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Mounting Russian Invasion of Ukraine Feared; Falling U.S. COVID Cases; China Sends Warplanes Inside Taiwan's Air Defense Zone; Two Police Killed, One Injured Due to Rising Gun Violence. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 24, 2022 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" and I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead, the U.S. State Department reduces staff in Kiev as Russian troops increase their military presence near Ukraine. What can be done to prevent a new war in the region?

Thousands of anti-vax, anti-mask, misinformation peddlers protests mandates from D.C. to Brussels as COVID-19 continues to kill.

Plus, what's the good Wordle? The five-letter pop culture craze that's become an addiction for many of us.

Good to have you with us. Well, U.S. President Joe Biden is said to be discussing options to bolster troop levels in Eastern Europe amid fears of a possible Russian invasion in Ukraine. At the same time, the U.S. State Department says it will be reducing staff levels at the embassy in Kiev starting with nonessential staff and family members.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has now amassed more than 127,000 troops in the region. And as tensions remain high, America's top diplomat has issued one of his strongest warnings yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: If a single additional Russian force goes into Ukraine in an aggressive way, as I said, that would trigger a swift, a severe and a united response from us and from Europe. And, again, there are other things that Russia could do that fall short of actually sending additional forces into Ukraine. And again, across the board, we're prepared with Europe for a swift and calibrated and very united response. We're looking at every single scenario, preparing for every single one. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Ukraine's defense minister says his country has received a second weapons shipment from the United States tweeting that more than 80 tons of weapons will help strengthen its defense capabilities. The first shipment arrived on Friday.

U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are weighing in on how the U.S. should respond if Russia invades Ukraine. And one Republican congressman blames Russia's military buildup on the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE MCCAUL (R-TX): I think this all started, Margaret, with Afghanistan and the unconditional surrender to the Taliban. When he saw weakness, weakness invites aggression. We saw that with Chamberlain, Hitler. You know, Reagan talked about peace or strength.

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): I think our work in the Senate and President Biden's work to strengthen deterrence is what is hopefully going to succeed, but I am gravely concerned that Putin will show once again aggression in Europe and cross the boundary into Ukraine in the coming days or weeks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who served in the Trump administration, suggested the U.S. should respect Vladimir Putin's power.

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MIKE POMPEO, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: We had deterrence for four years. Vladimir Putin didn't do these kind of things. He didn't threaten, he didn't use coercive activity to try to push back on NATO on the way he did. We made sure NATO was focused on its mission. And when we did that, Vladimir Putin respected us, we had respect for him and his power. He's a very talented statesman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, let's head to Moscow now where CNN's Nic Robertson is standing by. Good to see you, Nic. So, of course, it is impossible to get inside the mind of Vladimir Putin to figure out what exactly he plans to do in the end. But what's his likely intent given what we know so far and how might the withdrawal of nonessential U.S. embassy staff play into his plans, do you think?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLMATIC EDITOR: Well, his stated intent is to draw Ukraine back into Russia's orbit of influence. That's his stated intent. His stated intent doesn't include invasion according to his government officials, but he has the military pressure and capability to do it and is growing that pressure and capability by expanding military exercises in Belarus, which brings his forces very close to the capital Kiev and therefore, the potential for attack the country, Ukraine, from not just the east, not just the south, where he's already annexed Crimea, but from the north as well.

[02:05:02]

His intent is certainly, you know, what President Biden was trying to understand when he was getting briefed by his national security officials and other -- and others at the weekend at Camp David. And certainly, the hangover, if you will, for President Biden, the legacy of Afghanistan and missteps there in trying to predict what could happen does seem to sort of hang over what he's doing at the moment.

Drawing down the staff in the embassy was something he was criticized for not doing in a timely fashion in Afghanistan. And also responding to allies' concerns during the drawdown in Afghanistan was something that he was criticized for as well. And here, this additional troop response between 1,000 and 5,000 troops that's being discussed to go to the Baltic States and eastern European states is at a request of NATO partners.

And would include troops and equipment either already in Europe or from the United States. But, you know, that Afghanistan hangover, if you will, and how that shapes his response now is also, of course, shaping President Putin's thinking that, you know, this is a moment of weakness among NATO partners after what happened last summer.

CHURCH: Yes. And, Nic, more weapons arrived for Ukraine as the U.S. warns of a swift and united response if Russia invades Ukraine. But how much of a deterrent is all of for President Putin? And from a diplomatic standpoint, what are the possible off-ramps still available?

ROBERTSON: Well, the significant possible off-ramp that seems to be, you know, the best one available to him right now would be an arms control agreement or a number of arms control agreements and agreements to reduce forces both in the sort of eastern part of -- the western part of Russia and the eastern part of Europe when NATO is and where Putin says he has concerns.

But that's a minimalist part of the sort of maximalist demands that NATO, you know, deny Ukraine membership and also go back to 1997 levels. So, the off-ramp just doesn't seem to be a particularly likely off-ramp at the moment. How this, the military support that's being given to Ukraine at the moment affects President Putin's calculus, it certainly intended to while he's going through a decision making phase at the moment of what to do next.

It's supposed to send the message that although there won't be western NATO troops joining Ukrainian troops, although the U.S. special forces training Ukrainian special forces right now, there will be more sophisticated armaments, sophisticated anti-tank weapons, surface-to- air missiles that are being supplied, and that's supposed to impact -- intended to impact President Putin's calculus because it was signaled that there would be greater casualties, Russian casualties, should there be an invasion.

Again, Russia keeps saying it's not planning an invasion, but this signals there would be a greater cost for troops and therefore politically for President Putin if he makes, in the U.S. eyes, a wrong move.

CHURCH: Watching this all very closely. CNN's Nic Robertson live for us from Moscow. Many thanks.

Well, COVID cases in the United States appear to be trending down. Many states are reporting far fewer cases than the week before. So, could the pandemic be nearing an end? But Dr. Anthony Fauci says we should not be overconfident, but it is a step in the right direction.

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ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: There are still some states in the southern states and western states that continue to go up. But if the pattern follows the trend that we're seeing in other places such as the northeast, I believe that you will start to see a turn-around throughout the entire country. So, things are looking good. We don't want to get overconfident, but they look like they're going in the right direction right now.

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CHURCH: And in Washington, D.C., protesters gathered to express their anger at government vaccination mandates. The "Defeat the Mandates" rally took place on the National Mall Sunday. Organizers said they expected 20,000 to attend, but only a few thousand showed up. CNN's Joe Johns was there and has the story.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: No secret America is polarized over the issue of vaccines. And this event on the National Mall was visual evidence of that fact.

[02:09:59]

One of the things that people were concerned about at the very outset was that it was being billed as an event for medical autonomy. In other words, the right not to get the shot or the right not to wear a mask. But this event, of course, went a little bit farther than that.

UNKNOWN: I'm in a health care worker, and so that has brought me out here due to the issues that I've had with my job and my current vaccination status.

Multiple issues with H.R. and doctors treating me differently and discriminating against me because of my choices.

UNKNOWN: You should be able to believe what you want to believe, no matter what. And that's why I'm here. As long as you don't hurt anybody in this country, you could do anything you want.

JOHNS: It's very difficult to generalize about the crowd other than to say that one of the things that brought them together was criticism of the Biden administration's handling of vaccines and Dr. Fauci. Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: These protests are concerning for a number of reasons including the likelihood that so many of the people marching are unvaccinated and unmasked. And I spoke earlier with Dr. Scott Miscovich, a national consultant for COVID testing about the dangers.

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SCOTT MISCOVICH, U.S. NATIONAL CONSULTANT FOR COVID-19 TESTING: They must not be getting the real data to show how risky it is to be out there not wearing a mask and to be not vaccinated. The data is crystal clear, Rosemary. Fifty times increase of chance of death or being hospitalized in the ICU or severe disease. I mean, when you are vaccinated, you are up here with your chances. The lines for the people who are vaccinated and boosted, they are down here. It's almost nil the chance of dying if you've been boosted or vaccinated. I think there's a lot of misinformation that we're seeing going around online. I think there's also some distrust of the political divide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And a vivid reminder of just how polarizing the COVID pandemic has become, even a measure as simple as wearing a mask. Basketball hall of Famer, John Stockton, tells the Spokesman-Review that his alma mater, Gonzaga University, has suspended his season tickets. The reason? He refuses to wear a mask. Stockton also has a history of opposition to vaccines and other measures, such as lockdowns. CNN has reached out to Stockton for comment.

Well, coming up, Beijing flexes its military muscle flying dozens of warplanes near Taiwan. We'll have the details for you just ahead.

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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Well, Taiwan says mainland China sent nearly 40 warplanes into its air defense zone on Sunday, the largest such incursion so far this year. Taiwan's defense ministry says the planes included dozens of fighter jets and a nuclear-capable bomber.

In response, Taiwan says it deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the situation. Beijing's show of force comes one day after the U.S. and Japan conducted naval drills east of Taiwan. CNN's Paula Hancocks has been monitoring the situation from Seoul, South Korea. She joins us now live. Good to see you, Paula. So what more are you learning about China's latest incursion and of course how Taiwan is reacting?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, this has been happening frequently over recent years. The Beijing has sent aircraft usually fighter jets into the Air Defense Identification Zone near Taiwan. And each time, Taiwan's air force is tested, its defenses are tested.

As you say, they did have to activate their missile defense systems, they deployed them. They also issued radio warnings according to the defense ministry. But they have complained of Beijing testing out this gray area, as they call it, and constantly carrying out these, what they call infringements.

Now, the timing, of course, is always important with these kind of things. As you say, it comes just a day after the navies of the U.S. and Japan staged a massive military drill in the seas off the east coast of Taiwan, in the Philippine Sea. It's not clear just how close to Taiwan they actually were, but it was a massive show of force.

You had significant weaponry there. You had, for example, two Navy aircraft carriers from the U.S., amphibious assault ships, a Japanese helicopter destroyer and much more. So of course, this was a show of force, not just to Beijing when it comes to Taiwan, but also as part of this freedom of navigation that the U.S. is engaged with to show that there should be freedom of navigation in the waters close to China in the South China Sea, pushing back against Chinese claims of sovereignty in those areas.

Now, according to a U.S. statement, they said that this training was to preserve and protect a free and open Indo-Pacific region. And quite often when the U.S. carries out these kind of freedom of navigation drills, there is some kind of response from Beijing. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Paula Hancocks joining us live from Seoul. Appreciate it.

Well, the United Arab Emirates says it intercepted two ballistic missiles targeting the capital Abu Dhabi early Monday. A ministry of defense statement blamed Houthis and said the attack did not result in any casualties. We will of course bring you more information on this as we have it.

Well, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are tightening their siege of a prison housing ISIS suspects after inmates took over the facility. There's been fierce fighting since Thursday.

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The SDF say at least 27 of their fighters, dozens of ISIS members and at least 15 inmates have been killed so far.

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Hundreds of civilians including women and children fled homes in nearby areas following the ISIS attack.

Taliban officials are meeting with leaders from the international community in Norway to discuss human rights and other economic, social and political issues. Norwegian officials say the meetings in no way recognize the legitimacy of the Taliban, but are a necessary step to prevent an even worse humanitarian disaster.

And a Taliban spokesman says cooperation is the only way to solve Afghanistan's problems. The talks will continue through Tuesday.

And still to come, what New York officials are planning to do to curb the recent gun violence in the city. We'll have the details just ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well, gun violence has Americans on edge across the country. Crime rates are up in major cities and in the last few days, police officers have been shot in Texas and New York. A 22-year-old New York police officer was shot and killed while responding to a domestic incident in Harlem Friday night. A second officer is in critical condition.

New York's governor plans to hold a multistate task force meeting on illegal guns Wednesday. New York's mayor explained what steps he'll take to CNN's Dana Bash.

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ERIC ADAMS, MAYOR OF NEW YORK: -- to go after the underlying reasons you're seeing crime in our city. This is a sea of crime that's been fed by many rivers and we have to dam each one of those rivers.

[02:25:03]

We have to go after those laws that are not realistic on understanding what's happening on the ground. We have to stop the flow of guns.

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CHURCH: And a manhunt is under way in Texas for the man who gunned down a deputy constable. Police say the deputy was killed while making a traffic stop Sunday. Witnesses say the man got out of his car and just started shooting. CNN's Nadia Romero has the details.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the early morning hours of Sunday morning, 47-year-old Charles Galloway, a 12-year veteran, a corporal, a field training officer was conducting a traffic stop. Witnesses say the man he pulled over got out of the car and immediately started shooting.

Police say he used an assault-type weapon and shot Corporal Galloway several times before he even got a chance to get out of his patrol car. Now, right now, authorities say there is no known motive for the shooting. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TROY FINNER, CHIEF, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT: He got out of his vehicle and immediately fired upon the deputy multiple times. Striking him. And then drove off. This is senseless. It makes no sense whatsoever.

TED HEAP, HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE: What we are seeing on what appears to be a regular basis on the streets of Harris County has got to stop. It has got to stop. These are not assaults. These are not attacks. These are brutal, brutal murders.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMERO: Corporal Galloway is survived by his daughter and by his sister. And this brings to mind what happened on Friday in New York City. Two police officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call in Harlem. One of those officers, just a 22-year-old police officer was shot and killed during that shooting. Another officer is still in the hospital fighting for his life. Nadia Romero, CNN, Atlanta.

CHURCH: China is gearing up to host the Winter Olympics in just a matter of days yet burgeoning COVID outbreaks are testing the country's zero COVID strategy. Straight ahead, live reports from Beijing and Hong Kong.

And how frustrated governments are making life tough and expensive for the unvaccinated. We'll explain when we return.

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: With less than two weeks to go before the Winter Olympics and just days before the Chinese New Year, mass testing is underway for more than two million people in Beijing. At least five cases have been reported in Fengtai District in the past two weeks, resulting in hundreds being quarantined and a ban on public gatherings.

Chinese authorities have also lowered the testing threshold for Olympic participants, essentially making it easier to produce a negative test. So far, more than 70 COVID cases have been registered among personnel related to the Olympics. All of them are non-athletes.

Meantime, a COVID outbreak in a Hong Kong community has spread to more than 170 confirmed or preliminary positive cases, hundreds of people are under a snap lockdown after cases were reported over the weekend. And CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins me now live from Hong Kong and our David Culver in Beijing. Welcome to you both.

Kristie let's start with you. What is the latest on this housing estate COVID outbreak and how's it testing Hong Kong's Zero COVID strategy?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, I'm standing outside of a crowded public housing estate in Kwai Chung, it's located in the new territories area of Hong Kong and this is effectively the epicenter of Hong Kong's Omicron outbreak. On Sunday, the city reported 125 new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19. That is the highest daily tally in a year. 104 new cases can be traced to the cluster here at this public housing estate.

A number of residential buildings here have been sealed off overnight, two buildings sealed off for a five-day lockdown including this building behind me, Yat Kwai House. COVID-19 testing is underway all afternoon. We've been seeing lines of people line up here to go for mandatory COVID-19 testing. 35,000 residents have to undergo this exercise. Now over the weekend, we heard from Hong Kong authorities who described the outbreak here as "exponential." I want you to listen to this from Hong Kong's top leader, the Chief Executive, Carrie Lam.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARRIE LAM, HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE: (Speaking Foreign Language.)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are worried that the exponential growth of cases that we have seen in other parts of the world is now happening in Kwai Chung.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: And as cases rise, frustration is rising as well, especially among these members of the community who are under lockdown for as long as up to five days. In fact, when Carrie Lam was here for a site visit on Sunday, it was yesterday, she was met with angry jeers, and slurs thrown at her from the residents living and stuck in that building right now. Her site visit, Rosemary lasted just 15 minutes, back to you.

CHURCH: All right, thanks for that. David, let's go to you now and how has China's COVID policy has changed since that massive lockdown of Wuhan at the start of this pandemic two years ago, and what will it mean for the Olympics?

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Rosemary, good to be with you. You know, it's interesting to look at what Kristie was just talking about there over the border in Hong Kong because those are the type of restrictions that are part of the zero-COVID approach that Mainland has been dealing with, since -- about two years, going back to Wuhan. And we just marked two years since that unprecedented lockdown that lasted some 76 days.

And I think what's important to take from that is that in many ways, district measures while they've evolved a bit, they're still in place here. And so there are three real pillars to this approach. One has to do with the lockdowns and that is really no longer so much City-wide, though that does happen at times, it's really community-based. So you have these targeted lockdowns that will play out depending on if somebody has tested positive in a certain neighborhood or if they're in close contact.

The other part of this is the mass testing. And as testing has become more and more available, certainly since the early days in Wuhan, you see that by the tens of millions are able to test entire city populations over the course of just a few days. And then you have the contact tracing. That is based on our cell phones, we're tracked throughout. And if we come in close contact with a potential COVID case, then that, in turn, could flag us and put us into either isolation or quarantine. So these are really the measures that are playing into the Olympics now.

And we're seeing that in while they're keeping the population separate, the general population, us, from those who are coming in as part of the Olympics, the athletes, the Olympic personnel, the media, they're employing this in what's going to be probably a surprise to a lot of people.

[02:35:00]

CULVER: I think folks who are coming in are shocked to see this zero COVID strategy and how it's going to play out. Yes, they're lowering the threshold a bit but they're still maintaining a very strict policy when it comes to those who are testing positive having to be isolated. And for a certain period of time, we'll stay that way until they're deemed safe enough to reenter the rest of the Olympic bubble and participate in any events that they're initially part of taking.

So it's right now, keeping the numbers low. I mean, you got roughly 3,200 athletes and personnel who have already arrived, and of that, you mentioned more than 70, the total number is 78, who have tested positive. And in that group, they've split it between the 43, who tested positive upon entry because they're very strict measures coming in, that's at customs, and the other 33 or so or 35 have tested positive in the closed-loop system, Rosemary. It's an ongoing process and we're going to see numbers change throughout.

CHURCH: Yes, most definitely. And well, I remember your incredible reporting from Wuhan at the very start of all of this. David Culver reporting from Beijing, Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, many thanks to both of you.

Well, despite a slight easing of restrictions, Belgians still took their anger over COVID rules to the streets of Brussels.

(BEGIN CLIP)

CHURCH (voiceover): Authorities in Belgium say some 50,000 people demonstrated against current COVID restrictions on Sunday, clashes between police and protesters led to at least a dozen arrests and police using tear gas. They also use water cannons. According to authorities, three officers and 12 demonstrators were hospitalized because of the injuries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH (on camera): All governments around the world have been trying to figure out how to overcome vaccine hesitancy and skepticism since the data shows vaccinations are the best protection against Coronavirus. Now, some plan to hit the unvaccinated where it hurts most, in the wallet. CNN's Nada Bashir explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: It just got more expensive to be unvaccinated in Austria. The country's parliament passed a measure to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for all adults.

WOLFGANG MUECKSTEIN, AUSTRIAN HEALTH MINISTER: (Speaking foreign language.) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we want to break the circle of lockdowns, we need this law and an end to the restrictions to protect us from the Coronavirus. And I think that's what we all want.

BASHIR: After being passed by the Upper House of Parliament and signed by the President, Alexander Van der Bellen, the measure is set to come into force in February, with fines of up to roughly $4,000 rolling out in mid-March for anyone who can't provide proof of vaccination. It will be the strictest COVID-19 law in Europe, affecting all Australians 18 and older. Their pregnant women, people with valid medical conditions, and those who have recovered from Coronavirus in the past six months will be exempt.

It's a get-tough tactic that comes after weeks of volatile protests in Austria by a vocal minority over Coronavirus restrictions. And many countries facing similar resistance say they've heard enough.

In Greece, people over 60 who choose not to get vaccinated now face fines of more than $100 a month. Health officials say the financial leverage seems to be working. More than 90 percent of people in that age group have now received the shot, many in the weeks after the mandate was announced in late November.

A similar fine is set to begin next month in Italy, where people over 50 and unvaccinated by choice will also face fines of more than $100. And by mid-February, workers over 50 must have a health pass showing that they're vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19. Otherwise, they face a fine of up to $1,700.

The Italian Prime Minister justified the step saying it's mainly the unvaccinated who are straining the country's health care system.

MARIO DRAGHI, ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER: (Speaking foreign language.)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We must never lose sight of the fact that most of the problems we have today come from the unvaccinated. Non-vaccinated people are much more likely to develop the disease and severe forms of the disease.

BASHIR: Quebec's Premier also calling out the unvaccinated saying they are putting a financial burden on others and should be taxed for that.

FRANCOIS LEGAULT, QUEBEC PREMIER: Those who refuse to receive their first dose in the coming weeks will have to pay a new health contribution.

BASHIR: Though details have yet to be finalized, the Premier says the tax could exceed 100 Canadian dollars, but will not apply to those who can't take the shot for medical reasons. Quebec has been one of the worst-hit of Canada's provinces. The Premier says even though only about 10 percent of the Quebec population is unvaccinated those people make up 50 percent of patients in intensive care. Critics say such a penalty could face legal challenges.

[02:40:00] CARA ZWIBEL, GENERAL COUNSEL, CANADIAN CIVIL LIBERTIES ASSOCIATION: The worry is that it does, you know, set a precedent that is the kind of thing that's permissible and so, you know that the same logic that applies to this measure would apply to, you know, taxing people because of certain other choices that they make.

BASHIR: After almost a year of pleading with people to get vaccinated, many European governments are losing patience with the holdouts.

French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to piss off the unvaccinated, but a growing number of places say it might be more effective to make them pay up instead.

Nada Bashir, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: French fashion designer Manfred Thierry Mugler has died at the age of 73. Mugler was known for his provocative and exaggerated designs. He launched his first clothing label in 1973, before starting his self-named label. More recently, he was known for styling iconic looks for Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and rapper, Cardi B.

Oh, for our international viewers, WORLD SPORT is coming up next. For those watching in the U.S., I'll be right back with more news. You're watching CNN.

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[02:45:00]

PATRICK SNELL, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, welcome to WORLD SPORT, the Bucs stop here we start with a truly sensational Sunday night a plan of action in the NFL. In a moment, we'll get to the enthralling contest between the Bills and the Chiefs. But we do start with the end of the road now for Tom Brady, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers whose hopes of winning back-to-back Super Bowls are now in tatters.

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SNELL (voiceover): So much in the focus as ever, on the Superstar Quarterback. He was hoping to make it a record, extending eight Super Bowl crowns to add to his glittering career resume. Brady must have feared the worst though when the Los Angeles Rams come flying out of the traps, thanks to a whole flurry of early touchdowns. And where the Rams' own star named Matthew Stafford's going with a quarterback sneak, they're already in a commanding lead stretch to 27 points to three.

But that served the only disturb Brady and his teammates into action. The defending champions powering their way back into this game, the running back, Leonard Fournette, giving the Bucs hope of an epic comeback and really time for that man, Brady, to step up. Check this out. He did not disappoint with a stellar 55 yards touchdown pass to Mike Evans. Evans, with a great catch and then incredible drama as Fournette with another touchdown and with the extra point, this is all tied up at 27 points apiece with 42 seconds left on the clock.

But still, plot twists have plenty here, Stafford having to recover his own fumble before a long raking pass to the wide receivers Cooper Kupp. And then Matt Gay with a field goal attempt to win it for the Rams, cool as you're like making no mistake this here victory the pulsating contest 30 points to 27.

The final join contained for the Rams really, really heartbreak for Brady, who for now at least is tonight a crack at an eight Super Bowl and turning 45 later on this year. You do wonder what is next for someone widely regarded as the League's All-Time greatest. For now, though his thoughts on a devastating loss.

TOM BRADY, QUARTERBACK, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: You know you got to work hard to put yourself in a position to be successful and certainly worked hard and you know every team at this point does and every team is really qualified when you get to the -- to the final eight then the Final Four, then the final two.

And it doesn't feel good to lose any one of those games and I've lost each of those stages, so at the end, there's only one team that's going to be happy. It feels good to move on when you move on and obviously when you don't you know whether it was last week or this week or next week or the week after two weeks after that if you're the loser in that game at all. It all sucks to lose in the end.

SNELL: Yes, you can tell he's feeling it, right? Well, meantime, Sunday serving up another thriller between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. This was epic as well with a finish that pretty much defies belief. 25 points scored in the last one minute 54 seconds of regulation. Bills' Star Quarterback Josh Allen finding Gabriel Davis, not for the first time on the night fair.

But this leads, you know changing hands three times in the final two minutes as the Chiefs own superstar Patrick Mahomes releasing Tyreek Hill for a 64-yard touchdown, up momentum shifting back the way all Kansas City. I made a truly fanatic finish.

Now with 30 seconds left in the game, Bills' wide receiver Gabriel Davis putting Buffalo on top when he catches his fourth touchdown pass of the night, the most ever in an NFL postseason game. But Mahomes is using those 13 seconds to get his team into field goal range and it worked with the host to tie it up with a 49-yard field goal, time expiring there, 36 points apiece.

The Chiefs winning the overtime coin flip that was vital. And it's that man, Mahomes, leading another drive culminating in a game-winning touchdown pass to the tight end, Travis Kelce. The Bills never even get to touch the Bull in overtime, the Chiefs win a thriller for the ages, 42 points to 36.

In the end, there seems a delirium for those fans. For the first time you know, in 12 years the conference championship games will feature neither Tom Brady nor Aaron Rodgers after the Packers lost to the 49ners Saturday. It's 49ners and Rams then in the NFC Championship Game, the Chiefs hosting the Bengals in the AFC Championship Superbowl56 playing out on February the 13th, can't wait for that. It's absolutely much to look forward to.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNELL (on camera): To England's Premier League we go now as we set the scene in Europe's top-flight there. Perhaps some hope now for Liverpool as they try to reel in defending champions and runaway leaders Manchester City on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNELL (voiceover): The Reds were in action at Crystal Palace in South London, they made a fast start leveling through Virgil van Dijk after just eight minutes there, the only goal of the match.

[02:50:00]

SNELL: Andrew Robertson has made that goal and he tees one, off for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who makes it two-nil just after the half, I'm glad. Palace did pull one back but a contentiously awarded penalty in the nearing end, seeing the visitors close out the 3-1 victory.

Chelsea with a much-needed win, which keeps them in third place on Sunday, and then thanks to their recent League camp successes as they beat their London rivals, Tottenham for the third time. In as many weeks the game at Stamford Bridge coming to life, that's a stunning gold from the Blues.

Hakim Ziyech early in the second half, they just a wonderful finish, and then Thiago Silva doubling Chelsea's league shortly afterward. A vital win for the west Londoners. This is now Antonio Conte's first League defeat to Spurs' head coach and against his former Club too, scenes of joy for Chelsea there.

Chelsea is now a point behind Liverpool but they've played two games more than the teams around them. The Reds have cut the gap between themselves and the leader, City, to nine points and they have a game in hand. Good weekend for United, Red Devils, up to fourth place right now.

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SNELL (on camera): American golf star Danielle Kang celebrating a breakthrough victory and what she's now saying though, about the last 12 months and why she's a lot stronger as a result.

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SNELL: Welcome back to you. The big-name casualties keep on coming at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. In a moment, we'll look ahead to today's two-round to 16 fixes including the plight of tournament debutantes, Comoros, but it's now Nigeria the latest powerhouse nation to be exiting the competition.

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SNELL (voiceover): Real shock as the three-time champions, Nigeria, then go the way of defending champs Algeria and Ghana, out of the tournament they go. Tunisia, one-nil, winners here, only one goal in this game scored by Youssef Msakni early in the second half. So the Super Eagles who played the last 25 minutes by the way with 10 men off the Aleksey will be so rare, they're out. Tunisia, congrats to them heading into the last eight.

High drama in the game between Burkina Faso and Gabon after a one-all draw they needed nine rounds of penalties to produce a winner. Lloyd Palun's miss devastating for Gabon, Ismahila Ouedraogo stepping up to the net. The winner cool is he like, places it superbly 7-6 the score, Burkina Faso foods of the quarters, a matchup against Tunisia.

Also, check out these celebrations from Burkina Faso's goalie, who, just launched himself into an extraordinary choreographic acrobatic routine, exhausting even watching it.

Tunisia will face Burkina Faso on the last day on Saturday. Guinea and Gambia going head to head later today while the host, Cameroon, faces the Comoros islands whose squad has been decimated by COVID, to such an extent, they're even having to play an outfield player in goal.

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SNELL (0n camera): Well, we are edging ever closer now to the start of the Winter Olympics, let's get underway Beijing Friday, February 4.

And we've already been treated to alpine skiing at its finest over the weekend, as the Men's World Cup circuit stopping at the infamous Kitzbuhel Piste in Austria is a pair of Swiss skiers who ran the show. By at for its edging out his compatriot Marco Odermatt in the so- called Super Bowl Skiing, the downhill, both skiers are fancy for medals in China.

Now well, would you want to get to another wintery story? It's absolutely guaranteed to make you truly warm inside. This, the Ice Hockey goal that is celebrated with an avalanche of cuddly toys, this is the annual Teddy Bear Toss in the American state of Pennsylvania.

[02:55:00]

SNELL: The team has called the bears and the first goal of the night always triggers thousands of stuffed animals to be thrown out onto the ice. The last time they were able to do this was actually pre-COVID when more than 45,000 toys were collected over the last two decades, more than a quarter of a million toys have been tossed and donated to charity. And that is absolutely fantastic to see.

Here in the United States, a dream starts to the New Year, for now, six-time LPGA Tour winner Danielle Kang, the 29-year-old who we've been profiling her in recent days right here on CNN WORLD SPORT, traveling by three shots the season opener, the Tournament of Champions in Orlando on the weekend.

At this event last year, she lost in a playoff and this time, she had to do something very special indeed to break free on a stacked leaderboard, which also included the overnight leader and the world number one American Nelly Korda, who had finished six shots back in the end.

With five to play, Kang ties with Mexican star Gabby Lopez but Kang nailing three straight birdies on the backside to put herself well clear. She ended up with a tournament score of 16 under for a three- stroke victory over the Canadian player Brooke Henderson. Kang's first victory by the way since August of 2020, and once she was determined to share with those closest to her. Congratulations to Danielle.

Well, in my recent chat with her she revealed just what it meant to be on the front cover of Golf Digest and who knows, we may well now be seeing more of Kang signing copies in an airport shop coming soon near to you. She also spoke to her mental strength throughout the ongoing global pandemic, something upon which she also elaborated further following her victory on Sunday.

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DANIELLE KANG, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Last year was a really tough year for me for a lot of different reasons. But that made me a better person, that made me a stronger person and I felt like I needed -- I know what I needed to work on and what needed to change. So I took some time and kind of reevaluated where I needed to go.

And I know that beginning of this week, I even said in a press conference that I'm not worried about just this tournament, I'm worried about -- I'm more focused on making every day better. And it's just the process. So I'm just proud of how far I've come, the work that I put in more so than this week because I wanted to feel like I did this week a while ago and I've never felt that peaceful. So it was really cool.

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SNELL: I know. Thanks to Danielle and congratulations to her. Meantime, Belgium's Thomas Pieters, celebrating a big winner of the Abu Dhabi Championship over the weekend, and it comes quickly on the heels of victory in Portugal last November.

Thanks for joining us this Monday. We're going to leave you though with our latest Rolex minute.

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