[Patrick Snell, Cnn Sports Anchor:] Hi there. I'm Patrick Snell with your CNN World Sport Headlines. The L.A. Rams heading to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2001 after winning a thrilling and at times controversial contest Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Next month, in Atlanta, they'll face the New England Patriots who outlasted the Kansas City Chiefs. The game would go into overtime, but that's when star quarterback, Tom Brady, drove the Pats down the field to score the sudden death touchdown. This is the third year now in a row the Patriots are in the Super Bowl. Meantime, the U.S. Open champ, Naomi Osaka, has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Osaka once again losing the first set but hit back to win the next two against the Latvian player, Anastasia Sevastova. The world number four saying afterwards she's been inspired by the exploits of fellow youngsters on the men's side, Francis Tiafoe and Stefano Tsitsipas who shocked Roger Federer on Sunday. And American skier, Mikaela Shiffrin, putting on a clinic once again in a super-G race this weekend. The 23-year-old has now won 11 world cup race this season and is on course to beat Vreni Schneider's all time record of 14, a record which has stood for 30 years. Shiffrin's career total now standing at 54 wins. This past week, her compatriot, Lindsey Vonn, admitting it won't be too long before she passes her own record of 82 That would be your CNN World Sport Headlines. I'm Patrick Snell.
[Howell:] Welcome back. Israel has launched a new round of air strikes in Syria. Russian state media report that at least four Syrian soldiers were killed. Israel says it was targeting Iranian forces but it also hit Syrian air defenses after they tried to launch missiles. The video from the Israelis purports to show an attack on a Syrian site.
[Church:] Israel says the strikes come after Iranian forces tried to launch a rocket at the Golan Heights from Syria. The Israeli military tweeted out this video and said the rocket was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system. And for more, CNN's Oren Liebermann is live in Jerusalem. He joins us now. So, Oren, what are you learning about the circumstances surrounding these air strikes and of course, what is happening right now.
[Oren Liebermann, Cnn Correspondent:] Rosemary, let's take this back to where this all began on Sunday morning. We just got for your information more information from the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces which is the Israeli military. This starts on Sunday morning when Israel launches a rare daytime strike on targets in Syria. That strike is called out by both the Russians and the Syrians. And then in a fairly rare move it is acknowledged or apparently acknowledge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a trip to Africa. That strike according to both the Russians and the Syrians is intercepted. That is a6 number of Israeli missiles are intercepted by Syrian air defenses. It is after that and this is now Sunday afternoon when Israel says Iran launch a medium range surface to surface missile from near Damascus international airport towards the northern part of the Israeli occupied Golan Heights. That in the video you just saw is intercepted by Israel's aerial defense system. Israel's response is to target a number of Iranian forces or what they say are Iranian forces in Syria, both at Damascus international airport and in the area. Israel says they targeted munitions depots, intel sites, as well as a number of other sites. Israel says they conveyed to the Syrian message that this is specifically going after Iranian forces but when Syrian air defenses fired at Israeli aircraft, Israel then targeted they say those Syrian air defense batteries in and around Damascus. That brings us to now. The Israel military remains at an elevated level of readiness in northern Israel. The ski site in the northern part of the Golan Heights has been shut down but other than that the Israeli military says everybody else is living normally. There are no restrictions on civilian activities. Although it is an incredibly tense moment and intense time in northern Israel and in the Golan Heights, that's the situation as it stands right now, Rosemary.
[Church:] Right. And Oren, of course, the worry now is retaliation, how Russia and Syria likely to respond to those reports of deaths of Syrian soldiers.
[Liebermann:] That's an excellent question. Russia has generally stayed out so far, although it is a big move that they called out both the first Israeli strike and then the follow-up, basically putting on their social media. The Russian ministry of defense saying this was an Israeli strike here are the results of that strike. A certain number of missiles were intercepted and then a number of missiles hit their target killing four Syrian soldiers according to the Russians and injuring a numbed of others. It's a delicate moment what happens now and what happens next. Do Syria or Iran choose to respond at this point. It's difficult to say but we will certainly keep an eye on how this develops. We've seen these escalations before, notably last May and then last February, almost a year ago exactly, and it is the Russians that have tried to step in to try to ease the tension here. We'll see if that happens. Once again, Russia apparently playing an active role between Syria, Israel and Iran here.
[Church:] All right. Oren Liebermann joining us live from Jerusalem. It is nearly 10.30 in the morning. Thanks for bringing us to date on that story. I appreciate it.
[Howell:] The topic of Syria was also discussed between the U.S. president and the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On the phone on Sunday., Mr. Erdogan said that Turkey is ready to take over security in Syria's Manbij without delay, he says. Turkish state media report he also repeated his substance that the YPG, a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia is a threat.
[Church:] The White House says the two leaders agreed they want to deal on how to handle northeast Syria after a U.S. withdrawal. It also says Mr. Erdogan offered his condolences for the four Americans killed in an attack in Manbij last week.
[Howell:] The issue of Brexit, if that were not complicated enough, a car bomb attack in Northern Ireland is stoking fears that if there's no deal a hard border might spark a return to sectarian violence in that region. We'll have details on the story ahead for you.
[Church:] Plus, a former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn's legal troubles are focusing new attention on Japan's legal system which some are calling hostage justice. We will take a closer look when we come back.