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Connect the World
Houthis Vow to Continue Striking Saudi Airports and Oil Sites; Pope Leo Recovering after Cancerous Lung Growth Removed; Leaders Talk Economy, AI & Middle East at Global CNN Event; Inside China's Push to Win the AI Race; Embattled Manchester City Host Holders PSG on Wednesday. Aired 9- 9:45a ET
Aired October 14, 2026 - 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)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Pope Leo is recovering at this hospital in Rome after undergoing surgery to remove part of his right lung
following a cancer diagnosis. It is 03:00 p.m. in Rome, 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi from our Middle East Programming Headquarters, I'm Becky
Anderson. This is "Connect the World".
Also coming up, Saudi Arabia's state oil giant Aramco has come under attack as Houthi strikes target key energy infrastructure and threaten to escalate
tensions across the region. Two people are dead after a Russian air attack damaged a residential building in Kyiv, and we are just about 30 minutes
away from the start of trade on Wall Street.
Let's take a live look at how the futures are doing. Normally, an indication of what we should expect when these markets open 30 minutes from
now. All lower at this point. The latest CPI numbers showing that inflation was hotter than expected in September, rising to 3.7 percent faster than a
month earlier. This, of course, is in the U.S. This as gas prices there surged 34 percent more at the bottom of the hour for you.
We begin though in the Middle East this hour, where Houthi rebels are vowing to press on with strikes on Saudi's airports and oil facilities,
warning civilians to evacuate. Now this comes after Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed group traded fresh strikes on Tuesday, marking the latest
escalation between the two.
In one of the latest exchanges, Houthi rebels attacked oil giant Aramco's headquarters just hours after Saudi launched strikes on a key oil depot in
Yemen. CNN's Nic Robinson joining us now from London. You've been talking to sources there in the Kingdom and around the region. What are they
telling you?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The very latest, the Saudi civil defense body that had announced attempted strikes on Riyadh
earlier today, or at least warnings about four or five hours ago, that there were inbound strikes, and residents of the city could hear loud
detonations and explosions.
That civil defense body now said that there was a casualty on the ground, that a vehicle and a house were damaged by falling shrapnel. So, the
Houthis keeping up their strikes on Riyadh, as you mentioned, in Dhahran, in the east of the country. Yesterday, the sort of center, the big hub for
Aramco, a massive, small, like town-sized complex that Aramco has there, that also was put on the Houthi target list yesterday and last night they
did appear to have an impact there.
And certainly, listening to the Houthi military spokesman today outlining that was their attack, and they are vowing more of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YAHYA SAREE, HOUTHI MILITARY SPOKESPERSON: The Yemeni armed forces carried out, with God's help, a major military operation targeting Aramco in
Dhahran, in the eastern area, King Khalid International Airport, and Aramco refinery in Riyadh, using a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles
as well as drones, the strikes were accurate by God's grace, causing destruction and fires at the targeted sites.
The Yemeni armed forces confirmed that their operations deep inside Saudi territory will continue in the coming days by targeting the Saudi enemy's
airports and oil facilities, and its consequences on it will be severe, God willing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So, I think what we witnessed yesterday was the Saudis appearing to take a decision to strike Houthi infrastructure, particularly energy
infrastructure. Those that energy facility just outside the capital in Yemen, and also another one on the coast. The Houthis, for their part, then
saying immediately that they would strike back and go for Aramco energy targets again.
Saudi has a big country, and if it swings its defenses to better protect the capital, the Houthis appear to be trying to exploit other gaps in those
air defenses.
ANDERSON: Nic, we know that the Saudi Crown Prince has been communicating with President Trump. Sources I've spoken to just in the past 24 hours say
that Saudi needs more air power to support forces on the ground. That is what they're asking for from the United States.
[09:05:00]
Is there any indication there be maybe any further involvement to that end from Washington at this point?
ROBERTSON: You know, President Trump on Truth Social kind of hinted in that direction yesterday that you know the Houthis, he said, were behaving very,
very badly. That they hadn't learnt a lesson from last year, where the United States did target their assets. In fact, he said the Houthis asked
us to stop, and we did stop.
So, his hinting by that, I think that that is an option in front of him, is reconsidering starting that. And I think if you add into that President
Trump's desire to see a way to bring down the price of oil, and he in his statement yesterday blamed Iran for backing the Houthis in their attacks on
Saudi and Saudi's oil infrastructure and Saudi civilian infrastructure.
He also tied that to the Iranians wanting to drive up the price of oil, so you know, inherent in all of that is the importance of President Trump to
bring down the price of oil. Now, if he believes that by striking Houthi targets inside of Yemen can lead to that, then that seems to be a more
likely option.
It's not clear that that is going to have that kind of impact, but I think at the very least we can say President Trump hasn't ruled it out. And I
think another part of what the Saudis are looking for is to up that intelligence sharing they're getting from the United States.
And undoubtedly a lot of that intelligence sharing has had its focus on Iran for obvious reasons this year, a refocus more specifically on missiles
coming from the from the Houthis is something the Saudis think that they could benefit from as well.
ANDERSON: Nic Robertson on the story for you today. Nic is in London just after 02:00 p.m. There this Wednesday. Nic, thank you. Let's connect you to
Ukraine now, where more than 600,000 people are without power after a massive Russian attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Air raid alert sounding in Kyiv late on Tuesday. CNN journalists say they heard multiple explosions in the Ukrainian capital. The president says
Russia launched more than 100 drones and almost 40 ballistic missiles at his country's capital and at Kharkiv, targeting energy facilities.
These are live pictures from Kyiv, where an apartment block was also hit, killing at least two people. Here's how local residents described what was
clearly a terrifying attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TETIANA BALKAROVA, RESIDENT: Explosion, I enter the bedroom. All the glass, all the walls has fallen around. The cupboard has fallen like the Eiffel
Tower. The wall has cracked on the other side. Smoke is pouring out. The neighbor is screaming, call for an ambulance. My husband or my son, I do
not know is wounded. She was screaming.
From the moment when the air raid alarm started until the moment of the explosions, there was little time left to react by sensations. The sky
itself was falling. I first heard the explosions, then all the glass fell. No possibilities left for talks. I don't think they can give hope for a
quick end, and I have only one conclusion, which is that Putin just wants to make.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The president is in the UK for a meeting. The Ukrainian President in the UK for a meeting with the British Prime Minister. Zelenskyy says
Kyiv had no advance warning from its partners about Russia's latest strikes. And is urging greater cooperation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Yesterday, unfortunately, there was a ballistic missile strike on Kyiv. There was no warning from our
partners about that strike. Usually, such warnings are provided, and they are very important. They help our defense.
There were five ballistic missiles. In fact, our armed forces detected them only seconds before impact. Our military and intelligence services must
cooperate at the highest level, and from our side, everything necessary is being done. We expect the same level of cooperation from our partners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, so far, there's been silence from the Trump Administration about the latest Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy, despite President
Trump, of course, hailing an energy ceasefire late last week. Jennifer Hansler is in Washington. Good to have you, Jenny. Thank you. President
Zelenskyy then says Ukraine receiving no advanced warnings from its Western allies. Has the U.S. stopped sharing intel with Kyiv?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, Becky, the White House has denied that they have cut off Intel, but they have not
denied that they made that threat for cutting off Intel if Ukraine does not stop its strikes on Russian refineries.
Of course, as President Zelenskyy has suggested, there is strong suspicion, however, about limitations on Intel sharing after two nights in a row in
which he said that they did not receive advance warning from allies about these incoming strikes on the Ukrainian capital.
[09:10:00]
Now, a very significant development overnight in these latest strikes, as we are hearing from sources and Ukrainian officials that they have been
restricted, given speed restrictions on these SpaceX Starshield terminals. Essentially, if they have drones, anything that's going over 100 miles per
hour, they will stop communicating with these terminals.
And they say this is having a significant operational impact. Moreover, they said they were caught completely off guard by these new restrictions
on the speed when it comes to these terminals, they said they did not get advance notice from SpaceX.
One source telling me that they have reached out to SpaceX to try to get answers here on why these restrictions were put in place? And why exactly
they are not staying? What they had before, which was no restriction on these terminals. Now Trump was asked outright not about this latest
development, but about the intel sharing yesterday, and I want you to take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have we stopped sharing intel with Ukraine?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: No, we haven't. We help them, but we're really helping them get to a final answer. We want the
war ended, Peter. We are helping them, and we are sharing intel. We want the war to end, so we're working with them and with Russia on getting the
war to end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANSLER: Now, the president was also asked about this so-called energy ceasefire. He declared over the weekend in recent days, and he said that it
was a ceasefire because he said it was a ceasefire. But of course, we have seen from the Russians that they are not honoring the ceasefire.
They're continuing to attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. And we have not seen the White House coming out in condemning that strike on those
infrastructures, Becky.
ANDERSON: And to follow up on this, Jennifer, your reporting says that Russia has escalated its attacks on facilities tied to American
corporations, can you just explain that to our viewers?
HANSLER: Yeah, absolutely. So as Russia has escalated its attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, they have also been targeting
facilities that belong to some of the most notable brands here in the United States. This includes Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald's.
The President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine said that they have been striking them with missiles and drones. That this is sending a
very precise message to the United States. And they said they have heard silence from the White House when it comes to these ongoing and escalating
attacks on U.S. business interests in the U.S.
Zelenskyy himself also said this last month when a Coca-Cola facility was hit. He said this was a message to the United States, Becky.
ANDERSON: Jennifer, good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. Important to get your excellent reporting on the show for our international viewers.
Thank you. Hours after Donald Trump announced that massive oil, natural gas, and mineral exploration is about to begin in Greenland.
The island's government says that isn't quite the case. Greenland's deputy mining minister says that while there are activities by U.S. companies,
they are actually far away from massive exploration. It's worth noting that much of the island's deposits sit beneath one and a half kilometers of
polar ice sheets.
The president's comments come less than a month after the U.S. Denmark, and Greenland signed an agreement to ease tensions over Trump's threats to
annex the island. All right, you are up to date on a number of our significant headlines today. Still to come, though. Pope Leo recovering
after surgery with tests confirming a cancer of growth in his lung. More on that is after this.
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[09:15:00]
ANDERSON: Pope Leo XIV is recovering in a Rome hospital after surgery to remove a growth from his right lung. The tests later confirm was cancerous.
The Vatican says surgeons removed the lower lobe of the Pope's right lung in a procedure that lasted about 90 minutes on Tuesday.
He's not known to have ever smoked and has made an effort to stay active and healthy. But cancer has affected several members of his family, as we
understand. CNN's Stefano Pozzebon joining me from Rome with the latest. Stefano?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest here is that, according to a bulletin earlier today, Becky from the Holy See, Robert
Prevost, Pope Leo XIV, has spent a peaceful night. He woke up. He was engaged. I was interested to notice, for example, that he had appetite both
yesterday as he woke up from the anaesthesia after that 90-minute operation that removed the lower lobe of his right lung after that diagnosis of lung
cancer.
And at the same time this morning as well, we know that Leo is currently going through checks and exams to make sure that the operation was able to
completely remove every little bit of the cancer tissues that was developing in his thorax is literally a few 100 meters behind my back on
the 10th floor of that hospital, the Gemelli Hospital.
However, here of course there are mixed reactions because while we know that that operation was successful and went on according to schedule, well,
nothing here was scheduled about the operation in the first place. And there are doubts on whether Leo would be able to return to active duty as
quickly as he would like to, especially with the overseas trips looming, Becky.
ANDERSON: What's been the reaction to the Pope's cancer diagnosis? What are you hearing?
POZZEBON: Well, we're hearing exactly what we're saying a mix. On one hand, of course, people relieved by the fact that yes, there was -- there has
been a cancer diagnosis, but the operation was successful. And when you speak to experts, as we have done in the last few hours and days.
We heard that if this cancer has been diagnosed fast enough, well, that could lead to a very high chance of survival. At the same time, many people
are in shock because nobody, frankly, expected to be here this quickly and this soon in his pontificate. For example, take a listen to what one person
in St. Peter Square told us this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was very concerned. What I first heard was they thought it was benign, but then we heard that after they went in, they
found it was cancerous. So that I know enough about cancer that it's encapsulated, and so it looks like he's going to be OK. So that was good
news.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is always very bad news to receive such a diagnosis, but I wish him all the best and hope everything will be fine,
and that he will soon be back for us and for all the people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: In the meantime, Becky, he was not being back for us at least today for example, today Cardinal Tagle took Helios place to celebrate a
solemn mass in St. Peter's Basilica with cardinals from all over the world that were gathering here for an event that the Pope himself was meant to be
leading, and instead he is recovering from that surgery just here at the hospital.
Of course, the Church now having to get used to the idea that Leo may not be seen for a couple of days at least, still, Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you, Stefano. Thank you very much indeed. Right, we're staying in Europe. France's debt crisis is deepening, and the
European Central Bank is signaling that Paris must find a solution.
Europe's second largest economy facing mounting financial pressure as the government struggles to rein in spending, and with the presidential
election next year, investors growing increasingly concerned about France's ability to tackle its deficit.
[09:20:00]
Public debt has climbed to nearly 120 percent of the country's GDP, according to the French Finance Ministry. Well, meanwhile, the yield on
France's benchmark 10-year bond has surged to nearly 5 percent and that is the highest level in more than two decades, pushing up borrowing costs, of
course, and making an affordability crisis in France worse.
Speaking at CNN's Global Perspectives event in Bangkok, the ECB President Christine Lagarde says the solution must come from within France.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE LAGARDE, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK: First response to the current situation, which, as you said, applies across the world, the bond
yield factor is not just specific to Europe, not specific to France. It's across the world number one.
There are particular circumstances that lead to some countries being more affected. France being a case in point, and for that one, the primary and
first solution lies at home in France, and it has to do with fiscal policies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Right. Well, CNN's Business Editor-at-Large, Richard Quest, there in Bangkok, Host of Quest Means Business, of course, our Editor-at-Large
for Business at CNN. Good to have you, Richard. You spoke to Christine Lagarde there at the Global Perspectives event in Bangkok.
You know, and you talked about what she sees as sort of diagnosis for the precarious state of the French economy. Just explain.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE: -- countries like France, which have budget deficits, which have reasonably slow growth, are going to
find it much more difficult to finance that debt. Look, somebody will lend them the money.
The bond vigilantes will lend the money, but could that debt load become unsustainable, and could the ECB have to finally bail them out? Christine
Lagarde says whoa, not yet. But we have to look behind that, Becky. We have to look at why and what the cause of all of this is.
And it comes back to your part of the region. Of course, it is the Iran, the Straits of Hormuz, the oil crisis, and the energy prices. And it's that
that Christine Lagarde says is really the worrying part. How to deal with that?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAGARDE: What we are seeing at the moment is different, and every situation has to be analyzed on its own merits. So, what we have at the moment is
this recurring, infamous war of Russia against Ukraine that is continuing, and it's putting pressure on refinery capacities, as you know.
But since March 26, we also have the war in the Middle East, which is also putting a huge strain on the supply and movement of oil and gas. So, this
is more. I mean, if I was to attribute the causes, it's largely energy prices, risk of energy shortages. It's also you know other factors that are
weighing on demand that are weighing on growth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: What is fascinating about what happened here in Bangkok at global perspectives, whether it was the Governor of the Central Bank of South
Korea, or indeed it was the President of Bank of America, or any of the other CEOs, government ministers that we had here.
They all pretty much come down to the same problem, higher inflation, higher interest rates, lower growth, and can AI solve it all? No, because
AI itself could be a problem with the Mag Seven.
ANDERSON: And Richard, you know, listening to Christine Lagarde there was really interesting. You know, this is a seasoned, seasoned sort of
politician and economist now in charge of the ECB. You know, latterly at the IMF.
She knows what everybody else knows is that Europe is really faced with serious headwinds. And right to point out, and the IMF global report
pointed this out that the global economy, you know, is, you know, it faces real challenges. But Europe is squarely in the crosshairs.
What is her sort of treatment for this? I mean, we can diagnose this until the cows come home. Markets don't seem to have got this yet, but what's the
treatment as far as she is concerned?
[09:25:00]
I mean, she's in a significant position of authority here, and what does she suggest?
QUEST: So, she is only concerned with getting inflation, which is over 3 percent down to target of 2 percent. So, her remedy, her primary remedy, is
higher interest rates. And what she's saying to France and everybody else who listen is, you put your fiscal house in order, you get your budget
deficits under control.
Yes, AI productivity gains is going to improve your position, but you cannot ignore the fact inflation. This is as old, Becky, as you and I have
been covering business and doing all this stuff. When inflation goes up, the central bankers have to get it back to -- because eventually it's
painful. But it's worse if you don't. That's their argument.
ANDERSON: Yeah, it's fascinating, isn't it? It's great to have you there in Bangkok at the Global Perspectives event, Richard. Thanks. Appreciate your
time from there. You know, extremely important interview with Christine Lagarde at a very timely point.
QUEST: Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right. Up next on "Connect the World", the start of the trading day on Wall Street and your business news headlines, including
questions about the security of AI research after the arrest of a former Open AI engineer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. Excuse me. Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You're watching "Connect the World". The headlines for you this
hour. Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia traded fresh strikes on energy sites on Tuesday. And the Iran-aligned group vowed to continue the Houthis
targeted a Saudi oil giant headquarters just hours after the kingdom struck a key fuel depot in Yemen.
Ukraine's President is in the United Kingdom for a meeting with the British Prime Minister. Kyiv urging greater cooperation among allies after saying
it received no advance warning from its partners about a massive Russian aerial assault on Ukrainian energy sites. The attack left more than 600,000
people in Ukraine without power.
Greenland contradicting Donald Trump's claim that massive oil, gas, and mineral exploitation is getting ready to begin in the island. Its
government says many smaller explorations already under way could take years to become operational.
The Vatican says Pope Leo is recovering after undergoing a quote successful surgery to remove a growth that was determined to be cancerous, adding that
surgeons removed the lower lobe of the Pope's right lung in a procedure that lasted about 90 minutes.
[09:30:00]
Well, we are watching the opening bell on Wall Street, so let's just pause. That is the start of the trading day, Wednesday. We were expecting to see
the DOW, the S&P, and the NASDAQ trading slightly lower on the open. Let's see how the DOW's doing as the other two markets settle. DOW down by about
an eighth of 1 percent at present.
We've seen the release today of the U.S. -- latest U.S. inflation report, and that may be the reason why these markets are doing what they're doing.
That inflation report showing a higher than expected, I think, 3.7 percent inflation rate.
Well, a top executive at OpenAI says AI agents are exposing internet vulnerabilities at an unprecedented scale. Kiran Mani runs OpenAI's Asia
Pacific division and admits some models in development quote behaved in ways they shouldn't. He goes on to say the company is committed to ensuring
AI is used safely, or OpenAI also answering questions?
But now former employee arrested after allegedly hiding what's being called a sophisticated record device in a company office. He is now in federal
custody. CNN's Hadas Gold with details on what investigators say they found.
HADAS GOLD, CNN AI CORRESPONDENT: I'm told this is the first time this has ever happened at OpenAI. An employee arrested for allegedly planting a
recording device and hiding it within OpenAI's offices. The employee arrested has been identified by the Department of Justice as 35-year-old
Abdulrahman Al Alfozan, who is also a Saudi national.
He had been working as an engineer on OpenAI's product team since the summer of 2025. And according to both OpenAI and the Department of Justice,
in late September, they believe he installed this secret recording device within the USB port of a television screen within an executive conference
room in OpenAI San Francisco's offices.
OpenAI says that they discovered this device just a couple of days later, and the Department of Justice said that he was arrested last week. OpenAI
says that this device monitored audio, had advanced encryption, and a mechanism for transferring data designed to evade monitoring.
They say they have evidence that he planned to plant more recording devices in other areas of OpenAI's offices. The Department of Justice also says
that Alfozan used a productivity tool to find information about OpenAI's meeting rooms, calendars, and where leadership was going to be.
And that his wife's chatbot account was found to have submitted prompts about building an encrypted audio recording device. OpenAI, in a statement
said that at this time we have no indication of this individual inappropriately accessing or exfiltrating model weights, source code, or
customer data.
We take protecting our technology, data, and people seriously, and as a matter of national importance. Alfozan is also a partner at a Saudi-based
venture capital firm called Raed. We reached out to both Raed and the Saudi embassy for comment and have not yet heard back.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said the protection of U.S. technology and companies is a matter of national security, saying this
arrest highlights our relentless efforts in partnership with the FBI to identify and prosecute those who seek to steal our technology, as alleged
in the complaint.
Alfozan is currently in federal custody. He will make his first appearance before a judge next week. Back to you.
ANDERSON: Well, as debate rages, of course, around the advancement of AI, the only serious rival to the U.S. China, is surging forward in its own
quest for AI dominance, where it lacks in computing power or access to advanced chips, it excels in one other crucial area, data centers.
The physical manifestation of the artificial intelligence booms. These vast data hubs, known as AI factories, are being built at breakneck speed. And
there's one remote area of the country seeing a particular boom in construction. Simone McCarthy reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIMONE MCCARTHY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the edge of the Gobi Desert in Northern China, rolling planes are being rapidly
transformed.
MCCARTHY: Sprawling data centers like this are at the heart of the race of the century.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): As Americans push back. While President Trump demands the U.S. stay ahead.
TRUMP: Whoever wins AI wins.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): Beijing is playing to its advantages, green energy, open spaces, and the power to build wherever and however it wants. We've
come to Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, a rural Chinese city where nearly every passing vehicle shows its AI push.
[09:35:00]
At least 89 data centers are slated to be built here.
MCCARTHY: There is block after block of construction here. Data centers from some of China's biggest companies.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): Among the marquee projects, what will be one of the world's largest data centers by area, a facility by Chinese green
technology company Envision. We're the first international media allowed to visit and see inside the tightly guarded server rooms that will soon be
filled with specialized tech.
RICKY ZHENG, GENERAL MANAGER, ENVISION AI DATA CENTER: The demands for computing powers almost doubled every year.
MCCARTHY: Do you think you have enough space here to meet the kind of demand that you're expecting to see in the coming years?
ZHENG: This data center is already fully occupied, so we are building more.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): Zheng says the state-of-the-art facility uses a so- called zero-water cooling system.
ZHENG: We only consume a bus tank of water every day. Those waters are not mostly for cooling; it's just for maybe regular use.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): And draws most of its energy from outside the grid. Around 100 miles to the north, we find the source. Wind turbines will
directly power at least 80 percent of the campus, while the U.S. faces a power crunch building out data centers. China has an oversupply of clean
energy.
MCCARTHY: China is using that to its advantage, planning data center hubs in places with ample green energy.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): Beijing has designated eight national computing hubs, but the U.S. had 10 times as many data centers as of last year. And
China faces a crucial obstacle.
KYLE CHAN, FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: The U.S. has a significant advantage in terms of having more powerful, more capable AI chips.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): Back in Ulanqab, we saw no sign of pushback as it becomes a data city.
MA RONG, GROCERY STORE OWNER: Before we just sit here and wait for customers. Now we're busy all the time.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): Residents we spoke to largely saw the benefits.
LIU BAOPING, RESTAURANT OWNER: The environment isn't as clean as before, but people's incomes in the economy, it's way better.
MCCARTHY (voice-over): And for China's tech companies, these centers are a play to win the AI race. Simone McCarthy, CNN, Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Up to speed on some of our other stories that are on our radar right now. And a man killed after falling from a roller coaster at Six
Flags in Georgia has been identified as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a local teacher and robotics coach. At least 10 similar rides across the U.S. and
Canada have been closed as investigators look at what happened.
Taiwan has said it's making progress to buy liquefied natural gas or LNG from a new project in Alaska. Less than a day after President Trump claimed
at a rally in the state that Taiwan would buy 30 percent of the pipeline's output. Taiwanese officials say they would invest $4.4 billion in the
project, with Trump touting it one of the biggest deals ever made.
Kimberly Guilfoyle is now out as the U.S. Ambassador to Greece. The move follows a string of reports about alleged misconduct. The White House
requested her resignation on Tuesday. Up next in sports, Manchester City take on two-time defending champions PSG Wednesday. We look ahead to that
up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
ANDERSON: We are monitoring student protests in Albania. Some new pictures to bring you. Students there in the Capital of Tirana have been hurling
bricks at the education ministry. These are continuing demonstrations that have grown into clashes.
At some points, police were firing tear gas and water cannons. The protesters' complaints include inequality and conditions at universities.
We'll keep you up to date on this story as it develops.
Well, fresh off their win over Liverpool at the weekend, Manchester City are back in Champions League action today. The club drawing criticism over
their celebrations of the weekend. We'll see if they have anything to celebrate tonight after they take on PSG. Patrick Snell joining me now.
This is a big tie up.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Hi there, Becky. Yeah, it's a huge match. Man City coming off that impressive 3-0 win in the Premier League on
Sunday. But Becky, this is Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning and two-time back-to-back defending champions of Europe.
Should be a great game, but there's so much more to this match, of course, than football, because City, as you just said, getting plenty of flak for
the manner of those celebrations after the win at Anfield. Some of their players accused in some quarters of lacking humility and basically not
being taking into account the seriousness of those financial charges as the financial scandal plays out.
So, we've been getting reaction to that from the City Head Coach Enzo Maresca. We'll have that for you on the upcoming "World Sport". And we'll
be looking ahead to the big game itself. But this is a good match. I'm looking forward to it. But as I said, plenty more riding on it in terms so
much more than just football.
ANDERSON: That is "World Sport" after this short break. Patrick, thank you. Join Patrick after this, and I'll be back with more "Connect the World" in
15 minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORTS)
END
