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Isa Soares Tonight
Putin Says He Won't Give Up on His Demands as U.S. and EU Leaders Engage in Diplomatic Efforts to End War in Ukraine; President Trump Blocks Venezuelan Oil Shipment; Nick Reiner Appears in Court. Storms and Floods Kill at Least 17 in Gaza; UNICEF Warns Looming Health Disaster, Waterborne Diseases. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired December 17, 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, no compromise. Russian President
Vladimir Putin makes it clear he won't give up on his demands as U.S. and European leaders engage in frantic diplomatic efforts to end the war in
Ukraine.
Then U.S. President Donald Trump orders, quote, "the largest ever armada to block Venezuelan oil", as administration offers a new motive in its
pressure campaign against Nicolas Maduro. And an unfathomable situation that keeps just getting worse. Palestinians in Gaza are dying from
torrential rain as well as flooding.
I'll speak live to one aid organization on the ground in Gaza. But first tonight, no backing down and no compromise. We begin this hour in Moscow
where Russian President Vladimir Putin is vowing his troops will take Ukrainian territory by force if Kyiv won't agree to give it up. Speaking at
his annual address to Russia's Defense Ministry, Mr. Putin said he plans to liberate Russia's historical lands, which includes vast areas of Ukraine.
Territorial concessions have become a major sticking point as you know, in peace talks with Russia demanding Ukraine formally cede Crimea, as you can
see on the map, as well as the entire Donbas and parts of the south, including areas Moscow has not captured militarily.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said again this week, his country has no plans to give up land to Moscow. Mr. Putin, meanwhile, also
slammed Europe's involvement in peace negotiations, saying meaningful engagement was unlikely with Europe's current political leadership.
Lots of strands for us to talk about. I want to bring in Fred Pleitgen, who is with us this hour from Moscow. Fred, good to see you. Look, it's clear
from what we just heard from the lines we've heard from President Putin, he's not showing any willingness, right? To compromise on Ukraine despite
pressure from the United States saying that Russia will achieve its goals by diplomacy or force.
Just give us a sense of what exactly the reaction has been there in the Kremlin to what we've been hearing. Just you and I were discussing earlier
this week between -- conversations between Ukraine and the United States, because just 12 -- 48 hours ago, of course, Trump was saying that, you
know, deal is closer than ever.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, I think that the Russians certainly are looking at these diplomatic efforts
that have been going on. And really, not trusting those diplomatic efforts at all. One of the things that we've been hearing from the Kremlin, I
myself have been in touch with the Kremlin spokesman.
He said, look, we still haven't seen any sort of draft of what exactly was agreed in those talks in Berlin. So, the Russians are essentially saying,
look, they have to see all of that first before there's any sort of official reaction. But I think that we saw several patterns from Vladimir
Putin once again today that we have in the past as well.
First of all, slamming the U.S.' European allies, accusing them of undermining any sort of diplomatic process between Russia and the United
States. And, of course, also the U.S's efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine. At the same time, though, threatening Russian forces as well,
saying the Russian military is second to none, saying that Russia has vastly modernized its nuclear weapons, talking about, for instance, the
Oreshnik missile, a very powerful missile.
There was one thing that Vladimir Putin said, which I think was absolutely key, where he said that Russia, as he put it, was still committed to the
diplomatic process, but at the same time, he also warned that the root causes, as he put it, of the conflict in Ukraine needed to be solved or
else Russia would continue its offensive. Here's what he said.
(BEGIIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT, RUSSIA (through translator): We would prefer to do this and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy. If
the opposing country and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its
historical lands through military means.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Military means, which is, of course, exactly what the Russians are doing right now, Isa. So, the Russians threatening to continue that.
And I think you're absolutely right to say that there are two key things that the Russians have been talking about. First of all, it's your
Ukrainian NATO membership. That's something that they say is a red line for them.
Of course, we know that that's something that was addressed in Berlin at those talks. And then also, as you also rightly stated, the question of
territories.
[14:05:00]
And I think that right now is crystallizing as really being the most difficult topic on the table between the sort of negotiating parties in all
of this. The Russians, of course, demanding those territories in eastern Ukraine, including some that they don't even hold at this point in time.
And the Ukrainians are saying they simply can't do that. Isa?
SOARES: Yes, and as we wait, of course, for reaction from President Putin to exactly those details that you and I have been speaking all week about
in terms of the U.K. -- the U.S. and Ukraine, a peace deal. Give us -- add some meat to the bones here, to what we heard from him on Europe and
directed at European leaders because he really didn't hold back --
PLEITGEN: Oh, yes --
SOARES: I mean, saying they'd been brainwashed, calling them European little pigs. And of course, this comes -- and you and I discussed this at
the beginning of the week, comes ahead of this summit in Brussels. And as European leaders prepare to debate whether to use those frozen Russian
assets in Ukraine.
PLEITGEN: Yes, not only accusing European leaders of being brainwashed, but essentially accusing European leaders of brainwashing their own
populations into a new conflict with Russia. Speaking about a possible Russian intervention into NATO, an attack on NATO, saying that's absolutely
something that was crazy, that Russia has no interest in doing that, and no intention of doing that.
And then also calling the European leaders little piglets as well. There was one interesting thing that Vladimir Putin did say. He did say that he
believed that there could be a diplomatic process in the future if there were different leadership in Europe. But he believes with the current
leadership, it's something that simply isn't possible.
And so, therefore, it certainly seems as though right now, the leaders that are currently in place, the Russians very much saying that they don't
believe that there's going to be any diplomatic path forward, and certainly, that question of the frozen assets, the Russian frozen assets
possibly being used by European nations to help Ukraine, that is definitely something that is stirring a lot of anger here in Moscow. Isa.
SOARES: Is that -- very briefly, is that -- how much is that rattling the Kremlin? Because that is something that we've been talking about, and
certainly in Europe for a while.
PLEITGEN: Absolutely, stoking anger in the Kremlin, absolutely. Something that the Kremlin says -- calls -- says --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: Illegal, absolutely something that they say undermines the process of trying to stop the conflict in Ukraine, certainly something that
here, I would say is a lightning rod, and definitely, you know, one of the key causes of that criticism that you hear from Kremlin officials and
Vladimir Putin, specifically when speaking about European leaders.
SOARES: Fred Pleitgen for us this hour in Moscow, good to see you, Fred, thank you very much indeed. We're going to leave the war in Ukraine for
just a second, and, turn of course, to Venezuela, because Venezuelan officials are pushing back today on a potentially devastating economic
salvo.
And the Trump administration's pressure campaign to force leader Nicolas Maduro from power. That is after President Trump said he's ordering a
complete and total blockade, as you can see, of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela. The Venezuelan Defense Minister denounced
Trump's statements, calling them overbearing, arrogant and supremacist.
The back-and-forth follows remarks from White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who was quoted, if you remember by "Vanity Fair", saying the
President wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle. One expert in the region believes the U.S. approach could backfire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH DICKINSON, SENIOR ANALYST, ANDES REGION, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: One of our concerns, thinking about this current situation is that
Maduro could very easily come out strengthened. At the moment, because of this blockade, and because of the reduction that we'll see in terms of
income coming in and out of the country, I think the general population will be increasingly dependent on the government for basic survival.
And that will essentially consolidate the regime's ability to dole out resources to those who are loyal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, we are keeping an eye on Capitol Hill where Pentagon officials are briefing the House as well as Senate Armed Services
Committees on that follow up U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat last September. We'll get our ears peeled as well for you. Let's go to Caracas
in the meantime, Stefano Pozzebon is with us with the latest developments.
So, Stefano, I see you're at petrol station. I suppose the obvious question not only is what the reaction has been to that order -- to Trump's
blockade, but just speak, how damaging on a wider context here, Stefano, how damaging can this blockade, can this strategy be for Nicolas Maduro?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, it would be a massive blow if indeed this blockade would continue in the next few weeks and months. Isa,
more than 90 percent of the foreign income of this country, like of Venezuela as a whole, as an entire country, not just the Maduro government,
but 90 percent of the foreign income come from the exports of oil.
We came to a petrol station here in Caracas because it's worth noticing that these entire societies, frankly, based over hydrocarbons, it's both --
the income come from the exports of crude.
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Venezuela being the country with the largest oil reserves in the world, but also many people use their cars on a daily basis for any task, anything
that they need to do in their daily lives. And already in the past, that whenever the U.S. put pressure on imports from other countries, there had
been cases where Venezuelans did not find gas at the petrol station.
That was because, of course, refineries need to mix the oil with other imports and other components that Venezuela does not produce itself in
order for them to produce gasoline. That has not happened yet. You can see that the situation is still very quiet and calm here on this fine Wednesday
afternoon in the city center of Caracas.
However, the impact could be -- that the impact that Venezuela could be bracing for will be massive, of course. And you can hear that from the
reaction from government officials. We heard words of rejection and denial, not only from Maduro himself, but also from his Defense Minister, his
Foreign Minister, the country's attorney general has accused Trump of being an imperialist.
The country's parliament has just passed a bill that condemns the statements from Donald Trump. And we just heard in the last hour that
Maduro has indeed spoken with the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to raise the situation, to raise his attention onto what's
happening around Venezuela.
So far, Nicolas Maduro has been able to stand up to the pressure coming down from Washington, especially when it came surrounding the issue of, you
know, the tactic of kinetic strikes and blowing off boats in the Caribbean. However, will he be able to stand up to this pressure when he has much and
much more serious economic consequences for him and for his population, especially in the new year.
We won't see it in the next couple of weeks, perhaps because everything will be Christmas focused here in Venezuela. But of course, January and
February will indeed be a painful --
SOARES: Yes --
POZZEBON: Time for the Venezuelan people IF this situation remains.
SOARES: Indeed, that will be the reality check. Thank you very much, Stefano Pozzebon there for us, live in Caracas. I want to go now to Los
Angeles, where in the last couple of hours, Nick Reiner made his first court appearance in connection to the death of his parents, Hollywood
Director Rob Reiner and wife Michele.
A January 7th date was set for arraignment during today's court proceedings in Los Angeles. Nick also waived his right to a speedy trial. His attorney
briefly spoke after today's hearing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN JACKSON, ATTORNEY FOR NICK REINER: This is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family. We all recognize that our hearts go out to
the entire Reiner family. There are very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. They need to be thoroughly, but very
carefully dealt with and examined and looked at and analyzed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: On Tuesday, the Los Angeles prosecutors announced plans to file two counts of first degree murder against Nick. The 32-year-old was
arrested on Sunday in a park near the campus of the University of Southern California. CNN George Campbell joins me now live from Los Angeles.
And Josh, we'll talk about what Nick Reiner's attorney said in just a moment. But first, give us a sense of what that first court appearance was
like because we didn't see him, though we know he was inside. Give us a sense of what played out inside that courtroom.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, this was a very brief hearing as part of the beginning of this prosecution of Nick Reiner, as you
mentioned, charged now with the murder of both of his parents. He was there in court with his three attorneys. He was shackled. He was wearing some
type of vest.
But the judge in the case ordered that the media not actually show him, obviously, we see there the attorneys in court, we saw the judge, but the
judge making that clear that she didn't want the defendant actually to be shown. And that's likely because this is a case that has garnered worldwide
attention.
Obviously, people, you know, fans and supporters of the Reiners live around the world. And so, there could be a concern that if they eventually get to
a trial, and they need to select a jury who will ultimately render some type of verdict, they want that to be a fair process. And so, that's why
likely we didn't see him today.
What we do know is that this case has now been pushed to next month. That was something that we heard, actually, Nick Reiner speak to himself in
court. The judge asked if he agreed with having this extended, and he said yes. So, we're waiting to see, you know, what happens next.
I mentioned the global attention, obviously being watched by many people, but of course, one group of people also closely watching this is the
surviving Reiner family members. We did get a statement in just a short time ago from the two surviving family members, the children of Rob and
Michele Reiner.
I'll read you part of that, they say, "words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The
horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michelle Reiner is something that no one should ever experience.
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They weren't just our parents, they were our best friends, we are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness and support we have received
not only from family and friends, but from people from all walks of life." Then they go on to say, Isa, they're asking the public to respect their
privacy as they continue to grieve.
SOARES: Yes, incredibly powerful statement there, Josh. Let me just pick up with the little clip we played from Nick Reiner's attorney when he was
speaking outside the court. He said, there are very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. What do you understand that to
mean exactly, Josh?
CAMPBELL: Well, I think a lot of this is we're talking about very serious charges. He's been charged with first degree murder, which here under
California law here where I am, that means that prosecutors have to prove that there was some type of premeditation, that this wasn't, you know,
accidental or this wasn't something that was conducted in the heat of the moment.
So, again, some type of planning under California law that doesn't mean it has to be, you know, days or weeks of planning, that window of time could
be very narrow. And so, that is something that they're looking at. But this is also a case that if he is convicted, he potentially faces the death
penalty based on this -- the charges here.
It's very uncommon in California that actually takes place. But again, a lot that they have to grapple with. And then the last thing is the body of
evidence that they will have to be going through. What did police find inside that residence? Nick Reiner's attorney obviously want -- will want
to try to scrutinize all of that before this actually continues in court.
SOARES: Josh Campbell there for us in Los Angeles, thank you very much --
CAMPBELL: You bet --
SOARES: Indeed, Josh. And still to come tonight, just days ago, they were having a picnic on the beach. Now, they're being mourned by their loved
ones. Our report on the first funerals for the Bondi Beach attack victims. Plus, flooding and freezing temperatures are taking a deadly toll in Gaza.
Jonathan Crickx from UNICEF, Palestine, joins me to discuss the dire conditions on the ground. That's after this very short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: We are tracking new developments in the hunt for the Brown University shooter. Police say they are looking for someone who may have
crossed paths with the suspect. Police say the person they are looking for is not a suspect, but may have spoken to the person of interest.
Meanwhile, Rode Island's Attorney General said Wednesday that he expects police to make an arrest in the case, though he did not say when it might
happen.
[14:20:00]
A CNN analyst said that kind of confident talk from the Attorney General probably means investigators have a solid lead in the case. Police have
released a series of videos and still image we've been showing you in the past couple of days, and while none provide a good look, of course, at the
suspect shooter's face, and you can see there.
Authorities say his height and body shape should help the public identify him. We'll stay across that story for you. Well, these are tense times at
the White House. As we mentioned to you earlier, President Trump has a major address to the nation today. On Tuesday, he greatly expanded the list
of countries on the travel ban list, making it much more difficult for people from dozens of nations in the Caribbean and Africa to even visit the
U.S. as tourists.
And Friday, he faces the release of the Epstein files. The Department of Justice is required by law to release all unclassified records, documents,
communications and investigative materials, and I'm quoting there, "related to Epstein". Mr. Trump fought for months, of course, to prevent months --
to prevent this information from being released.
Let's get more on all these strands, there's a lot for us to get through. I want to bring in CNN's Stephen Collinson to help us sort through all of
this. So, Stephen, good to see you. First of all, let's start with what we're expecting from this address to the nation tonight. Do we have a sense
of what we're likely to hear?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think in many ways, this will be President Trump peering out of his political bubble and trying
to convince the country that what many of them believe about his presidency is not true. He says he's ushered in a golden age with a roaring economy,
closed borders, wars ended across the globe.
Many Americans do not perceive that, especially in terms of the economy, confidence in Trump's economic management is rock bottom. It's the worst
it's ever been across his two terms in office. There are real questions about whether he understands or even cares about the problems many
Americans are having with high prices for groceries, housing and healthcare.
So, I think in many ways it's going to be -- try to shore up the domestic part of his presidency at a time when his authority in Washington, among
Republicans and elsewhere in the country, in fact, has come under a great deal of strain.
SOARES: And the timing is interesting, too, right? Because tomorrow, we mentioned that briefly in the introduction, is the deadline for the Justice
Department to release the Epstein files, files, which, of course, the President has tried to prevent from coming out. What do we know so far if
we have this information, Stephen, about which records were made public, how much of the material will actually be new?
COLLINSON: We don't know. We've heard from some members of Congress that we're behind this whole push to get these files released. And they say that
they have not so far had much information from the Justice Department about how this is all going to work. By law, they say everything needs to come
out.
There are a few caveats in the law which allow the Attorney General to withhold some information, for example, about ongoing investigations, stuff
that could identify witnesses or victims. It will be interesting to see how broadly the department reads that information there. Those caveats, will
they try to suppress some of the stuff that should be coming out, and that the law requires to be coming out and set up a confrontation with Congress?
One school of thought would be that they just push everything out, and there will be so much information that anything that's embarrassing to the
President will be, you know, suffocated in the -- in the volume of the stuff. Another is that they will try to set up a confrontation with
Congress about exactly what the law means. History shows this administration isn't particularly transparent.
SOARES: And a correction from my end, it's not tomorrow, it's Friday, obviously, this is me thinking today is Thursday. Stephen, appreciate it.
Thank you very much indeed. Now, the surviving suspect in Sunday's Bondi Beach massacre in Sydney has now been charged with 59 offenses. Australian
police say Naveed Akram faces 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and other charges including committing a terrorist act.
His father, the alleged gunman, was shot and killed by police at the scene while Naveed was shot and taken to hospital. The charges come as the
families of the victims begin to say goodbye. There were emotional scenes as the first funerals were held in Sydney. Among those laid to rest, the
rabbi who organized the Hanukkah event, where beachgoers were gunned down.
We spoke to his cousin just this week here on the show, the parents of the youngest victim, ten-year-old Matilda, are immigrants from Ukraine. She was
their first child born in Australia. Her heartbroken father says they chose the name Matilda because it was the most Australian name ever. He asked a
crowd at a memorial earlier this week to please remember her name.
Our Will Ripley has more on the funerals and the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia ahead of that Bondi Beach attack.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The hearse has just arrived with the bodies of one of the rabbis. Let's just
pause for a moment and take this in.
[14:25:00]
Funerals are now underway for the 15 people killed in Sunday's terror attack, and some of the hardest scenes are here in Redfern, where family
and friends gathered to remember the youngest victim, ten-year-old Matilda. She leaves behind not just her parents, but her younger sister, Summer
Sunday, the day of the attack was a day of face painting, playing with goats and having fun with her parents who say they were just briefly
separated in the crowd, a moment that turned into a nightmare.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like she's running around happy. And then second, what I see before my eyes is, she's lying on the ground and I just can't
explain how it happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I rubbed my shirt and I was talking to her because she was --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was in shock --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was in shock. She was telling me that she -- it's hard to breathe.
RIPLEY: As the city mourns, families here are left with the same questions. How this happened and why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's our loss. It's our community's loss.
RIPLEY: Elliot(ph) was there. He knows many of the victims. What's it like to grow up as a Jew here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just live in, like, utopia here. This utopia has just turned to dystopia.
RIPLEY (on camera): Have you noticed a rise in anti-Semitism since October 7th, 2023?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Incredibly, I mean --
RIPLEY: Here in Australia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Incredibly.
RIPLEY (voice-over): October 7th is when Hamas attacked Israel, the retaliation that followed has killed or injured more than 10 percent of
Gaza's population in the last two years. An independent U.N. inquiry said Israel is committing genocide. Israel denies that. There have been protests
worldwide, including here in Sydney, during this period, Australia, like many places, has seen a massive spike in anti-Semitic attacks.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER, AUSTRALIA: We want to stamp out and eradicate anti-Semitism from our society.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The restaurant we're coming up to here was burnt down. There's a school, there's a daycare that was also burnt down. There's been
anti-Semitic graffiti. There's been kids having eggs thrown at them. There's everything. It kind of has gotten lost. Not to us. We've been
begging our government. We've been telling them, swipe that way.
RIPLEY (on camera): OK, you'll read some of them.
(voice-over): He shows me the comments to social media posts about the attack.
(on camera): Can you guys see this? "Ha-ha, rot in hell. Rest in Bondi Beach piss water. You aren't genocide defender." Oh my God, I can't go on
actually.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I don't even need to comment on that because --
RIPLEY: And this is -- I mean --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is constant. I mean, this is everywhere. Look at this view.
RIPLEY: I see what you mean by utopia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Things are going to be OK, because at the end of the day, the one thing they can't take from us is that we live in the most
beautiful place on earth.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Will Ripley, CNN, Sydney.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Will Ripley for that report. And still to come tonight, torrential rains and extreme cold have caused havoc in Gaza. I'll
talk with Jonathan Crickx of UNICEF, Palestine, about the dire humanitarian conditions that remain on the ground despite a ceasefire.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Officials in Gaza say torrential rain and floods have killed at least 17 people and left thousands of others without
shelter. The dead include children, including a two-week-old baby who died of hypothermia. His name was Mohammed (ph). Others have died due to
building collapses.
One official says winter storms have flooded roughly 90 percent of shelters for people displaced by war, destroying clothing, blankets, as well as
mattresses. They're now appealing to the international community for immediate aid.
Joining me now from Al-Mawasi, Gaza, is Jonathan Crickx. He's the chief of communication for UNICEF State of Palestine. Jonathan, thank you very much
for being with us this evening from Al-Mawasi. The images we have been showing our viewers pretty much all this week have been pretty brutal,
right? This brutal rain, just how brutal it's been. But you're on the ground, so just you give us a sense, a reality check, of what conditions
are like there right now.
JONATHAN CRICKX, CHIEF OF COMMUNICATION, UNICEF STATE OF PALESTINE: I mean, the situation of children on the ground here in the Gaza Strip is --
I mean, it's really horrendous. I met with dozens, dozens of children who are either barefoot or with just those plastic sandals. And I visited so
many tents which are flooded. And when they are not flooded, you can see the water dripping.
And those tents are really the most basic shelter you can find. You just have like a piece of tarp, like this, a piece of plastic, which is stick to
a structure, a frame, a wood frame. And then that's it. You have two mattresses on the ground and maybe a couple of boxes with the belongings.
Because the children, the families who are living in those tents, and we're talking about thousands, hundreds of thousands of families. They have been
displaced many, many times. And when you are displaced in the middle of a war, you don't take two or three suitcases with you, you just move with
what you have on your back.
So, I met with many children. They don't have any change of clothes. Their clothes are wet. It's seven degrees Celsius tonight in Gaza. It's very
cold. The wind is blowing. And of course, in those makeshift shelters, makeshift tents, they don't have the protection they need. So, we are
extremely concerned to see more babies dying from hypothermia. But also, we are very concerned about the potential spread of diseases.
SOARES: Yes, let's talk about that. Because as you were talking, Jonathan, we saw one child with no shoes on, others with sandals in the temperatures,
it looks very, very cold. But let's talk about the health issues here, the potential for health issues. Because as we reported, it costs lives, right?
There was a two-week-old little boy, Mohammed (ph), who died just of hypothermia on Monday. I think he went to hospital by the time he got
there. Unfortunately, he died. Just speak to some of the conditions, because it's also chest conditions, coughs, colds, and the spread of that.
Speak to that.
[14:35:00]
CRICKX: What you have to imagine is when you're on the ground here, you have thousands and thousands of tents. Wherever you look, you have
thousands of tents, which are overcrowded. So, the density of the population is huge. You don't have enough toilets. You don't have enough
latrines. The health system, the number of functioning hospitals is strongly reduced compared to before the war.
So, you are in a situation where you have extremely dire hygiene conditions. All the children I meet are -- you know, they're very dirty.
There is obviously no shower. There is no electricity. There is no tap water. And many children have to walk to get access to a latrine or to
toilets. So, this is a terrible, terrible recipe that can see the emergence of diseases.
One example, in the past four weeks, we have seen a spike in the number of acute watery diarrhea, which is a very serious condition, especially for
children who do not have access to necessarily all the medication they need. But then we are also very concerned about the emergence of other
diseases. A lot of people, and fortunately, there was no case at all thus far. But the specter of cholera is also something that everyone is scared
about.
And so, it's extremely important to understand that the overall situation, the scale of the need is so immense that it's absolutely critical that we
bring more aid to the people, but also that we are able to build, I would say, more sustainable shelters.
SOARES: Yes, because these, quite frankly, we call them tents, but they're really not tents. But, you know, viewers, no doubt, Jonathan, will be
screaming at their TVs saying, but hold on, we're two months into a ceasefire, what about the supplies? What about the aid? Can you tell us
what the difference has been, if there's any real difference in terms of supplies that you've been receiving on the ground?
CRICKX: Yes, there has been a difference, and we have been able to bring more aid inside the Gaza Strip. Just a couple of, two, three figures. We
have been able to distribute 250,000 warm clothes kits for children. We have been able to distribute 7,000 tents, 250,000 tarpaulins like these
behind me. Also, we have been able to distribute hundreds of thousands of blankets.
What is important to understand is that, you know, we're distributing a quarter of a million of warm clothes for children, but there is 1 million
children here who are in need of warm clothes, and we're distributing one kit. So, that's one change of clothes, which is very useful. I mean, it's
warm shoes, warm jackets, you know, gloves and scarves, but it's definitely not enough.
We have to understand that 80 percent of the buildings, the housing has been damaged or destroyed, that the people have been displaced so many
times. So, the scale of the needs is so immense that we need to still be able to bring in more things.
And I was talking to a 70-year-old man today, and he was saying, you know, we also need to be able to live outside of tents to have actually something
more solid, more sustainable, prefab or semi-permanent construction.
SOARES: Yes.
CRICKX: And I just want to also add one example. I met a six-year-old girl, her name is Reem (ph), and she was living in one of those tents this
morning that I visited. And, you know, her mom showed me her belly, and, you know, she had a scar from here to her belly button because she was
injured during the war and she had still shrapnel in her belly. So, it goes beyond the aspects related to, you know, immediate food or makeshift tents.
It's the entire health system that also needs to be re-established here.
SOARES: Yes, such a good point. Jonathan, really appreciate you staying live for us, of course, and bringing us the reality of a really dire
situation on the ground there. Jonathan Crickx there from UNICEF.
We're going to take a short break. We'll be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:00]
SOARES: Well, there's a new status symbol in travel and it is in first class in the air. Trains are having revival as the most glamorous,
sustainable and romantic way to explore the world. In today's episode of "Seasons," Laura Jackson travels on one of the most storied journeys of
them all, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, and steps inside one of the world's most exclusive train carriages.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAURA JACKSON, HOST, "SEASONS" (voice-over): Train journeys are beginning to look very different. As travelers opt for longer, more enjoyable
journeys, slow travel is gaining speed.
JACKSON: The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is probably one of the most luxurious trains in the whole world. And for the next 28 hours, I'm going
to be travelling from Paris to Venice to discover why this is just so legendary.
JACKSON (voice-over): You wouldn't get it, but these carriages were built between 1926 and 1949. They've carried royalty, spies, revolutionaries and
film stars across Europe's grand capitals. Each carriage has a story and some are more colorful than others.
Take Dining Car 4141, decorated by the legendary Rene Lalique. It's a glittering ode to Art Deco glamour. Then there's Sleeping Car 3425, which
once helped Romanian's King Carol II make a dramatic escape with his mistress. While Sleeping Car 3544 enjoyed a rather different chapter, when
it was repurposed as a brothel by a French official during World War II. Talk about a change of service.
And perhaps the most famous of them all, Car 3309. Trapped in a snowdrift near Istanbul, it inspired Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient
Express."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A passenger has died. He was murdered.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON (voice-over): Today's restored carriages look a bit more like this.
JR, ARTIST: There's actually a whole world behind it.
JACKSON: No way.
JACKSON (voice-over): With hidden drawers, storied panels, a disco ball, there's lots to discover.
JACKSON: Your name's on the floor.
JACKSON (voice-over): Referred to as an artwork in motion, this carriage, L'Observatoire, is the brainchild of the renowned French artist, JR.
JR: All of this, of course, takes, you know, hundreds of people to think, to walk, to imagine. And yes, it's -- to me it's always really moving to
come back inside because I know it's travelling. I know it's going all around the world. And sometimes I can be on it, but sometimes I'm like
everyone else, dreaming about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, in the latest episode of our Festive Book Club, I sit down with familiar face here on the show, our very own Nic
Robertson, to find out what books he loved in 2025 and what he's desperate to read in the year ahead.
[14:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I love stories that are written about the U.K. I love travel stories. I love cycling. So, when
I go into the bookstore before Christmas to guide my daughters --
SOARES: Do you go cycling section? Is there a cycling section?
ROBERTSON: There is. You'll be surprised what there is out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, in the countdown to Christmas, we're taking the opportunity to have a chat with some of our favorite faces right here on CNN to find
out what they have been reading in 2025. In today's edition of our Festive Book Club, I sat down with our International Diplomatic Editor Nic
Robertson to find out what page turners caught his attention between all the vital reporting course he's brought us this year. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Welcome to our Festive Edition of our Book Club. Joining us today is a very well-known face on the show. It's Nic Robertson. Welcome to our
show.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Thank you.
SOARES: It's great that you're with us, especially on this set, because normally you and I are on my main show set and we're often covering very
bleak news. I wonder what your year, Nick, has been like. How much time have you had this year, given the news cycle, to actually read?
ROBERTSON: Very little, it seems. I spent my first few days at the beach this year reading Foreign Affairs. I think it was August and September or
July and August issue because I was behind. And I really didn't even have much time at the beach, which is when I do most of my reading. So, I sort
of read at a weekend where I have a little bit of spare time. Not much. It's all news and everything keeps changing and there's so much context.
SOARES: How then do you break away? What -- let's -- you know, how many books do you think you've read this year? And what has been your favorite
book of the year so far?
ROBERTSON: I would say, hand on heart, probably read less than half a dozen books this year. And I think Max Adams' book, "The King of the
North," which is about King Oswald of Northumbria. He was born in 601 AD. I tend to sort of zoom in on history a little bit, although I did enjoy
Edward Luce's "Zbig" about Zbigniew Brzezinski. That was more recent history.
[14:50:00]
SOARES: What was it about that book that you enjoyed? I mean, you are a diplomatic editor. You often have to put a lot of the stories that you
cover, the news that you cover, into context for us. Do you often look for historical books, fiction, nonfiction?
ROBERTSON: Yes, it's interesting because it's kind of hard to draw a parallel between the sort of early 7th century and the 21st century.
SOARES: But I'm sure you'll tap in commonalities, right?
ROBERTSON: Totally. And the commonalities are human traits. And, of course, the country, Britain at the time, was a bunch of kingdoms and the
kingdoms were changing. And it was warlords who were banding together with kings of certain areas. And you learn a lot about the nature of people,
that they will join in bands and fight against each other for power and influence.
But also, I like it because you learn a lot about the geography of the country. You know, the countryside is all around us. But there are areas
that have little or no significance today that were once a place of a famous battle because the river was particularly narrow there or the gap in
the mountains was where the invading force could come through. All of those things. And it's absolutely fascinating.
But you recognize that what plays out today with the strong leaders that are around today, they're not warlords anymore, but they're strong and
powerful and influential. They are the same characteristics. Yes.
SOARES: So, much you can learn. I keep telling my kids, you know, keep up with your history. It's very important. You didn't read that many books,
you said, Nic, this year. Was there one book that you wish you had read? I mean, what would you put in your Christmas wish list, let's say?
ROBERTSON: There were two things in my Christmas wish list. One is for more time. And I don't know what a box for that looks like under the tree,
but I hope it's a big one. I need a lot of time. So, I think my wish would be to finish "Zbig" by Edward Luce, which was about Zbigniew Brzezinski,
National Security Adviser for President Carter.
You know, the relevance to today is this is the guy when the White House after his, after he was out of office, George Bush was in office. When the
White House was telling Ukraine, no, you need to be part of the Soviet Union in 1991, Brzezinski was saying, no, Ukraine needs to go independent.
So, there are, you know, the foreign policy echoes echoed. And I want to get to the end of that book because there are some loose ends I'd like to
tie up.
There's a book called in -- "The Land in Winter" that has recently -- I think Andrew Miller is the author. And I like the idea of that. It's almost
history, but it's actually it's fiction. And it's set in the year that I was born. And that was the year that the U.K. had its coldest winter.
I mean, it was Boxing Day and the snow tipped down on Boxing Day. And until the end of till late March, '62 into '63, the country was blanketed in the
snow. And this is a story set in the in the West Country. And there's a farmer and a doctor and their wives. And, you know, they're sort of
snowbound after this Christmas party and the things that play out then. And I just kind of -- I want to see what it what life was like for my parents'
generation. So, I'm delving into history, but at a personal level.
SOARES: Very finally, as we're running out of time, Nic, one that a book that you're looking forward to next year.
ROBERTSON: I love stories that are written about the U.K. I love travel stories. I love cycling. So, when I go into the bookstore before Christmas
to guide my daughters and what the --
SOARES: Do you go cycling section? Is there a cycling section?
ROBERTSON: There is. You'll be surprised what there is out there. The cycling tour of the of the of the lighthouses of the of the U.K. I mean,
that was a great read. The author had MS. He wanted he had a lifelong fascination with lighthouses. And he bought a bike, cycled all along the
English coastline. And it was fascinating because it brought to life these little seaside towns.
But it also brought alive the history of what they were for, how they connected to the rest of the country. It brought alive, you know, a sense
maybe of my childhood, of all our childhoods at the U.K. seaside, but also of where the country is. And it was a sad reflection on some of the places
he visited. They're not so well off today.
SOARES: Nic, thank you for coming on. It's been a real treat to have you in Book Club. And for once, we did not discuss any politics at all or
diplomacy. No Trump, no Putin, no Russia or Ukraine.
ROBERTSON: I'll bring my books next time.
SOARES: Next time, bring your historical books. And for that, we want to say a huge thank you. We're going to give you Isa's Book Club mug. It's a
Festive Edition of our Book Club. Thanks for coming on.
ROBERTSON: I would treasure it. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: And our thanks to Nick. Our thanks to Nic for that. And finally, tonight, a remarkable video that scientists have never seen before. I want
to show you this. Researchers attached a camera, as you can see there, to the back of an orca whale in British Columbia in Canada. They found the
orcas were cooperating with nearby dolphins to hunt for salmon.
It appears the dolphins were using their sonar to find larger salmon too big for the dolphins to handle. The orcas would then kill the big salmon
and the dolphins would share in the feast. And it really speaks to this kind of cooperation between killer whales and dolphins, which has never
been observed before in the world. Terrific to see.
And that does it for us for this evening. Do stay right here, "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next. Have a wonderful evening.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
