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U.S. Federal Reserve Expected to Announce Interest Rate Cut; Investors Eyeing Fed's Highly-Anticipated Rate Decision; Australian PM: Social Media Ban for Under 16s Will Change Lives; Nobel Peace Prize Winner May Arrive in Oslo Soon; CNN Projects Eileen Higgins Will Win Miami Mayor's Race. Aired 9-9:45a ET

Aired December 10, 2025 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Australia takes a bold leap, the world's first ban on under 16s using social media. But not everyone is on

board. It's 01:00 a.m. in Sydney. It's 06:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Eleni Giokos. This is "Connect the World".

Also coming up, we are on U.S. interest rate. Watch another cut expected today from the Federal Reserve. How will it impact the economy? Plus,

Ukraine says it's sending the U.S. peace plan back to Washington today with revisions, while President Zelenskyy says he's fine with holding elections

if it's safe.

All right, so let's check in on how the U.S. market futures are faring right now. Flats, not surprising, it is fed day rate cuts has largely been

priced in futures, course, not moving very much ahead of that decision that's happening at 02:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Right, financial markets are

counting down to that high stakes rates announcement, which we'll get in just a few hours.

If it's the rate cut that most traders and analysts predict it will be the third in the past three fed policy meetings. A quarter point cut would

bring the central bank's key lending rate to the lowest level since October 2022, but it could also limit its scope to cut rates in 2026 and today's

decision comes amid divisions inside the Federal Reserve.

Policy makers are split over which is more urgent, supporting the slowing job markets or pushing down on U.S. inflation. CNN's Matt Egan has the

latest from Washington. Matt, good to see you. Look 25 basis point rate cut has largely been priced in. It is a very divided Federal Reserve. So, give

me a sense of what the odds are right now.

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, well, Eleni, Wallstreet does believe that a third straight interest rate cut from the fed is imminent. The

market is pricing in about a 90 percent chance of a quarter point cut today, just a 10 percent chance of no change at all.

That's a pretty high degree of confidence from investors. So, at this point, the fed almost has to cut interest rates, because if it doesn't,

it's going to really shock markets, and that's something that fed officials do not like to do. Now, if this plays out as expected, this would lower the

fed rate to a fresh three year low.

It'd be about two full percentage points off the peak from last year. You can see on that chart. This has been a significant move, lower. So of

course, this is good news for borrowers, right, people who are struggling to pay down debt, also for small business owners who are struggling to find

affordable loans.

But we also have to think about why the fed is cutting. It's not because inflation is back down to normal. It's not right. It's really because fed

officials are concerned about rising unemployment. And they want to prevent this job market weakness from spreading.

Now it's also important to note that this is an increasingly divided fed and this does look like a pretty close call, in part because they're

dealing with this information vacuum caused by the government shutdown. The most recent jobs report at this point is 70 days old. We're not getting the

November jobs report until next week.

Inflation reports have been delayed, so fed officials are trying to navigate through a significant amount of fall. Now, a few things to think

about from today's decision, beyond the job market concerns, is how many fed officials dissent. Last meeting, it was two.

One official who wanted no cut, one official White House Economist Stephen Miran who wanted even deeper cut. Some fed watchers think that we could see

three dissents today. We have not seen that since 2019, and then, of course, what does the fed say about the future?

The expectation is that this will be a hawkish cut where, yes, the fed lowers borrowing rates, but also it signals a higher bar for future

interest rate cuts. And we're also going to get new projections from fed officials, where they'll pencil in how many interest rate cuts, they expect

for next year, and where they see unemployment and the inflation rate going next year as well.

So, look, bottom line, the expectation is, yes, another interest rate cut. But there's also a lot of concern on Wall Street about whether or not the

fed will be signaling that this could be the last cut for some time. Back to you, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yeah. And as you say, Matt, we've got that important jobs report coming only next week, so the fed is either going to patting itself on the

back, or perhaps realizing it didn't do the right thing. So, we'll see. Matt Egan, great to have you with us.

EGAN: Thank you.

GIOKOS: We've got more analysis on this put in story later on over the next two hours. Moving to Australia now at the forefront of what may become a

global shift in how young people interact with social media platforms.

[09:05:00]

Australia is now the first country in the world to ban children under 16 from accessing these popular social media platforms. It is a move praised

by child advocates and criticized by tech companies. Other countries are expected to create similar regulations. Australia's Prime Minister says the

under 16 ban allows families to take back power from big tech companies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Make no mistake, this reform will change lives for Australian kids and allowing them to just have their

childhood, for Australian parents, enabling them to have greater peace of mind, but also for the global community, who are looking at Australia and

saying, well, if Australia can do it, why can't we?

JULIE INMAN GRANT, AUSTRALIAN ESAFETY COMMISSIONER: We're reframing this, really, as a social media delay. There are exclusions for certain messaging

apps and online gaming apps, because when parliament deliberated, they didn't want to be cutting off young people's digital lifelines or their

ways of communicating, connecting and creating.

But wanted to keep them away and give them a reprieve from the persuasive and pervasive design features that are designed to keep us all hooked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Well, CNN's Angus Watson is following this story for us. Angus, good to have you with us. You know, Australian, by many accounts, is

setting a precedent globally, I suppose. Tell me about the reaction to this, and also, importantly, the kind of work that needs to happen to

enforce this, to implement this.

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Eleni, it will be hard to implement. The Australian government doesn't believe that it's going to get it right away.

It doesn't think that it's going to be able to remove social media accounts belonging to 16-year-olds all in one fell swoop.

Instead, it's relying on tech companies to month by month, show the Australian government how many under 16s it has removed from its platforms.

We hearing that it's going that see this tech companies are going to rely on facial verification software powered by AI is just one of the tools that

they're going to use to identify accounts that belong to young people.

Importantly, Eleni, the government saying that it's not going to punish young people for being on this age restricted social media platforms. It's

not going to punish young people. It's not going to punish their parents either. The government knows that young people might use, say, a VPN, to

get around it at first.

So, the government is instead putting the onus on the tech companies, and it's threatening them with fines in the tens of millions of dollars, if

these companies aren't seen to be doing their best to remove teenagers from their accounts. So, Eleni, the government does, obviously want its ban

implemented.

I think almost more importantly, the government wants to use this as a moment for cultural change. It wants young Australians off social media and

being children out, playing in the sunshine or reading books, pursuing their interests, doing the things that they think that big tech is

depriving them of through these addictive social media algorithms, which the Australian government argues is actually changing the brains of young

people as their brains develop, is changing their entire lives as they go forward.

I was at the event this morning with the prime minister who spoke really passionately about the need for this. He said that it's his duty to protect

young people from harmful online content, harmful people online and these addictive algorithms, Eleni. And they believe, here in Australia, the

government believes that this is a world first, and that other jurisdictions will follow.

It points to the EU as having indicated through a vote that it is in favor of bans on under 16-year-olds being on social media, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Angus, thank you so much for staying up so late for us. Really appreciate your reporting, on this. Angus Watson there live from Sydney.

Now in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country is ready for elections to be held in the next 60 to 90 days, and that's if the United

States and Europe can guarantee voters can go to the polls in safety.

U.S. President Trump said on Monday, Ukraine was using the war to as an excuse, rather not to have an election, a claim Zelenskyy push back on.

Meantime, Kyiv is expected to send an updated peace proposal back to the United States today. CNN's Clare Sebastian is following the story for us

from London. Clare, good to have you with us.

[09:10:00]

What changes are we going to see in the Ukrainian proposal for a potential end to the war, the so-called peace plan?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Eleni, we don't know exactly what is in these updated documents. There's been a studios effort, I think, on

all sides, over the past couple of weeks to prevent the finer details from leaking out as these negotiations continue.

But President Zelenskyy has given some broader details. What we know is that there's more than one document. There's the sort of main peace

proposal, which we think has been whittled down to about 20 points. There's a document concerning security guarantees, and there's one on the

reconstruction and sort of restoring the economic potential of Ukraine.

So, in the main document, he did say, if you get a few days ago, President Zelenskyy, that the anti-Ukrainian elements had been taken out. We assume

that, that may refer to the idea that Russia wants to take territory that Ukraine still controls in the Donbas region. In terms of security

guarantees, Zelenskyy is realistic about NATO membership.

He said he understands that this is not on the table for now, but he's looking for water tight Article Five style bilateral security guarantees

with European countries. And most importantly, I think, with the United States as well. So that's what Ukraine is going to be pushing for.

And on reconstruction, he did mention the issue of Russia's frozen assets, many of which are held in Europe. And he said the issue of frozen assets is

partly a matter of our security. He, you know, strongly believes that Russia, having destroyed parts of Ukraine should foot the bill for their

reconstruction, and that the frozen assets are a way to do that.

So those are some of the broad brushstrokes we know on the issue of elections. I think it's important to note that President Zelenskyy isn't

promising to hold elections at this point in a matter of 60 days. I think this is a way of essentially flipping the narrative on that, saying, look,

we could, but what we would have to do would amount to essentially a ceasefire of sorts with Russia.

And potentially the presence of international observers, which could look something like the security guarantees they're pushing for on the path to

peace. So, I think on the one hand, he wants to flip the narrative on this. On the other hand, I think he is still given the position of President

Trump trying to offer up some of the demands that he is putting on the table to keep the U.S. on side, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yeah, I want to talk about the Russian perspective on this peace proposal, you know, bringing an end to the war, and what we've heard from

the Russian side, because we know that they want to take territory. They want to see new borders being drawn here and major concessions expected by

the Ukrainians.

SEBASTIAN: Yeah, the Russian position, I think, over the past nearly three weeks, since that 28-point peace plan first emerged, which contained many

of Russia's maximalist demands, has only hardened. I think Russia is now not only buoyed in its efforts to pursue what it calls the root causes of

this conflict.

But also buoyed by the comments that we hear from the U.S. about Europe, not only in the national security strategy, but also President Trump's

comments to POLITICO describing Europe as a sort of decaying group of nations, this plays right into the narrative that the Kremlin has been

fostering for the last year, since President Trump took office.

So, we now hearing more of the sort of open hostility from Russia towards Europe. Take a listen to the Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: As the president emphasized, we do not intend to fight Europe. We don't have any thoughts of this. But if

there is any hostile stab, including deploying European contingents in Ukraine, or expropriating Russian assets, we will respond, and we are

already ready for this response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So, this, I think, is a threat disguised, sort of as not being a threat, which is fairly typical, I think, of the Russian rhetoric, and I

think it makes the path forward here pretty unclear. Russia signaling essentially that it wants to neuter European efforts to secure funding for

Ukraine.

And also, to monitor any kind of ceasefire or peace deal that should arise. And it doesn't look at all clear at this point that we're going to get that

far, Eleni.

GIOKOS: All right. Clare Sebastian thank you so much. And still to come on "Connect the World". This year's Peace Prize laureate was a no show at the

Nobel ceremony in Norway. We'll tell you why she was absent and where she is just ahead. Plus, a campaign style rally for the U.S. President.

What Donald Trump is telling supporters about affordability in America amid growing economic concerns.

[09:15:00]

GIOKOS: This year's Nobel Peace Prize recipient Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado is on the way to Oslo, but she was unable to

attend the award ceremony in Norway earlier today. Machado, who's long battled for democratic rights in Venezuela has been in hiding since last

year because she's under persecution from the Maduro government.

Moments ago, her daughter accepted the prize and spoke on her mother's behalf.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANA CORINA SOSA MACHADO, MARIA CORINA MACHADO'S DAUGHTER: Citizens of the world, my dear Venezuelans, first, I want to express our infinite

gratitude, from my family, from an entire country to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Thanks to you the struggle of an entire people for truth, for

freedom, for democracy and peace is today recognized around the world.

I am here on behalf of my mother, Maria Corina Machado, who has united millions of Venezuelans in an extraordinary effort that you our hosts have

honored with a Nobel Peace Prize.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: -- to Maria Corina's daughter, very emotional. And frankly, we've been waiting for the ceremony for the last two days. Clearly very difficult

for Machado to get to Oslo to be at this event. She hasn't seen her family, her daughter for two years. Give me a sense of how this all transpired.

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Eleni, every time that I have contacted the novel institute, they have stressed how difficult is for

Machado to get to, also because the situation here she's nowadays living in the country, and because we're hiding.

So that's why they insisted that even it is difficult for her to get to the Norway capital, she will get here sometime, but we don't know how or when

will she get here to Oslo. Earlier on the day, they have shared through the media a phone call between the president of the Norway committee -- Jorgen

Watne and Machado, where she said that a lot of people has risked their lives to try her to get outside from Venezuela and to be here.

And even she is not able, she hasn't been able to attend the ceremony. She will be here for the rest of events that we can expect for the day. This is

a part of the audio that they shared earlier on the day. Let's have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA CORINA MACHADO, 2025 NOBEL PEACE PRICE LAUREATE: Well in person, I'll let you know, just you and Christian, what we had to go through and so many

people that risk their lives in order for me to arrive in Oslo. And I am very grateful to them, and I this is a measure of what this recognition

means to the Venezuelan people, Jorgen, I want you to know that.

So, albeit that let's start it, because I have to fly literally right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOSQUERA: So now the question, Eleni, is when we're going to be able to see Maria Corina Machado here in Oslo for what they say, seems like she maybe

will be able to attend the torch March that will start here from the City Hall Square in a matter of hours.

[09:20:00]

And then maybe we can see her waving all the dozens of Venezuelans that have traveled to Oslo from the Grand Hotel where she will be sleeping

tonight. And after that, at 7 o'clock local time, we know that dinner will be offered by the Norway -- in her honor. So, this is maybe going to be

another opportunity to know a little bit more on how the journey has been for her to get here to Norway, Eleni.

GIOKOS: All right. Pau Mosquera, thank you so much. Good to have you on the show. U.S. President Donald Trump is telling his supporters things have

never been better in the face of Americans increasing gloom over the U.S. economy. Headed to a swing district in northern East Pennsylvania today on

Tuesday, touting his economic initiatives and claiming Democrats focus on an affordability crisis is a hoax.

He also veered off script, criticizing wind power, parodying a Scottish accent, slamming Somalis and polling the crowd on the best nickname for

Former U.S. President Joe Biden. CNN's Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak joins us now live from Washington.

Kevin, good to have you with us. I mean, really interesting speech. The president seems to have enjoyed himself, but I wonder if he did enough to

ease concerns of voters there about the economy. I mean, it's really striking to him speaking. And in the background, you have people holding up

posters saying, you know, increase wages and lower prices and begs the question whether President Trump is out of touch or in denial.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, there's no question that there is sort of a discordance in the president's message here. This

was really intended to road test his economic themes, to really try and test his claims that he's bringing down prices for Americans, but when you

look at polls and when you look at the facts, Americans don't feel all that confident in the economy, and the president, I don't think, offered much to

them by way of reassurance in his speech.

It was really focused more on claiming that the economy is better than it's ever been, on blaming Former President Biden for virtually every economic

problem in the country. And really shrugging off the idea and concept of affordability at all, saying that it was a con job, that it's a hoax, that

it was all invented to sort of damage him politically.

But I think, you know, the speech was about way more than the economy. It was pretty clear at about two minutes into the speech, when the president

started taking credit for reviving the phrase Merry Christmas, that this was going to be about a lot more than the economy.

He veered in all kinds of different directions, going after transgender Americans, going after windmills, claiming that the U.S. border was now

tighter than North Korea's. He went on a remarkably virulent tirade against the Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, referencing her hijab, calling it

a little turban, saying that the U.S. should throw her the hell out.

He revived a derogatory term that he used during his first term, and actually denied using back then to describe third world nations, he called

them shit holes. He said that the U.S. should not take migrants from those places, and wondered why more migrants from places like Norway and Sweden

weren't coming into the United States.

So, it was a speech that meandered in all kinds of different directions. He even acknowledged that he wasn't reading from the teleprompter, and even

when he was talking about the economy, his message was more one of austerity, saying that parents didn't need to buy their children so many

dolls and pencils that they could do with fewer.

And so this is the message, I suppose, that the president will be using his advisors say that this was sort of the kickoff to a major domestic tour

focused on economic issues, his Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, who the president, for some reason, in the speech referenced and called Susie

Trump, he didn't explain why, has said that he will be out on the campaign trail very actively ahead of next year's midterm elections.

I think the fear that many of his allies have been that he's going down the same path as Biden did, and trying to convince Americans that the economy

is actually better than they think it is, that's just not a winning proposition, and Biden certainly found that out the hard way.

I think their other fear is that his claims that this is all Joe Biden's fault that argument may be getting thinner and thinner as he now nears the

one-year mark of his presidency, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Right, Kevin Liptak, great to have you. Thank you so much. Outgoing House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene tells CNN she feels very sorry for

President Trump. Greene has announced she's resigning from Congress next month, and told CNN, it's in part due to toxic politics, which the

president has had a big hand in her view. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I feel very sorry for President Trump. I genuinely do.

[09:25:00]

It has to be a hard place for someone that is constantly so hateful and puts so much vitriol name calling and really tells lies about people in

order to try to get his way or win some kind of fight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Georgia Republican was previously a staunch supporter of President Trump and the MAGA movement, but she says she and her family have received

hundreds of death rates since she first criticized him. President Trump has been firing off insults at Greene for some time, and that continued in an

interview earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I've watched stupid people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, or some people call it Taylor

Greene. Some people call her Taylor Brown, because Greene sometimes turns to brown, which isn't nice, but I've watched her say that he spends too

much time on foreign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Well, the first time in nearly 30 years, the City of Miami has elected a Democrat as mayor. CNN projects Eileen Higgins will defeat Trump

back to Emilio Gonzalez in the runoff election. It marks another strong performance by Democrats during the president's first year of his second

term.

Affordability was a key issue during the campaign, with Higgins voicing support for building more affordable housing. She will also become the

first woman to ever lead the city. All right, we're going to short break and ahead on "Connect the World". We're just hours away from the U.S.

Federal Reserve's key decision on interest rates, how the fed's action or inaction could impact the global economy. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Giokos, live in Abu Dhabi and you're watching "Connect the World". These are your headlines. Australia's Prime

Minister says his country's new social media restrictions for children under 16 will change lives. The ban on these popular social media platforms

went into effect on Wednesday.

Anthony Albanese says it will allow kids to have greater peace of mind and let them quote have their childhood. Tech companies oppose the move.

Ukraine is expected to hand its revised peace plan to U.S. negotiators today. Kyiv and its European allies have reworked a proposal drawn up in

Washington.

Ukraine's President says they're discussing a 20-point peace framework, as well as security guarantees and plans for the post war recovery. Nobel

Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado says that she will be in Norway today, but was unable to make the award ceremony earlier.

The Venezuelan Opposition Leader has been in hiding after persecution from the Maduro government.

[09:30:00]

She's one of the country's most visible opponents of the regime. Her daughter accepted the prize and spoke on her mother's behalf in Oslo a

short time ago. Right, we're a few seconds away from the start of trade in New York, it is an important day. It is fed day, and that's the sound of

the opening bell.

OK, let's check in to see how the markets are doing, and of course, trying to settle as market participants are holding back just a bit ahead of that

Federal Reserve rate decision later on, 02:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the DOW JONES flat with this like negative buyers, unsurprising there.

It is widely anticipated. It will cut rates by a quarter of a basis point, which, of course, has been mostly priced, and you've got the S&P, NASDAQ

and DOW slightly lower in early trade. And of course, it's going to be quite important to take a look at what the Federal Reserve will be doing

late today.

It is going to have far reached implications on inflation and importantly, the second mandate, and that's got to do with stabilizing jobs growth. Now

what as if it happens when it happens later on today, is going to be quite telling in terms of what we can expect in 2026. It's all about those

forecasts.

I'd like to welcome Nadia El Bilassy, Senior Market Analyst, joining us now with the brokerage Equiti firm. Great to have you. All right, so Federal

Reserve cutting rates by quarter the basis point later on today. The Federal Reserve is actually quite divided on what to do, but it's been

priced in largely.

Do you think that's the right approach? Because it's got a dual mandate. It's got to stabilize prices, and it's also going to look at jobs' growth.

NADIA EL BILASSY, SENIOR MARKET ANALYST AT EQUITI: Yes, hello Eleni, and thanks for having me. So, I think it has come to it's actually now known

that it's very hard to reach the dual mandate for the fed, where we have a very weak labor market and we still have persistent inflation.

Yes, square inflation has kind of dipped backwards a little bit just for the past few months, but we still have very high inflation, and the fact

that the fed right now is divided. I think 7 out of the 12 members, they are divided, whether it's for cutting interest rates. We do have room for

pause.

So, I think this is where we have a different and a division, and that's why, also at the downside risk of this is that of the independence of the

fed, because of Trump's push for us --

GIOKOS: -- pressurizing drone powerful.

BILASSY: Yes, exactly.

GIOKOS: Quite some time, absolutely. What's also fascinating is that key data should be a driver about whether the previous interest rate cuts have

been working to counter inflation. Importantly, what it's doing to jobs growth. An important jobs report is only coming out next week, which is

basically counter intuitive.

And I wonder how much pressure that puts on the fed in terms of what it's going to signal, whether it's going to be hawkish or dovish in their

statement.

BILASSY: I think they're going to be hawkish, and that's what's priced in the market, that we're going to see the 25-basis rate point cut. But for

the next quarter, we might see a pause, and that's what's pulling back major indices or stocks in general. I also think that investors are really

worried about the tone of Jerome Powell.

I think just because there were expectations of being more dovish, but recently this week, theme has ultimately changed, and now we expect a very

hawkish tone. So, I think that's going to basically be the major hit to the markets tonight.

GIOKOS: Yeah. So, one thing that is interesting, when you've got inflation very close to 3 percent and we know that the target is around 2 percent and

people have been asking this question, should we see the target being changed from the 2 percent that it currently is?

I mean, it's very difficult to hit that the economic macro environment has changed substantially.

BILASSY: Agreed, agreed, 100 percent. I do think that, because the fed right now is prioritizing the labor market instead, we have major weakening

of the labor market. We've seen almost 1,200,000 job cuts since year to date, which is the most since the pandemic.

And we've also seen almost just 500,000, key hiring so far this year. So, I think in terms of data, the labor market really overshadows that of

persistent inflation and consumer confidence still OK, somewhat lower, but it's still kind of at elevated levels like it did not just like majorly

blow off.

GIOKOS: Yes, OK, we also expecting a successor to Jerome Powell waiting for a name. But actually, I want to talk about the story because, you know, not

far from here, this Abu Dhabi finance week, and it's interesting to see what's going on.

[09:35:00]

There was about 62 trillion dollars' worth of assets from over 100 countries gathering at Abu Dhabi finance week. And I mean, it's pretty

extraordinary to see the people in the room there and discussing where this capital should be sitting. And I think investors are really looking for

alternatives and seeing where, you know, their money should live in a time of risk aversion, where everyone's sort of rushing to gold because they're

worried about inflation.

BILASSY: Yeah.

GIOKOS: What's your take on what we're seeing here in Abu Dhabi, and, frankly, the GCC as a whole?

BILASSY: So, the Abu Dhabi finance week as one of the most like, the biggest events of the region, I think it really reflects the attractiveness

and regulatory maturity of Abu Dhabi as a whole. And as a global financial hub, I think the capital inflows that we're being we're seeing right now,

it's a huge amount, but it just really reflects Abu Dhabi as a global financial hub.

GIOKOS: Very quickly -- successor to Jerome Powell, are you hearing --

BILASSY: Kevin Hassett --

GIOKOS: Let me ask you this. I mean, do you think the fed's independence is going to be tested?

BILASSY: Yes, only because Kevin Hassett has been kind of nominated by Trump, who is pushing aggressively for lower rate cuts. But ultimately, the

fed has 12 numbers.

GIOKOS: Yeah.

BILASSY: And they all get a vote so but I think, yeah, it's definitely a downside risk.

GIOKOS: Nadia, great to have you with us. Thank you so much.

BILASSY: Thank you so much for having me.

GIOKOS: Appreciate it. All right now, Mo Salah wasn't part of the Liverpool squad after his outburst on Saturday. So how did the team fare on their

trip to Italy? Will find out. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: Welcome back now new video just into CNN, showing the harrowing moment when a small plane made an emergency landing on a Florida Highway. A

driver's dash cam captured the incident, and you can see the small, twin- engine plane come swooping down and crash on top of a car in Central Florida on Tuesday.

Authorities say the driver only had minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. The plane's pilot and passenger were not injured. A new

film about Jair Bolsonaro is coming to theaters. Dark Horse will focus on the career of the Former Brazilian President. He's now in prison for

plotting a coup to stay in power after losing the 2022 election.

[09:40:00]

The movie was filmed in English with a screenplay written by a Former Bolsonaro aide. Judging by social media posts, it appears to have the full

backing of the Bolsonaro family and inner circle. The film stars American Actor Jim Caviezel, vocal supporter of Bolsonaro's ally U.S. President

Donald Trump.

It's due to come out next year. After a century long ban on growing blackcurrants in the U.S. expired, the fruity flavor is expected to see a

burst of popularity in the new year. The McCormick Spice Company is calling blackcurrant its flavor of the year for 2026 and it predicts American

consumers will start to embrace the fruit which has long been widely available in other parts of the world.

The U.S. ban was in place over concerns that the berry plants carried a fungus which threatened pine forests. Restrictions on cultivating the

plants have now been lifted. Fascinating story there. All right, Liverpool traveled to Italy on Tuesday for a pivotal Champions League clash.

They did so without their star, Mo Salah after his public outburst against the club and manager on Saturday. Amanda Davies joins us now to break all

of this down for us. Amanda, what's going on?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Mo Salah left out of the Liverpool squad to take on Inter Milan. But that doesn't mean it was an end to the

conversation. All the post-match analysis and reaction still dominated by talk of one man, despite Liverpool getting the victory, and it shows no

sign of stopping, Eleni.

Arne Slot, the Liverpool boss, asked, what happens next? It looks like it's going to be something of a battle of wills. Who's going to apologize first,

who's going to break the split to actually allow negotiations or discussions to continue. That's really what everybody is asking now, and

that was what I was breaking down with our Senior Sport Analyst, Darren Lewis, and we'll be looking at in "World Sport" in just a couple of

minutes.

GIOKOS: All right, looking forward to that conversation, Amanda. We'll see you right after the break. I'll be back at the top of the hour with the

second hour of "Connect the World". Stay with CNN.

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