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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun Speaks To CNN; Rare Access Inside Lebanon As Hezbollah Vows To Keep Fighting; Bondi Says Blanche Handled Epstein Files Release; CNN Reports From Hospital At The Epicenter Of The Outbreak; One Week Since U.S. Student Went Missing In Japan; Clark: AI Self-Improvement Creates Trust And Control Risks. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired June 05, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:18]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East Programming Headquarters here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky
Anderson. Time here is just after 6:00 in the evening. And today we bring you several pieces of exclusive reporting from around the world in the way
that only CNN can.
First up, we are in Lebanon, where my colleague Christiane Amanpour has a worldwide exclusive interview with President Joseph Aoun, who accuses Iran
of using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the U.S.
Also, CNN's Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv, revealing for the first time that Israel sent troops to Azerbaijan during the Iran war.
Plus, CNN's Clarissa Ward will take you to the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a small team in a
remote town is holding the line against the deadly virus.
Right. A new ceasefire in Lebanon, fraying after four more people were reported killed. That is despite a conditional truce between the Lebanese
government and Israel. Now, it is important to point out that the Iran- backed Hezbollah who operate in Lebanon, of course, has rejected that ceasefire.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour is in the Lebanese capital, where she spoke with President Joseph Aoun, who has a message for Hezbollah and Iran. Here's
Christiane.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: I'm standing here on the balcony of the presidential palace in Beirut. Over my shoulder is the
suburb of Dahieh. It has been a target of the Israelis for the last several weeks, and it is destroyed in parts, but also up to 800,000 people, maybe
more, have evacuated. It is a ghost town. It's symbolic of what's happening in many parts of this country during this fighting and during this war.
We can hear Israeli drones overhead. I've just had an exclusive, global exclusive interview with the president, Joseph Aoun, and he has said very,
very clearly that Israel needs to abide by a ceasefire. He's also said very clearly that Iran needs to stop empowering Hezbollah. He rejected a recent
statement by the IRGC in Iran that says it doesn't accept the ceasefire. He told them in no uncertain terms that this is not their country. This is
what he told me about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH AOUN, LEBANESE PRESIDENT: IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, they don't agree with this, they don't approve this agreement, what
happened. It's not your country, it's our country. It's our obligation. It's not your job to interfere into our country. I reject the statement
totally, because our people being killed, our people being -- our houses being destroyed. They are using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in their
negotiation with the United States. It's unacceptable.
And here also, Hezbollah must understand that. Hezbollah must understand that no other way but to sit and talk. No other way to solve this problem
and to save what's left except through negotiation and diplomacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: President Aoun has been a military commander for eight years. He's been head of the army here, and he's had a four-decade-long army
experience. He's been in combat. He still carries the shrapnel in his body of having been wounded. He is sworn as president to uphold and protect the
territorial integrity of this country. And for a man who's been to war, he really means it. He's a very charismatic communicator.
He knows that his power is limited. Not only is his mostly a ceremonial position, he can authorize and engage in negotiations, but he doesn't have
as much executive authority because of the different ways the sectarian factions are aligned in this government. It's not a presidential system, in
other words.
But he said he's going to use every power that he has to make this war end. And he says that it really takes two to tango. Israel has to stop, has to
move back, and Hezbollah has to stop. Both sides need to live in peace. The war needs to end. And then he says there might be another further
negotiation towards eventually normalization of relations.
But the first step is an end to this war. And he says he's working on it as hard as he possibly can under very, very difficult circumstances and
realities. The key to note is that the majority of the Lebanese people, including the Shiites, who, of course, Hezbollah claims to represent, they
want an end to this. They want the sovereign state to be in charge, not a non-state actor.
[10:05:12]
Christiane Amanpour, CNN in Beirut.
ANDERSON: Christiane also asked the Lebanese president what message he had for Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AUON: Aren't you fed up with wars since 1948? Do you want really to live in peace? Let's sit and talk. For the Israeli government, it's the time for
the power of reason to prevail over the reason of power. Military activities or military solution will never provide you with security and
safety to the northern people. We are ready to sit and talk. Our people along the border are fed up with wars, but you need to show some
willingness and commitment to end this war for the sake of both people on both sides of the border. We are ready, we are willing, we are committed.
Are you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, you can see more of Christiane Amanpour's exclusive interview with the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, coming up at 1:00 p.m.
Eastern. Look out for their full conversation airing on Monday.
Well, a child in Lebanon who spoke to CNN would like to tell the people behind the conflict there, "you've ruined our lives." CNN's Isobel Yeung
gained rare access inside Lebanon. The kids are paying a devastating price. She also talked to people connected to Hezbollah. Here's her exclusive
report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So we're here in the Beqaa Valley where Hezbollah still have a very tight grip on control. After months of trying,
we've managed to persuade a man who we believe is an arms dealer providing these weapons to Hezbollah to meet with us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Follow him. Follow.
YEUNG: That's the car?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, yes.
YEUNG: Which seems to be just off this road. So we're now just going off the dirt track. The building has been struck by an airstrike. Let's put the
cameras down.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think this is the house?
YEUNG: Yes.
YEUNG (voice-over): We were asked to put our cameras down and not to reveal this location or the identity of this arms dealer, who says he's a target
for the Israeli military as they try to stop the flow of weapons entering Lebanon.
YEUNG: What is this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is a grenade launcher.
YEUNG: It's quite a lot of weapons you have here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, Kalashnikov, RPGs, projectiles, machine guns.
YEUNG: Who is it you're selling these weapons to?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We sell to whoever wants to buy weapons. I cannot give names.
YEUNG: I mean, if you're selling to people in the Beqaa Valley, I mean, could be working for Hezbollah, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It is possible they are taking them to Hezbollah. But I don't know. I just sell the weapon, and they do
whatever they want with it.
YEUNG: You think that these weapons are needed to defend themselves against Israel?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, of course. They shouldn't invade Lebanon. They crossed into Lebanon. They are causing destruction and
killing families.
YEUNG: And it never keeps you up at night that these weapons are obviously used to kill people?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Why should I be concerned?
YEUNG: I mean, there is obviously a war going on in this country right now. You're not worried that these weapons are helping to fuel that war?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I am far away. Let people do whatever they want with these weapons.
YEUNG (voice-over): Driving much of the demand for weapons is Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group designated a terrorist organization by the
U.S., U.K., Canada, and others.
Hezbollah is an incredibly secretive group, but we wanted to understand how they're still standing and what they're fighting for. After months of
working with contacts on the ground, we gained exclusive access to key parts of the group and to those most affected by the war.
Hezbollah struck Israel in solidarity with the Hamas October 7th attack, triggering a massive Israeli bombardment across Lebanon, even since the
November 2024 ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of failing to withdraw from the border areas.
In March, Hezbollah fired rockets on Israel after Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran. This sparked a large-scale ground invasion, displacing over
a million people and killing more than 3,000, according to the Lebanese government.
[10:10:05]
Hezbollah's fight could be existential. Under pressure from the U.S., the Lebanese government has been trying to disarm the group. But Israel's
offensive has given Hezbollah new zeal, and it has vowed to fight on, despite heavy losses.
YEUNG (on camera: Thanks.
MOHAMAD ALI HAIDAR HASSAN, COUSIN OF Hezbollah Fighter: This is my friend. His name is Sam Mortado (ph). It's 2007. This is his sister, and this is
his sister. This is his grandfather, and this is mother.
YEUNG: You know, a lot of people who have died in here?
HASAN: Yes. I know my -- another friend, Azer.
YEUNG: When did he die?
HASAN: From three years, I think.
YEUNG: OK.
HASAN: Andav Jenob (ph).
YEUNG: Was he a fighter?
HASAN: Yes, he's a fighter.
YEUNG (voice-over): Mohamad from the Beqaa Valley says he's not a member of Hezbollah, but he and many others here see the group as their best
protection from Israeli aggression.
YEUNG (on camera): This was your cousin?
HASAN: Yes.
YEUNG: And he was fighting for Hezbollah?
HASAN: Yes. Yes. But Hezbollah defends us and defends us and defends of Lebanon.
YEUNG: Does everyone here support Hezbollah?
HASAN (through translator): We all support Hezbollah. Their blood won't go wasted, God willing.
YEUNG (voice-over): Perhaps Hezbollah's greatest strength are the thousands of fighters willing to sacrifice their lives for the group. They rarely
give interviews to Western media.
YEUNG: We have managed to secure a meeting with a member of Hezbollah who's been fighting in the south of Lebanon for the last few months, and he's
agreed to meet us in a very remote location, which we're heading towards right now.
As-salamu alaykum.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alaykum assalam.
YEUNG: Why did you join Hezbollah?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): First, no family was spared Israeli attacks. Civilians are being killed. They want to take our land. They have
a plan to occupy our land to achieve their goal.
YEUNG: You have seen a lot of fighters die. How does that make you feel?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This makes us proud. I envy them because they are martyred. Martyrdom is something we are proud of. This is
our doctrine, and we stick to it. We die defending our homeland.
YEUNG: Do you think that firing towards Israel and Israeli troops is going to create a safer Lebanon? I mean, surely, that puts Lebanese people at
more risk, knowing that what -- the Israelis will hit back with.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): No, we are not responsible for this. We will never give up our land. In the end, we either get martyred or
get victorious.
YEUNG: But I guess it doesn't feel like that to a lot of people. It feels like Hezbollah is, you know, triggering and creating more war, rather than
peace.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If it wasn't for Hezbollah, there would be no peace in Lebanon.
YEUNG (voice-over): Not everyone agrees. Recent polls suggest that, while most Lebanese view Israel as an enemy, even more are critical of Iranian
involvement in Lebanon.
Among those forced to flee their home is Mona Jahamy, a Shia Muslim schoolteacher from the southern city of Tyre.
YEUNG: So many displaced people across the whole of Lebanon. It's crazy.
MONA JAHAMY, HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER DISPLACED FROM SOUTHERN LEBANON: It's the most miserable displacement ever that happened in Lebanon.
YEUNG: Is this an Israeli drone overhead?
JAHAMY: I can't see it, but we hear it.
YEUNG: You can hear it.
JAHAMY: We could have been better without getting involved in this war. What the hell did we have to do, put ourselves in the middle of hell? In
2024, my house was almost devastated. It took me a year to reconstruct it, to redo everything. I haven't even took a deep breath, then another war.
This is too much. This is too much for the people of Lebanon.
YEUNG: You know, Israel are the ones who have displaced people, destroyed entire neighborhoods, killed thousands of people.
JAHAMY: We know that Israel is a very hostile and aggressive country, and it is highly and technologically armed. Nobody has doubts about this. Take
this example. There is a ferocious lion. I tell you, keep your hand away from the lion. He might bite you. He will bite you, OK? But you keep on
teasing him. So he bites you. And more than that, you release the lion against everyone around you, OK? This is what Hezbollah has done. Let the
lion stay in its place.
[10:15:16]
YEUNG: Well, what is your message to the Hezbollah leaders?
JAHAMY: Let us live in peace. If you want to fight for Iran, go to Iran, but let us live in peace.
YEUNG (voice-over): Lebanon's government has tried to contain Hezbollah and to stop it from attacking Israel, but its ability to do that is limited.
Many fear that a direct confrontation with Hezbollah risks igniting sectarian strife and even civil war.
NAWAF SALAM, LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We're not seeking a confrontation with Hezbollah. On the contrary, I'd prefer to
avoid a confrontation with Hezbollah. But, believe me, we won't be intimidated.
YEUNG (voice-over): For decades, Hezbollah has stepped in where the state has failed, providing health care, social services, security. Hezbollah
officials like Ibrahim Al Moussawi even hold seats in Parliament.
YEUNG: The U.S. and Israel want Hezbollah disarmed. The Lebanese government itself also wants Hezbollah disarmed. What would happen if the Lebanese
government, the Lebanese military tried to do that?
IBRAHIM AL MOUSSAWI, HEZBOLLAH MEMBER OF LEBANESE PARLIAMENT: This will not happen, I can assure you. We want our army to defend our country. Your army
is not strong enough.
YEUNG: Hezbollah decided to enter this war on March the 2nd. You knew before starting this war that the Israeli response would be huge, that
thousands of people were likely to die, which they have. What made you decide that that level of human suffering, which we have witnessed over the
last few months, was worth it?
MOUSSAWI: I don't want to go into the philosophy of life and death here. The Israelis continue to carry aggression, so there was one point when we
have to respond to all of these aggressions. When the Israeli-American war, again, they started the war against Iran. We felt this is a proper window
to respond.
YEUNG: Hezbollah strikes have killed several people in Israel. They have caused some civilian harm. They have also been targeting some civilian
areas. The -- that has triggered a huge Israeli response, and we have seen thousands of Lebanese people killed. We have seen over a million people
displaced.
MOUSSAWI: You know why is this happening?
YEUNG: Do you take any responsibility? I'm going to ask you. Let me ask, do you do take any responsibility at all for your actions on March the 2nd
triggering this mass human suffering?
MOUSSAWI: Do you take any responsibility? Does your government take any responsibility? Does the American government take any responsibility for
unleashing the Israeli full, mighty power of killing and making genocide? Do they do this? We're defending ourselves.
YEUNG: I'm asking you about your role in this conflict.
MOUSSAWI: I'm asking you about right of resistance.
YEUNG: But you acted. You acted on March the 2nd. I'm asking if your actions on March the 2nd bear any responsibility for thousands of people
killed, including hundreds of children?
MOUSSAWI: Absolutely not. The international community bears the responsibility. America bears the responsibility. When Trump is capable to
restrain the Israelis, the criminals, I believe the American administration hold the first and exclusively responsibility for all of the killings that
happened.
YEUNG: But apart from appeasing Iran, what else has this war actually achieved? There has been a huge amount of mass human suffering.
MOUSSAWI: You're using the same equation, but in journalistic terms, that the Israelis are doing. What the Israelis are doing? Simply, they -- if you
carry an operation or if you defend yourself against their incursion into a certain village, they will destroy the village. To tell you what? Never
think to defend yourself again. Never think to stand up for the Israeli mighty force. I want to break this cycle.
YEUNG: What would you say to the parents of the hundreds of kids who have died? What did they die for?
MOUSSAWI: I believe, this question, you should say to Donald Trump and to Benjamin Netanyahu. We are defending our people. Go back to the people who
are in the funerals and ask them. You're in Lebanon now. And you can see.
YEUNG (voice-over): Since March, around 200 children have been killed in Lebanon.
YEUNG: Just absolutely heartbreaking. These are body after body after body, tiny little bodies. These ones happen to be carried on the bed because
there's just only parts and remnants and pieces of them left.
YEUNG (voice-over): In just one strike in March, five children were killed, six-year-old Yasmina (ph), 9-year-old Malika (ph), 11-year-old Sadiq (ph),
12-year-old Zahra (ph), and 13-year-old Zainab (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Were there any Hezbollah martyrs? We're a family. The people of the south do not bow down, not to Israel, not
to America.
[10:20:13]
YEUNG: These kids obviously have been out of school since the beginning of the war, and this group now is trying to do some activities with them, try
to have some semblance of normalcy in their lives, which have obviously been completely disrupted.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): While we were eating, they started bombing. So, I got scared. I'm scared one of us will be killed.
YEUNG (voice-over): As the Trump administration tries to rein in both sides, the people of Lebanon are trapped between a die-hard militant force
backed by a newly emboldened Iran and the Israeli military waging a brutal war.
YEUNG: What would you say to the people who have power over this war right now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): God didn't create you to do this to us. Children can't continue their education or do anything. You have
ruined our lives.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, to another CNN exclusive now, sources tell us that Israel secretly deployed elite military and intelligence units to Azerbaijan
during the war with Iran. Now, sources say it was part of a network of covert sites, covert sites across the Middle East, aimed at facilitating
operations against Tehran. Now, CNN has reached out to the Israeli prime minister's office and the IDF for comment. Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv with
more.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have previously reported on the existence of Israeli covert military sites in other
countries during the Iran war. Namely, we found out last month that there were two covert military sites in Iraq.
But now, my colleague Tal Shalev has uncovered through multiple sources that the Israeli government secretly deployed elite military and
intelligence units to Azerbaijan, a country that shares a border with Iran. Apparently, this covert Israeli military site operated in southern
Azerbaijan, near to northern Iran. Dozens of troops, including special commando units that were deployed to carry out intelligence gathering and
drone operations inside of Iran, were deployed to Azerbaijan, as well as personnel from the Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service.
So this is, you know, quite the revelation. We -- I should note that a spokesperson for the Azerbaijani embassy in the United States denied this,
saying that they, "reject unfounded claims regarding the alleged use of Azerbaijan's territory for operations against third countries." The Israeli
government did not respond to our request for comment about this revelation.
You know, it's important to note that Azerbaijan and Israel have long had very strategic ties, both military and commercial ties. But this seems to
take the partnership to a whole new level, if indeed the Azerbaijani government was aware and authorized the deployment of these Israeli troops
on its soil amid wartime with a neighboring country, Iran, in this case. And it adds to the broader picture that we've seen of Israeli troops during
this Iran war being covertly deployed to Azerbaijan, to Iraq, to Somaliland, as well as to the UAE, all around Iran.
ANDERSON: Jeremy Diamond reporting.
Well, still to come, a newly released congressional transcript is shedding fresh light on the U.S. Justice Department's much-criticized handling of
the Epstein files. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:26:07]
ANDERSON: Well, to the latest out of Washington now, where Senate Republicans overcame deep internal divisions to pass a massive $70 billion
immigration enforcement package earlier today. Now, the move delivers a major political win to President Trump after weeks of struggling to get
this bill passed.
The bill, which funds ICE and Border Patrol offices through the rest of Trump's term, now goes to the House for final passage in another win for
the President. Republicans approved the bill without new language, rebuking him over his push for a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who claim to
have been victimized by the government.
Well, that plan was announced by Trump's acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche, who could be facing an uphill battle to be confirmed in his role
by the Senate because of his involvement. And now, a new headwind for him relating to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
According to a transcript released on Thursday, his predecessor, former Attorney General Pam Bondi, told members of Congress in a closed-door
interview last month that Blanche was primarily responsible for the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files. Now, Bondi apparently trying to
distance herself from the controversy and much-criticized handling of those files.
CNN's Marshall Cohen following the very latest developments from Washington. This is important stuff. What more can you tell us?
MARSHALL COHEN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Becky, you know, if I were to sum up this 100-page transcript from Pam Bondi into just three words, I would say,
don't blame me. That was the thrust of her testimony last week in front of the House Oversight Committee. We got the transcript last night. We went
through it.
And as you mentioned, the real bottom line here was that it seems like she's trying to shift some of the responsibility onto Todd Blanche, who, of
course, was her deputy, the Deputy Attorney General. He's now the Acting Attorney General. And President Trump has said that he intends to nominate
him for the full-time position.
OK, what did she say? Let's look at the quotes together. This is from the transcript that was released last night. Part of it said, the question from
lawmakers to Bondi, what was your role in carrying out the Epstein Files Transparency Act? Her answer, "Todd Blanche supervised that entire
process."
She went on to say, "He was in charge of the process and the entire release of the Epstein Files." So really putting it on him, which, of course, is
important because if he is ultimately nominated for attorney general, then he will have to go in front of the United States Senate where he surely
will be grilled because the rollout of this Epstein -- these Epstein files, was criticized heavily from the left, from the right, from a lot of the
victims and survivors. It was in many people's view, a real mess and he might have to answer for it.
Now, mBecky, we also saw in this transcript some very notable things from the former AG Pam Bondi. Number one, she said that in her view, the Justice
Department released everything that it was legally required to release. You may remember they put out about 3 million files. They withheld about 3
million files. And she said to lawmakers that those withheld materials were all either duplicates or privileged and therefore couldn't be released.
She also distanced herself from the controversial decision last year to move Epstein's convicted conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, into a more
comfortable federal prison. Bondi told lawmakers that she had nothing to do with it. She learned about it from the press and she thinks that Maxwell is
a monster. Becky?
[10:30:12]
ANDERSON: Amazing. All right. Thank you so much. Always good to have you.
CNN today reporting on a visit to the epicenter of a deadly Ebola outbreak to see firsthand the challenges facing health officials trying to stop a
deadly epidemic that is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. These are your headlines this hour. Lebanon's president accusing
Iran of using country as a bargaining chip in its conflict with the U.S. and Israel. In an exclusive interview with CNN, President Joseph Aoun says
the Lebanese people are, "fed up with the war between Israel and Iran- backed Hezbollah."
Sources exclusively tell CNN that Israel secretly deployed elite military and intelligence units to Azerbaijan during the war with Iran. It was said
to be part of a network of covert sites across the Middle East aimed at facilitating operations against Tehran. Well, CNN has reached out to the
Israeli prime minister's office and to the IDF for comment.
Well, the World Health Organization has announced plans to raise $518 million alongside Africa's main health body to fight a deadly Ebola
outbreak that WHO has just returned from the DRC where dozens have died. He says the virus probably went undetected for months before authorities were
able to launch a response.
Well, the fight against Ebola is made more difficult by the demographics and local politics in remote Ituri Province. My colleague, CNN's Clarissa
Ward, visited the town at the epicenter of this outbreak to see firsthand the challenges facing health officials there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN Chief International Correspondent (voice-over): We are heading to Mongbwalu, a remote gold mining town deep in the lush forests of
eastern Congo and the epicenter of this Ebola crisis.
WARD: From up here, you really get a sense of the challenges in fighting this outbreak, the vastness of the terrain and the total lack of good
roads.
WARD (voice-over): The World Food Programme now operates a daily helicopter to deliver supplies to the beleaguered community. On this day, they're
bringing a much needed mobile testing lab. Days without results here have cost lives.
[10:35:01]
WARD: You can see they've sent security for us. That's because yesterday villagers were throwing rocks at a convoy of aid workers.
WARD (voice-over): We drive quickly through the town. Suspicion of aid organizations runs deep here, with conspiracy theories swirling as the
death toll mounts. We jump out of the car to talk to local journalist Gar Mumbesa.
WARD: So he's saying that there's a feeling among the community as well, that, that aid workers who are coming here are actually coming here to
profit from this crisis, not to help.
WARD (voice-over): He spends his days trying to educate the community about the outbreak.
WARD: So he's saying that the reason he's frightened of this hospital is because everybody who goes in there sick, they don't leave. They come out
dead.
WARD (voice-over): Inside the hospital, a small team is holding the line. Logistics coordinator Naoufel Dridi is preparing to disinfect another body.
NAOUFEL DRIDI, LOGISTICS COORDINATOR, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: It's like you're on the front lines. Where the bullets are flying. You can't see it.
WARD (voice-over): That invisible enemy is everywhere here. Workers carry the first body to the morgue, a grim procession disinfecting the path as
they go. A second follows closely behind. A woman can be heard wailing from inside. My child, my child. She cries. I remember my child.
WARD: So he's explaining to me that the two bodies that we just saw being brought in, one of them was an 11-year-old child and the other one was an
eight-month-old baby. And you can hear, we've been hearing the wails of the family. It's just -- it's unimaginable.
WARD (voice-over): The bodies keep coming. Six in total this day. Each one a family destroyed.
The mayor of Mongbwalu is overwhelmed. His town has never seen anything like this.
WARD: Can we talk about when this all started? When did you first understand that there was something terribly wrong going on here?
SESERKL MANDRO ISRAEL, MAYOR OF MONGBWALU, DR CONGO: The date was February 22nd when a body arrived from Bunia in a coffin.
WARD: The 22nd of February.
WARD (voice-over): That's more than 11 weeks before the outbreak was declared.
MANDRO: Two or three weeks later people started to die here. The deaths in two weeks, there were 48 dead, here in Mongbwalu.
WARD (voice-over): The virus continued to spread silently, invisibly through this town and beyond. Health care workers are now playing catch up
to contain the outbreak and the people of Mongbwalu are still paying the price.
Clarissa ward, CNN, Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And we will be right back with more news after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:41:00]
ANDERSON: U.S. student James Weston Higginbotham went missing in Japan a week ago. The 20-year-old is an experienced traveler, disappeared on a
family vacation after an argument and he decided to explore Kyoto alone. A huge search operation through mountainous forested terrain is underway.
CNN's Hanako Montgomery has been following that search in Kyoto.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Deep in Japan's forests, a search is underway for Weston Higginbotham, a 20-year-old college student
from Alabama who vanished during a family vacation.
MONTGOMERY: So this is the type of trail that the Japanese police have been investigating to search for Weston. He's known as an avid hiker, so they
think that maybe he might have disappeared into the woods when he went missing on May 29th.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Police are relying on K9 units to sniff out any trace of Weston. But the forest search ends for now with no answers, just
more anguish for a family still waiting for news.
NANCY HIGGINBOTHAM, MOTHER OF "WESTON" WHO DISAPPEARED IN JAPAN: There are so many possibilities that we have thought through because as a, you know,
as a parent, you don't want to think the worst. And you know, you keep seeing these sightings here and there. It's like, well, maybe, you know, I
don't know.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): The day Weston disappeared, the Higginbothams were vacationing in Kyoto, Japan, a major tourist destination in one of the
world's safest countries. But after a small disagreement with his mom, they agreed to give each other some space. Nancy, his mother, tells me it's not
unusual for Weston to clear his head in nature. But when he seemingly turned off his phone location, panic set in.
HIGGINBOTHAM: Well, it was scary because that's not Weston. I mean, we're just, we don't do that in our family. Even when we're mad, we don't do that
in our family.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Since then, Nancy has posted daily appeals on social media, asking anyone with information to come forward.
HIGGINBOTHAM: He has a heart of gold, and we all want him to come back safely.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Strangers have answered her call, sharing Weston's photo and distributing flyers to help find.
MANAMI NAKAGAWA, VOLUNTEER DISTRIBUTING FLIERS FOR HIGGINBOTHAM FAMILY (through translator): The search ends when people stop looking. For as long
as it takes, I'll keep doing everything I can until he's found.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): The police have told us that until they find Weston, they won't stop looking. And as the search continues, so does a
mother's hope.
Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Kyoto.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: AI models improving so fast that they are starting to show potential to build themselves without human intervention. That's according
to Anthropic, which is warning the AI industry needs to build a brake pedal or risk losing control. Now, AI systems advancing themselves is known as
recursive self-improvement. My colleague Anderson Cooper asked Anthropic's co-founder what exactly that is and what impact it could have on all of us,
on humanity.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JACK CLARK, CO-FOUNDER, ANTHROPIC: Even all of the AI Industry researchers has been to build systems smart enough that they could become a generally
competent scientist and make big scientific discoveries, one of which would be figuring out how to build better AI systems. I think it's highly likely
now that were on the cusp of developing systems that are capable of just that, and they may come along in the next few years rather than decades
sooner than I think people had been anticipating. ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The upside potential of this is huge, as is the potential risk of this. So let's talk about the upside. What is the
benefit of this?
[10:44:56]
CLARK: So today, when we want to do good in the world in areas like biology or medicine or robotics, you have to take these systems that mostly exist
as digital AI systems and adapt them into this complex domain in the real world. And you do that by pairing with scientists to do it. Now, an AI
system capable of improving itself is also capable of going into domains like medicine, going into domains like biology, discovering what it needs
to get smarter and more capable, and working with people to adapt itself to improve its performance there.
So I think what we're seeing is the potential for a dramatic acceleration in science in the coming years as these AI systems gain this capability and
become much more like creative co-scientists than tools that scientists use, which would be a big change.
COOPER: The downside, I mean, for anybody who's seen any science fiction movie, and I hate to be sort of given my lack of science knowledge, a lot
of it comes from science fiction movies. But in obviously in all the science fiction movies we give to these machines and obviously we all know
what happens and the people create them are the first ones who get killed and then they run amok in human society. What is that? What to you is the
risk here?
CLARK: Yes, we read the science fiction and watch science fiction here as well, so it's not lost on us. But this is how some of the stories start.
And the risk here is what happens if you can't validate or verify or trust the behavior of these systems. It would be like if we dropped hundreds or
thousands of new colleagues into your newsroom. It would take you a while to figure out if you can trust them if they work in the way that you
expect, if when you ask them to do things, they come back with something that you think is good and in line with your expectations. That's one of
the challenges here. How do you maintain control over fleets of scientists that are much, much larger and much faster than ones you've had before?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, given what we've just heard, let's take a break and pause for a moment. Ahead on Connect the World though, an emotional debut now
just days away. I'm going to speak with Jordan's Prince Ali, who is president of the country's football association about what this football
milestone means for him and for Jordan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, we are all getting excited for the World Cup. At least I am now less than just a week away. Jordanian fans may be even more excited
because Al Nashama is making its World Cup debut. I caught up exclusively with Jordan's Prince Ali just days before heads to North America for the
tournament. Prince Ali serves as the president of Jordan's football association, and I asked him what this means to him and his country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRINCE ALI BIN AL HUSSEIN, PRESIDENT, JORDAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION: It means so much to our country in particular. We have a wonderful team. We've gone
through so many phases over the past 20 years that has built up to this moment. For those who know Jordan football, we began with the youth program
over 20 years ago. A lot of our players come from our youth academies and then from there we just kept going. At one stage, you know, it was a
challenge to make the Asian Cup. Now we're regulars.
ANDERSON: So Jordan has been drawn into a group which is pretty daunting. A meeting with Argentina awaits along with matches against Austria and
Algeria. How are you and the perhaps more importantly, the team feeling about it?
[10:50:11]
HUSSEIN: You know, I think for the team, they just want to do their best and I think they will. They're really dynamic. It's actually a beautiful
team to watch, but you never know. This is football and that's the beauty of it.
ANDERSON: Good, good. Listen, I mean, genuinely, how far do you think you can go?
HUSSEIN: That is a very good question. And it's up to them. It doesn't matter. We're going to play for fun. I know the players will give all they
have. They also recognize that this is an opportunity to show that, yes, we might be a small country, we are still over 11 million and all of a sudden,
you know, it's a place to look for, not just for us, for the Levant and also to represent the Arab world in general. We have a great team.
Unfortunately we've had some injuries and including Yazan Al-Naimat, who is arguably one of, if not the best striker in Asia. But at the same time we
have a lot of potential, a lot of capabilities. So we will see.
ANDERSON: We wishing you --
HUSSEIN: It will be fun.
ANDERSON: It will be fun, yes.
HUSSEIN: And we have this thing, they call them the Nashama, the brave ones, but it's like a spirit thing and they work together as a team in kind
of an old fashioned way. Like, you know, they look for each other and if they do that right, anything is possible.
ANDERSON: Musa Al-Taamari, dubbed as the Jordanian Messi. How important has he been to the development and the visibility of the national team?
HUSSEIN: Well, he's incredibly important and again, he's one of our players who want, who went up through our youth system and really made his way
through clubs from starting from Cyprus to Belgium. Now he plays in France and hopefully him and his other colleagues will get those opportunities as
well.
ANDERSON: You really are a proper football fan. Are you any good?
HUSSEIN: I used to be. The knees are not the same anymore, so. But emotionally I'm there. And you know, sometimes when you're watching games
and you know the sport as you do as well, it's almost more frustrating than being a player on the pitch. And I keep telling my players.
ANDERSON: You and I actually once played together, we played football at these Atari refugee camps.
HUSSEIN: Yes, yes.
ANDERSON: How important do you think Jordan's World Cup qualification is inspiring that next generation of young footballers?
HUSSEIN: I think it's hugely important. And maybe just as you were and Zachary, just a touch on The Levant, for example. It's very humbling to
hear also from others who have had so much imposed on them, both physically and politically in the region. So to hear from fans from Palestine, from
Syria, from Lebanon as well, and saying, look, you guys represent us because we're so similar in culture.
ANDERSON: Well, the government has adjusted work schedules on match days, as I understand it, so that supporters can watch the match in the national
team. What does that tell you about the role that football now plays in the sort of Jordanian psyche in society?
HUSSEIN: Yes, if it was up to me, I would have encouraged them to give the day off, or at least the afternoon, because, you know, you're going to wake
up before, you know, watch the pregame and whatever. So I think everybody in Jordan will be cheering on, and even if they have to work, I can see
them with their mobile phones. Just --
ANDERSON: The national team jersey has generated huge interest amongst supporters, huge demand in the shops. What was the inspiration behind the
design and what message does it aim to convey about Jordan?
HUSSEIN: Yes, I think it is. It's cool, it's very simple. But we've always looked at the Shemagh is a Jordanian headdress. It's also a regional one,
but it's very much known for us. And every time we go, we see the fans, they're putting it around their shoulders. So I think we figured, then,
let's do it on our -- on the jersey itself. My daughter had a lot to play with that as well, because I was like, you know.
ANDERSON: Well, we wish you the absolute best.
HUSSEIN: And best of luck for all the other teams from our region that are participating, except if we have to play them, like Algeria, just have to
say, but we will support them. Whoever goes the furthest, we will behind them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And just know that we will be providing platform and support for obviously all teams playing in the World Cup. But we're going to get really
sort of close to those from this region of the Middle East and North Africa. So stick with us as we provide you some ideas and content about
what's coming up with those teams. There's 10 of them from the wider region here.
[10:55:09]
Well, a Nepali climbing guide who was believed to have died on Mount Everest has been found. He crawled back to Base Camp almost a week after
going missing. The 52-year-old was discovered just as his family had given up hope of finding him alive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBBIE HAWKEN, CNN ASSOCIATE PRODUCER (voice-over): This Sherpa's family was practicing funeral rites for him when he suddenly reappeared six days
after going missing on Mount Everest. Found crawling towards Base Camp with no food or bottled oxygen, the guide, Hilary Dauer Sherpa became separated
from his team as the Everest climbing season came to an end and was believed to be dead. Hillary Dauer's wife said the family reunited at the
hospital in Kathmandu where he was evacuated to by helicopter and treated for frostbite and other complications. Nepal's mountaineering community
calls his survival a miracle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Nice story for you. And just before we go, Lego has just dropped its largest set ever. You can now build your own copy of the Sagrada
Familia, the massive Catholic basilica in Barcelona. Now, this set, which has more than 12,000 pieces, includes the church's 18 towers and a stained
glass window effect. Give yourself plenty of room if you're planning on building it because it is 2 feet tall and 18 inches. And if it takes you a
long time, don't be too hard on yourself. Work began on the real thing 144 years ago and they haven't finished it yet.
That's it from us. Stay with CNN. One World is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
