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One World with Zain Asher
France To Join Countries Recognizing Palestinian Statehood; Workers Stage pro-Palestinian Protests In Italy; U.N. Holds Emergency Meeting On Russian Air Incursions; Strongest Storm Of The Year Hits Philippines; Trump's Would-Be Assassin To Call His First Witness In Court; Thousands Gather To Honor The Life Of Charlie Kirk; Secret Service Trains To Protect World Leaders; African Investor Weighs Global Growth, Local Support; Historic Paris Waiters' Race Aims For Thrills, No Spills; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired September 22, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:48]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Abu Dhabi, I'm Eleni Giokos. You're watching "One World."
The two-state solution needs a second chance. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg made those remarks to CNN today. Now, that's as a growing number
of countries pledged to formally recognize a Palestinian state of the United Nations in just a matter of hours.
The General Assembly is kicking off the 80th anniversary of its founding. Luxembourg and France are set to recognize a Palestinian state as both
France and Saudi Arabia chair a high-level conference to rally support for the move.
Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognize Palestine on Sunday, joining some 140 other countries. Israel and the U.S. are
boycotting today's U.N. meeting, as Israel faces increasing isolation for its war in Gaza now nearing the two-year mark. Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, meanwhile, says, Palestinian statehood will never happen.
We begin our coverage with CNN's Melissa Bell, who's standing by in Paris for us. Melissa, a growing course recognizing Palestinian state. The two-
state solution importantly is symbolic and also applying pressure in Israel. France is expected to do the same. This is a historic move. Give me
a sense of what we're seeing at the UNGA.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is a historic move, and this had always been at the heart of the French plan, Eleni, that
the French president, once he announced, as he left Al -Arish, that humanitarian aid point in Egypt, just nearby the Rafah Crossing where so
much of the aid tries to get through to Gaza, as he left there, tweeting one day that France would be taking this historic step. That was back last
spring.
And what the French position had been ever since is that they were hoping to gain as much momentum as they could, and that appears to have worked
since they will not be the first G7 country to do it, after the ones that you announced -- had chosen to recognize Palestinian statehood yesterday,
amongst them, Canada, the United Kingdom, of course.
That had always been a French hope, an aspiration, that they would get more countries to follow suit, and that this could represent an important shift
in allowing them to put more pressure on Israel in how it is prosecuting this war in Gaza.
And that's been at the heart of this decision, and the French president's own decision to go ahead with this move. The idea being that the idea of
Palestinian statehood had long been felt would follow a two-state solution, growing frustration at the apparent -- the fact that the idea of a two-
state solution was not just on the ground becoming an impossibility, it seemed, but seemed to have lost any kind of diplomatic pressure, any kind
of actual hope, that this would somehow change a little bit the balance of power in the Middle East.
And what the French point out, Eleni, is that crucially, they believe that they've achieved this historic, coming together of the Arab neighbors of
Israel, along the lines that Hamas must be disarmed, that it can no longer run Gaza, and that these countries need to work for peace in the Middle
East alongside Israel in the future Palestinian state.
That, say, the French is a strength of their position, and this has a great deal of support here in Europe, where there have long been, amongst
European populations, frustration at the inability of the world to act, decisively against Israel, to try and influence how it continues to
prosecute this war, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yes. In the meantime, Israel says that there is no hope for a Palestinian state. It's been very vehement about that.
And Israel and the U.S., both boycotting today's meeting. Also, a very big sign in terms of what the United States, of course, Israel's biggest ally,
thinks about the recognition of Palestinian states by Western allies, which is obviously, we've said this is absolutely historic. And you've just
highlighted, this is more than just symbolic. This could mean a lot more.
BELL: It could mean a lot more because it paves the way, not only for the growing isolation, diplomatically of the United States and Israel, Eleni,
but it also, no doubt, creates momentum for a lot of those countries, whether they are in Europe or elsewhere, that feel strongly about what's
been happening in Gaza, to pave the way for stronger action against Israel. And I think that is part of their hopes as well.
[12:05:18]
But you're quite right. What we've seen is a hardening of the Israeli position, but also a hardening of the American position, since we heard
Secretary of State Marco Rubio really pick up the Israeli line when he was going through Jerusalem just a few days ago, warning that this could in
fact have the reverse effect of leading to accelerations of plans to annex, say, the West Bank.
So the warning of what the potential effects of that on the ground could be are now part of what is coming from both the Israeli side and the United
States still.
The fact that there is this momentum, the fact that there is this cohesion amongst other countries and this determination to open this door for more
pressure to be brought, I think, is significant. And certainly something in the French are saying is already a diplomatic victory, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Well, Melissa Bell, great to have you with us. Thank you so much.
(CHANTING)
Tens of thousands of protesters marched in cities across Italy after unions called for a nationwide strike in support of Palestinians in Gaza. The
demonstrators also called for Italy's government to join other nations in recognizing a Palestinian state and to hold the flow of weapons to Israel
through Italian ports.
Violence fled in the city of Milan as police in riot gear clashed with protesters. CNN's Ben Wedeman reports from Rome.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're in central Rome where there is a demonstration of tens of thousands of people protesting
against the war in Gaza and demanding the Italian government take a stronger stand against the war.
The Italian government has, by and large, been passive over the last two years. But what we're seeing this -- this March this protest is just one of
more than 80 in Italian towns and cities that are accompanied by strikes, strikes by teachers, strikes by government workers, even strikes by the
fire department and the people who monitor seismic activity in Italy.
What we're seeing is that ordinary Italians, as opposed to their government, are increasingly opposed to the war in Gaza, increasingly
mobilized against the government they feel it has been largely supportive of Israel.
So, what we're seeing here is perhaps a microcosm of opinion across Europe where increasingly they want their governments to do more to stop the war
in Gaza or to stop support for Israel as it continues this war that is now approaching its second anniversary.
I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Right now, the U.N. Security Council is convening for an emergency meeting to discuss what Estonia describes as Russia's reckless and flagrant
violation of its airspace.
Estonia requested the meeting after it says three Russian fighter jets entered its territory over the Gulf of Finland without permission on
Friday. The jets remained for 12 minutes before they were ultimately intercepted by NATO.
The Russian Defense Ministry has denied its jets entered Estonian airspace and insists the flights conducted, and I quote, instruct accordance with
international rules.
Ukraine's foreign minister is re-upping calls for help from the rest of Europe and he spoke at the meeting minutes ago. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Moscow does this on purpose. A country occupying a permanent seat in this council is destroying international peace and
security it is supposed to maintain. The logic is simple. Russia escalates to force everyone to play by its rules.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, it's not the first Russian air incursion in recent days. Several Russian drones and fighter jets entered Polish airspace earlier
this month. Both Estonia and Poland have requested NATO Article Four consultations following the airspace violations and that allows a member
nation to formally bring an issue to the attention of the alliance's main political decision-making body.
I want to discuss this now with Ivo Daalder. He is the former U.S. ambassador to NATO and a senior fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center.
Ambassador, great to have you with us.
An important conversation here where we've got Article Four that has been initiated. And we've just learned NATO's North Atlantic Council will meet,
of course, to discuss Russia's incursion into Estonian airspace.
Are you expecting a response? I mean, for the last few days before we saw the Estonian breach, there was still a question on whether it was a mistake
or whether it was deliberate.
[12:10:05]
IVO DAALDER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Now, there's no question that this is deliberate. We've seen an escalation on Russian by the Russians.
Really ever since President Putin met with President Trump in Alaska when it became clear to the Russians that the United States would not support
Ukraine or oppose what Russia was doing.
And since then, ever since we have seen an escalation of the bombing and the drone attacks on -- on Ukraine, including the largest such attack. Just
a -- a couple of weeks ago, we've seen the targeting of government buildings, which never had happened.
We've seen the targeting of buildings near the European Union and -- and U.K. buildings in -- in Kyiv. And we've seen even the destruction of an --
an American factory inside Ukraine.
But now the war is spreading beyond the three. The drone attacks that you mentioned in Poland. And then this Estonian incursion, 12 minutes in
Estonian airspace. That's not an accident. That's very deliberate and it's very provocative.
Giokos: Yes. I want to show you what Ursula von der Leyen said and she says this, as threats escalate, so too will pressure. And she's basically
calling for a 19 sanctions package.
My question to you is, are sanctions even working given the economic alliances that we've been seeing with China and India? What do you believe
the right responses? Do you believe that Article Five should be discussed during this meeting?
DAALDER: I -- I do think that more pressure economically is necessary. This 19th package, the 19th, as you rightly mentioned, has significant pressure
on energy exports, particularly oil and hastens today in which European governments are ending their dependence on Russian gas. Those are good
things. But you're right. There -- there needs to be more.
This is not yet an Article Five. These -- these were not armed attacks on - - on NATO. It is -- it is very specific that the attack needs to be armed. The drones that -- that came into Poland, as far as we know, were unarmed.
The aircraft that flew over Estonian airspace were probably armed, but they didn't use those arms. So that's why it is a discussion on the Article
Four.
However -- however, and this is important, those drones, some of those drones were shot down. That is a good thing. There is a proposal by the
Polish foreign minister to start thinking about, can be more -- can we defend NATO territory by intercepting some of those drones and possibly who
missiles over Ukrainian territory, indeed helping Ukraine to defend itself?
Because we don't know whether a drone is going to hit Kyiv or is going to hit Warsaw, now that we've seen this. And if we have flights like these
that are flying over airspace, we have every right to shoot them down.
And I do think that the time has come to take stronger military measures and to make clear that we hear you, we see you, if you think we're at war
with us, then we're going to respond accordingly.
GIOKOS: President Trump said that this could mean big trouble. He said he's going to decide later. What do you think that means? We know that
ultimately NATO doesn't want to be dragged into a wider war. The United States and President Trump has made that clear. And I wonder if this is
ultimately testing NATO's commitment to Ukraine.
DAALDER: Well, I think it's testing NATO's commitment to NATO in many ways. I think what -- what President Putin is doing is testing us, is testing to
see whether we will continue to support Ukraine.
But importantly, he's also testing us whether the -- the 32 countries in NATO are actually united in defending NATO.
The president the other day said he was not going to defend anyone. He's now -- yesterday was asked again about that and said, yes, yes, yes. I'll -
- if Russia were to attack, I will -- I will defend Poland and -- and the Baltic states.
But that's what this is about. It's about creating division among the Europeans, between the Europeans and -- and the United States on the issue
of Ukraine, on the issue of security in Europe.
Because the ultimate goal here by Vladimir Putin is clear. He wants to overhaul the post-Cold War settlement. He wants to rebuild, at least in --
in form of influence, the former Soviet Union. And he wants the -- the expansion of -- of -- of Western influence and through the European Union
and -- and, of course, through NATO into Central Asia and Europe to end. That's what this is about. And he's testing us in various different ways.
And we need to understand that this is what about and we need to remain united in order to deal with it, because he cannot achieve unless we
ourselves allow him to.
[12:15:03]
GIOKOS: Ivo Daalder, thank you so much for your time. Great to have you with us.
Well, the most powerful storm in the world this year has made landfall over the northern Philippines, Typhoon Ragasa, hit with sustained winds of more
than 260 kilometers an hour, the equivalent of a category five hurricane.
In preparation for the storm, more than 10,000 people were moved to safety across the Philippines. Tens of millions of people may end up being
impacted by the typhoon, which is expected to make its way towards Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China.
CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam joining us now. We're seeing these images. They look very scary. What are you seeing on satellite images, Derek?
Eleni, you talked about this storm making landfall in the northern Philippines. Let's put this into geographical context for our viewers.
Here's the island of Luzon. And here are the smaller islands as it made landfall. That is a large monster category five equivalent typhoon moving
right over this area. That is a direct landfall. Really, our thoughts with the people that reside within this community because they got the brunt of
what was super typhoon Ragasa category five equivalent.
Now, it is weakened some and there's a caveat there because it's still a formidable large super typhoon. It's equivalent to a category four right
now. It's a slow mover so it's kind of upwelling some cooler water temperatures. And that's helping at least degrade the storm's appearance a
little bit.
But it is going to be a monster as it tracks westward and it eyes the mainland of China, Macau and into Hong Kong as well.
Here's an interesting visible satellite taken from Sierra and NOAA. Look at the little vortices on the inside of this eye wall as the sun rose on the
satellite this morning.
This is the current conditions on the ground. We've got Taiwan to the north, the Philippines to the south, there's Hong Kong to the west. And you
can see the gusts. That's impressive, 111 kilometers per hour.
That's why we have this wind signal five, rather four, for the extreme northern portions of the Philippines. That continues through the next few
hours before the system moves away from the country which traverses this ocean and then makes its way towards the Guangdong Province in Southeast
China for the day on Tuesday and into Wednesday.
So currently right now, in Hong Kong, they have a signal three for this approaching typhoon. They do anticipate this to be increased to a signal
eight. That is one of the highest levels that they have.
So really a storm that will be quite impactful. We know many flights have already been cancelled or rerouted in and out of Hong Kong. There is going
to be significant winds associated with this system, especially as the outer periphery of that storm moves in and then brings a lot of rain to a
very populated area of the world.
Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yes, you're right. It's a monster storm. That eye of the storm that you were showing us earlier are scary stuff. So we hope it ends soon.
Derek Van Dam, always good to see you. Thank you so much.
VAN DAM: Good to see you.
GIOKOS: Well, still to come on CNN, we'll take you inside a South Sudan courtroom where the country's suspended vice presidents and other
defendants are on trial for a number of criminal charges.
Plus, the man accused of the attempted assassination of the American president begins his defense and caught today and he's representing himself
and may even testify on his own behalf.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIKA KIRK, WIFE OF CHARLIE KIRK: That young man, I forgive him.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: An emotional farewell to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, after the break. We'll look at what's next for the movement he led.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:20:25]
GIOKOS: The criminal trial for South Sudan's suspended vice president and his co-defendants now underway in the capital city of Juba. This is Riek
Machar appearing behind bars, along with his co-defendants inside the courtroom earlier today. The defendants face a number of charges, including
murder and treason for the alleged involvement in raids by a militia linked with ethnic tensions. Machar has been under house arrest since March. He
and members of his political party reject the charges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERI RAIMONDO LEGGE, MACHAR'S LAWYER: Order the immediate discharge, release, and go home of his excellency (INAUDIBLE) and his brothers from
this court, and let them go home from today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Machar's court appearance is the first time he's been seen in public in months since. CNN will be following the trial in the days to
come.
Now, the suspect accused in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump last year is representing himself in a Florida courtroom today. Ryan Routh
is set to call three witnesses, telling the judge he may even call himself to testify.
The 59-year-old faces life in prison on five charges. Randi Kaye takes a closer look at the case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ryan Routh is representing himself at his federal trial here in Fort Pierce, Florida, and this morning he begins
presenting his case in his own defense. He's expected to call three witnesses, including a former Marine sniper who says that he test-fired the
SKS rifle that authorities say was found at the scene. He's also expected to call a family member who can speak to his character.
And Ryan Routh has told Judge Aileen Cannon that he is considering testifying on his own behalf. So we'll see if that happens. And that would
be really interesting because it would give the government a chance to cross-examine Ryan Routh in this case.
Now, the government rested its case after presenting 38 witnesses. Its final witness was an FBI supervisor who said that cell phone records put
Routh at the scene of Trump International Golf Club, where this incident occurred for weeks leading up to this incident.
In fact, she pointed to one day where she says he spent 16 hours at the course, starting around 4:00 A.M. in the morning.
Now, Ryan Routh's daughter, Sara, has been at this trial every day. And I spoke with her about his cross-examination and about his planned defense.
And she said he is doing a great job for no law education and no materials, no law library, and no law books.
Now, prosecutors also pointed out that about an hour before authorities say Routh planned to open fire on Donald Trump, he texted his three children to
his daughter, Sara, just before 1:00 P.M. They say he wrote, I love you so much. To his son, Adam, you are so awesome, dude. Love you so much. To his
son, Oran. Love you so much, you are so brilliant.
And they said that Oran wrote back, love you too, dad. What's up? Everything all right? And about an hour later, Ryan Routh was arrested as
he fled north on Interstate 95 here in Florida.
So, his case will start today. And the case is expected to go to the jury in the next day or so. And if convicted, he faces life in prison.
Randi Kaye, CNN, Fort Pierce, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Charlie Kirk's widow says she forgives the man accused of taking her husband's life. Her comments were met with applause at Sunday's
Memorial for the slain conservative activist. The country's top conservative leaders were among the tens of thousands to attend the
memorial in Arizona, including President Trump, who did not take the moment to call for unity, but said this instead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[12:25:13]
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose. He did not hate his opponents. He
wanted the best for them. That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent. And I don't want the best for them. I'm sorry. I am sorry, Erika.
But now Erika can talk to me and the whole group, and maybe they can convince me that that's not right, but I can't stand my opponent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Maribel Gonzalez has more from Glendale, Arizona.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tens of thousands of people packing State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Sunday to say their
final goodbyes to assassinated political activist, Charlie Kirk.
Lines of mourners wrapping around the block to get in.
UNKNOWN: I need to mourn Charlie and I wanted to be with the fellow patriots.
UNKNOWN: We're here to honor a great man that was a man of God.
GONZALEZ (voice-over): Several high-profile Republican leaders, including President Donald Trump, speaking at Kirk's memorial.
TRUMP: America is a nation in grief, a nation in shock and a nation in mourning.
GONZALEZ (voice-over): The conservative political activist and founder of Turning Point USA was shot and killed earlier this month while speaking at
Utah Valley University. He leaves behind a wife and two young children. His widow speaking out Sunday.
KIRK: I saw the wound that ended his life, I felt everything you would expect to feel. I felt shock. I felt horror and a level of heartache that I
didn't even know existed.
GONZALEZ (voice-over): In a powerful moment, she forgave her husband's alleged killer.
KIRK: I forgave him because it was what Christ did.
GONZALEZ (voice-over): Federal and local law enforcement beefing up security ahead of Sunday service. The Department of Homeland Security
designating the service as a special event assessment level one, which is reserved for major events like the Super Bowl and Kentucky Derby.
JONATHAN WACKROW, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: High-profile events such as this actually when they're coupled with significant media attention and
attendee profile really present a very attractive target for somebody with malicious intent.
GONZALEZ (voice-over): Kirk's memorial comes as political figures are increasingly worried about threats and attempted attacks. The White House
recently asked for $58 million in more security funding for executive and judicial branch employees.
In Glendale, Arizona, I'm Marybel Gonzalez.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: And still to come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody does it like we do it. Nobody prepares for it like we do it. And I can say with all certainty that we are the best in the
business.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: World leaders are on their way and New York's finest is getting ready. We'll show you how they prepare.
And internet Group Naspers is an essential part of the South African tech ecosystem. CNN talks with their CEO about their plans to expand globally.
And an iconic 100-year-old tradition celebrating the one-handed dexterity of wait staff through the streets of Paris. What no spills really takes,
that's coming up just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:14]
GIOKOS: Welcome back to "One World." I'm Eleni Giokos.
New York is bracing for one of its busiest and most secure weeks of the year, the United Nations General Assembly with more than 150 world leaders
descending on the city.
The Secret Service and NYPD are preparing for the massive security challenge ahead. CNN's John Miller takes us inside the high-speed training
and split-second decisions that go into protecting residents and prime ministers on the streets of Manhattan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, we got off the x.
MATT MCCOOL, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, SECRET SERVICE NEW YORK FIELD OFFICE: (INAUDIBLE) we're going to die.
MILLER: Have you tried that in Manhattan traffic yet?
MCCOOL: Yes. You want to -- you want to do it again?
MILLER: Yes, let's do it again.
MILLER (voice over): On a remote former airfield in the far reaches of Brooklyn, Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Service in New
York, is training for a busy week.
MILLER: And we end up facing the opposite direction. Take off. And escape the threat.
MCCOOL: Yep.
MILLER (voice over): When protecting any world leader, the most vulnerable point is the move, going from point A to point B.
MILLER: Well, that was exhilarating, or accelerating, or something-rating.
MILLER (voice over): So, as the NYPD and the Secret Service plan the motorcades for the United Nations General Assembly, it's a security
challenge like no other.
MILLER: So, what are we looking at in terms of the number?
MCCOOL: So, for this year, we're looking at over 150 heads of state. And then approximately 75 spouses.
MILLER (voice over): But in the congested streets of Manhattan, spinning a car around may not be an option.
MCCOOL: The best way to survive an ambush is, don't get ambushed. But if it does occur, we have a coordinated plan. And what I can tell you is if -- if
that were to happen in New York City, it's going to be met with a violent counterattack.
MILLER (voice over): At the Secret Service training center in Maryland, an attack can come at any moment.
MILLER: What's the mindset going into each day?
MCCOOL: The bad guys here. And he's ready to go. And it's our job to stop him and stay ahead of them.
MILLER (voice over): In New York City traffic, the motorcycles are more than just ceremonial.
ANTHONY LACORAZZA, LOCAL PARTNER LIAISON, SECRET SERVICE NEW YORK FIELD OFFICE: Far from lead, merge right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Copy. Merge right.
LACORAZZA: Merge on the left posted.
MILLER (voice over): Secret Service Agent Anthony Lacorazza explains how they're critical to the operation.
LACORAZZA: On the motorcade route. Pedestrians ride in the motorcade route.
MILLER: If something suddenly occurs, there are a set of synapses that fire, reactions that happen, and it can happen very quickly. And it can
come out of nowhere.
[12:35:59]
LACORAZZA: There's always a plan. There's always multiple plans to get from -- from one point to the other. And we run those consistently. We brief
them consistently and before we even leave at that site, everybody knows what each contingency plan is.
MILLER (voice-over): But for the Secret Service, the secret weapon for New York City traffic is NYPD's highway patrol motorcycles.
You want to be fluid all the time. How do the motorcycles and the Outriders play into all that?
LACORAZZA: So if you notice on the left-hand lane, they keep going ahead. What they're doing is shutting down as many streets as possible so we can
keep going. So to your point, we never want to be still. We never want to stop.
MILLER (voice-over): The Outriders are led by Lieutenant Joseph Bell.
LT. JOSEPH BELL, NYPD HIGHWAY PATROL: The individuals that have picked are picked because not only can they operate a motorcycle very efficiently, but
they have a lot of experience doing high-profile escorts. With them, we can address anything, any compromise on that route.
MILLER: And who will you be escorting?
BELL: I will be on the POTUS escort.
MILLER (voice-over): And protecting the president is no detail for rookies.
MILLER: How many presidents have you escorted and motorcades?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight.
MILLER: Eight. And how many U.N. General Assemblies have you been a part of?
BELL: Thirty-eight. Nobody does it like we do it. Nobody prepares for it like we do it. And I can say with all certainty that we are the best in the
business of what we do.
MILLER (voice-over): John Miller, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: The fourth edition of Unstoppable Africa is taking place in New York, taking place on the sidelines of the UNGA. This year's key topics
include building African-led global partnerships, driving self-sufficiency in key industries and supporting the creative sector.
The message is, "Our beautiful continent must forge new partnerships, attract bold investments and build world-class industries by acting
decisively. Africa can turn global disruptions into opportunities for growth and leadership."
South African global internet group, Naspers, have become an essential part of the tech ecosystem as one of the largest technology investors in the
world. They are looking to expand into Europe and beyond.
Naspers' CEO spoke with our Larry Madowo at the Unstoppable Africa Summit in New York about the expansion plans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In August, the European Union approved your acquisition of Just Eat Takeaway.com. And that's a big investment in
Europe. Why?
PHUTI MAHANYELE-DABENGWA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NASPERS SOUTH AFRICA: From a geopolitical perspective, a lot has changed. And so we see an
opportune -- an opportunity for us as an organization that comes from the African continent to be able to invest into Europe.
We think that the E.U. is now in a position to be able to decide for itself on how it is going to be articulating the use of A.I.
And for it to be able to come up with its own solutions, our business is focused on backing tech entrepreneurs. So when we go into Europe, we've got
founders of businesses. And so with JET, as an example, as you mentioned with Just Eat Takeaway, we are going to be supporting those business people
there to ensure that we can expand the business, get it to be more profitable and also make sure that it's more meaningful for the consumers
in Europe.
MADOWO: You're backing tech entrepreneurs in a big way, billions of dollars in Europe, in Latin America. Why not in Africa?
MAHANYELE-DABENGWA: Africa is critical. But what we need is to ensure that our African entrepreneurs have access to the, you know, the startup capital
that's required to be able to start the business, have the ability to at least be able to get their business to a certain level of -- of
development.
So, we invest in early stage businesses and then we scale those up. We -- we're not focused on startups as such. And so from that perspective, what
we need is for countries to be also focused on ensuring that tech entrepreneurs are getting access to capital in their countries so that we
can come in and be able to scale them beyond that.
MADOWO: Because you don't do seed investing, you don't do pre-seed.
MAHANYELE-DABENGWA: Correct.
MADOWO: You do early stage investing.
MAHANYELE-DABENGWA: Absolutely.
MADOWO: And you're not seeing enough of these companies in Africa yet?
MAHANYELE-DABENGWA: We're not seeing enough of that yet. We need to see them being able to develop to a point where we can invest into them as
early stage investors and then be able to scale them up beyond that.
Because the reality is, as we both know, that by 2051 and four people on the planet will be African. And so we need to ensure that we are enabling
as many Africans to be real significant players.
MADOWO: You have a delivery business in South Africa, Takealot. And how are you making sure that you're insulated? If an Amazon were to come and
dominate that market or any of the Chinese brands for that matter, can you survive?
MAHANYELE-DABENGWA: So, it's -- it's actually interesting because Amazon is there. And when we looked at our competitive environment, we were afraid
that with Amazon coming, we would be gone.
And there are great player. Temu and SHEIN are absolutely there. And, you know, but we've been able to hold our own.
I think the fact that we have backed a South African player. And so this is a strategy that we use. If we're in Kenya, we'll back a Kenyan player.
Because you -- you can't say that because you are from one part of Africa that you can understand other markets.
[12:40:13]
So we bet those tech entrepreneurs in those markets, because they are the ones who understand the needs of the consumers in those markets. And so
we've been able to withstand the competitive environment that we now find ourselves in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: And finally, this hour, serving food and drinks in a busy restaurant will keep anyone on their toes.
And in Paris on Sunday, dozens of waiters and waitresses donned their aprons and carried coffee and croissants, not to serve customers, but in a
bid for wait staff glory.
Saskya Vandoorne goes inside the city's historic waiters' race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EWA FONTAINE, WAITRESS, LE MESTURET: This is really a challenge for me.
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): This is Ewa Fontaine. And she's not training for a marathon or the Olympics, but for
one of Paris' most iconic traditions, the 100-year-old Waiters' Race.
Born in the 1920s, it was created to celebrate the heritage of French cafes and to showcase the skill and dexterity of those who keep them running.
FONTAINE: Don't run. Stay calm. Stay focused. And try to, yes, balance well your -- your tray.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Fontaine came in fourth place last year. This summer, she's been training hard. Set on winning a place on the podium.
FONTAINE: I didn't watch my back enough. And so I was overtaken by another runner at the last moment.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): It's race day. The waiters are picking up their bibs, and the goal is to cross the finish line as quickly as possible.
VANDOORNE: Without spilling, running or carrying the tray in both hands.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go.
VANDOORNE: Ewa, off to a great start. Her tray is steady. She hasn't spilled anything. She's got four kilometers of Parisian pavement ahead of
her. How are you feeling?
FONTAINE: I feel well. Not tired. We are approaching to the banks of the Seine, which is my favorite part.
VANDOORNE: Almost to the finish line. Ewa is neck and neck with another waitress. This could cost her a place on the podium.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Now we're into the final stretch. You can feel the tension. The crowd is cheering. Competitors closing in.
Ewa Fontaine pushes forward, every step counts. And across the finish line. What a performance. Ewa Fontaine takes fourth place, just shy of the
podium, but a fantastic effort.
FONTAINE: Of course, I will be back next year too. Yes, with pleasure.
VANDOORNE: Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Oh, that was brilliant. I would have loved to have seen Saskya holding a tray and trying out, as opposed to just holding her phone. I
think it's a fantastic race and brilliant commentary.
All right. That's where we leave it for this hour of "One World." I'm Eleni Giokos. Thanks so much for watching. "African Voices Changemakers," is up
next.
[12:45:00]
(AFRICAN CHANGEMAKERS)
[13:00:00]
END
