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7.5 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Western Japan; Hamas Launches Rockets At Israel Moments Into New Year; U.S. Helicopters Sink Three Houthi Boats in Red Sea; Zelenskyy Faces Uphill Battles as 2024 Begins; Celebrations Held Around World as Countries Welcome 2024. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired January 01, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:31]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Breaking news just coming into CNN, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck western Japan, and a tsunami warning has been issued. It struck at around four p.m. local time in a 6.2 magnitude aftershock has now been courted the. U.S. geological survey and the Japan meteorological agency say the original quake had a depth of 10 kilometers, that is six miles. And we will, of course, update you on developments in this breaking news story as they come into us.

Well, the New Year is off to a somber spot start in the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv has declared this a national day of mourning, as the death toll continues to grow from Friday's massive aerial assault by Russia. The number of people killed climbed to at least 52 on Sunday with more than half of those deaths in Kyiv. The attacks were the largest Russian aerial strikes on Ukraine since the war began.

Sunday also saw deadly attacks in the Kharkiv region, and just hours into the New Year, a series of aerial strikes killed at least five people in Odessa, and Russian occupied Donetsk.

Well, in the meantime, Russian authorities now say that at least 24 people died and 107 were injured in Saturday's attack on the city of Belgorod, which the Kremlin blames on Ukraine. The leaders of Ukraine and Russia marked the New Year with messages to their people. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy celebrated the successes of 2023 shared motivational words, and encouraged his people to persevere in the fight against Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I wish everyone who is still hesitating to make a bold choice next year, to defend their own country, to work for it, to help them, to find themselves in their own country because this is the only place on earth where we can all say we are at home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: In the meantime, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed that his country would get even stronger in 2024. In his prerecorded address, he emphasized Russia's self-reliance and unity in pursuit of its national interests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We are acutely and clearly aware of how much during this period depends on ourselves, on our attitude towards the best, our desire to support each other in word and deed, working for the common good throughout the community brought the community together. We are united in our thoughts, work, and battle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And for more on all of this, CNN's Clare Sebastian joins us live from London.

Good morning to you, Clare.

So, let's start with the latest on those attacks in both Ukraine and Russia.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, good morning, Rosemary.

The lead up to the New Year has been particularly deadly and particularly violent in this war, and New Year's Eve has been no different. Ukraine's air force saying that it was attacked by 90 drones, which they say is an unprecedented number they were able to avert 87, a significant achievement for her air defenses. But we do hear from the governor of Odessa that one person was killed there, and nine were injured separately. Russian officials are accusing Ukraine of essentially bombing occupied Donetsk using multiple rocket systems killing four people there. They say, injuring more on top of that as well. So, deadly attacks overnight and into the New Year.

This, of course, is what's happening. Russia's aerial bombardment is using both drones, and as we saw on Friday, a combination of drones and missiles is Ukraine's worst nightmare. They know that their air defense capabilities, the number of missiles they have to shoot down drones and missiles are dwindling. They want to conserve that, so as we see the step up and the number of drones step up this is going to prove a real test as they head into the New Year having just received what the U.S. is saying is the last package of military aid unless more funding is improved, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Clare, what else do the leaders of Ukraine and Russia have to say in those New Year's Eve messages? We played somewhat all were they saying?

SEBASTIAN: Yeah, these were very different messages in very many ways.

[03:05:05] President Putin's was less than half a length of previous year. He spoke for just over three and a half minutes. President Zelenskyy, more than 20 minutes. Both of them in their own very different ways trying to essentially extort their population to hang on, to last a little bit longer in this war. There is now almost two years old. Putin you can see there in front of the Kremlin, the previous year he was in front of a cohort of servicemen and women in uniform. So, a bit of a different tone.

He did not once overtly mention the war in Ukraine, but he called on the patriotism of the people. He said with a colossal responsibility for the homeland that each of us feels. He talks about the unity of Russia, how we are all one family. He said, of course, he is heading into an election in March, an election in name only. It's pretty much clear that he will win it.

And his position feels fairly secure in Russia at the moment. By contrast, President Zelenskyy gave a blow by blow account of Ukraine's successes in 2023. Able to export grain, the start of negotiations to join the, E.U., various diplomatic achievements, and the number of military aid packages that he has received.

Of course, the subtext to all of this is that he has to call on the Ukrainian people to try and hang on, because they're going into the New Year looking much more vulnerable without the aid secured from the U.S. especially, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us live from London.

Well, more now on our breaking news, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake has struck western Japan, and a tsunami warning has been issued.

CNN's Hanako Montgomery joins us live now from Tokyo.

So, Hanako, what more can you tell us about this earthquake, and, of course, particularly the tsunami warning?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Right, Rosemary. There's still some outstanding facts that we need to confirm but we know that this earthquake was a magnitude 7.5, shook western Japan at 4:10 local time. It's a time many are celebrating New Year's Day with their families, we also know that there have been subsequent tsunami warnings.

The earthquake was quite shallow at 40 kilometers, meaning that potentially the tsunami that followed could be large and potentially very destructive. Already there has been a tsunami alert to the entire Japan seacoast, the western coast of the country. We are seeing footage from NHK Japan's national broadcaster about tsunami's 1.2 meters high, or nearly four feet especially at the top of the peninsula where the major warning was issued.

Now, for the tsunami alert that Japan has issue, this is the highest level and we are still waiting to see what the after effects of the earthquake will be, whether there have been any lives lost, this was potentially a very damaging natural disaster.

CHURCH: All right. We will, of course, continue to watch this and, bring any more details to our viewers.

Our thanks to Hanako Montgomery joining us on the line there from Tokyo.

Well, Alexey Navalny is sending the world Arctic hugs and polar greetings from a Siberian prison. The Russian opposition leader says he does not feel loneliness, abandonment, or isolation despite his remote location. But he says he misses his family terribly. And says he created this A.I. drawing of himself celebrating the holiday with them.

Navalny is serving several multi-year prison sentences on charges his supporters, and human rights groups say are politically motivated attempts to silence dissent against Vladimir Putin.

Danish Queen Margrethe II says she will step down on January 14th. She is Europe's longest serving monarch having been on the throne since her father, King Frederick the IX died in 1972. The queen shared on New Year's Eve that she had extensive back surgery in February. She decided now is the right time to pass this responsibility on to the next generation.

Queen Margrethe's son, Crown Prince Frederik, will be proclaimed king, and his wife crowned princess Mary, will become queen.

Hamas launched rockets in Israel moments into the New Year, the sky over Gaza was illuminated with flares, as Israeli attacks on the enclave intensified. We will have details after the break.

Plus, U.S. forces sink Houthi boats in the Red Sea after coming under fire. What the White House is saying about the growing threat from the Iranian-backed rebel group. We'll have details after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:13:51]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Well, it hasn't been a peaceful start to 2024 in the Middle East where the battle between Israel and Hamas rages on. Hamas claims it launched a barrage of M90 rockets over Tel Aviv at midnight local time. At least 12 of them were intercepted by Israel according to a CNN team on the ground.

In video taken from southern Israel, flares were seen falling over Gaza with a string of loud explosions as the New Year began. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is warning that the war will continue for months. He says he has no plans to resign after calls from the opposition leader to do so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The only thing I intend to resign from is Hamas. This is what I'm going to get rid of. This is what I'm busy with, nothing else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: On Sunday, Palestinian Authority prisoner Mahmoud Abbas said Palestinians will not accept displacement from their land, according to WAFA news agency report. He slammed Israel for its, quote, comprehensive war of extermination.

[03:15:00]

Joining us now is CNN's Jim Bittermann in Paris.

Good morning to you, Jim.

So, what is the latest on the war, and, of course, the situation on the ground in Gaza?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the situation on the ground, Rosemary, is getting worse and worse. The U.N. says that it's a very dire situation indeed, that hundreds of thousands of Gazans have now been displaced internally to the southeast corner of the Gaza strip. Around the Rafah crossing and in and around Khan Younis, the major, second major city in the Gaza Strip.

And the conditions are apparently getting worse and worse because the food situation is dire. The fact that the food prices have gone up for people that are trying to get food, sanitation conditions are bad. The U.N. says they're getting worse.

And we got a glimpse of what it is like for the internally displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, that have been displaced by the fighting going on in the north but, from one of the people who has been a victim of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABU ABDULLAH AL-AGHA, DISPLACED FROM KHAN YOUNIS (through translator): In 2024, I wish to go back to the wreckage of my home, pitch attend, and live there. In 2024, I wish for our children to live in peace and security, to go back to school, back to university, for workers to go back to work and find a source of income.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: So you can see people are really desperate, and the idea that they have no place to go is something that everyone talks about. The idea that they have been told once, twice, maybe three times to move, to get out of the way of the fighting, each time they do they just get themselves further and further into the southeast corner of the Gaza Strip.

There are a couple of other things that have happened. The IDF, for instance, Israeli Defense Forces, have confirmed the incident that happened last Thursday when a U.N. convoy was fired upon, they have confirmed that they indeed did fire upon it by accident. There was a miscommunication between the leadership and the troops in the field. But they did admit that it was their problem -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: Thanks, Jim, bringing us the latest from his vantage point in Paris. We appreciate it

Well, in the meantime U.S. helicopters repelled an attack by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea on Sunday. Sinking three boats and killing all of those on board. It is the first time since the war broke out in Gaza that the U.S. has killed members of the Iranian-backed group which has been targeting vessels in the region to show support for Hamas.

CNN's Kevin Liptak has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: U.S. Central Command says two Navy helicopters shot and sank a Houthi rebel boat in the Red Sea this weekend. This is the first instance of a direct confrontation between the U.S. and the Houthis since the October 7th terror attacks, and this has been a source of growing concern within the Biden administration, the sense that this conflict could widen further.

Now, the way this incident unfolded is that a commercial vessel that was transiting the Red Sea came under attack from the Houthi rebels in the boats. They sent out a distress call to the U.S. military, which sent these helicopters.

When the Houthis fired on those helicopters, the U.S. fired back, sinking the boat and killing all of those on board. And it's a significant moment because it is the first time that the U.S. has killed a member of the Houthi rebel group since the conflict in Israel began.

The U.S. has been watching this situation very closely, this -- transiting the Red Sea are these commercial vessels. It's a key commercial route -- merchant boats, commercial vessels all sort of coming under fire from the Houthis. And this is something that the U.S. has tried to prevent by a gathering, a coalition of about 20 countries to beef up security in the region. The vessel that was fired upon this weekend was owned by Maersk. In fact, that group had just resumed transiting the Red Sea when this happened.

Now, they say they will wait 48 hours before making a decision on whether they will go back to the Red Sea moving forward.

President Biden is, of course, watching this very closely as the New Year begins. His secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will be traveling to the Middle East, including Israel next week. At the top of his discussions will be these conversations with the Israelis about shifting to a lower intensity phase of the conflict. That is something that the United States wants to see happen very soon.

But this will certainly be a top issue for President Biden as he enters 2024.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, traveling with President Biden in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: CNN military analyst, retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, says that although the Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks in the Red Sea, the U.S. can handle the situation.

[03:20:03]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: The actions by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, certainly pose a risk to major shipping lanes but they have been doing this for a very long time. There has been actually a maritime context that there has been piracy in this area, with not only drones and forced boardings but even mines that are coming towards ships that are coming out of Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf.

Shipping companies have always been concerned about their shipping crews in those areas. The Maersk company suspending operations is just an indicator about how concerned they are. They don't want their crews and their ships to be injured or damaged. So, yeah, it is certainly something we have to watch, but it is not something that the U.S. is extremely concerned about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing back against South Africa's claim that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

Mr. Netanyahu calls the claims false, and accuses South Africa of ignoring other world conflicts. He says it isn't Israel that but Hamas committing genocide. Netanyahu's comments come after South Africa filed an application with the international court of justice on Friday to begin proceedings against Israel over genocide allegations.

The hostages still held in Gaza are top of mind for their friends and family in Israel, going into the New Year. On Sunday, Romi Gonen's friends held a dance class in her honor in Tel Aviv's hostage scare square. The 23 year old dancer in choreographer was kidnapped by Hamas at the Nova Music Festival on October 7th.

Here is what her friends are saying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATAN SELLA, ROMI GONEN'S FRIEND: I think the biggest wish is for everyone to come back, for everyone to be in their home. We want to celebrate with them. That is our wish.

ETAY PERRI, DANCE TEACHER: I wish for peace, I wish for quiet, I wish for the people who are not here to come back to us, and we are waiting for them.

(END VIDEO CLPI)

CHURCH: Nine-year-old Palestinian Lama Jamous is not your typical kid. She is one of Gaza's youngest journalists, giving a voice to her countless children who have been displaced or worse, by Israel's war against Hamas to her hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.

CNN's Shama Nasinde reports

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAMA JAMOUS, 9-YEAR-OLD (translated): I got ready and wore my armor ad helmet to report on the war on Gaza.

SHAMA NASINDE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At just nine years old, Lama Jamous is one of the youngest Palestinians reporting life under siege in Gaza after Israel launched its military response to Hamas's October 7 attack. Lama and her family had to flee her home because of Israeli airstrikes. They fled once to Khan Younis in the south, and then again to a shelter in Rafah.

She has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers online for reporting on the daily challenges of living through war, which she shares to her Instagram.

JAMOUS (translated): I wanted to show and make it clear to the world that the children of Palestine are being tortured. There is no food and drinks. They don't have anything.

Today I am here at the hospital to see children of Gaza who got bombed and injured.

NASINDE: From interviewing kids injured by shelling of hospitals, from documenting the difficult living conditions in school shelters, Lama is a voice for some of the most vulnerable in Gaza, children.

AHMAD, UNCLE OF LAMA JAMOUS (through translator): When the war started, we noticed she had something to say. She grabbed the phone and started making vlogs to talk about the situation in Gaza, the bombardment, and the displacement of people.

NASINDE: Lama's father told CNN that he is very proud, adding that we are suffering like people in the world of a Gaza, her message to the world is clear, please stop the war so we can return back to normal life.

Official death toll figures from inside the Gaza Strip, which can't be independently verified by CNN, say that children account for over 8,000 civilians killed since October 7th. That's over a third of the total dead.

Despite the dangerous conditions, Lama courageously continues to report to the world and inspire hope in a new generation.

Shama Nasinde, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And as we head into the break we have a special New Year's event for you. The Songs for Ukraine Chorus, and the Royal Opera Chorus joined to perform "Auld Lang Syne". It was 160 singers in all. Many of them Ukrainian impacted by the war.

In a unique arrangement just for CNN, they recorded the New Year's classic in London.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:31]

CHURCH: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here 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.

Some breaking news this hour. A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck western Japan just over an hour ago, and a tsunami warning has been issued. Japan's chief cabinet secretary has now gone on television, advising people in those areas to head to higher ground. The quake has been followed by some powerful aftershocks, one of the measured at 6.2 magnitude.

The U.S. Geological Survey and the Japan Meteorological Agency say the original quake had a depth of 10 kilometers. That is six miles. Video on social media shows waves of water moving inwards at Toyama City. But at this point, it is unclear how large any potential tsunami waves might be. Japan's Kansai Electric says nothing abnormal has been reported at nuclear plants in the area where the initial quake struck.

CNN's Hanako Montgomery joins us now from Tokyo.

So, Hanako, what more are you learning about this earthquake, and particularly the tsunami warning?

MONTGOMERY (via telephone): Yeah, Rosemary, so as you mentioned there, the earthquake struck today at 4:10 pm local time, when many are at home celebrating New Year's Day with their families. This was a very large and powerful earthquake. It's already triggered a tsunami warnings for the entire Japan coast, the western coast of the country.

And we also know that it was a shallow earthquake like you said, tsunamis that follow shallow earthquakes can be the largest and potentially the most destructive. We are already seeing some tsunami's that measure 1.2 meters in height, around four feet. And for context, the 2011 Japan earthquake and subsequent tsunami which killed 22,000 people, saw tsunami's with 30-foot waves. We are already seeing aftershocks after this earthquake of 6.2, and a third aftershock of 5.2.

So far, we have not seen any nuclear abnormalities at the nuclear plant in the quake area. Japan's prime minister, the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had urged the public to be careful of powerful earthquakes and to flee as soon as possible from areas with tsunami warnings. They're working on helping evacuate people, and the prime minister said he has no concrete details on damages just yet.

CHURCH: Yeah, so residents are being told, as you say, to get to higher ground in the wake of this tsunami warning. What help are they receiving to do? That I think of the elderly, possibly struggling, or families with young children. What sort of help are they getting to get to the higher ground?

MONTGOMERY: Yeah, Rosemary. So, in order to get access and get help to these people in the most affected areas, the Japanese government usually dispatches the self defense force and other emergency operators in order to get people out. Again, we're still confirming the details of the scale of this earthquake, the devastation. We know the Japanese government conducts those types of rescue missions usually.

For context, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, again which killed 22,000 people, this is evoking the same feelings, but in the context people are worried and scared of the potential damages that this could cause to the western coast of Japan. The earthquake happened just 13 years ago. To see such a devastating, and large earthquake on New Year's Day is really frightening people here in Japan.

CHURCH: Yeah, understandably, they were horrifying images. Of course, we all recall them.

Hanako Montgomery joining us on the line from Tokyo, I know you'll be in touch with us as soon as you receive more information on this. We'll continue to follow it.

Well, the New Year could bring a new legal challenge for Donald Trump. As Oregon's Supreme Court decides whether to ban the former president from the states ballot over his alleged role in the January 6th insurrection. The 14th amendment case in Oregon is not the first, anti Trump challengers have already succeeded at using the amendments insurrectionist ban to remove Trump from ballots in Colorado, and in Maine.

[03:35:08]

Although those decisions have been paused pending potential appeals. The 14th Amendment says that the U.S. officials who take an oath to uphold the Constitution, are disqualified from holding future office if they engaged in insurrection, or have given aid or comfort to insurrectionists.

Joining me now from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is Thomas Gift, director of the Center on U.S. Politics at the University College London.

Happy New Year to you and good to have you with us.

THOMAS GIFT, DIRECTOR, CENTER ON U.S. POLITICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Thanks so much, Rosemary. Happy New Year. CHURCH: So, Oregon's Supreme Court is deciding whether to kick Donald

Trump off the states ballot using the 14th Amendment, insurrectionist ban, just as Colorado and Maine are trying to do. So, when can we expect the U.S. Supreme Court weighing in on this controversial case and, what will they likely decide once they do?

GIFT: Well, the Supreme Court has to rule on this soon because if it doesn't it is just going to open up a Pandora's box. Colorado and Maine, Oregon, we're just going to go down the list, there are other states as well. There needs to be clarity which is why we will get an expedited review I think, and likely a ruling by Super Tuesday in early March.

I do think Rosemary the Trump is going to prevail in the Supreme Court challenge. That's not because he did not potentially commit insurrection bites technical definition, and it's not even because conservatives have a 6-3 majority on the court, although that certainly does not hurt. I think it's largely a jurisdictional issue. I think essentially the ruling is going to be that state officials in these states don't have the authority to disqualify Trump. That comes from section five of the 14th amendment, which says that the congress, meaning the U.S. Congress, shall have the power to enforce by appropriate legislation the provisions that this article states.

So I think justices could drawn inferential conclusion that the 14th Amendment was never intended to substitute as an accountability mechanism for impeachment. There are a lot of reasons but I think Trump will ultimately be on the ballot in these states.

CHURCH: All right. So, you think he will be on the ballot. But what would the likely consequences of any U.S. state successfully kicking Trump off the ballot, with most of his GOP rival rules in the race for the White House actually siding with the former president, and warning that this would be a risky move for democracy.

GIFT: Well, one thing to look out for, Rosemary, is how state Republican committees trying to reposition themselves in the meantime. It is entirely possible that several will petition that national Republican committee to hold caucuses instead of primaries. That would basically circumvent these rulings. But state governments could also challenge those attempts.

Again it's a scenario the Supreme Court would want to avoid, because it's a court case layered on top of a court case. It would be messy, it would be a distraction, and it would start to taint the credibility of the electoral process. We are seeing some variation in terms of how Trump's Republican contenders are responding to this, some like Vivek Ramaswamy are saying that they're going to, extricate themselves from any primaries where Trump is not eligible. But others like Ron DeSantis is saying that he's going to pursue business as usual.

Anyway you look at it I think this is good for Donald Trump politically, just because he's able to cast himself as a victim, and basically being attacked as part of a political vendetta.

CHURCH: Yeah, and that is what we're seeing because the issue has angered him but he has benefited politically from it. So what have Democrats achieved by challenging the former president's eligibility under the 14th Amendment when it seems only to have emboldened Trump yet again. As we've seen with these legal woes as well.

GIFT: Absolutely, Rosemary, the efforts to remove Trump from the ballot is just an enormous political gift to him, particularly in the primaries. I think we can speculate about whether some Democrats actually like that, because they perceive the Trump's more beatable in the general election. That may very well be the case.

Of course it's playing with fire. But we know that every single time Trump has faced legal challenges, he has used it to fund-raise, cast himself as a victim, to bolster his standing in the polls, 91 criminal indictments later, Trump's grip on the party is still a strong as it's ever been, it's no coincidence.

I think of someone's going to upset Trump at this stage in the cycle all of the political stars are going to have to, align and that candidate would have to run a perfect campaign. Instead with all of these court cases, and all of these legal challenges, all of the stars have aligned for Trump and candidates like Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis certainly have not been flawless. So, that is how we get such a large spread going into Iowa and New Hampshire.

CHURCH: Yeah, you mentioned Iowa, what's expected to happen there, we seem to be watching a fierce battle for second place, don't we?

[03:40:02]

GIFT: Absolutely. I think that it's kind of a foregone conclusion that Trump is going to be coronated there, and then we'll go on to New Hampshire. I really don't think there's much of a contest.

Of course, for second place, this runner-up position does matter. I think it matters who wins, who comes in second, but also by how much. And is it enough to sort of induce some of the more marginal candidates to drop out. If you think about Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, they are only three or four percentage points in some of these polls. But that's not trivial, so really, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are really battling out to try to consolidate that second place finish.

CHURCH: Thomas Gift, many thanks for joining, us. Appreciate it and happy New Year again.

GIFT: Thank you. You, too.

CHURCH: Well, still to come, we'll tennis star Coco Goff defend her U.S. Open title. And does Tiger Woods have another comeback in him? We preview some of the major events we will see in the sports world in 2024.

Back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Well, one of the earliest versions of Disney's beloved Mickey Mouse is now available for anyone to use.

When the clock struck midnight in the U.S., these needs nearly 100- year old copyright, for steamboat really expired. Meaning the 1928 character is now part of the public domain. Of course, Steamboat Willie is far different from today's Mickey Mouse, which is still trademarked and owned by business.

Well, it looks like 2024 will offer some exciting events in the world of sports. Our Don Riddell has a preview of what's to come.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is no point in gazing into a crystal ball with sports we love it because it is so unpredictable.

[03:45:00]

But, we do at least know what's on the calendar in 2024, and it's going to be another action-packed here.

Taking center stage will be the summer Olympics in Paris. The modern games, back in the French capital for the first time in the century as Paris becomes only the second city after London to host the games three times. Amidst heightened tensions in the Middle East, security will unavoidably be a concern but the Olympics should feel like a return to normal after the sterility of Tokyo's delayed COVID Games in 2021.

In nearby Germany, UEFA's European Football championship will serve as a curtain raiser to the games, with Italy, the defending champions. And, England and France considered the favorites to win the tournament.

And all eyes will again be on Lionel Messi, as the world champion Argentina seek to defend their Copa America crown, and win their third consecutive major title.

As the United States continues to prepare for the FIFA World Cup in 2026, next year, it will introduce American fans to an your support for them, co-hosting crickets 21 World Cup with the West Indies.

The top of a revitalized Tiger Woods would be a major headline in golf. But the sports' biggest story may once again be outside the ropes as the PGA tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf continue to wrestle for their future of the game.

The return of a new mom Naomi Osaka will bolster the highly competitive tennis scene at a time when women sport, more broadly, is really taking off. According to the accounting firm Deloitte, women sports revenue will across the one billion dollar threshold for the first time. That's a threefold increase from just three years ago.

What happens on the court, the course, the, pulled the field or the track, there is no shortage of sports to look forward to in 2024.

Don Riddell, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A lucky Powerball player could start the New Year as a multimillionaire. You've still got a few hours to buy a ticket. The next drawing takes place later today. The grand prize winner will collect $810 million, or nearly 409 million dollars for the cash payout option.

Saturday's drawing failed to produce a big winner, and ongoing trend for a couple of months now. The last jackpot was one on October 11th according to the Powerball website, the odds of winning the grand prize payout are one in more than 292 million.

All right. Still to come, we will take a look at celebrations around the world, ushering in the New Year. Back with that in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:51:33]

CHURCH: An update now on our breaking news this hour.

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake has struck western Japan and a tsunami warning has been issued. The quake has been followed by some powerful aftershocks. One of them measured at 6.2 magnitude. The U.S. Geological Survey, and the Japan Meteorological Agency say, the original quake had a depth of 10 kilometers that is 6 miles. We'll have much more on this story at the top of the hour.

Well, people all around the world have been bringing in the New Year. Here are some of the sights and sounds of those festivities from New Zealand to Brazil.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Three, two, one!

(CHEERS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's 2024 already in New Zealand. Fireworks there at the sky tower lighting up Auckland.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are right, almost underneath the Sydney Harbor Bridge, it really fills your heart to be here, to see the sky exploding in color. 2024 is off to a very, very good start.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I saw tonight here in Seoul, over the top. I am almost speechless. It's

MONTGOMERY: Not quite midnight here in Tokyo, but these red lanterns all have different New Year's resolutions on them. Things like good health, hope, and happiness for the New Year. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you cruise liner, happy New Year to you.

Not only the biggest fireworks countdown show in Hong Kong, but the first such show to take place here in Hong Kong in five years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody's together, everybody's got a smile on their face, what a great way to start the New Year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think I can feel the heat from the fireworks, they were right on top of us. It was so unbelievably awesome and cool.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is absolutely spectacular. That is the night sky over the United Arab Emirates.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is Dubai. At two minutes past midnight, the Burj Khalifa, fireworks at the festival, hoping to break 4 world records. There's no point in competing with that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the times square of Tbilisi. Happy New Year!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy New Year. Happy New Year -- everyone.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's pretty impressive fireworks going on behind me there, above the -- tonight's fireworks display, of course -- the Olympics, the French have been preparing for Paris, is always just about giving the world a little taste of the show that the French can put on.

[03:55:04]

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We will hear Big Ben gong in a moment, that is going to set everything off here in London.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's take a look back at 2023.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first few minutes of 2024, at least let's not let another go by. It's going to be a good year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's about to be 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, right now there are fireworks on the bay in Copacabana, a stunning show of fireworks here in Rio, 40 tons of fireworks, ten different barges on the water. Synchronized show, with in orchestra right behind me, and people are just so happy to be, here honestly there is nowhere else I would want to be than in Rio de Janeiro.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

CHURCH: Happy New Year, everyone. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourself a wonderful New Year's Day, and of course a happy and safe 2024.

CNN NEWSROOM continues next with Max Foster.