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Isa Soares Tonight
British Prime Minister Starmer Says Putin Is Not Serious About Peace; U.S. Announces Another Deadly Strike In The Caribbean And Deploys An Aircraft Carrier; Booker Prize Launches A New Children's Award; U.S. Sending Aircraft Carrier Towards Caribbean; Venezuela's Maduro Urges Peace Forever, No Crazy War; U.S. Spending $10 Billion On Detention Center Construction; Rohingya Refugees Feel Harsh Impact Of U.S. Aid Cuts; Booker Prize Launches 50,000 Children's Award. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired October 24, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, Putin is not serious about peace. That's
the message from the British Prime Minister while a top Russian envoy heads to the United States. We've got all the details for you. And the U.S.
announces another deadly strike in the Caribbean and deploys an aircraft carrier.
This as Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro pleads for peace. We are live in Caracas, Venezuela, this hour. And the Booker Prize launches a new
children's award with the 50,000 pounds prize for the winner. We'll speak to the chief executive about what they're looking for in the literature. We
begin this hour with another surge of support for Ukraine in Europe on the heels, of course, of fresh sanctions on Russia by the U.S. and the EU.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in London today, has been for meetings with members of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, and
that included British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who underscored the importance of the talks, saying Ukraine's future is our future. The message
from the leaders was very clear. It's time to turn up the heat on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE: And Russia's goal hasn't changed. They want to break us, want to break Ukraine, and they are doing everything
to achieve it. So, that's why our defense means everything that truly stops Russia from killing, destroying and terrorizing.
KEIR STARMER, PRIME MINISTER, BRITAIN: That we must respond. Working with the U.S., this coalition is determined to go further than ever to ratchet
up the pressure on Putin from the battlefield to his war economy, because that is the only way to change his mind and push him back to the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And while diplomatic efforts move forward, so do the Russian attacks in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say at least three people were
killed in strikes on residential areas in the southern part of the country. Our Nic Robertson is with us now. So, Nic, show of unity clearly -- pardon
me, as the five of them really stood there at the podium.
But how are they going to dial up the pressure? What means are they going to use to keep that pressure on President Putin?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Zelenskyy said it. Keir Starmer said it as well --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: To deny Russia the opportunity to sell its oil products globally, and Zelenskyy pointed to what the United States had done on
Lukoil and Rosneft, but also pointed out, look, there are plenty of other Russian oil companies, not the major ones, but other significant ones you
could be putting sanctions on.
So, there was that. Zelenskyy also spoke about the need for these longer- range weapon systems for diplomacy. He said it is -- that is the message that President Putin understands. If you're hurting us, war-fighting
capability, then you are affecting his calculus. Therefore, you are driving him to the table.
But I think one of the -- one of the things that have -- how they will do it is by staying united. As Zelenskyy said, you know, Putin wants to divide
the United States away from Europe, by everyone staying united and keeping the United States, you know, in play, in step with everyone else. Everyone
else keeping in step with the U.S.
That's the way to achieve it. Zelenskyy was very clear to get to the end goal --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: Of the security guarantees, boots on the ground after a ceasefire, you need the U.S. So, he's clearly painted a picture of tracking
all the way with that unity.
SOARES: And they all said we -- and they all spoke to President Trump's part in this, and how they need the United Sates, and that they're thankful
for the U.S.' efforts in this. What is clear is that they haven't yet received the Tomahawks. No Taurus missiles from Germany yet. So, on the
weapons front and the long-range missiles, what are the European allies saying?
ROBERTSON: It's under discussion. I mean, that's what we heard coming out of the meeting --
SOARES: Right --
ROBERTSON: Today. It's still very much on Zelenskyy's agenda. It appears to be on the agenda of the British as well. The British have Tomahawks, the
Dutch have Tomahawks. The Dutch Prime Minister was there today, so these countries could be providing those longer-range missiles.
[14:05:00]
But it's clear that they're not going to go out on a limb.
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: That they're going to want to bring President Trump along and on board with this. So, that's -- it's going to be done through conversations.
But you know, the -- Zelenskyy thanked the U.K. for their Storm Shadows which have been used to military effect, reaching inside of Russia, hitting
energy -- Russia's energy production capability as well. That's important.
The French have been providing a relatively long-range missile, I believe it's a SCALP as well, and Zelenskyy thanked them again for that. But it's
clear the conversation continues. President Trump doesn't want to have his sort of hands on decision that would send that kind of a signal to Russia.
That's what seems to emerge --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: Here, but it's -- but the conversation involving him to allow it to happen is still ongoing.
SOARES: And very briefly, the frozen Russian funds, I mean, that is a major point of discussion that I know there's been some talk within Europe for
some time, and there's some voices who are worried about the use of this for legal reasons. Are we getting near that? Because that is -- that is
critical here.
ROBERTSON: You know, that was another narrative, wasn't it? From Keir Starmer. We're close. We just need to -- we need to do it, and we need to
do it quickly. And I think the sense is that this use of these frozen assets in a way to guarantee through technical terms alone that Ukraine
won't have to pay back, and as Russia pays Ukraine. Yes, the burden -- legal burden could fall on Belgium --
SOARES: On Belgium, yes --
ROBERTSON: And that's why they're the most concerned. But also there are the efforts to underwrite and support Belgium so that that liability would
be dispersed throughout Europe. It wasn't clear if Starmer was saying the U.K. would help underwrite some of that --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: Liability, but definitely, those are the discussions that are being had.
SOARES: It's all pressure points, of course, they are considering. Nic, thank you very much indeed. Well, a White House official says the Kremlin's
top economic envoy will meet with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday. Sources tell CNN, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian
sovereign wealth fund will take part in official talks.
Dmitriev is a long-time proponent of close economic ties between Washington and Moscow, and his visit comes just days after U.S. slapped sanctions as
Nic was saying on Russia's two largest oil companies. And President Trump gave up, of course, on plans to meet again with his Russian counterpart.
Let's go deeper into all of this with former U.S. ambassador to NATO, Kurt Volker.
He's also the former U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations. Ambassador, great to have you back on the show.
KURT VOLKER, DISTINGUISHED FELLOW, CENTER FOR EUROPEAN POLICY ANALYSIS: Thanks so much, great to be with you --
SOARES: Let's -- let me start where -- I don't know if you heard my conversation with Nic Robertson, our diplomatic editor here, and really
European allies showing their support for President Zelenskyy, trying, of course, to keep the pressure -- this on the top of -- on top of the fact
that we've seen Spain, Finland buying more weapons. What do you think? They -- how effective do you think they can be here?
VOLKER: Well, they have to do it. I mean, here we are, three-and-a-half years --
SOARES: Yes --
VOLKER: Into this war, and these are things that could have been done three years ago. Putting sanctions on the Russian oil, increasing the weapons
supply, particularly longer-range to Ukraine, we just haven't done it. And I am glad to hear all of the expressions of support from Keir Starmer and
others there in London, but we actually have to get on with it, seize the frozen assets, provide those funds to Ukraine.
Especially need it for the energy sector right now because Russia is taking out big chunks of the energy sector. They need the long range weapons, and
they need a longer term security guarantee, which is what that Coalition of the Willing is meant to do.
SOARES: And I'm not sure if you heard Nic, so, you know, we were talking, of course, there's still discussions over the long range missiles. There's
still discussion over the Taurus missiles from Germany. And Nic as suggesting -- was saying that they would want to do that in coordination
with the United States and the Tomahawks.
But of course, President Trump is not there yet. At what point do you think he will be there? Clearly, the sanctions we have seen from the U.S. was
significant, but we still -- we're still in that negotiation phase, and quite hard to understand --
VOLKER: Right --
SOARES: What the next move is from the U.S.
VOLKER: Yes, well, I think what President Trump wants to do is dangle the threat of providing Tomahawks in order to get Putin to negotiate an end to
the fighting ceasefire or something. That's what he wants to do. Putin is not playing along. Putin is escalating constantly, attacking cities,
attacking schools, civilian infrastructure.
And is making Maximalist demands as to what he wants territory from Ukraine that he doesn't even control, keeping everything that he's got, and
recognition that, that territory is actually Russian, not Ukrainian, which of course, it's not. It's not Russian.
[14:10:00]
Neutrality for Ukraine, and changing Ukrainian government, calling the current government Nazis. I mean, this is extreme where Putin is coming
from, and Trump is trying to ratchet up the pressure, but not go too far.
SOARES: Yes, and we have seen, like we were talking about financial pressure, they were talking about employing, of course, unfreezing some of
those frozen -- those frozen assets. But we've also seen Europe release the 19th package of sanctions, just to think of that, 19th section of sanctions
against Russia.
How significant, first of all, do you think that move by President Trump, of course, to impose sanctions on two major Russian oil companies, that's
Rosneft and Lukoil worth between 3.1 billion, million barrels of oil, 70 percent of Russia's overseas crude oil. How significant was that, you
think, ambassador?
VOLKER: Well, it's a start. It's a --
SOARES: Yes --
VOLKER: Good step. Oil and gas revenue is a big part of the way that Putin pays for this war. But we have to do the secondary sanctions on businesses
in India or China. You know, the Shadow fleet, the insurance companies, the refineries, the banks, anyone who is engaged in this trade, because not
everyone is going to follow the U.S. or the European sanctions. So, we have to invoke secondary sanctions as well. We haven't done that yet. So, we
have to keep ratcheting this up.
SOARES: Yes, and look, as a result of the pressure piling on, we have seen this at every turn, haven't we, ambassador? We're now seeing Putin's
economic envoy going to D.C., meeting Steve Witkoff. I mean, is this -- is this Moscow yet again trying to win Trump back? Sweet-talk him once more.
And how successful do you think he could be?
VOLKER: Yes, absolutely, that's the intention of --
SOARES: Yes --
VOLKER: Putin that he wants to dangle lucrative business deals in front of the Trump administration to say, you know, lift the sanctions, we'll do
things together. The U.S.-Russia relationship is more important than anything else. So, you know, we don't go down this road of confrontation. I
think that President Trump, based on the way he's been talking the last couple of days, is tired of this.
He says he has good conversations with Putin that then result in nothing. He's being led around by the nose. So, I think that he is understanding
that this is the pattern, and that Putin is taking advantage of him, and hopefully, he gives Witkoff a pretty clear set of instructions this time to
say, we'll talk after you end the war.
SOARES: Yes, but I do feel that we have been here before. It's so hard, of course, as you --
VOLKER: Yes --
SOARES: See momentum growing that we've seen so many -- so many U-turns from the United States, of course. President Trump changing his tune. I
wonder then, how would you advise if you were to advise this administration? What would you say to them at this juncture?
VOLKER: Well, first off, you have to accept that Putin is never going to reach a deal for peace with Ukraine. He doesn't accept that Ukraine is a
legitimate counterpart, a legitimate country. He believes it should be subordinated to Russia. So, there's never going to be a peace -- all you
can do is apply enough pressure and force so that Putin needs a ceasefire for his own reasons, to save the Russian state he'll need a ceasefire.
You have to put that much pressure on. That is where we should be. And the way to go about that right now, we've talked about Tomahawks. Give the
Tomahawks to Ukraine now, with the promise from Ukraine they won't use them if Russia agrees to a ceasefire. If Russia doesn't, OK, then go ahead and
take out the drone factories and missile factories deep inside Russia.
But better would be for Putin to agree to a ceasefire, and then Ukraine should have these long range weapons as a deterrent.
SOARES: Yes, force him to negotiating table with the Tomahawks. Very good idea. Ambassador, great to see you, as always, appreciate your analysis.
Thank you.
VOLKER: My pleasure, thank you.
SOARES: Thank you. Now to the ceasefire in Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Israel, the latest in a string of high ranking members of
the Trump administration sent to monitor the process while touring a new U.S. military coordination center. He said there's no plan B if the
ceasefire falls apart.
He says the U.S. is committed to making the deal work despite the expected ups and downs. Rubio said numerous countries are ready to participate in
various aspects of the agreement. But he emphasized that under the U.S.- brokered plan, UNRWA, that is the U.N. agency dedicated to assisting Palestinians across the Middle East, will not play any role in Gaza's
future, calling the organization a subsidiary of Hamas.
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Meantime, Hamas said on Friday, it is committed to the agreement and is working to complete the handover of the remaining deceased hostages. Our
Salma Abdelaziz has more on today's developments for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The Bibi-sitting continues with Vice President J.D. Vance tapping shoulders with Secretary of State
Marco Rubio as he came to Israel to continue the monitoring or Bibi- sitting, if you will, of the ceasefire deal. He visited the Civil Military Coordination Center, which has been set up by CENTCOM, to implement and
oversee the agreement, including the aid and any potential scrimmages that happen.
But of course, it's not just about keeping the truce and keeping the peace. It's about pushing these warring factions to phase two of the deal. Now,
the Secretary of State did, of course, reference that. Take a listen to how he described it.
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: If Hamas refuses to demilitarize, it will be a violation of the agreement, and that will have
to be enforced. I'm not going to get into the mechanisms by which it is going to be enforced, but it will have to be enforced. I mean, this is a
deal, and a deal requires conditions to be met. Israel has met their commitments. They're standing at the yellow line, and that is contingent
upon the demilitarization.
ABDELAZIZ: You hear the Secretary of State there referencing the yellow line. So, that is a reference to the portion of the Gaza Strip which is
still under Israeli military control. Just over 50 percent of the enclave is still occupied by Israeli troops. The rest of it, of course, is under
the control of an armed Hamas. Now, President Trump's 20-point plan envisions that Hamas would disarm, and that an Arab stabilization force
would step in to provide a political and power transition, and eventually train Palestinian forces on the ground.
And President Trump's envoys and senior officials are imagining that, that will take place first by replacing Israeli forces in that 50 or just
slightly more than 50 percent of the enclave where they occupy with those Arab-led forces. And that, again, that would allow Hamas to disarm. But
this is a hugely ambitious, bold, some may say, pie in the sky idea that will take many more months to complete.
And the question is, will the hand-holding, the babysitting continue throughout this process? Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, Donald Trump launches fresh threats against America's two largest trading powers. We'll tell you about his
latest spat with Canada over a political advert. Plus, rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela after another U.S. strike on alleged drug
traffickers in the Caribbean Sea. We are live in Caracas, Venezuela, on this latest escalation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: The U.S. President is hours away from departing for Malaysia, where Chinese and American trade delegations are setting the stage for a tense
and crucial meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The face-to-face talks are expected to happen on Thursday on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in
South Korea, and the stakes are extremely high.
The two rival powers had been in an all-out tariff war, but called a truce, if you remember, in May. Things had been calm for months, but recently,
Beijing ramped up restrictions on rare earths, a response to Washington expanding export restrictions on American tech. Mr. Trump has vowed to
impose a 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods and export controls starting next month.
At one point, he threatened to cancel the meeting with Mr. Xi. Well, tensions are also soaring between the U.S. and its second biggest trading
partner, and that is Canada. President Trump says he's terminating trade talks with Ottawa, as you can see there. He says it's in response to a
political ad Ontario province released last week
It used audio of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs on foreign goods. Mr. Trump says the ad is a fraud, as you can see there, and
the Ronald Reagan Foundation says it misrepresented the speech. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also departed for Asia earlier, and had this to
say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, PRIME MINISTER, CANADA: We can't control the trade policy of the United States. We recognize that, that policy has fundamentally changed
from the policy in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s. And it's a situation where the United States has tariffs against every one of their trading partners to
different degrees.
And it's in that context that our officials, my colleagues, have been working with their American colleagues on detailed, constructive
negotiations, discussions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Our Paula Newton joins me now live from Ottawa. Paula, good to see you. And I think it's important we didn't say an introduction there to
point out, that this from what I understand, that this wasn't fake, right? It was shortened, it was edited from the original speech. So does the --
the question then becomes, does the ad misrepresent the speech?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, I would say in my educated opinion, I would say, no, it does not. Was it edited --
SOARES: Right --
NEWTON: In a way that the White House did not like? Of course, they have a right to say, we do not like this ad, and remember that even Ronald Reagan
himself made that speech at a time when he was imposing tariffs, strategic tariffs at the time in Japan. But the reason I can say this explicitly,
Isa, is that in 1987, right here in Ottawa, I was at a Ronald Reagan speech when they initiated the free trade talks.
And at that speech -- yes, exactly. And so, at that speech, and I remember because it was such a huge event in the city and for Canada, because Ronald
Reagan really was a political rock-star at the time. He had a very good relationship with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney at the time. Guess what? He
said they were initiating the very first free trade agreement between Canada and the United States.
Mexico joined later at that speech, Isa, Ronald Reagan said that this new deal would benefit not only our two countries, but it would set an example
for cooperation among all nations. He was unequivocal, Isa, he was for free trade. And that's the uncomfortable truth for the Trump administration.
SOARES: Look, it's quite a turn of events. We played that little clip from Carney who sounded, Paula, like he was taking on the chin. But you know, I
remember quite clearly, you and I, I think you were in Washington a couple of two weeks ago, we were talking about that meeting between President
Trump and Mr. Carney.
And they seemed quite chummy, didn't they? I mean, Trump -- Carney even called Trump, I think, a transformative president. How does this leave not
just the relationship, but the impact on businesses?
NEWTON: The issue with businesses, Isa, which is the most important thing right now --
SOARES: Yes --
NEWTON: Is that it continues to lead to uncertainty. When you look at a deal with Japan or the European allies, they may not like the deal, but
they have some kind of a deal. Canada, and I say it's one of the largest trading relationships the United States has with anyone in the world. It's
still uncertain, and does that hurt the United States?
U.S. consumers, U.S. workers in the world's -- in the words of Ronald Reagan, you bet it does. But it also hurts Canada. And that is the main
problem right now. You are talking about the relationship between Mark Carney and Donald Trump, it is very good, Mark Carney's officials tell me.
They text all the time, but realize that in the last 24 hours, Prime Minister Mark Carney has not been able to raise Donald Trump on the phone.
Now, Mark Carney is already on his way to Asia, Donald Trump leaves in the next few hours, perhaps they will speak at this point. And also, what is
important here, Isa, is that this was the province of Ontario, right? Putting out this ad --
SOARES: Yes --
[14:25:00]
NEWTON: Not the government of Canada. Mark Carney can come back and say, look, you don't like what Gavin Newsom; the governor of California does or
says, I can't control everything that Doug Ford, the Premier of the Province of Ontario does. That might be -- it might be good cover at this
point in time, but at the end of the day, they need deals. There are no deals in the offing right now.
SOARES: So good to have you, so good to see you, Paula. Thank you. And as we've been reporting, Donald Trump also appears to be going after prominent
critics at home. New York Attorney General Letitia James pled not guilty today to charges related to alleged mortgage fraud. James is a Democrat,
and last year, she secured a half-billion dollar judgment against Mr. Trump in a civil fraud case.
After her arraignment in Virginia, she told a crowd of supporters that the justice system is being weaponized as a tool of revenge, her words, and
that she will not be deterred. Her trial is set for January 26th. Well, the U.S. government shutdown drags on with no end in sight. It's now day 24 if
you're counting.
The shutdown will bleed into next week as the Senate left town for the weekend without a deal. The next votes are expected to happen on Monday.
Starting today, hundreds of thousands of federal workers are set to miss their first full paychecks as a result. Senate Democrats yesterday blocked
a Republican-led bill to pay workers deemed essential during the shutdown, and Republicans rejected their alternatives to also pay furloughed workers.
And still to come right here tonight, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gives a plea for peace, but with another U.S. strike against drug smugglers
in the Caribbean Sea, will it go unanswered? We are live for you in Caracas. And then later this hour, as enjoyment for reading among children
falls to 20-year low, the organizers of the prestigious Booker Prize launched a new award for children's fiction. We have the details for you
coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:25]
SOARES: Welcome back everyone. The U.S. is now sending an aircraft carrier to the Caribbean amid a massive buildup of American military forces in the
region. The Pentagon announced it is being sent to "dismantle transnational -- transnational, I should say, pardon me, criminal organizations and
counter narco-terrorism. And it comes on the same day the U.S. announced yet another strike on alleged drug smugglers.
And the strike in the Caribbean Sea becomes the 10th since the U.S. began its campaign against drug trafficking just la last month. Six people were
killed according to the U.S. Defense Secretary, bringing the total number of people killed to 43. In his post on X, Pete Hegseth said the vessel was
operated by Tren de Aragua, a transnational gang that originated in Venezuela.
It is the latest escalation in already fraught relationship between President Donald Trump and President Nicolas Maduro who on Thursday made
the unusual move to make a plea directly in English calling for peace with the United States. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT, VENEZUELA: Not war. Not war. Not war. Just peace. Just peace. Just peace forever, forever, forever. Peace forever. No
crazy war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more on this. I want to bring in a Stefano Pozzebon who is in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. Stefano, great to see you. Let's
start off with this massive buildup clearly of American military forces in the region. How is Maduro reacting to this? The expectation is of course
that this would rattle the forces around Maduro. Are we seeing any cracks appearing thus far?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: We are not seeing cracks appearing thus far. That doesn't mean however that there -- you don't breathe the tension
if you are in Caracas as I am today or even if you try to speak with those close to the Maduro's government. I was here only a month ago, Isa, and I
was able to speak with several government officials. They were far more open to foreign journalists. That is not happening right now for example.
And it's -- I think it's no small coincidence that we are seeing Maduro on television, live on television every single day. But at the same time, he's
on television surrounding himself by people. He goes to hospitals. He goes to schools. He goes to places where he understands that getting it to him
might be harder for a potential military force, a foreign military force than appearing surrounded -- surrounding themselves with military personnel
or in the middle of a military installation. We haven't seen that in the last couple of weeks.
I think that we often characterize the relationship between Washington and Latin American countries in terms of carrots and sticks. That is, of
course, a reference to a phrase by the late president -- U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. But Maduro is also equally skilled in both carrots and
sticks because yes, yesterday on Thursday, he made that plea in English to the White House, but also take a listen to just the language that he used
in -- on the day before on Wednesday referring to the potential for open warfare with the United States.
SOARES: We don't seem to have it. Give -- can you give me a sense?
POZZEBON: That was -- sorry, it was --
SOARES: We don't have it, but can you give us a sense of what he says?
POZZEBON: No. Yes, he mentioned -- he mentioned Yes, he mentioned that Venezuela has more than 5,000 Russian-made IGLAs. Those are air defense
units that Venezuela has acquired from the Kremlin in the last few years to position themselves in key strategic location. Essentially sending the
message that if those B-1 bombers that we have seen getting closer and closer to the Venezuelan coastline would indeed violate the national
sovereignty of Venezuela, they will be met of course with lead and explosives.
So, the potential for conflict is there. And you're seeing that both that Maduro is portraying a double message, both carrots and sticks. The White
House however is sending down the biggest sticks. We have an aircraft carrier in the region now.
SOARES: Yes. And obviously, he needs to present that strong man appeal at home critically. And he often does speak as you and I know for a long time
in these Facebook lives doesn't he, Stefano? It's very rare that he speaks in English which is something.
You mentioned there the Russian aspect of it. As we all know the Russians, the Cubans, the Iranians have all -- you know, even groups like Hezbollah
have played a part here. Do -- have they -- has Maduro spoken about this any more? What potential role they would play? What calls he's had to give
a better sense of any sort of escalation or potential escalation I should say?
[14:35:22]
POZZEBON: Actually, it's a good point. We haven't heard the same sort of multilateral rhetoric that we've heard in the past. I remember in
September, there was a big event here in the anniversary of the People's Republic of China. At those -- around those same days that we saw that
massive military parade down in Beijing around the middle of September. They did something similar here with joint forces from China and Venezuela.
We haven't seen that in the last -- in the last few weeks. I feel that we will -- we might be able to see it if Maduro was confident that somebody
will come to his rescue in case of an open confrontation. We haven't heard that.
That doesn't mean of course that these alliances, those links between Caracas and either Beijing or Moscow have grown cold. I think that there is
still grown cooperation, strict cooperation between these three governments. However, of course, that doesn't mean necessarily somebody is
ready to send their people here to fight for Mr. Maduro. And unfortunately, the more this escalation in the Caribbean proceeds, the more it looks like
the potential for conflict is in there.
Maybe one thing that I think we we're missing a lot in this story is how close we are to an open confrontation if something goes wrong. We are
seeing that U.S. forces are patrolling both the seas and the skies around Venezuela very, very close to the country. And you cannot -- like, you
cannot underestimate the potential for somebody to throw a to throw a projectile for some incident to happen. And then once the incident
happened, well, of course, the potential for an escalation is all there.
SOARES: Yes.
POZZEBON: So, even if maybe the White House is for now just rattling, is sending show forces, it's putting pressure on Maduro. Well, we don't know
if this pressure could spill inadvertently and make everything collapse unfortunately.
SOARES: Yes. And not just Venezuela, of course, the entire region. Stefano -- important analysis from Stefano there -- Pozzebon in Caracas, Venezuela.
Thank you, Stefano.
Well, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security speeding up the construction of new migrant detention centers. Sources familiar with the project tell
CNN $10 billion is being funneled through the Navy to get centers built faster. This move is part of the Trump Administration's effort to leverage
the U.S. military to support illegal immigration enforcement. The new detention centers will likely be compromised of soft-sided tents. In the
past, the department has used soft-sided facilities to manage the influx of migrants crossing the U.S. border.
Our Priscilla Alvarez joins me now from Washington. Priscilla, good to see you. Just put this then in context for our viewers around the world how
exactly would this work contracting program involve the Navy. Just bring us up to speed on that.
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the short answer here, Isa, is that it allows the Department of Homeland Security to move forward with
these facilities more quickly by using the contracting arm under the Defense Department. So, this is -- the Department of Homeland Security
received $45 billion specifically for Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this year as part of President Trump's agenda. And what we're
seeing in this moment is how they are starting to roll that out. And one of the ways they're doing that is by funneling money through the Navy so that
they can lean on their contracting arm.
And the reason that they would want to do that is because the Defense Department has vast experience with contracting and quick turn construction
projects. By going this route, they would be able to use a narrow set of eligible contractors. They would lessen competition, something that often
causes delays and has previously sort of been a headache for the Department of Homeland Security. And all of this toward the end of getting these
facilities up and running expeditiously.
Now, what we know about these facilities just based off the solicitation and the documents that we reviewed is that they would be facilities that
would have to include for example courtrooms. That happens with other facilities where immigrants are still going through proceedings for
example, space for supporting ICE staff, transportation as well as emergency services. So, if you look at the solicitation it really covers
the gamut of each of the steps in the detention and deportation of an individual.
Now, we're told that construction could start as soon as next month, though the contracting process is still ongoing, and that these facilities could
be 10,000 people each spread across states. Now, 10,000 person facilities would be large, very large for the Department of Homeland Security again,
in their efforts to detain immigrants. But again, all of this really gives us a preview into the plans and the ways in which the Trump Administration
is trying to meet the number of immigration arrests it's making on a daily basis with detention space which has typically been very limited for ICE
and something that the White House Border Czar, Tom Homan, has been focused on growing by double the size.
So, looking at this all together really speaks to how they're moving forward with their agenda and finding ways to do it. for example, through
this contract and the Defense Department very quickly.
[14:40:33]
SOARES: Important context there from our Priscilla Alvarez. Thank you, Priscilla. I appreciate it.
And still to come tonight, Rohingya refugees in drastic need of humanitarian aid are facing very few options after U.S. ripped funding to
international aid groups. Ivan Watson has their full story after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: More than a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh face a new crisis and that is hunger. When the U.S. slashed funding to international
aid groups, it left one of the world's most vulnerable populations with very few options. Our Ivan Watson explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sophia Bibi is 13 months old, but hunger and illness leave her looking much younger. Her
mother feeds her baby ready-to-use therapeutic food, an emergency ration provided by the U.S. government.
I'm so grateful for this assistance. Sophia's mother says. If they didn't send this money, how could we survive?
That is an increasingly urgent question here in the world's largest refugee camp. Around a million Rohingya Muslims have fled to this corner of
Bangladesh over the last decade, escaping ethnic cleansing in neighboring Myanmar that U.S. and U.N. experts have called acts of genocide. An
impoverished community of refugees utterly dependent on international assistance. But that budget was dramatically cut this year. So far, the
U.N. says these refugees only got 37 percent of their annual budget.
JULIE BISHOP, SPECIAL ENVOY FOR U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ON MYANMAR: This is already having dire consequences for the Rohingya in camps with critical
cuts to their food rations and a sharp decline in access to education.
WATSON (voice-over): Each refugee in these crowded camps subsists on rations of $12 worth of food a month. But now aid workers are seeing more
children going hungry.
DEEPIKA SHARMA, UNICEF: More and more children are being detected with the severest form of malnutrition and they're at a risk of mortality because of
that.
[14:45:11]
WATSON (voice-over): When aid money dries up, that also affects access to health care and medicine. Mariam Katun's family suffered unthinkable
tragedy earlier this year. In February, her 7-year-old daughter Estafa suddenly got sick. She was rushed to a camp hospital, but within three
days, she was gone. Cause of death, pneumonia, and encephalitis. Her grieving mother blames a lack of healthcare.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Big countries used to support us. We still need their help. My child died by the will of God, but the place
where I took her couldn't treat her properly. My child suffered and died in pain.
WATSON (voice-over): The U.S. has long been the world's biggest aid donor. But this year, the Trump Administration cut some $8 billion in
international assistance. Since then, CNN has documented disruptions in basic services for refugees from war torn Myanmar living in camps in both
Bangladesh and Thailand. Aid workers predict it will only get worse.
SHARMA: If that money is not there, if that funding is not there, there is no hope. Children will be impacted. They will die.
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We are not going to fund an NGO industrial complex that built itself up that was taking a substantial
percentage of the money and not going directly to the recipients.
WATSON (voice-over): The Trump Administration insists it is cutting wasteful spending.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ANCHOR, ABC NEWS: No one has died --
RUBIO: No one has died because the United States has cut aid. No.
WATSON (voice-over): When a war leaves so many people with so little to survive, any disruption can make the difference between life and death.
Ivan Watson, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: From literature lovers and bookworms to reading novices and those discovering of course new genres, the Booker Prize is launching a new award
for young readers. The Children's Booker Prize is offering 50,000 pounds for the best fiction written for 8-to-12-year-olds. That's more than
$66,000. Children themselves will help to judge the winner which will be announced annually from 2027.
The initiative comes amid reports reading for pleasure among British children, something that we have discussed from the show, has fallen to its
lowest level in two decades. The Book of Prize Foundation is hoping to inspire a generation of lifelong readers. It will donate 30,000 copies of
shortlisted and winning books to children each year.
Gaby Wood is the chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation and joins me now in the studio. Welcome to the show, Gabby.
[14:50:18]
GABY WOOD, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BOOKER PRIZE FOUNDATION: Thank you for having me.
SOARES: So why did you decide the now was the time to do this?
WOOD: Well, we've been working on it for a few years actually. So, three years. It's been three years in the planning and we're very lucky that
we've got funding from AKO Foundation just this year. And it coincided with these terrible sobering statistics about reading. Having said that, I think
one way of combating that is to celebrate children and their minds and their imagination and to encourage them that this is really is for them.
I think sometimes, although I agree with this, we can talk about it as if it were always bleak and it doesn't have to be that way.
SOARES: Yes. And just for our viewers, this is something we have discussed. I think we've got a graphic to show them. We have seen a 36 percent
decrease in reading enjoyment levels since 2005. As you can see that's the lowest in 20 years. Can you speak to when that trend -- do you have a sense
of when that trend started? Because I mean decrease -- the worst it's been in 20 years, that's significant.
WOOD: Yes, I don't actually know if that is sudden or if it's been growing very slowly. The National Literacy Trust to here is brilliant at tracking
that but I do know that this particular year when they've said hang on a minute this is -- this is serious, is it feels not exactly sudden but very
concerning. Yes.
SOARES: And as you know, because you and I were discussing this during the break, we have our own book club here on the show. And you know, lucky
enough to meet and to interview a couple of children authors, including Lauren Child. And I was speaking to her about this about libraries, about
the importance of getting children into reading. This is what she said. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUREN CHILD, AUTHOR: I do also think we are part of the problem because we often modeling exactly what we wish they wouldn't be doing.
SOARES: Yes, indeed.
CHILD: So, if you have -- if you have your phone on your breakfast table then why shouldn't they? So, I try really hard also not to engage with it
too much myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: It's so true. I mean it's about inspiring children, getting children to read, right? But it's also about what message we giving our
children with these things around us and how we -- right? And how we actually model ourselves around our children.
WOOD: I think that's right. In fact, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who will be the first chair of the judges for this new prize, was saying that 40 percent of
children arrive at school not ever having been read to.
SOARES: That's staggering.
WOOD: So, yes -- so, we can -- there's a lot that we can do about that, I think. And with the new prize, I mean, we're hoping to find stories that
will be for children and adults. If they're good enough, they can be for everyone. And so, it's something that families can share, I think.
SOARES: But does it have to be English language translated? Because
WOOD: Translated. It has to be in English in the end for the judges. But no, translated fiction is eligible and also illustrated books because you
never know how people might approach a story.
SOARES: And just explain Gabby, I know that it has adults in the panel, but also children, which we loved. You know, when -- my team and I were saying
this is great that children will have a say, what works, what sounds right, the theme, the topics. How will you pick -- how -- first of all, how many
children will they be part of the panel and how will you go through the process of picking them in the first place?
WOOD: Yes, that's key, isn't it? I mean, the children must decide and particularly if we're trying to have an effect on reading for pleasure.
SOARES: Yes.
WOOD: You know if they want to have pleasure in it, they need to be able to choose. So, we'll have three adults and then three children, an equal
number of children and adults to choose the winner. How we'll do it? We want an absolutely wide open application system. We don't want just a few
kids here and there. It's open to everyone. So, there -- I hope there'll be a lot.
SOARES: So, people can apply?
WOOD: Absolutely. In spring 2026 we'll release details about how people can apply.
SOARES: And I was looking at your website and I was -- it says then a quote that struck for me which was we think of this endeavor not just as a prize
but as a part of a movement. And I think that speaks so much to where we are right now because we've had discussions also with other authors on the
show about the importance of library, of community. How -- are you bringing -- are you bringing u bookshops into this? Are you bringing libraries into
this? Because that's so vital.
WOOD: Absolutely. I mean that is the whole point. We couldn't do this alone. That's what I meant, I suppose, about the movement.
SOARES: Yes.
WOOD: We already work with libraries. We work with lots of delivery partners for the -- what I now call the Grown-up Booker Prize. But we'll
work with many more. And I also think it's important to meet children where they are. So, you know we're looking to partner with brands, with you know,
gaming companies, all sorts. So, you know, it is actually very important to reach them with stories that we know are great.
SOARES: Look, it's great. My son just finished reading Michael Morpurgo, Butterfly Lion, and he left it on my desk and said, you have to read it,
mommy. He's 9 years old. You have to read it. It's so good. I'm halfway through. I'm loving it. I'm reading another adult book, but it's so good.
But it's just wonderful when they get that -- you know, they get the bookworm feel and they can't stop and they love talking about it. It's just
wonderful. So, great initiative. Thank you very much for coming on.
WOOD: Thank you for having me.
[14:55:01]
SOARES: Thank you, Gabby.
All right. And coming soon to our book club, Loretta Rothschild joins us with her debut novel, Finding Grace. This is a real roller coaster, by the
way, of emotions with twists and turns right from chapter one as I remember clearly. Loretta described how she found the writing process as a first-
time author. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LORETTA ROTHSCHILD, AUTHOR: It's a film called The Barefoot Contessa, and she says, can you teach me to act?" And he says, if you can act, I can
teach you. And I think the same is true with writing. I think if you're born a writer, if you see the world through a writer's prism, you will
inevitably write stories. And I really took advantage of time during lockdown to get as much access about craft as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Learning your craft. And now residents on Australia's Christmas Island should expect road delays after red crabs began their annual
migration in the tens of millions. This epic journey stretching from the rainforest to the ocean occurs after the first rainfall of the wet months.
It signals the start of the mating season. What a shot that is. Crabs outnumber people on Christmas Island. The crabs have become a major tourist
attraction.
That does it for me for this hour, but I'll be back in a few minutes, about five minutes or so, with much more with "WHAT WE KNOW."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
