Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
Canada Welcomes E.U. Associate Membership Invitation; Trump Administration Again Denies Visas For Palestinian Officials; U.S. Charges Five In Alleged Russian Murder-for-hire Plots; OpenAI Finds new Incidents Of A.I. Models Acting Deceptively; Fed Raises Interest Rates For First Time Since 2023; CNN Goes Inside A Beijing Bar Where Free A.I. Comes With The Beer; Analysis: Climate Change Worsened factors That Led To Flooding; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired September 17, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:33]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. The second hour of "One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: Canada and Europe are each strong. Europe and Canada are stronger together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Unity among division. Canada and Europe are getting closer and Donald Trump doesn't seem too happy about it.
ASHER: Also ahead, the United Nations General Assembly is set to kick off next week, but one major party will be missing. Why the Trump
administration has once again denied entry to leaders of the Palestinian Authority?
GOLODRYGA: And later, there's beating the odds and then there's shattering them. You'll meet the Ethiopian twins once conjoined, up ahead, who doctors
are calling nothing short of a miracle.
We begin with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is welcoming an invitation from the European Union to make Canada the bloc's first
associate member.
ASHER: Yes. Canada is looking to deepen its partnership with Europe beyond the trade agreement that's already in place. Carney says that closer ties
with Europe will help strengthen his country at a time when its trade relationship with the U.S. is under strain.
He also took a veiled swipe at U.S. President Donald Trump during his remarks to the European Parliament earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARNEY: I also want to be precise about what I am not proposing. I'm not proposing a third bloc in order to become a great power rival only with
better manners. We -- we do not seek power to dominate others.
On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so no one, no one can control our open markets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Perhaps not surprising, President Trump is not welcoming closer ties between Canada and the E.U. and has a sharp warning for Europe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's laughable. Look, the whole thing with Canada. Canada has been a terrible trade partner.
And if I think it's at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The Canadian Prime Minister is also seeking -- seeking, rather, to deepen defense ties with the U.K., formally applying to join the British-
led Joint Expeditionary Force military coalition.
Carney's office made the announcement on the same day the Canadian Prime Minister caught a football game in Liverpool with British Prime Minister
Andy Burnham.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. The video seems to be frozen, but there you can see too. CNN's Paula Newton is following this story for us.
It's not the football angle of it, Paula, unless you want to dive into that.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I can't do that, ladies. Sorry. Out of my league, so to speak.
GOLODRYGA: Not what you signed up for. No.
But let's talk about this new alliance, associate membership. He's making a case, Mark Carney, for closer ties to Europe. How is this sitting with
Canadians right now?
NEWTON: You know, let me use two terms here. One, an academic term, and the other, you'll learn for yourselves.
So, let's talk about the geoeconomics of this, right? Canadians have been all too aware from Donald Trump's first term that the United States is now
willing to leverage its military, strategic, economic strength, not any kind of win-win scenario, but in a zero-sum game.
And what does that mean? That means that the United States has been pressing its power, whether it's trade agreements, whether it's in compute,
whether it's in supply chains, and they will press it, not just against Canada, but in Europe.
In the face of that, Mark Carney is calling this a ferocious storm. And he says that facing that a tree may fall, but a forest will not.
Now, you asked me what Canadians thought about this. OK. Now, we get to another non-technical term.
Canadians are well aware that the E.U. is a hot mess. And they learned a lot of that through, you know, a lot of the news that they consumed over
Brexit.
Now, no one is debating here whether Brexit was good or bad, but Canadians have been paying attention. That's why it is intriguing that there would be
an associate membership that does not necessarily mean that Canadians would be signing up.
I do want to get back to, though, that the pushback, that not just Canada is offering, but the E.U. is offering as well. To say, look, we need to
stand on our own if Canada joins the E.U. in any capacity, we will be stronger together, and not just with and against the United States, but
also China.
[12:05:13]
I want you to listen now to Mark Carney again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARNEY: We are looking for partnerships that are complementary that reinforce our sovereignty. And that's what is on offer here. And Canadians
are united that nobody is going to tell us what language we speak. No one is going to dictate our culture or with whom we can strike agreements
internationally. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, Canada claims, and it is something that the United States disputes, that these things came up in the latter stages of some kind of a
trade deal that was already on the table, which as we know then led to a breakdown and a trade war.
What we don't understand is the meat of the bones on what is going on with Canada and the E.U. In this agreement, there is a summit in Montreal at the
end of October. We may learn more then.
But for now, it will come as no surprise to the two of you that look, Donald Trump and Mark Carney have a robust conversation on each other's
phones. And there is no doubt that President Trump likely texted Prime Minister Carney and said, what is this E.U. thing about?
And a conversation continues to go back and forth. Whether or not Donald Trump actually fears this in any way, shape, or form remains to be seen. I
will tell you whether it's the E.U. voters or Canadian voters, the capricious nature of American voters has become all too familiar. And it
has posed threats to both economies. And that's what they're trying to fight back on here.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And this is something that actually is top of mind for many voters in the United States and the upcoming midterm elections that share a
border with Canada as they're seeing their prices go up and concerns about an escalation in the trade war.
Paula Newton, thank you.
ASHER: Thank you, Paula.
All right. United Nations' fact-finding mission says that they have reasonable grounds to believe the U.S. committed war crimes in Iran under
international law.
The findings center on a pair of airstrikes, including one in the southern city of Minab that kills scores of school children. The U.S. has yet to
publish preliminary findings into that attack.
GOLODRYGA: And we're also learning that Donald Trump is expected to meet with the leaders of Gulf nations on the sidelines of the U.N. General
Assembly in New York next week to discuss what comes next in Iran.
On Wednesday, the president said, we are hopefully towards the end of the war. He also repeated this familiar refrain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: That war -- that war is going to end very soon. Watch, you just watch. Trump was right about everything you watch. They're getting
decimated and they want to make a deal so badly. They call, we want to make a deal. We want to make it -- they're not ready yet, I don't think, but we
could have a deal any time we want.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Also for the second year in a row, there will be some notable absences when the U.N. General Assembly gets underway in New York next
week. The Trump administration is once again denying visas for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and a high-level delegation to travel to
the U.S.
The State Department cited an alleged failure by the P.A. and the Palestine Liberation Organization to, quote, live up to their commitments.
CNN's Jennifer Hansler joins us live now at the State Department.
Yes. I mean, despite the fact that Mahmoud Abbas has obviously addressed the UNGA many times, you have a situation now whereby for the second year
in a row, they're being denied visas.
I understand that there is a possibility that Abbas might be able to address the room remotely. That's still yet to be confirmed, but the State
Department is also saying that -- that these groups glorify terrorism.
Walk us through the reaction to this, Jennifer.
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, this has obviously been widely condemned by the Palestinian State as well. At least
we've heard from some European official as well that are denouncing this move to once again deny visas to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas and his delegation.
This happened last year that they applied these visa sanctions on that some 80-person delegation, as well as Abbas, and they have continued them this
year claiming that the P.A., as well as the Palestine Liberation Organization, have failed to make, quote, necessary reforms and have also,
quote, undermined prospects for peace.
Of course, even if Abbas is able to address the room virtually, it is significant that he and his delegation will not be able to be in New York
in person.
There's a huge amount going on in the region both in terms of Gaza where we have seen very little movement on any sort of prospect towards peace. There
are continued strikes on Gaza, as well as the situation in the West Bank which has absolutely exploded in terms of violence by these violent Israeli
settlers in recent months.
We have even heard from the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, claiming that these people are terrorists.
[12:10:03]
So, there is a lot that could have been discussed with this Palestinian Authority delegation in New York. There's also expected to be some high-
level meeting commemorating the year of the two-state conference. We saw so many nations last year coming out and recognizing the two-state solution
and the need for this. So, this is a notable move to stop the delegation from coming here to the United States for UNGA next week.
Now, there will be some representation. The Palestinian mission to the United Nations will still be allowed to be in the room there. However, they
will not have that high-level delegation.
Some critics have also pointed out this seems to violate the U.S.'s obligations as the host of the United Nations to provide visas for people
to attend, given that the Palestinians are recognized in the United Nations as a non-member state there.
Zain, Bianna.
ASHER: All right. Jennifer Hansler, live for us there. Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, the U.S. Justice Department is charging five men with allegedly working for Russian intelligence services to carry out targeted
killings around the world, including in the United States.
ASHER: Yes. The new indictment unsealed this week reveals an alleged murder-for-hire plots against the prominent Russian dissident on U.S. soil.
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Kara Scannell is here with the details.
Kara, this first caught my attention when the attorney general was giving the press briefing earlier this week. And this dissident appears to be
residing in the D.C. area. What more are we learning?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, Bianna, this alleged plot was occurring as recently as just one month ago, according to the indictment.
And what authorities allege is that members of the Russian intelligence services, including three high-ranking officials, were working to try to
recruit people in the U.S. to surveil and then also murder this prominent Russian dissident who was not identified.
And what this indictment lays out is just the detail that they were going in to do this, where the Russians were in talks with a U.S. resident,
asking the person to surveil different locations, where this dissident is known to be, including providing specific details about how to film and
surveil around this person's house, saying that they should drive into the neighborhood and begin filming, then when they get to the home, slow down
and make it quite clear which home is this person's home.
Then they ask this person if they would eliminate, meaning murder, the dissident, and were offering $40,000. This resident did not take them up on
that. And the plot was obviously stopped in time.
But it's just -- it's an example to go to show about what some of these efforts are that are underway. Authorities have called it a global
assassination network. And they also detail, in instance, where this Russian intelligence group had found a U.S. citizen in Lithuania and were
asking them to target and kill a Russian there who was speaking, as they said, you know, badly against the country.
Authorities alleged that they were also charged with conspiring to engage in terrorist financing, saying that they were looking to identify locations
in certain NATO member states or states that are favorable to Ukraine and also financing the travel for people to go to these locations to engage in
some activity.
They highlighted specifically two events in 2024, one in Prague and one in Lithuania. Now, all five of these individuals, though, remain at large.
They're not in U.S. custody.
Zain, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Kara Scannell, you'll stay on the story for us. Thank you.
ASHER: All right. Britain's King Charles is weighing in on the global A.I. debate today. Several significant figures from the A.I. world are in a
summit in Scotland. Among the attendees on video's chief executive, the founder of Google, DeepMind, the U.K.'s A.I. minister, and even an A.I.
advisor to the Vatican.
GOLODRYGA: British royals are constitutionally bound to remain above politics, though they can't spotlight problems without suggesting a way to
solve them.
A short time ago, King Charles urged industry leaders to find better ways of controlling A.I. and his words, before it's too late.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING CHARLES, KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: In this regard, if I may say so, there seems urgency in adequately considering the existential dangers of
such technologies falling into the wrong hands.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: On Wednesday, OpenAI announced new incidents of models taking unsanctioned actions during training. The company says it observed, quote,
misaligned behavior six times in the past six months.
In one instance, an unreleased research model added, quote, jailbreak-like instructions to the summaries it uses to preserve context in long-running
tasks.
GOLODRYGA: Our next guest is the co-founder and CTO of Manifold Security, Oleksandr Yaremchuk. And he joins us now from Berlin. Oleksandr, thank you
for joining us.
You've sort of taken a contrarian approach, at least in terms of all of the dire warnings we've heard this week, including from the heads of these
leading A.I. companies. You've argued that even powerful A.I. today is constrained by who controls it and what it can access.
[12:15:17]
So, what are the warnings as dire as A.I. wiping out humanity in a few years' time? What are they missing in your view?
OLEKSANDR YAREMCHUK, CO-FOUNDER AND CTO, MANIFOLD SECURITY: Yes. Yes, I'm excited to be here. I think like the first thing is that what changed
really is that we had the A.I. systems before, we had ChatGPT, but it was all about like what they really say and that what they do. Now, they have
access. Now, they have like more capabilities and real systems that they impact.
But I don't really believe that the world is ending because of that. It's just that we need a bit of time to learn. We need this opportunity to learn
and like slow down to establish some foundation, like basically put the basics around like how to monitor those systems, who is responsible for
that? What they have access to while still like -- like being -- like while not slowing down the companies and like their innovation.
ASHER: So, just in terms of, you know, recapping what you're saying, this - - this idea that, you know, just in terms of what the headlines we've -- we've seen over the past few weeks, idea that there is a risk that A.I. is
going to lead to an end of civilization, possibly an X amount of years, that's not the main concern for you. But explain to us the kinds of A.I.
risks that you think are legitimate causes for concern.
YAREMCHUK: Yes. So, I -- I really believe that you should fear of like things that you cannot really control. Like this is something that we can
control. Even if you look at the incidents that happened so far with the A.I. models, it was all about like -- like some un -- unattain access,
somebody left like some credentials or they had some system that was, like, nobody was watching or like -- and finally, the victim noticed before the
company running those systems like saw themselves.
So, I think that's like the bigger issue and that's why, like, we need to focus first, like, on, like, how to ensure that we monitor those systems,
like, what they actually doing. Because, like, one thing that we agree with is that, like, we need to involve more independent researchers to improve
those models, to monitor, like, what's actually happening in those organizations when they release them.
But on the other side, when we -- as users of those A.I. systems, we also need to ensure that, like, we understand what they're doing and we have a
history of -- of, like, all these actions and we also control the access.
I think they -- I'm really worried about companies that are using, like, for example, private data of myself and they trust, like, those A.I.
systems and, like, automation in those systems, like, just using this data and production -- like production information.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, privacy, obviously one of the concerns.
Your business focuses on securing autonomous A.I. So, what would it convince you at a certain point that the system cannot be made safe enough
to deploy? And in that scenario, then what would you advise your clients?
YAREMCHUK: Yes. What we see in the field is, like, most companies when you talk to them, you see that, like, nobody has controls yet. Because so far
what we had was just like charts. Like there was a chart when you ask a question and it answers you. So, there's like no connection really to the
outside world besides just like some FAQ that it has, like, some questions and answers that were prepared for this bot, but now, we have, like, real
access.
So, this is what convinced us to start the company because we saw this, like, change in the industry that, like, things that were just like static
or like some that generation that the worst that could happen and would be like saying to you some harmful things.
Now, it's actually connected. And now, like, you have insider threat in your company because like some -- some employee with their own access,
which is usually brought, would be running, like, those A.I. systems without looking at them because they want to be powerful. They want to run
it like at scale, multiple different like -- multiple different of like these A.I. systems to be like, you know, the most performant employee.
And I think that's like why we started this company. We wanted to provide security teams those controls because, like, we understand things will move
fast. We understand the companies will keep adopting those, but we need to, like, to provide those controls for security so they can be enablers.
They can help organizations to keep doing like this adoption, but like learn and understand what is actually happening and prevent from like
something bad.
[12:20:07]
GOLODRYGA: Oleksandr Yaremchuk, we'll have to leave it there. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.
ASHER: Thank you, Oleksandr.
YAREMCHUK: Thank you.
ASHER: All right. Still to come here on "One World," markets make a comeback after yesterday's selloff, as investors get used to the Fed's
decision to raise rates.
GOLODRYGA: Also, scientists have been looking into what caused the flooding disaster that engulfed a Nepal-China border last month. We'll talk to our
chief climate reporter about what they've learned.
ASHER: And trying to find common ground, what Ed Sheeran and his former opening act, Macklemore, are doing to end the tour controversy and build
bridges. Details on that, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's go check on markets. Oh, finally. After a few days of red, we've got some green on the board. The Dow Industrials, up
almost three-tenths of a percent, a little over three-tenths of a percent. The NASDAQ, up over one and a half percent. The S&P 500, a little over one
percent. This is your business breakout.
ASHER: All right. The U.S. House passed a major sanctions bill that targets Russia's energy and defense sectors. It also allows the Trump
administration to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries buying Russian oil and gas.
The bill had bipartisan support. But some Republican lawmakers privately sought to take out new tariff powers in the bill, worried it could cause
inflation and now goes to President Trump for his signature.
GOLODRYGA: The Bank of England has not followed the United States' lead in raising rates. It held its bank rate at 3.75 percent for the sixth time in
a row. However, policymakers did acknowledge that inflation has been rising in the U.K., signaling that they may need to raise rates in the future.
ASHER: Yes. It comes as the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in three years because of concerns about inflation. The Fed
voted unanimously to raise rates by a quarter point. President Trump lashed out on social media calling for interest rates to be lowered quickly.
Joining us now is CNN's senior business reporter David Goldman.
So, David, we saw red across the board yesterday at one point. We saw the Dow down 600 points after that Fed decision to raise interest rates, which
was obviously highly expected. Now, a very different picture behind you, David.
DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS REPORTER: Yes, it's looking a lot better, like you said. Finally, we're up, you know, about 400 points on the
Dow and certainly a little bit more for the S&P and NASDAQ.
[12:25:04]
And I think a lot of that has to do with bonds, which are finally cooling off a little bit. Remember, we had a 19-year high, but now we're at like,
you know, just a little under five percent. That is where we want to be for bonds.
But does this have to do with the Fed? Maybe. It might have to do with this. Oil prices are falling, finally, a little bit. Remember, oil prices
were raising the yields on bonds and sending stocks a little bit lower.
But we got some good news today, which is that Saudi -- the Saudis believe that they can start to pump oil through their East-West pipeline again,
maybe getting a little bit more oil out and averting catastrophe. That is good news.
This isn't good news. I mean, gas and diesel prices continue to surge. This is up seven cents over the course of the last -- my -- my little magic wall
just died on me. But you know what? That's seven cents. It just didn't past (INAUDIBLE).
Diesel at another record, that is not where we want to see things go. Let's see if that works. Yes, it does.
So, this is some -- from our friends at Brown University, $109 billion is the added fuel cost from diesel and gas just over the course of the war.
That is more than $800 per family.
Now, this -- this oil price news is certainly good when the Fed is looking at this, though. They're saying, well, O.K., maybe we can raise rates to
get those -- to -- to get inflation back into control.
But Kevin Warsh doesn't control the Strait of Hormuz. He doesn't control the Houthis blowing up pipelines. And so raising rates, not going to do a
lot about oil prices, might have an effect on the job market, making that collateral damage. And that, I think, is a big concern for economists right
now.
ASHER: David, you're such -- you're such a pro that even when the wall freezes, it's feeling with you.
GOLDMAN: Little hiccup. Just a little hiccup. We're fine.
GOLODRYGA: And we could read that perfectly, seven cents.
ASHER: Seven C.
All right, David. Thank you so much.
GOLDMAN: I'm glad you could see it. No problem. Thanks so much.
ASHER: Thanks so much, David.
GOLDMAN: Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Amid the turmoil rocking the Ed Sheeran tour, Guitar Center is trying to turn crisis into opportunity. It's hosting a
competition to give amateur musicians the chance to open for Sheeran at an upcoming concert in Mexico City.
ASHER: It says the series is elevating undiscovered musicians to a global platform. You will, of course, recall rapper, Macklemore, was booted from
the Sheeran tour for voicing his support of Palestinians on stage at a Sheeran concert in New Jersey.
GOLODRYGA: Macklemore says that he's donating $1 million to support Palestinian people. He then invited Robert Kraft to do the same.
ASHER: Yes, Kraft owns the stadium where Sheeran is scheduled to play. Kraft is the next. Sheeran asked him to match his $2 million donation to
aid the region. So, that's what Kraft is going to do. Macklemore is donating $1 million. and then Robert Kraft is going to donate $2 million,
along with Ed Sheeran as well.
GOLODRYGA: And Sheeran continues to show us how talented he is coming out even solo that requires -- just to please fans.
All right. Still to come on "One World."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW ARNOTT, FINANCE WORKER: We want to work with people who are interested in working with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Canadians tell us how they feel about a potential new partnership between their country and the European Union, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:50]
ASHER: All right. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he welcomes a deeper alliance with the European Union to protect democracies and markets.
His comments come a day after E.U. Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, invited Canada to become an associate member of the bloc.
GOLODRYGA: During today's address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Carney said the new partnership would not seek to create a new geopolitical
bloc with, quote, better manners. Instead of wanting to dominate others, he said, he wants to pursue resilience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARNEY: Together, Canada and the European Union can anchor our ground to hold our values while forming a protective canopy under which our citizens
can thrive. This is about sovereignty.
Our ability to live as we wish.
Canada and Europe are each strong. Europe and Canada are stronger together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Yes, many Canadians say they welcome the move by Carney to move Canadian trade towards the E.U.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNOTT: We want to work with people who are interested in working with us and that's what Europe is all about.
I saw -- I saw Carney was in the European Parliament today, very impressive.
BRANDON LABANOWISH, FINANCE WORKER: I think it's great to develop trade relationships with other countries and other parts of the world. I think
we're a little bit behind in developing some of our natural resources to offer these products to sell to them.
AVA, STUDENT: I think that it is a good move. I am a big supporter of being in global connection. And I'm also not against Americans. I think I'm just
against Trump's policy. But I think that the more globally connected you are, the more the more better you will be as a country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Time for The Exchange. Joining us from Paris is Allan Woods, the global and national affairs reporter for the "Toronto Star."
Welcome back to the program.
So, we already know how President Trump feels about this. He also alluded to repercussions from the United States if he senses anything negative. And
the back story here is that this is a president who continues to view the E.U. itself as a threat to the United States, as an alliance put together
to compete against the U.S.
So, what can we expect to see from this administration in response to this new alliance?
ALLAN WOODS, GLOBAL AND NATIONAL AFFAIRS REPORTER, TORONTO STAR: Well, I think that they're maybe taking a wait-and-see approach for the moment,
but, you know, I think the de facto position is that they don't -- they don't like Canada seeking partners elsewhere.
They want Donald Trump (INAUDIBLE) wants Canada to be the 51st state. He's stuck to that position. We thought he was joking at first, but he's -- he's
been pretty consistent and pretty persistent. And it prompted this -- this search for alternatives, alternative markets for Canadian goods.
And, you know, Canadians have been waiting 18 months now or more since Trump came back to -- to office for a plan to come into fruition to -- to
sort of save us from the, you know, the threat and the impact of tariffs and economic pain that comes with it. And, you know, Canadians are seeing
this week what that plan is starting to look like.
[12:35:20]
ASHER: And just in terms of what Canada is going to get out of this, because obviously they do want to reduce the economic dependency on the
United States. The United States is clearly an unreliable trading partner, especially given that Donald Trump has just threatened more tariffs because
of this apparent alliance membership.
But then on top of that, you have the fact that the E.U., while it is a massive market, is never going to compensate for what Canada potentially
could be losing with the United States. Carney says that a deepened partnership with Europe is intended to create resilience rather than self-
sufficiency.
Just explain to us what Canada does stand to gain from this -- this associate membership.
WOODS: So, I think from a starting point, you know, the Canadian government has never said that they're looking to replace the United States, you know,
entirely. Canada is for better or worse to the north of the United States. It's -- it's there. It's not moving. And our trade will -- will go there.
Our -- our energy, our oil, a lot of our minerals. That's -- you know, that's not going to change, but we're looking for alternatives.
And so, you know, we've got a lot of energy, a lot of oil, natural gas, minerals in the -- in the Canadian north, in the Arctic. That, you know,
these are -- these are things that the world wants. And that China is the main supplier and they're looking to -- to diversify.
Europe is very open to this, looking for alternative markets, for critical minerals, for battery production for electric vehicles, for the clean
energy transition as well.
And so, you know, Canada has a card to play. I mean, don't Trump likes to talk about having cards and no cards. But, you know, Canada does have a
card to play in this -- in this situation.
And, you know, unfortunately, that, you know, the stakes are very high. And I don't think that President Trump is going to take this lying down. I
don't think anyone expects that he's not going to have some sort of retort or reply to this partnership in the making.
But, you know, his initial response was that if you proceed with this, and if it's -- if it's meant as a hostile act, you'll face the consequences and
-- but if not, that's OK, which is sort of a weird. You know, you don't -- you don't often hear that from President Trump that, you know, I'm -- I'm
willing to wait and see and see how things go, but there seems to be a wait-and-see approach from the White House.
GOLODRYGA: Canada already has a trade deal with the E.U. So, in terms of what is going to be different here, I think that's -- TBD. And that leads
to the question of how much of this is just public posturing as opposed to a well-thought-out new partnership.
I mean, you don't have every E.U. member that has signed off already on this. And the opposition, as much as this may be popular among Canadian
voters, the opposition also is frowning upon this new alliance.
WOODS: Yes, there's certainly a lot of -- a lot of questions about what this -- this will entail. The associate member of the European Union is --
is not a -- a thing. It doesn't legally exist. There's no -- there's no mention of it in the European Union's founding treaties. It's sort of a
bespoke, sort of, tailor-made position, if you will.
And there's certainly a lot of -- a lot of other countries. There's at least 10 other countries who are lined up waiting for years to join the
European Union. So, I guess they'd probably feel that they're being shunned to the side, you know.
But, you know, in Canada, the sentiment is very much, you know, we don't want to be the 51st American state. That's -- everyone has agreed on that.
There's -- there's unanimity, you know.
But you start to see cracks in the -- in the, you know, sort of political class in Canada and they're saying, you know, just as much as we don't want
to be the 51st state, we also don't want to be the 28th European Union member state. Because the European Union gets, for better or worse, a -- a
bad rap in terms of, you know, overregulation, a heavy bureaucracy, problems with -- with migration, problems reaching political consensus and
taking positions.
It's not seen as an agile political entity. And they're certainly aware of that in Europe and they're working to change that. But it's a -- it's a big
ship and it's difficult to turn around that big ship in the short time.
And certainly in Canada, Prime Minister Carney is -- is very much a leader who is -- you know, time is of the essence for him. He -- he really wants
to get things done in a hurry. And -- and that's because, you know, with the -- with the tariffs coming to effect and having -- having their impact
in -- in Canada, we don't really have time to wait around and -- and have big long debates. There's really this emphasis on -- on going fast and, you
know, hopefully getting things right, but, you know, acting rather than reacting.
[12:40:27]
ASHER: All right. Allan Woods, thank you so much for that. Appreciate it.
GOLODRYGA: Thanks, Allan.
Well, returning to another one of our top stories. While there are growing concerns in the U.S. over A.I. safety, many in China seem to be having a
strikingly different view.
Mike Valerio takes us inside a Chinese bar where the future of A.I. technology is on tap.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Beijing, you can walk into a bar. Come on, walk with me. Come inside. Walk into a bar, order a beer, and get
unlimited free access to some of China's A.I. models.
It's just a small example of how A.I. is quickly embedding itself into the fabric of the city.
VALERIO (voice-over): This is Beijing's AGI Bar, where the signature drink is mostly froth, partially in homage to A.I. bubbles, and free A.I.
computing power for customers is the new free Wi-Fi.
VALERIO: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
ZUO SHENG, A.I. DEVELOPER: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
VALERIO: OK. Let's go. So, let's see what you're working on.
VALERIO (voice-over): Zuo Sheng is a customer using the bar's two NVIDIA supercomputers and free access to an advanced version of the Chinese A.I.
model, DeepSeek, to build this website.
It's part of his business where you speak a few words.
VALERIO: That's our Tuesday night. That's what we're doing.
VALERIO (voice-over): And by the time you've had a pint, his A.I. code creates a song based on me just speaking.
(SINGING)
SHENG (through translator): This technology has blown my mind. I want to leverage it as much as I possibly can.
VALERIO: You don't think China should slow down?
SHENG: I don't think so.
VALERIO: Tell me why.
SHENG: We don't think so.
VALERIO: Tell me why. Tell me more.
SHENG (through translator): The general consensus is that China still lags behind the U.S. in A.I., whether in foundation models, real-world
applications, or cutting-edge agent technology. So, we are largely in a position of catch-up.
VALERIO (VOICE-OVER): Some experts in China, quoted by state media say, slow down please from the U.S. are aimed at stopping others from narrowing
the technological gap.
Just as Chinese A.I. models rapidly improve, Beijing's push to stay competitive, or even ahead in A.I., goes all the way to the top.
This summer in Shanghai, Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for a new global system to govern A.I., as China focuses, not just on the technology, but
having a greater say in writing its rules.
MS. LI, BEIJING I.T. EMPLOYEE (through translator): I think we should actually accelerate our A.I. efforts and boost our overall competitiveness.
We should encourage everyone to embrace A.I.
SHI HONGHAO, BEIJING TOURIST (through translator): It feels like an unstoppable force. After all, look at me, I'm over 50 and I use A.I. too.
VALERIO: I'm curious what you think this kind of bar existing in Beijing says about Beijing in this moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like a cultural symbol.
VALERIO (voice-over): A symbol, the bar's manager says, that A.I. is already part of this community, one where the future is on tap. But growing
global concerns on A.I. safety, even potential A.I. warfare between superpowers, don't seem to be on top of people's minds here.
VALERIO: For all the U.S. warnings about where A.I. could be going, here in Beijing, especially at this bar, it hardly seems like last call.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:06]
ASHER: All right. A new report is shedding fresh lights from those catastrophic floods on the Nepal-China border last month. The scientific
analysis by a team of international expert -- experts found a cascade of factors that has influenced the disaster many of which were made worse by
climate change. The region is still grappling with the aftermath.
GOLODRYGA: At least 1,300 people were killed, more than 5,000 are still missing, after a rock ice avalanche tore through valleys, wiping out entire
towns.
CNN's chief climate correspondent Bill Weir joins us now from New York. So, what are we learning, Bill?
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, Zain, it's pretty definitive here, quote, there is absolutely no doubt that human-induced
climate change played a role here in the pre-conditioning of this disaster, that's Friederike Otto. She's a climate expert at Imperial College London.
One of 20 on this team around the world that examined the forensics of this disaster and says, yes, man-made global warming was definitely a factor.
It actually started, though, with an earthquake over a decade ago, a big one in the Himalayas, which rearranged the sides of those mountains and has
led to more landslide since.
But if you look at recent weather patterns, they got a lot of snow in October and November. It's hard to connect that to global warming because
that area is so big to measure. But there was a lot of snow, and then they definitely had a lot of warmth. Two degrees Celsius above normal over the
summer, which weakened the permafrost, which is sort of the glue, the icy glue that holds that landscape together, the sand and rock.
As it all fell, it picked up more moisture along the way, which instantly melted, and then just created that insane wall of -- of destruction that
took so many lives and so many are now still missing right there as well.
The other thing they had observed is that the zero line, freezing, zero Celsius, 32 degrees Fahrenheit, is moving about 100 meters up a year. So,
it is getting warmer higher in the Himalayas, which is leading to more of this -- this insane melt up there as well.
And really, they say this -- this sort of is unlike any disaster in this region anybody has ever seen before. The size, the scope, the behavior of
it, it outstrips any sort of early warning system that exists right now in the Himalayas or really in any mountain range around the world.
And -- and the ultimate takeaway here is that without the rapid reduction of fossil fuel pollution globally, this is certain to happen again and
again.
GOLODRYGA: And we've seen just the -- the tragic result of all of this too, as so many -- so many lost their lives and still so many missing at the
China-Nepal border there.
Bill Weir, thank you.
WEIR: You got it.
ASHER: All right. A small English village says it's ready to secede from the U.K. over plans to house migrants in the area. The village of
Piddington, population of about 350, announced the decision on Wednesday following a referendum this week.
The result has no legal weight, but it highlights opposition to government plans to move migrants from hotels to form military bases.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, more than 1,200 migrants would be housed at a former military site, but local officials say the final decision is yet to be
made.
ASHER: All right. Still to come on "One World," six months ago, a pair of conjoined twins were separated in a historic surgery. After the break,
you'll hear an amazing story and an update on how they're doing now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:50:18]
ASHER: And finally, the story of two conjoined twins attached at the head which six months ago were separated. Twins Hiyab and Wuhbto were born in
Ethiopia who were taken to a children's hospital in St. Louis for the surgery.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. As the girls -- I like St Louis too.
ASHER: St. Louis.
GOLODRYGA: I think it comes out very British.
As the girls...
ASHER: St Louis. St. Louis -- I think we should -- we should rename it St Louis. St Louis, Missouri.
GOLODRYGA: You heard it here first, guys.
Well, as the girls improve, their parents are unable to join them due to the U.S. visa process. They've been left then to the care of the hospital,
as Morgan Harris at KMOV reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MORGAN HARRIS, KMOV REPORTER (voice-over): Twins are born close, but very few have ever been as close as two-year-olds Hiyab and Wuhbto.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are proud to announce the successful surgical separation of twin girls who were born conjoined at the head.
HARRIS (voice-over): The sisters were born in Ethiopia as craniopagus twins. A rare condition occurring once in about two and a half million
births. They faced opposite directions. Their skulls fused.
Just before their first birthday, they traveled thousands of miles right here to St, Louis, counting on SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's
Hospital for a chance to live independent lives.
DR. JOANNA KEMP, MD NEUROSURGEON: Over the course of a year, we spent time in about six or so surgeries preparing them for a final separation, which
we were finally able to achieve in February of this year.
HARRIS (voice-over): Over the past year, surgeons at Cardinal Glennon carefully separated shared blood vessels to protect both brains. It all
came down to the cranial separation surgery, which lasted more than 24 hours.
Leading the team, Dr. Joanna Kemp, making history as the first woman neurosurgeon in the United States to perform this surgery.
KEMP: This is kind of a serendipitous opportunity.
HARRIS (voice-over): Worldwide, only 63 documented separation attempts have ever been made.
KEMP: These sorts of surgeries are very complicated. They're very high risk. And, you know, we've been pleased with how -- how all these girls
have done.
HARRIS (voice-over): Social circumstances and issues with visas kept the girls' parents from coming to America. They trusted a team of caregivers at
World Pediatrics, global partners, and St. Louis to take care of their little girls.
KATE CORBETT, CAREGIVER, WORLD PEDIATRICS: I mean, it's the community. I want them to know they were loved. I want them to know, even though their
parents didn't come with them, how much their parents loved them.
HARRIS (voice-over): More than 300 hours of strategy sessions and a care team of over 100 specialists with partner organizations all covering the
cost to bring this miracle to life.
CORBETT: That moment when we were able to draw them close and put them on our shoulders and love them, that was another really special moment.
[12:55:08]
HARRIS (voice-over): Hiyab and Wuhbto are reaching new milestones every day. Their lives started in Ethiopia, but their future was reclaimed here
in St. Louis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Beautiful those girls are.
All right. That does it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. Thank you so much for watching. "Amanpour" is up next. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
