to the you watching the, to the news coming to live from berlin. rescuers in japan, search for survivors after a series of earthquakes on new year's day. damaged infrastructure is hindering efforts in the worst areas. also coming up on the show is rails top court strikes down a key part of the netanyahu government's controversial, legal reforms, judges se efforts to curve their powers caused a serious and unprecedented damage to democracy. the

clair richardson, a warm welcome to the show. japan is bracing for more aftershocks following a series of earthquakes on new year's day. authorities have now confirmed, at least 30 people killed, and it's feared that that number could rise as rescue cruise struggle to reach some of the hardest hit areas. thousands of tremors shocked or pans west coast hitting the issue call what prefecture, the strongest had a magnitude of 7.6. more than 30000 homes were left without power, but the government says, nuclear power plants, we're not affected to the armies and called in to help with rescue operations. and nearly 100000 people ordered to leave their homes. 5 fights has worked to extinguish the places in the centre of what cima, a city in japan. so she called her region after series of us quite shook the coastal area. on monday,

the authorities said thousands of stores and houses were damaged and the fires that followed the death toll is expected to rise as the troops and rescue teams reached west affected areas. japan's prime minister familiar cuz she sets out what helicopter surveys have found so far. i do look at my haiti, i have received a report that you got that very large scale damage has been confirmed a cause i including numerous human casualties, a car building collapses and fires. so what would they give us? all nice to 100000 people have to leave that homes and stay in shelters like this. jim. 2 pounds made chair a logical agency. one felt more strong shocks could hits in the coming days the

on a day when many japanese gather at shrines to all suppress for the new year. the quite measuring 7.6 magnitude struck in the afternoon. the thousands of smaller quakes followed with roads damaged and buildings destroyed. the more remote northern parts sufficient, how are inaccessible and the prime minister cooled the efforts to rescue the survivors. a battle against time to speak to a journalist as sonya blash got in tokyo for more of sonya, the death toll has been rising as search and rescue teams are arriving on site and i understand access to isolated areas has been a problem. have they now been able to reach some of those most affected areas?

and to be honest, it's even difficult to tell here because also the, the news outlets are not able to, to go there and, and report because everything's blocks and we basically have to rely on helicopter images as well. so thankfully because of the, the cancellation of the tsunami warning now they can access the area from the sea because that was an issue and that's, and all the warning was still in place. so that is an option, but a lot of rows are damaged about numerous reports and images, offline slides, smoking roads, um even cars under those land slides. a lot of buildings are collapse and then toppled over only just an hour ago. i saw images um from the watching uh city area that was a brand really badly um that has only been able to to kind of own it cruise only you were able to access that very recently. so i think because the, the scale of the last click is so big, you know, stretching over 6 pre switches. yeah it's, it's really difficult to assess the,

the full scope of this catastrophe yet information still a trickling and, but at this point i can, can you already give us more of a sense of how, of how badly affected japan has been and in which areas we how does that compare to last earthquakes that japan has experienced? i mean, on the intensity scale is revenues one. this was a level 7 the highest level. so the ground should really find in violently, and people said they've never experienced something like this. and in this area before, i mean, compared to the worst, is also that we've seen in 2011. it's, it's, it's still on a different scale. thankfully about the despite japan being used to as quakes and land slides and natural disasters in general, this is really one of the bigger ones. and i think the coming days will probably show that as well. and what else can we expect in the coming days? uh, is there still a high risk of aftershocks?

yes, yes, yes. so the maturity to agency has been wanting that another level 7 as quick, chris hits the region. i mean this your number off as quick in the past 24 hours since it's been really intense. there was so many warnings really every 10 minutes there was another warning, sends out to the mobile phones, which is really not something that even japan is used to. and thankfully, that the country has relatively good building standards. so even a quake of that size, you know, as you compared to other countries, does relatively little damage. a lot of old houses have collapsed because the roots are really, really heavy. and that's an ongoing issue even. you know, now when the off the trucks continue. sonya thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. that is a journalist. sonya laska in tokyo as well. supreme court has struck down a central element of the government's controversial judicial reforms that had sparked massive nationwide protests and a slim 8 to 7 majority justices rule. the amendment would have caused serious and

unprecedented damage to, as well as the democratic states. prime minister benjamin netanyahu pushed through the changes last year, which limited the powers of judges to overturn government decisions. because my mother's is and journalist and he's also in jerusalem, has more on political reactions to this role. a new code, the party file where it is road, they're very upset. and they're saying that this is something that can not happen in the time of war. but this should have been a unit the uh, the, the minister of justice. save yourself a leave with the attack, the supreme court again and linking it to the war. again, saying that this is not the time. and the on the other hand, the penny guns who is now in the bows, the most popular, the politician. he's saying that we should respect the supreme court in its

decision, but he also said that there are no winners and losers and the kind of an attempt to show the unity and to show that the important thing now is the war in gaza, was 70 sako, in jerusalem, let's take a look now at the war and gaza, less than half of all hospitals in the territory, or even partially functioning according to a recent assessment by the world health organization. and that makes outside of help look at critical read take looking at a look now at one such effort to get needed care and medicine to guidance on a french worship off the egyptian coast. this worship is a safe harbor for gaz is wounded. here children an app to tease, receive life saving treatment. the french vessel is fitted with operating rooms scanners and laboratories, services accessible for most in the on place. we and that sort of thing in the

french tree just like family. they and they give us all the care we need and they're kind of see who gratitude is mixed with fears over the safety of loved ones . back home was object then i spoke to my family on the phone yesterday in the news is not good in the hospitals and refugee camps. the dead bodies of men, women, and children. keep arriving psychological support is also given to those traumatized by the war samples to whom it is important for us and for them to know what can be achieved through our counseling and to show them empathy and their suffering. the patients are transferred here from gases border with egypt. this ship is equipped with 40 beds and 80 medical staff. israel's bombardment of gaza, sparked by her mazda is october, 7 terror attacks has left. most hospitals, not operational. now in safety, the patients face a new reality coming to terms with their injuries,

both physical and psychological. we can take a look now at some other world news headlines. south korean opposition liter lee j young has been stopped in the neck on a visit to the city of tucson. a man lunged at lee as he was speaking to reporters . the politician has been taken to hospital and officials say his injury is not to life threatening. smalley as government has condemned ethiopia is deal with the breakaway region of smaller land, which would include recognizing it as an independent country in the future. landlocked ethiopia assigned the agreement to gain access to the red sea. go and do me some weight on this. the same sex marriages now legal in estonia, day couples had been able to register civil partnerships, but parliament passed a bill legalizing marriage last june was known as the 1st baltic state and former soviet republic to make some move and the costs of always celebrating visa, free travel to the european union after being granted entry to the shrinking zone.

the people of kosovo were the only citizens of the western balkans who still needed a visa to enter the u. and the self proclaimed for public i've no corner car box has ceased to exist as of january 1st, the armenian majority territory was located in azerbaijan, which never recognized the breakaway region, and defeated its military and a one day war last september, about a 100000 people fled and these old style republics liter signed an agreement and dissolved in a corner car box in 2024. and he's recently back tracked on that decision, but as or by john has absorbed the territory. nonetheless, a new era begins for this full, the self styled republic of to decades of conflict. nicole nicola back is now fully under the governance of as a base on the mountainous enclave. and the south caucuses lies within us. that by john, it has long been internationally recognized as belonging to as

a bygone but since 1991, much of it was governed by estimate communion set protests. who claimed it was a defacto independent state that they cooled the republic about. so it took less than 24 hours for the crew to seize nicole in the car, back with the ministry offensive on september 19th, 2023 to set protest, lee to surrender and agree to a ceasefire, which was broken by russia. the takeover caused the majority of nicole know cairo backs, largest population of ethnic comedians to flee to the boat is leaving that home is behind them and carrying as many possessions as possible. most of them and now living as refugees, with no immediate plans to return to the homes as a by you on the president ilium live,

says that they will have equal security and rights if they choose to return. but off to decades of violence, there was little trust among the armenians, but promises from back to tensions between as a bygone and a media over nicole know camera back date back over a century. within the last 2 years, they have full to what was over it. in the 1st world, which ended in 1994 the armenian side to control them to go on a car back and 7 other districts off the short war in 2020. as advise on to fax, those districts unassertive, nicole know camera back with the help of turkish weaponry talk. he's president red chip type add one was quick to travel to as advise on following its recent victory last september to congratulate i live. so allies

and descendants of the all medians protested the takeover in several countries. now going to cairo box is now part of as advice on the territory. it is largely devoid of people following the takeover. and does it by john's plans for the region is still unclear as the by john says it sees no obstacles to it last in peace treaty with its neighbour, armenia. but this wouldn't be enough to dissolve the distrust and hatred felt by the 10s of thousands of new going to cairo, bucks, so medians to a still displaced from a place they cool time. and before we go, we're going to turn to some very important news out of australia, a woman there. so she has found the best excuse ever to be late for work. and here it is that she woke up to find a 600 kilogram elephant steel walk in her car,

seal has become something of a celebrity and the southern state of tasmania is regularly spotted wandering down the beaches and roads around hobart locals have named tim neal of the so you might want to go to work, but neil, the seal has other plans that you're use updates. thank you so much for watching the so you don't think and feel the same way you expect and want different things from life and your parents do i just want to pursue what sets my salon fire or you think you'll kid is to.