing

the U.S. into a prolonged conflict with boots on the ground inside Venezuela, even though he has declined to rule out that possibility in

interviews and in public remarks.

And I think it all contributes to the sense of the president and of his top advisers trying to build pressure on Maduro to leave without having to take

that step. Their goal is, really, according to officials and according to people who have spoken with the president, to try and get Maduro to leave

on his own.

Now whether that happens remains to be seen. The president doesn't appear to have an appetite for a prolonged negotiation. But clearly, this is

something that he is grappling with.

At the same time that these questions mount in Washington about the legality of the strikes on these drug boats, you're hearing growing

criticism from Capitol Hill, including from some Republicans, members of the president's own party, that the administration is not being forthcoming

enough about their legal rationale there.

The administration has stopped short of releasing video of that very first strike, that so-called double tap strike, that some have claimed might

violate war crimes statutes. The president has backtracked on his commitment made last week to release the video of that. Members of the

administration are briefing lawmakers on Capitol Hill today.

So you can all see how this is mounting as the administration and as the president weighs their options for what would happen if Maduro were to

leave. Becky

ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you. Kevin.

You're watching CNN. Still to come, my interview with two top global leaders as they tackle some of the largest humanitarian challenges of our

time. Some of the things that they have to say may just surprise you. More on that after this.

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[10:25:00]

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ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson.

Now I want to take a moment and ask you to think about what I am about to say: 2025 is the first year this century where preventable child deaths

will increase around the world; 200,000 more children are projected to die before their 5th birthday this year, compared to last year.

That is the headline from this year's Gates Foundation Goalkeepers Report, a shocking reminder of the tangible impact of shrinking aid budgets,

disrupted priorities and distracted politicians on the world's most vulnerable.

But there are many leaders, thinkers and innovators, who aren't just going to sit back and accept that. And last night, they gathered right here in

Abu Dhabi for the first Gates Foundation Goalkeepers event in the Middle East, with the support of the Mohammed bin Zayed foundation for Humanity.

Last hour, I told you about the major polio eradication pledge that was announced ahead of this gathering. This hour, I've got more of my

conversation for you with Bill Gates and Reem Al-Hashimy, focusing on the impact of U.S. aid cuts and ongoing conflicts. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL GATES, BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION: What we saw in the first six months of the year, driven by the DOGE effort, was a complete cutoff.

You know, sudden, no plan but kind of a fight between DOGE and USAID. That ended with everybody at USAID getting fired. And so that was tragic.

Then there was a restoration. Secretary Rubio came in and said, no, we need to bring some of this back. And so the trend line as the year's gone on is

to get some restoration. As we speak today, it's not clear whether we'll end up with the 10 percent cut, which we could handle and drive new

efficiency and innovation and be OK, or a 40 percent cut.

But I'm hopeful that the president and the Congress will take that in the right direction. And I certainly spending a lot of my time making the case

that the U.S. can afford to continue to be generous and our values haven't changed.

Recently, there was one good sign, which was, when it came time for the global fund pledging, the U.S. came through with a $4.5 billion pledge. The

U.S. has always been significantly the most generous there. And that was -- you know, they came in with 100 percent of what we asked for. So I think

we'll get clarity in the next few months.

And I think, sadly, the fact that we have more children dying, I think, is a wakeup call for some of the people in the administration, that we need a

pretty full restoration.

ANDERSON: Do you believe that, you know, that line, that, for the first time in 25 years, we will see more child deaths around the world, has a

straight line to the cuts in funding by the U.S. this year?

GATES: The U.S. is not the only government that made cuts. And so it's not solely them. But because their cuts were made in such a sudden and

unpredictable way -- with medicine stuck in warehouses and, you know, thrown out; contraception thrown out; you know, people fired overnight --

it was particularly damaging the way it was done.

And now they're going out and trying to remedy some of that. They're doing these -- what they call global compacts. But absolutely, you know, the --

the core -- many people don't know the miracle of the last 25 years, that we cut the deaths in half.

[10:30:06]

And if you know that that took place, you know, that was directly because, you know, WHO was funded, Gavi was funded, Global Fund was funded to do the

incredible work that they do. And so when you take the money away, you know, there's -- it's clear what's going to happen.

ANDERSON: You say many didn't know. And you're absolutely right. I wonder whether that includes the U.S. president. I just wonder if you can share

the spirit, if not the content, of your discussions with Donald Trump about these cuts and the importance of saving lives and maintaining U.S.

leadership, just briefly?

GATES: Well, the -- there's many metrics you can have. If you look at overall aid, Europe has been very generous. You know, now, the Middle East,

particularly UAE, is very generous. And within Europe, Norway and Sweden have been real standouts at over 1 percent of GDP.

The U.S. in absolute is the biggest aid giver. And particularly in global health, the share of the aid budget that the U.S. spends that's global

health-related is very high, almost 50 percent.

And that really goes back to President Bush at the turn of the century, created new programs, particularly the HIV program, PEPFAR. You know, he

committed to fund a third of Global Fund. He created the present malaria initiative.

That was our one big step up in generosity that, on a per size of the economy basis, didn't get us to European levels but it got us closer to

that level. And you know, so now, you know, now we have an opportunity because we have new tools in innovation.

The impact per dollar that we can have will increase. And so if we can just get aid, you know, to go flat, then the innovation piece, particularly

accelerated by great AI work, will allow us to get back on track.

And so, you know, we're in a period where we have to raise the visibility, tell people about the possibility. You know, the message everyone is

hearing tonight, we hope you'll spread it, far and wide. And we're going to be a lot more creative as we're talking to religious leaders. They want to

help us carry this message.

As we talk to people who work in medicine, you know, they care about lives everywhere. They want to help us carry this message. So we have to renew

our outreach because this is such a strong moral cause.

ANDERSON: And the current President of the United States gets that.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: He has said that he wants to go to heaven and that, if he's responsible for lots of children's deaths, that maybe that's not going to

go the way he wants it to go.

So you know, he is -- he is someone who's been willing to meet with me and talk about these things. And that makes me hopeful that we'll get most of

the money back. And I know, you know, the Congress will have a role in this. And they've always been very, very supportive.

ANDERSON: Thank you.

Reem, progress is hard won in conflict and instability, of course, where so much of the work, of course, is needed and is done.

While the world waits for a -- to see whether a Gaza ceasefire holds and whether we can ensure the tangible steps to ease the massive humanitarian

crisis there that -- I know how much work you have done over the last couple of years, Reem -- on trying to ensure that we can address that

crisis there, it has been phenomenal.

There are consistent warnings now, of course, about the scale of another crisis, that being Sudan. The UAE has renewed its calls for an immediate

ceasefire there.

What more are you doing to pressure the groups UAE has influence over to stop the fighting and enable the humanitarian relief?

REEM AL-HASHIMY, UAE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION: Becky, leadership is very important and the U.S. leadership on this file

has been critical because the crisis in Sudan didn't just begin. The crisis in Sudan was underway even as Gaza was underway, even as Ukraine was

underway.

The fact that president Trump had put forward a plan through the Quad, which includes the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the

United States and Egypt, to really address three main things.

In essence, an immediate ceasefire so that we could have humanitarian aid go in unfettered, unhindered throughout the entire country and where it's

necessary.

[10:35:00]

The fact that we have to have a civilian government because none of the military generals are able or equipped to actually represent the people of

Sudan.

And most importantly, the immediacy of ensuring that this happens to allow for aid to go in immediately, as this was already announced a couple of

weeks ago and yet it hasn't been able to happen.

We saw that there were convoys that were attacked and also bombings and civilian infrastructure that only brings in more misery to a very difficult

situation.

We have been consistent throughout and are really relying on U.S. leadership to be able to take this one home, all the way through.

I just want to also add, today, the U.N. global appeal was announced. That was $23 billion in 2026 to save a little over 87 million lives. The UAE is

going to be committed to that.

But beyond that, again, a call to action, there are ways in which we can deliver and we can succeed if we just hold on long enough and believe long

enough in coalescing around those that are very focused and singular-minded in the impact that is possible.

ANDERSON: To both of you, what do you say to critics who might say that the focus, for example, on polio eradication, a much-needed global

philanthropy, is rendered moot if we do not take more concrete steps to end conflict and instability, like that which we see in Sudan?

AL-HASHIMY: I think we have to activate all fronts. We can't wait for a conflict to be addressed at its root cause by not engaging on the

humanitarian or on the development or on the political lens. Obviously, if you fix the root cause, you don't have any issue at all.

But what happens when the root cause isn't fixed?

We have to get more comfortable doing multiple things at the same time and coming at it with an equal level of force and fierceness and perseverance.

ANDERSON: Bill.

GATES: Well, the -- you know, the conflicts are tragic because, you know, you're using lots of resources in those battles. And it's just awful. And

adults and children die from that.

You know, at the same time, you know, poverty is killing children. Malaria is killing children. And so hopefully the political actors can bring about

these ceasefires.

And actors like Gates Foundation, where we're a health expert, you know, then once they get things stabilized, us and our partners can come in and,

OK, make sure the vaccination rates go back up.

You know, we had polio in Gaza. They were able to go in and do vaccination campaign and, you know, we got rid of it there. Hopefully the health

infrastructure gets rebuilt. The humanitarian aid gets in.

But you know, we -- you know, all of those 4.8 million deaths need to be a priority for the world because it's a richer world. It doesn't cost a lot.

You know, we're asking basically for 1 percent of the budget of rich countries. For the U.S. that would be a huge increase. We're well below

that.

And so every cause of child to death, including violence, you know, I'd say we can afford to make progress on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: That 4.8 million that he was referring to is the number of children who died of a preventable disease in 2025. And sadly, as we were

discussing tonight, that number for the first time in 25 years is likely to go up this year.

My conversation with Bill Gates and Reem Al-Hashimy at the Goalkeepers event last night here in Abu Dhabi.

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. There is a lot more news ahead. Stay with us.

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[10:40:00]

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ANDERSON: President Trump is lifting export controls on Nvidia's H200 AI chips to China. Now this is a major reversal in what is this tech trade

war. The White House says sales will carry strict security conditions and a 25 percent payment to the United States.

High end Blackwell and Rubin chips are not included in the deal, keeping some of America's most advanced AI tech off limits.

Well, here's how Nvidia stock is doing today. It is down slightly. They're tracking what is actually a lower Nasdaq market today. These markets are

really a bit of a mixed bag as investors wait for the next Fed rate decision. CNN will bring you that as it develops tomorrow.

Right. Before we go, prison authorities in South Carolina made an unusual bust when they intercepted a drone attempting to smuggle crab legs, steak,

tobacco, marijuana and other contraband into a correctional facility on Sunday.

It was all wrapped neatly inside a Piggly Wiggly grocery store shopping bag. A prison spokesperson says drone threats are actually nothing new but

this delivery was unique. And note the extra touch of Old Bay seasoning for the crab legs. No arrests have been made.

You've been watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. From the team working with me here and those working with us around the world, it is

a very good evening. CNN "MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST" is next.

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