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Isa Soares Tonight

Former. U.S. Attorney Gen. Pam Bondi Reveals Cancer Diagnosis; Paxton Wins Texas Senate Primary; Europe's Deadly, Early Heat Wave; The Dead Sea is Slowly Dying as Lake's Water Level Drops; First Afghan Woman Summits Everest. President Trump Says He Won't Rush a Deal with Iran; Five Out of Seven Villagers Trapped in a Laotian-Flooded Cave Found Alive; River Ahmad Makes History by Becoming the First Afghan Woman to Summit Mount Everest. Aired 2:00-3p ET

Aired May 27, 2026 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[14:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Max Foster in for ISA SOARES TONIGHT. "I don't care about the

Midterms". Those are the words of U.S. President Donald Trump as he says he won't rush a deal with Iran. We'll go live to the White House and to

Jerusalem for the very latest from there.

Then five out of seven villagers trapped in a Laotian-flooded cave have been found alive. I'll ask a rescue expert what happens next? And a message

of hope to millions of women and girls under Taliban rule. River Ahmad just made history as the first Afghan woman to summit Mount Everest. We'll bring

you, her story. That and much more just ahead.

Now, despite Iranian claims of a possible breakthrough, U.S. President Donald Trump says he's in no rush to reach an agreement to end the war with

Iran. At a cabinet meeting earlier, the President told reporters he remains hopeful there can be a diplomatic solution to the conflict. But the U.S. is

prepared to resume military operations if necessary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Navy is gone, as I've said a thousand times, their Navy is gone. Their Air Force is gone.

Everything is gone. And they're negotiating on fumes. But we'll see what happens. Maybe we have to go back and finish it. Maybe we don't.

Right now, I mean, you can speak to Steve Witkoff and Jared, they're doing a good job. But right now, I think, it looks like they want to just make a

deal. They want to -- they -- I don't think they have a choice. They're just going back to the internet because they're getting clobbered.

Their economy is in free-fall. They have 250 percent inflation. Their money has no value, and their whole economic system is broken down. They thought

they were going to outwait me. You know, we'll outwait him. He's got the Midterms. I don't care about the Midterms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: So, Iranian State TV reports that a draft of a Memorandum of Understanding between Washington and Tehran calls for the U.S. to lift its

blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and withdraw forces. In exchange, Tehran would agree to open up trading in the Strait to pre-war levels within one

month, but under joint control between Iran and Oman.

Now, the White House disputes the report, calling it a complete fabrication, something that could jeopardize a potential peace deal, in

fact. The expansion of Israel's military campaign in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces are once again hammering areas north of the so-called yellow

line as they issue more evacuation warnings.

The warning appears to be the largest ever for Tyre; a major Lebanese city and a key historical site. At the White House is our Alayna Treene, and

CNN's Oren Liebermann is with us from Jerusalem. Alayna, we were looking ahead to this cabinet meeting today, expecting potentially a big

announcement, but they ended up having to, you know, bat away what we were hearing from Tehran, which was interesting

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: No, absolutely, Max. And I also think just almost a lack of optimism in some sense that we heard from the

President and top officials regarding this Memorandum of Understanding that we know they are working very hard toward trying to finalize.

Was also pretty interesting, especially when you look at, you know, just a couple of days ago, I believe four days ago now, you heard President Trump

arguing that essentially that Memorandum of Understanding, the MOU or framework deal that they had been working on with Tehran was largely

already negotiated.

They just had to work on a few wordings here and different language. That was not the case of what we heard from the President. You played some of

that clip, but he essentially said that as of now, he is not satisfied with the deal.

And he came off really wanting to convey this idea that he's not over- eager, that he has no interest in rushing into a deal, and that there are still some things that need to be decided. You heard similarly from the

Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, someone, of course, who is very close to these negotiations.

He said at one point, it could be a few hours or a few days. So, really hard to parse there the status of where things stand. But as you mentioned,

Max, they have been cleared to try and argue that this, readout on Iranian state TV of what this MOU actually entails is not necessarily where they

believe the status of negotiations are.

[14:05:00]

I think a big part of that, of course, is what they said on Iranian state TV was that, you know, there'd be this idea of -- if the United States were

to withdraw from the vicinity of Iran, and they were also to remove the blockade on Iranian ports, then they would reopen the Strait to pre-war

levels.

One thing that the President, President Trump said in the Q&A portion of this meeting was that, he does not believe Iran has the right to continue

controlling the Strait. He said he -- it belongs to international waters.

But I also think a bigger part of this is, of course, what we heard from Iranian State TV didn't really get into the nuclear question of all of

this. We know the two biggest issues, at least, on the U.S. side, the red lines that the President has is that, one, he wants a firm commitment and

also an enforcement clause that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, that they will not work to develop one.

And then also, the question of what will happen to the highly-enriched uranium that is already in Iran's possession. One thing I just want to add

that he -- that President Trump said here is, he said he would not be comfortable with Iranian allies such as China and Russia to take that

uranium for, you know, the United States to go in and retrieve that in Iran.

He said essentially that, that is a nonstarter for these talks. So, very interesting indeed. The last thing I just want to note that he said was,

this idea that he seems really kind of attached to in recent days of ensuring that Middle East partners sign on to the Abraham Accords.

Of course, that's something that was developed in the first Trump term, one that would normalize relationships with Israel. Kind of interesting, given

especially we know that these Middle Eastern allies are really -- have stepped up their involvement in these negotiations.

It also comes, of course, as we heard from a number of them, the Saudis included, that this is just not something they would agree to, particularly

if there is no pathway to establishing a Palestinian state. So, a lot of uncertainty, I think, about this deal as we come out of this meeting. Max.

FOSTER: Yes, Alayna, thank you. Oren, you know, Trump was actually suggesting that the whole deal could hinge on the Abraham Accords and

recognizing Israel. What's Israel's view on that? And take us through what's happening in Lebanon?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, I think Israel would be happy to see that happen. But frankly, from where we sit right now, it's

largely nonsense. I think Saudi Arabia has made it clear and they're the key player here that they're not making any moves on the Abraham Accords or

normalization with Israel unless there's a clear and viable pathway towards a Palestinian state.

And that's something this Israeli government is actively trying to kill. So, it's not only difficult, it's impossible to see a scenario right now in

which you get these countries to sign on to the Abraham Accords. It remains President Donald Trump's biggest accomplishment from his first term.

And he is still trying to build on it, even suggesting countries like Jordan and Egypt who have had peace with Israel for decades could join the

Abraham Accords. Still, it's just not something that has any real pathway forward here, no matter how much Trump, you know, beats on and on about it.

Part of that is because of the unpopularity of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu throughout virtually the entire Middle East with the possible

exception of United Arab Emirates. Part of that you see in what's happening in Lebanon, Israeli forces issued two more evacuation warnings for the city

of Tyre and Nabatiyeh.

Those are both north of the so-called yellow line, which is the northern boundary of the Israeli-occupied zone in southern Lebanon. Israel has

announced more waves of strikes across parts of Lebanon, including in the Beqaa Valley, which is not in southern Lebanon.

Israel says these are targeting Hezbollah infrastructure sites and trying to push Hezbollah north. But we have seen the devastating effects of these.

On Tuesday, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said some 31 people had been killed in Israeli strikes.

That's one of the deadliest days since the ceasefire went into effect, and at least, nominally, that ceasefire, which was extended by 45 days by

Trump, is supposed to still be in effect right now. But you don't see any evidence of that on the ground, as Israeli forces have begun pushing north

of the yellow line a bit deeper into Lebanon.

FOSTER: OK, Oren, thank you, Alayna as well at the White House. And in about ten minutes time, we'll unpack more on the whiplash over Trump's

possible peace deal with Iran. I'll speak with David Sanger; White House correspondent for the "New York Times".

Now encouraging news meanwhile in Laos. Five out of seven villages have been found alive in that flooded cave. They're now said to be healthy and

in good spirits. And crews will now be bringing them supplies to improve their strength of the journey out of the cave.

They're still there. Meanwhile, the search for the two missing continues. The group became trapped underground when heavy flooding hit the area. And

as CNN's Will Ripley now explains, the next challenge is getting them safely out of that cave.

[14:10:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the moment rescuers found five villagers alive, trapped for a week in a flooded

cave in central Lao. The men say they're not sick, just weak, exhausted and desperately hungry.

Officials say they entered the cave a week ago searching for gold. Heavy rain and flash-flooding sealed the exit behind them. Seven days later,

their first taste of fresh water and soon food and first aid. But the danger is far from over.

Some of the same elite cave divers who helped rescue a soccer team in Thailand in 2018 are back working on this rescue, including Finnish diver

Mikko-Passi. He's helping lead the search and rescue operation, crawling through claustrophobic caverns full of muddy water, he says, getting the

survivors out alive will be extremely difficult and extremely dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's extremely small, tight, complex of tunnels, sort of tight spots in this mine are so tight that you need to exhale to wiggle

through.

RIPLEY: Some tunnels are just 23 inches wide, forcing divers to crawl sideways, flat on their stomachs. They leave the cave covered in mud,

exhausted from searching around the clock, all during monsoon season. In this mountainous jungle region near Lang Tien, once home to a secret CIA

base during the Vietnam war, flash floods can happen in minutes.

Teams are pumping fresh air underground, working to drain the rising water and even establishing an internet signal deep inside the cave --

(MINE CREW MEMBERS JUBILATING)

RIPLEY: Using radar technology to scan narrow underground passages. Rescuers in Laos are hoping for another survival story, like that Thai

soccer team about eight years ago, they spent more than two weeks underground and all made it out alive.

But conditions this time may be even more treacherous. Rising water, tight tunnels and zero visibility, putting rescuers and survivors in danger.

(On camera): What rescuers still don't know is exactly how stable conditions are deeper inside the cave system. Divers say even small changes

in rainfall could quickly raise the water level again during monsoon season, and unlike the Thai cave rescue in 2018, this is an old hand-dug

mining tunnel with concerns about unstable passages, contaminated air and the risk of collapse. Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Joining me now, John Volanthen; he is a diving officer for the British Cave Rescue Council. He also played a key role in the 2018 Tham

Luang Cave Rescue. That was in Thailand, wasn't it? Thank you so much for joining us, and the similarities seem pretty stark here to the rescue you

were involved in.

JOHN VOLANTHEN, DIVING OFFICER, BRITISH CAVE RESCUE COUNCIL: I think there are definitely similarities, in that there are large numbers of people

trapped in a cave, but every cave rescue is different, and so each situation requires a different approach. And I think that's the important

thing here, that whatever the problems that are being encountered need to be addressed.

And it seems to me that the real issue is the size of the passage. That's both a hindrance, and also it means that any water that collects in the

cave is going to rise very much quicker. It also presents an opportunity, though, as potentially there's less water to pump out.

So, it's for the rescuers to try and devise the safest possible way now of bringing the people that they found out of the cave.

FOSTER: And what is that? I know there was discussion last time about, you know, sedating some of the team involved in Thailand, wasn't there? Because

you have to keep everyone safe, and that's often the safest way of doing it. But what sort of considerations will be going through their minds right

now?

VOLANTHEN: In Thailand, that's correct. We sedated the Wild Boar football team to bring them out, but the passage was very much larger. I think what

is first and foremost in my mind at the moment in terms of the situation in Laos, is the weather.

Most of the options are going to absolutely turn on how the weather is and what the rainfall forecast is going to be, because any rising in -- any

rise in water in such a small passage would be critical. In any cave rescue, we would always try and avoid diving where possible.

So, diving for us is an absolute last resort. If it's possible to pump out a cave, then that's always the better option because it's much safer for

the casualties.

[14:15:00]

They don't have to dive to come out. I have no idea if that's possible here, but that would certainly be an option to consider, and I'm sure

that's an option that's being considered.

FOSTER: Also, that balance of not putting the rescuers at risk, adding to the general risk, right? So, how do you balance that? Does it ultimately

come down to each diver deciding for themselves whether they are willing to go in?

VOLANTHEN: I think safety has to be a key -- a key responsibility, both of the organization as a whole, and also of each individual person. There's

safety from a point of view of what's possible in terms of -- as an organization, as you mentioned previously, there's fresh air being pumped

into the cave at a much smaller diameter than perhaps Tham Luang or the previous rescues that I've been involved in.

A large number of people in a cave can rapidly use up all the available oxygen. So, pumping air into the cave is quite an important factor. But it

also comes down to the skill of all of those people involved, and how comfortable they are in that particular environment.

So, it's a balance between both organizational responsibility and also making sure that those on scene are doing the best they can and are

comfortable in the environment they're working in.

FOSTER: I think there's two unaccounted for. I think I'm right in saying that. That would also -- I mean, how would you factor that in? Because

obviously, you know, once you've reached the relatively -- well, the healthy, you know, survivors there, they seem in good spirits by all

accounts.

You know, you just have to keep them fed and watered, presumably. But there's a -- there's an urgency to the fact that there are two missing

people as well. So, how do you -- how does that change the process here?

VOLANTHEN: The cave is linear, as I understand it. And so, it's not like there's a maze of passageways to search. So, again, it's a case of trying

to balance bringing out the five people that are currently alive, feeding them and building up their strength, and also continuing on potentially in

the cave to try and find those that are remaining.

Those tasks are not necessarily mutually exclusive. They could be carried out at the same time. But again, I don't want to speculate because I'm not

on site.

FOSTER: Yes, John, I appreciate your insights anyway with your experience from Thailand. Now, some Russian aggression ripple through Europe. The U.K.

and Poland are signing a new treaty to bolster cooperation on defense and cyber security.

The two already share close ties, but British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the new challenges that Europe faces warrant an even stronger

relationship. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted a significant part of the treaty focuses on cyber security. This comes as the U.K.'s spy chief in

a rare public address, warned of threats from Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNE KEAST-BUTLER, DIRECTOR, GCHQ: One example is the gray zone between peace and war, where Russia is scaling up its daily hybrid activity against

the U.K. and Europe, stretching from the sea-bed to cyberspace, relentlessly targeting critical infrastructure, democratic processes,

supply chains and public trust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN's Sebastian Shukla is across all of this from Berlin for us. I mean, this is where all of Europe does really need to work together,

doesn't it? If -- when it comes to cyber security, because then the threat comes home.

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, that's right, Max, but we're seeing those European nations all working together at various different levels

already. That could be through NATO, it could be through the European Union.

But I think this treaty in particular is much more of a bilateral issue. What they want Warsaw and London to do is to be able to share almost the

intellectual property and know-how that they have, particularly in the military, security and defense sectors, to be able to come together to

build potentially new weapons systems, new air defense systems, new drone systems, anything that would be useful to each other and then it's shared

by each country.

What the Prime Minister has been saying, the British Prime Minister been saying today is that both nations are facing issues to do with cyber

security, and to do with their military safety and security across the board, because both London and Warsaw have been feeling the effects of this

cyber hybrid gray zone attacks, whatever you'd like to call it, lots of them coming from Russia in particular.

And this agreement is basically designed effectively to combat any sort of Russian aggression all together. But it's important to note as well, Max,

that the U.K. does have other agreements like these. And I think what we're seeing here, particularly as we approach the 10th anniversary, can you

imagine that, Max?

Ten years ago, was the Brexit referendum, and we're starting to see the U.K. reach tentacles back into Europe to sign these bilateral agreements,

to make sure that there is a surer footing for those European nations and for the U.K. itself.

[14:20:00]

And whilst the Prime Minister has been taking that 30,000 foot-view almost on the U.K. security, the GCHQ chief today has been giving a little bit

more of that granular detail, which we just heard in that soundbite just before me, where she's effectively saying that cyber security needs to

become a much more important topic and delivered from Bletchley Park chosen, no doubt because of the importance of the signal intelligence and

the cracking of the enigma code by British Intelligence officers during the Second World War.

Delivers the message that the U.K. needs to be au fait and needs to get itself up to speed by almost up to ten times. That's what -- those were her

words, because they're lacking behind the aggressors, China, Iran and Russia.

And the message was very clearly delivered. This is not just a government initiative. This needs to be enacted through board levels, board -- through

boardrooms to living rooms, and that, this is affecting absolutely everybody. And that whether you see it every day or not, we are already

encountering some of those malign activities. Max.

FOSTER: Yes, OK, Sebastian in Berlin, thank you for that. Now, still to come, one deal, two perspectives. A look at the stark differences in what

we're hearing from Donald Trump, and what we're hearing from Iran about that deal to end the war. Plus, Europe's deadly heat-wave. The latest on

the unseasonably warm temperatures.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: We return now to our top story. The efforts to end the U.S. war with Iran. At a cabinet meeting today, Donald Trump said he's in no rush to

strike a deal with Iran, but said he's confident an agreement is close. The U.S. President made a number of statements about the negotiations that seem

very different from what Iran is saying.

Amongst them, his assertion that no country will control the Strait of Hormuz, and that he's not considering easing economic sanctions on Iran to

help sort through all of this. Let's bring in CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger.

He's also a White House correspondent, of course, for the "New York Times". David, thank you so much. I mean, one of the headlines that grabbed me --

DAVID SANGER, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK TIMES: Good to be with you --

FOSTER: Was that Trump doesn't care about the Midterms. I think it's just --

SANGER: Yes --

[14:25:00]

FOSTER: Words in a way, but what did you make of that? Of course, he does, doesn't he?

SANGER: Well, I think what he's trying to say here is that he will not be pushed by the Iranians to drag this out, because the Iranians are guessing

that the Midterms are, in fact, what he's deeply focused on, and that the longer they can keep the high oil -- gas prices up, the more pressure

they're able to go put on the President.

So, he's trying to say, I'm immune from the pressure. I doubt he is. Certainly, the people around him aren't.

FOSTER: Yes, and in terms of this Memorandum of Understanding, we got it, didn't we? From state media, and then that got a pretty fierce reaction

from Washington. Is that something you'd expect? I mean, are you questioning the authenticity of this memorandum?

SANGER: I suspect it's a memorandum that the Iranians would like to sign as opposed to the one that they're busy negotiating. It made no reference

to the fate of the highly-enriched uranium, the near-bomb grade, fuel that Iran has.

It talked about Iranian control of the Strait, as you just indicated, the U.S. position is, it goes back to international -- rules of international

waters. The White House came out pretty quickly and said, this is not the draft we are dealing with.

But it does make you wonder at that moment, did the Iranians turn it out because they're trying to pressure the United States, or did they turn it

out because they want to tell their own people that they're not giving anything away here?

But if in fact, the Iranians think that's the text, then we're a long way from even the signing of this general memorandum, which would then be

followed by a real negotiation on the nuclear program.

FOSTER: Yes, they also -- they also dragged in Oman, didn't it? A key, you know, ally really for the United States in that area. Let's just hear what

President Trump had to say about Oman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The Strait is going to be open to everybody. It's --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And who would control it?

TRUMP: It's international waters -- nobody is going to control it. We're going to watch over it. We'll watch over it, but nobody is going to control

it. That's part of the negotiation that we have. They would like to control it. Nobody is going to control it. It's international waters.

And Oman will behave just like everybody else who will have to blow them up. They understand that. They'll be fine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: We can imagine how that went down in Oman, actually --

SANGER: Yes --

FOSTER: Across the gulf, David.

SANGER: So, Oman is a key American partner there. So, to hear the President say, we'll have to blow them up was a little bit like Greenland

hearing -- well, if we can't win it, you know, we may have to invade.

So, I mean, the question they're going to have to decide is, do you just say this is Trump being Trump? Or do you actually take it seriously?

FOSTER: We were expecting -- you know, the -- I don't know how long it's been since we had a cabinet meeting, a full cabinet meeting like this.

Certainly not, you know, Camp David. What was the symbolism there? Because, you know, the implication yesterday was that there would be a big

announcement, but in the end, they just seem to be batting away a lot of the other thoughts coming in from Iran, for example.

SANGER: They did, you know, the cabinet meetings until now have been these sorts of fests of praise for the President offered by -- up by his cabinet

members. So, the fact that they used this to take a lot of questions from the press, I thought was useful.

I thought it was interesting that the President said that he would not be comfortable with China or Russia taking the enriched uranium out of Iran,

which means the Iranians would have to turn it over to the United States or blend it down inside Iran. And that was a piece of thinking for the

President we had not heard before.

FOSTER: And so, where are we in this peace process, if I can call it that? Because it seems like every day, someone saying, you know, we're close, but

we haven't been, have we? For a while.

SANGER: Well, you know, 11 weeks ago, we had the President say, we've won the war. About ten -- nine or ten weeks ago, he said Iran has agreed to

everything that we've demanded. About eight weeks ago, he said that in return for the ceasefire, the strait would be opened.

None of those things have happened yet. So, the question is, at what point do the Iranians feel as if they really need to get the revenue, which their

economy is obviously hurting, and get the Strait opened?

And then, is there really a negotiation that follows, or do the Iranians just get the Strait back to some position where they can ship their oil out

and others can move through it, and then just try to drag out the negotiations as they successfully did with the Biden administration just a

few years ago.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: OK. David, appreciate it as ever. Thanks for joining us from North Carolina.

Now, the former U.S. Attorney General under Donald Trump says she is fighting cancer. Pam Bondi says she is undergoing treatment for thyroid

cancer and she had surgery just weeks ago. Trump fired Bondi after months of frustration over handling of the Epstein files, which have become a

major headache for the president. Trump was also privately upset over Bondi's failure to prosecute more of his political enemies.

We're going to turn now to those U.S. midterms where Donald Trump has got his wish, but it is Democrats who are actually celebrating. Now, the

firebrand conservative Ken Paxton has won the Republican Senate primary in Texas, meaning incumbent Senator John Cornyn will not be on the ballot this

fall.

Mr. Trump's endorsement of Paxton powered him to an overwhelming victory, but Democrats think they have a chance now to beat Paxton, who has a

history of scandals that may turn off general election voters. It is possible this Texas seat will determine control of the narrowly divided

Senate after the midterm. So, it's a vital one.

Still to come tonight, Europe's dangerous heat wave pressing on. We'll check in with the CNN Weather Center for an update for you.

Plus, a history-making climb. We'll have more on the first Afghan woman to summit Mount Everest after her daring escape from the Taliban.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: A heat wave in Europe is proving relentless. It's not even summer yet. Records are being smashed though. As much of Western Europe endures

temperatures 10 to 15 degrees Celsius above normal this week. Those levels are dangerous. Seven people in France have died due to the heat wave.

[14:35:00]

In Italy, more than a dozen cities are under an amber alert and several are on red alert on Thursday, including Rome. The heat is due to a powerful

heat dome, a phenomenon made more likely and more intense by human-caused climate change.

Derek Van Dam has more from the CNN Weather Center. Tell us about this dome, Derek. Yes, you know,

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. You know, Max, this is brutal, intense early season heat that we are coping with over the western and

central parts of Europe. And it's all to do with a heat dome, an area of high pressure that's parked itself over the region. I'll explain kind of

the specifics behind that.

But just look at this, Madrid, Paris, Barcelona, into Rome. These areas are sweltering under the intense sunshine. People are doing whatever they can

to protect themselves from the intense heat from the sun heading to the water if they have that available to them. But these are mind-boggling kind

of numbers.

We have had record May all-time daytime high records set on Tuesday and then once again for the day on Wednesday. So, all of these individual red

dots, these are all locations that have never experienced temperatures in the month of May as warm as it is right now. Incredible, right?

So, when we talk about the current temperature, you can see we're still rather hot, but not as sweltering as we are during the midday part of the

afternoon. But you can see towards the Iberian Peninsula, temperatures still in the middle 30s. You factor in the humidity as well. It's balmy out

there, believe me, and it can be dangerous if not lethal if you don't have adequate ways to cool yourself off.

So, what is the culprit? This heat dump, right? So, we can think of this as basically a pot of water, right? And as we heat throughout the course of

the day, that lid on top of the pot of water is going to trap the heat inside. And that's basically what's happening now, not allowing the heat to

escape back into the atmosphere.

So, it continues to heat the surface of the ground and it really just acts as that lid, that barrier preventing any kind of relief. And it takes a lot

to push those heat domes away from continental Europe and even into North America as well. There has been some gradual relief across northwestern

sections of the U.K., but extreme southeast England, including London, that area still is going to be warm through the course of at least the majority

of the weekend. And then you get towards the Adriatic and into the Iberian Peninsula will be sweltering.

Look at the temperatures for Madrid, middle 30s. We're talking about the lower to middle 30s for Rome. We're 10 to 10 to 15 degrees above where we

should be this time of year. Places like Paris into Rome, it should not be this warm. So, when you factor this in and the lack of air conditioning

within homes, you've got some issues, Max.

FOSTER: Yes, we've got a real lack of that in the U.K., I have to say, because -- well, as you say, we're not prepared for these temperatures.

Derek, thank you so much.

Now, climate change is also impacting the lowest point on earth. That is the Dead Sea. Scientists say the intensely salty body of water is itself

dying, shrinking annually for decades due to man-made causes. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more on the sea's alarming changes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jake Ben Zaken is one of the only people licensed to operate a boat on the Dead Sea. And

for the last 12 years, that's what he's done.

DIAMOND: So, you know it well?

JAKE BEN ZAKEN, FOUNDER, SALTY LANDSCAPES: Yeah. I got to see all the faces.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Giving him an unparalleled view of one of Earth's natural wonders, the fast-moving environmental disaster threatening its

existence.

BEN ZAKEN: So, every year, we get about new 7.5 meters of new shoreline because the sea is dropping.

DIAMOND (voice-over): The Dead Sea is dying. Its surface area has shrunk by about one-third in the last 50 years, and its salt-encrusted shores now

stand as a testament to the rapid pace of change.

BEN ZAKEN: This is last year, two years ago. Every step, it's here.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Each step shows how much the sea level has dropped from one year to the next, at a rate of about four feet per year, like

nothing else in the world.

Dr. Yael Kiro has been studying the Dead Sea for over a decade.

DIAMOND: There's no other place on Earth like the Dead Sea?

DR. YAEL KIRO, GEOCHEMIST, WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE: No, no.

DIAMOND (voice-over): To understand why it is shrinking and what can be done about it.

KIRO: The main reason is because of the utilization of the water resources around the Dead Sea. This contributes around 60 percent of the drop. And

then there is the Dead Sea factories, both the Jordanian and the Israelis, that pump directly the brine and evaporate it in order to extract minerals.

And they contribute about 40 percent for the lake level drops.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Israel's Dead Sea Works and Jordan's Arab Potash Company pump tens of billions of gallons of water out of the Dead Sea each

year, evaporating much of that water to extract potash and magnesium, key fertilizer ingredients.

[14:40:00]

Some who want to save the Dead Sea have proposed building a pipeline and pumping water in from the Red Sea. Others advocate for replenishing the

Jordan River, allowing the water to flow naturally into the Dead Sea. But while ideas abound, government action is still missing.

The impact isn't just environmental. It's also financial. This graveyard of palm trees and graffiti buildings was once a thriving beach resort. The

road leading to it explains why it's been abandoned.

DIAMOND: Tourists used to take this road all the time to get to the Dead Sea, but now sinkholes like this one line its path, and the whole area has

been abandoned. And the concern is that more sinkholes will continue to happen as the Dead Sea drops, and tourism will be severely impacted.

DIAMOND (voice-over): These sinkholes are caused by an underground layer of salt that is now dissolving.

DIAMOND: This sinkhole is a direct result of the Dead Sea water levels dropping?

KIRO: Yes. Since the lake level started to drop, this salt layer, instead of being exposed to the Dead Sea brine, it is exposed to more fresh water,

and then eventually you get a collapse. [02:55:00]

DIAMOND (voice-over): Aboard his boat, Ben Zaken says he sees new evidence of the Dead Sea's man-made decay every day, and the uncertainty it spells

for its future and his own.

DIAMOND: What do you call all of this? I mean, what we're witnessing, the way in which it's sinking, how do you qualify all of it?

BEN ZAKEN: You can say an ecological disaster, you know, because it is. And it's also a demographical disaster, because it is. And it's also one of

the wonders of the world, because it is. You know, I qualify it as home.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the Dead Sea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now, to a daring and perilous escape after three failed attempts. A Chinese dissident has successfully completed a 30-hour sea crossing to

South Korea. He's hoping he won't be returned to China and instead allowed to join his family in Canada. CNN's Ivan Watson has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A Chinese dissident is in South Korean custody after making a dangerous escape by sea from China

to the Korean coast. The dissident in question is 68-year-old Dong Guangping. And I spoke with a family friend and a fellow Chinese dissident

based in Canada who managed to speak to Dong by telephone. And this is what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHENG XUE, CHINESE ACTIVIST: He spent more than 30 hours to cross the sea. And he said, oh, I was almost passed out when I got here. He said, thanks,

God, because he said also the engine of his robber boat was broken at that time. And so, it was very dangerous for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON Dong Guangping was originally a police officer from Hunan province who lost his job decades ago because he co-signed a letter that was

commemorating the 10th anniversary of the deadly 1989 crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square. And since then, he's gotten in trouble and

been jailed for his human rights activism.

In 2015, he tried to flee China with his wife and daughter to Thailand and request asylum. But Thai authorities returned him forcibly to China, where

he ultimately spent more than three years in prison. At the time, I interviewed his wife, who'd been granted asylum in Canada, and she accused

the Chinese government of kidnapping Dong.

He has made subsequent failed attempts to try to escape China, including trying to swim to an island off the coast of Taiwan, where he lost his

bearings and was ultimately rescued by Chinese fishermen and returned to China. So, now, after these repeated attempts and repeated jail sentences,

he's finally made it to the Korean coast.

Now, journalists asked China's foreign ministry about this at a regular press briefing about Dong's case, and the officials there declined to

comment. South Korean authorities have confirmed to CNN that South Korean fishermen first spotted this small boat off of the coast and confirmed that

there was a Chinese man in his 60s that was on board. His lawyer has confirmed his identity to us. The South Korean Coast Guard says that Dong

is now arrest on suspicion of immigration law, and his case will later be passed on to prosecutors.

[14:45:00]

In 2023, there was another dramatic case of a different Chinese dissident who made a perilous journey across the sea to Korea on a jet ski. At the

time, he was equipped with little more than a helmet, binoculars, a compass, and five cans full of fuel.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Amazing you made it, isn't it? We'll be right back after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: This week, we are exploring the global rise of K-beauty as part of K-Everything, a CNN original series with Daniel Dae Kim. Now, in South

Korea's competitive job market it's common to a passport photo -- to add a passport photo to your resume, but with some enhancements. David -- or

Daniel, rather, gets his photo taken in Seoul to learn why investing in appearance is so important.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANIEL DAE KIM, HOST, K-EVERYTHING (through translator): Hello.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Helly.

KIM (through translator): I need a photo for my resume. Could you help me with that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Yes.

KIM: To naturalize myself with balance, quite pretty like a selfie, do it excessively make me a goddess? OK, I wonder.

KIM (voice-over): If you want to get a job in Korea, you're coming to a place like this, Studio Photobi.

KIM: OK.

YUJIN PI, STUDIO MANAGER, STUDIO PHOTOBI: And now, I'm going to retouch a little bit. OK. Start from the skin job.

KIM: So, this is a normal process for anyone who's looking for a job, is that right?

PI: Yes, yes, Exactly.

KIM: Wow, you're faster than A.I.

KIM (voice-over): Many Koreans add photos to their resume, including enhancements, and it's not just about vanity.

KIM: Let's see what my lips look like with some color.

KIM (voice-over): It's an investment in yourself and your job prospects.

KIM: OK. So, it's not just the face, it's the whole body you will change.

KIRYUNG KIM, STUDIO MANAGER, TUDIO PHOTOBI: I think Koreans usually want a natural V-shape. Korean style.

KIM: This is Korean style?

K. KIM: Yes.

KIM: OK. So, that's before, after. I also look 10 years younger. I've never seen a photo of myself like this before. If I'm ever going to look

like a K-pop idol, it's this photo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:50:00]

FOSTER: You can stream the full series in the U.S. on the CNN app and globally on HBO Max. Still to come on this show tonight, from surviving a

deadly Taliban attack as a teenager, to becoming the first Afghan woman to climb Mount Everest. We'll have the story of River Ahmad up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Now, from escaping the Taliban and now to climbing Mount Everest, River Ahmad has become the first woman from Afghanistan to reach the summit

of the world's highest mountain. And it's been quite the journey for her to get there. She spoke to Isa from Kathmandu just a few days after her

remarkable achievement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): River Ahmad has just made history as the first Afghan woman to summit Mount Everest.

RIVER AHMAD, FIRST AFGHAN WOMAN TO CLIMB MOUNT EVEREST: I feel so powerful after the summit. That was amazing feeling. I never had that feeling that I

had up there. This is so beautiful.

SOARES (voice-over): Standing at the highest point on earth to highlight the plight of women and girls back home in Afghanistan.

AHMAD: If I can climb this mountain, the highest mountain in the world, as the first Afghan woman in this part of the history, with those kind of

struggle, one day we can climb this part of the history and we have to have hope.

SOARES (voice-over): Hope has been her driving force after a life that has been nothing short of a miracle. She survived a deadly Taliban attack as a

teenager, faking her own death with menstrual blood.

AHMAD: When I saw the Taliban, like they were walking to me and I would just cover my eyes. And I was like, how I should act that I am dead and

these people not noticed. But I hold my breath and these people checked that I pretend that I'm dead. And it was a scary time. It was so scary. I

carry that memory up to Everest too.

And then they checked that they thought, oh, this lady is dead, when they moved out of the bus and was like, am I alive?

SOARES (voice-over): Twelve people were killed in that attack in 2014, she said. River was one of three survivors. She found solace in mountaineering.

AHMAD: Climbing is not easy at all. And you have to put your 100 percent to get to the top.

[14:55:00]

And you have to dedicate your time and your determination to do this. I put it this because world forget about Afghanistan right now. It is almost five

years. The situation is getting worse and worse. The child marriage and education back home there. And I thought the only things that I can do is

to climb and bring awareness for women and girls back home and to encourage them.

And by climbing to see me and how I am challenging my body, my limits to get to the top and to encourage them to.

SOARES (voice-over): A message of strength and defiance as the Taliban continues to tighten its holds on the life of women and girls in

Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Finally, from one height to the next, we are getting a sneak peek at how humans will survive on the moon. Because NASA has revealed the first

phase of its plans for a moon base. The space agency has placed millions of dollars of orders with private companies for moon buggies, landers and

drones. And NASA hopes to have all of these lunar vehicles ready before it sends people to the moon in 2028.

Thank you for watching tonight. Stay with CNN. I'll have "What We Know" coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:00:00]

END