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4,000 People Trapped By Fire On Beach In Australia; Former Nissan Boss Carlos Ghosn Flees Japan; Woman Says She Was Pressured Into Retracting Her Accusations. Aired 1-1:30a ET

Aired December 31, 2019 - 01:00   ET

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

[01:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The man accused of attacking a Hanukkah celebration with a machete.

We start in Australia where authorities estimate around 4,000 people are trapped on a beach in Mallacoota by a fast-moving fire. Residents of this resort town in the state of Victoria say the smoke was so thick, it blocked out the sun, and the morning sky turned from pitch black to blazing red as the flames got closer. Bushfires continue to burn across the country but Victoria and New South Wales have been the hardest hit.

And for more on these fast-moving developments, we want to turn to CNN Simon Cullen, who joins us now from Bowral in New South Wales. So Simon, what is the latest on the fires there and of course, across the state.

SIMON CULLEN, JOURNALIST: Hi, Rosemary. Well, as you can see, the sky behind me is thick with smoke. The closest fire is just a few kilometers over the hill behind me. There's actually bushfire ash falling from the sky. This is a state where dozens of fires are burning out of control.

In fact, a fire not far from me in the other direction is tragically where two people have lost their lives today. It's possible a third -- a third person is missing, presumed dead. Authorities have not been able to recover a body in that case. And this is an addition to a tragic news yesterday where a young firefighter lost his life as his -- the truck that he was in flipped over because of a heavy gust of wind. He leaves behind him a pregnant wife.

Now, this is a state that has been battling fires now for several months. The situation is becoming critical for many communities. It's a -- it's a state where so many people now are nervous facing the New Year, just as they face the last few weeks in crisis.

CHURCH: And Simon, of course, one of the biggest concerns right now is for the 4,000 people trapped on a beach in the resort town of Mallacoota in the state of Victoria which is south of New South Wales for our viewers maybe not sure of the geography here of Australia. So what more are you learning about that situation? CULLEN: It's unprecedented, Rosemary. I mean, the fire situation in Victoria is so intense there that authorities have warned people that it's too late to leave. It's meant that those 4,000 people have been forced to flee to the beachfront to escape the fire front.

Now, some people even took to the water to get away from the fires. There are firefighters on the ground. There's not much they can do though apart from watch and wait. Here's a little bit of what authorities had to say earlier today, Rosemary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WARRINGTON, CHIEF OFFICER, COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY: Mallacoota is currently under attack at the moment. There's a number of houses we believe is lost in and around that community. We've got three strike teams sitting in with the community literally standing side by side with that community at the beachfront.

As -- that will protect the two townships up to two -- up to two streets in that but reports are spoken to the crews on the ground probably half an hour ago, it is pitch black. It is quite scary in their community. The community right now is under threat, but I will be -- we will hold a line and they will be safe and protected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CULLEN: So that's the Victorian fire chief warning people just to stay put if they can. Now, the news in the last few hours is the conditions have eased somewhat. But people are still trapped along these coastal communities. And for many people, it is a nervous way to see what happens with those fire fronts, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes. And some of those images we've seen of people on the beaches, it is a real concern as they await some form of evacuation. Simon Cullen joining us there live from Bowral in New South Wales, many things to you. And we're joined now by Caitlin Nobes who is on vacation in Bermagui, that is in New South Wales.

Caitlin, talk to us about the situation with the bushfires. I know you've been evacuated. You're in an evacuation center and we'll talk about that, but I just want to get the details on the bush fires surrounding the area right now.

CAITLIN NOBES, EVACUEE, BERMAGUI, NEW SOUTH WALES: Sure. Hi, Rosemary, firstly. Yes, it's been a pretty crazy day, I would say. We're going to do (INAUDIBLE) sort of a couple of bushfires around us. We're safe where we are at the moment. We are sort of on the cars. And yes, definitely safe where we are but all sort of road in around us with inquiries and all of those surrounding. Surrounding communities have sort of retreated to -- into town, into Bermagui.

CHURCH: And Caitlin, as you've been speaking with us, we've been looking at some video that you actually talk and we can see the red sky there. Talk to us about your circumstances, what happened and when were you evacuated?

[01:05:04]

NOBES: Yes. So we sort of received a message at about 6:00 a.m. this morning, just enough friends and that sort of advice surrounding communities coming to Bermagui. From we come outside and realized that as far as the sun hadn't come out yet, and it was about 7:00 a.m. at that point, and it was still pitch black and that sort of continued until about 9:00 where it sort of -- you will get some sort of had that red blaze of that.

And then since then it sort of been changing throughout the day and it does change quite quickly and indecisive about to say minutes that can go from sort of quiet dark, to quiet less, and then back to really smoky haze again. So it's been a bit of a whirlwind of a day but quite a long one as well. It's crazy. It feels like it's the middle of the night, be honest.

CHURCH: And I understand that there were some 10,000 people in the evacuation center where you were which just seems extraordinary. What are the -- what's the situation as far as services go, sewage, water, access to food, all of those sorts of things?

NOBES: Yes. So the support service here are being really good. They set up at the surf club and had food and water, and sharing as many updates as they could. And then now they've just sort of opened up this country club, given that it's 5:00 and it's getting a little bit later the day to offer some catering and some more services there because we have lost power here now. (INAUDIBLE) on the generator and (INAUDIBLE) is on a generator as well.

So the supermarket is still open, but yes, at one point, there was definitely, I would have said 10,000 people that -- I'd say maybe that's half now. A lot of people have gone out to a place called Narooma which is about 20 minutes from view which they were advising just because that is probably a bit more well-resourced.

For the next couple of days, it's probably going to be a bit uncomfortable here in terms of food supply and power and in of the sewer system and that sort of thing. So that's why they were advising people to go up to Narooma. So there's definitely still a few thousand people here though.

CHURCH: Right. And Caitlin, for you of course, you live in Melbourne, so you're just vacationing there, you can eventually go home. But for a lot of these people, they may very well have lost their homes and have nowhere to go. So what are their plans?

NOBES: Yes, that's the sad and the frightening part of course. Even the people that have been advising us the whole day, I heard them say that they've lost their homes and families have lost their homes and they're still out here trying to help us and you know keep us as calm and comfortable as possible. So yes, you're right. We really can go home. I'm not sure how we will get home at the moment. We're meant to be heading home on Thursday for a funeral actually, but at the moment I don't know.

But is that going to happen just because all the road closures and now -- and now our way home is (INAUDIBLE) which unfortunately has been affected quite severely today as well. So yes, I suppose it's just a real -- a real somber feeling around and unknown is the scary part as well. I haven't -- I haven't felt that I'm not safe, but it's just that the unknown of what going to happen and what could happen is scary.

CHURCH: Yes, I totally understand and very sorry to hear the circumstances under which you need to return home. Caitlin Nobes, thank you so much for talking with us. We do appreciate it. So let's turn to Meteorologist Ivan Cabrera now joining us with more.

And the last hour, Ivan, we talked about these lower temperatures that came through, which many would think would be a great thing, but in fact, it brought more wind, isn't it, which is not good at all.

IVAN CABRERA, CNN INTERNATIONAL METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it brought more wind and from a completely different direction, Rosemary. And so that has been messing with the firefighting efforts here and has been causing what we call erratic fire behavior, right? I mean, it is -- literally that's what's happening. The fire is just going all over the place. We have winds in all sorts of directions, but primarily a flow coming in out of the South.

We're working all these fires here. We have upwards of 130 plus, and now 16 of those, unlike yesterday have jumped to emergency warnings. That's as high as it's going to go, right, completely out of control. Burning out of control, and firefighting efforts just really not that they're not working, they're not able to get to the fire to be able to start. I mean, that's how strong the winds have been blowing here.

And I've been showing you this satellite perspective here, fascinating stuff. There you see, the fires coming in and the radar beam bouncing off of ash and particulates and all this and we have numerous fires coming out. And then we have this other boundary, that's going to be the wind shift there.

[01:10:15]

And I'll get it a little bit closer because I want to show you on the satellite perspective, you can also see the plumes of smoke up well into the atmosphere. Now, some of that is getting up into the atmosphere and it's flowing towards the water, towards the ocean, but a lot of that is too heavy to be suspended in air.

And so what you saw there from Simon, that's when you get the ash coming down, and that's what the smoke is doing as well. A lot of that stays at the surface where we're breathing it in, and so this is a problem. And the case in point here, one of the beaches here just looking horrible as this ash continues to rain down from the sky.

All right, so 20s here. We've cooled down. We have the 30s that are ongoing. This boundary will continue to sweep through essentially -- well, it passes through Victoria but New South Wales, we'll get in on that. But unfortunately, it will not be providing us with any significant precipitation. If anything, it will make things worse, one because of the wind shift, but also you have some isolated thunderstorms.

There's just a very little moisture to work with, Rosemary, that lightning storm could produce additional fires and we've seen that 50, 60 kilometers per hour winds continuing here over the next few days, and I just don't see any significant rain in the forecast here. So we are going to stay pretty much bone dry.

So the firefighting efforts are going to have to find those windows when the winds do subside somewhat and they can take better control but for the time being, that's about all we have for all those heroes on the ground.

CHURCH: They are -- they are the heroes, definitely in this story. Many thanks to Ivan for bring us up to date on the situation.

CABRERA: You bet.

CHURCH: I appreciate it. Well, the ousted chairman of Nissan has fled Japan where he was awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges. Carlos Ghosn flew into Lebanon Monday raising questions about how he avoided court-imposed restrictions on his movements. David Culver is in Hong Kong and joins us now with the latest.

So, David, what more are you learning about how Ghosn was able to flee Japan and end up in Lebanon?

DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, that's the biggest question. This guy was on bail and was expected to go to trial sometime in early 2020. It seems the logistics behind this, Rosemary, remain a mystery.

And even our CNN team in Japan has reached out to sources. Those sources seem baffled as to how this unfolded. But we know that he did flee Lebanon -- flee Japan rather and went to Lebanon because well, quite frankly, he tells us himself. He released this statement in fact. I'm going to read part of it to you.

This was released through a public relations firm. This is what Ghosn says. He says, "I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied." It goes on to say, "I had not fled justice, I have escaped injustice and political persecution."

All of this dates back to November of 2018. That's when Ghosn was arrested, and he was charged by Japanese authorities with mishandling funds. He was essentially accused of transferring some personal investment losses to Nissan's side of things and for funneling some funds elsewhere, particularly to perhaps friends or other people that he knew.

So those were the charges that he was facing, and that's why he was initially arrested, and then was released about 100 days later, then was retaken into custody, and then was released again in April where he's been on bail since living in his home in Tokyo. But this is a guy who has had wide success for his work with Nissan.

The success that has really made him an industry Titan. He was seen as a visionary. He was particularly credited with creating this global automotive alliance with not only Nissan but Mitsubishi and Renault.

So now here he's found himself in a moment of escaping Japan and it seems returning to Lebanon, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, thank you so much, David Culver bringing us the latest on that developing story. I appreciate it. Well, suspect in a horrifying stabbing attack during Hanukkah celebrations is now facing hate crime charges. How investigators say his journal entries and search history point to anti-Semitism.

Plus, a British team in Cyprus claims she was gang-raped, retracted the accusation, and then was found guilty of lying to police. But was she forced into changing her story? We'll have the details after the break.

[01:15:00]

COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The suspect accused of going on a stabbing spree at a rabbi's home in New York State is now facing federal hate crime charges. That's after investigators outline journal entries, and Internet searchers pointing to anti-Semitic beliefs. But Grafton Thomas' attorney says he is mentally ill. CNN's Miguel Marquez has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tonight, federal hate crime charges layout what prosecutors say was the anti-Semitic motivation behind a machete-wielding attack on Hasidic Jews at a rabbi's home in the middle of a Hanukkah celebration.

Investigators say on the suspect's phones internet history from recent days, searches for synagogues in New York in New Jersey. The search terms, why did Hitler hate the Jews and prominent companies founded by Jews in America?

From the 37-year-old's home, investigators say they recovered handwritten journals expressing anti-Semitic sentiments and references to the Black Hebrew Israelite movement which asserts they are the true descendants of ancient Israelites and Jews are interlopers.

The teachings of the same group were connected says a law enforcement official to the attack on a kosher market in New Jersey earlier this month.

JOSEF GLUCK, SURVIVED STABBING ATTACK: He's gone after me, hey you, I'll get you.

MARQUEZ: Josef Gluck was in the rabbi's home when the suspect walked in and announced. The investigators, no one is leaving. Wielding an 18-inch machete and according to court documents began stabbing and slashing people. Five people suffered serious injuries including a severed finger, slash wounds, and deep lacerations. One remains in critical condition with a skull fracture.

GLUCK: I decided to come back to the front door. I opened the door, saw an older gentleman bleeding. He stayed in there and the attacker came back from the kitchen to the main room.

MARQUEZ: Gluck had the presence of mind to chase the attacker to his car and get his license plate number. Less than two hours after the attack, the suspect was arrested by NYPD officers as he returned to Manhattan. The video of that arrest captured on security camera and released by NYPD.

Investigator say, his clothing and hands had blood on them and the car smelled of bleach in a possible attempt to wash away evidence.

MICHAEL SUSSMAN, ATTORNEY OF THE SUSPECT: My impression from speaking with him is that he needs serious psychiatric evaluation.

MARQUEZ: The suspect's family says he is a former Marine and is not anti-semitic but does have mental health issues. His lawyer says he looked over the same journals described by investigators.

SUSSMAN: There is no suggestion in any of those ramblings and pages of writing of an anti-Semitic motive.

MARQUEZ: Miguel Marquez, CNN, Rockland County, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A British woman plans to appeal after being found guilty of lying to police when she claimed she had been gang-raped in Cyprus, but she insists she was forced to change her story. CNN's Mark Bolton has the details.

MARK BOLTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A 19-year-old British woman has been found guilty of lying to Cyprus police over claims that she was raped by 12 Israeli youth. The claims surround an alleged attack on July the 17th in Ayia Napa. 10 days after making the accusation, she retracted his statements and was arrested by Cyprus police.

The judge handing down the guilty verdict said she made convenient and evasive statements that she hadn't told the truth in court. She said she'd fabricated the events because she was ashamed that her sexual acts had been filmed on mobile phones.

In course, the unnamed lady insisted that she had been raped and that she was pressurized into changing her account. Her legal team believe there are several grounds for appeal.

[01:20:43]

MICHAEL POLAK, LAWYER OF THE DEFENDANT: She was kept there for seven hours, over seven hours without a lawyer, without a translator. And she says immense pressure was placed upon her to give that retraction statement. She was actually sending social media messages to our friends saying, they said I'm not allowed of lawyer, they threaten a terrestrial view. They said, the next time I'll see my mother will be in handcuffs if I don't give them a retraction statements.

BOLTON: In court, the British woman admitted she was in a consensual sexual relationship with one of the men. But on the alleged occasion, the others arrived uninvited, held her down and raped her. None of the 12 Israeli youth accused were in court for the proceedings.

A lawyer for four of the 12 said he hoped a harsh punishment would be imposed to reflect the damage done to his clients. The woman has already spent over a month in jail, had her passport removed, and hasn't been able to leave the island.

The sentence will be handed down on January the seventh. She faces up to a year of jail time. Mark Bolton, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: We have this programming note for you. Be sure to tune into CNN for a new documentary. John Defterios takes us around the United States to see how the shale oil and gas boom has revolutionized the nation's energy policy and transform the global landscape. It's part of our global energy series which examines how we can transition to cleaner energy while also satisfying a demand for more power.

The Global Energy Challenge is Tuesday at the times seen there on your screen. We'll be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well, 2019 is coming to a close. This past year, we continue to witness tragedies, including war and violent political unrest, but we also saw plenty of endearing moments that made us laugh, cry, and share. CNN Scott McLean takes a look at some of the most uplifting stories from the past 12 months.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For a lot of people and a lot of places, 2019 was a tough year. There were protests, and crackdowns, disinformation wars, and conventional ones too. Of all the words to describe the past year, uplifting probably isn't one of them. But there were a few reasons to smile.

In Lebanon, the biggest protests in more than a decade were a frightening scene for a 15-month-old baby but not for long. A chorus of protesters near Beirut gave the child and the country a brief respite from the political crisis.

It was a different kind of crisis that inspired a Swedish teenager to stage a weekly protests demanding action on climate change. Greta Thunberg's message hasn't always been well received, but plenty of people found inspiration in a team uniting millions around the world this year. [01:25:26]

GRETA THUNBERG, CLIMATE ACTIVIST: As of today, we are millions around the world striking and marching again and we will keep on doing it until they listen.

MCLEAN: On the Galapagos Islands, a giant tortoise was spotted in 2019, not to be extinct for more than a century, the extremely rare member of the Fernandina Island species was spotted in February, and researchers think she's not the only one.

Researchers in the lab made breakthroughs that gave hope to millions for the second time ever an HIV patient went into sustained remission, showing no active signs of the virus for 18 months. Separately, scientists made progress in identifying the genetic variants associated with risk of Alzheimer's.

On the road, Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge did what no human had ever done, finishing a marathon in less than two hours.

ELIUD KIPCHOGE, ATHLETE: I'm the happiest man to run under two hours in order to inspire many people, to tell people that no human is limited.

MCLEAN: Boundaries were also pushed in Botswana after a court struck down laws criminalizing homosexuality. And Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. And it was the South African rugby team who taught us a lesson about teamwork. It was the third World Cup title for the former apartheid state, but the first one with a black captain.

Siya Kolisi, a beacon of hope to young South Africans became a global sensation, trading poverty in the townships for glory on the pitch.

SIYA KOLOSI, ATHLETE: We're grateful to see that we are able to achieve such a -- to touch a nation and touch the world with more to love playing sports.

MCLEAN: The historic win took place in Japan where one city had to fire its tourism mascot after videos of a rogue imposters spread quickly across social media, dancing on poles and making a mess. The unsanctioned behavior prompted complaints in Japan that gave the rest of the world a much-needed laugh. Scott McLean, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And thanks so much for your company here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with the headlines in just a moment.

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