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brook: these are people who are trying to change the world. startups have this energy that energizes me. i'm thriving by helping others everyday. people who know, know bdo. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news". >> live from london,c news. a powerful earthquake strikes japan, killing at least four people. thousands have fled their homes, spending the night in shelters. israel's supreme court strikes down controversial judicial reform that triggered nationwide protests last year. migrant boat crossings in the english channel drop by more than a third, but the figures

are still some of the highest on record. ♪ >> we start this hour in japan, where a powerful earthquake has hit the center of the country, bringing down buildings and power lines. four people are now confirmed to have die but the true extent of the damage isn't yet clear. the epicenter was in a prominence where the trimmers were felt as far away as tokyo. thousands were told to head to higher ground and millions are spending the night in emergency shelters. a major tsunami warning has been downgraded to an advisory. president joe biden says the u.s. is ready to provide any assistance to japan as a close ally. here is the latest from japan. >> this footage captures the

moment a powerful earthquake struck. more than one -- 140 kilometers from the epicenter, this video was taken by an english teacher, barney davis. >> the french door was opening and shutting, everything fell off the shelves. it was pretty traumatic. >> he and his family went to the local evacuation center until he was told it was safe to return home. but then -- >> there's been aftershocks. >> further north, others wanted to cover the story. the 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck just after 4:00 in the afternoon local time. it was caught on camera in the supermarket. there was chaos and confusion.

tsunami warnings were issued, then downgraded on the coastline. the people were told to head to higher ground. >> i would like to ask all residents to continue to pay close attention to the occurrence of this strong earthquake. if you're in a region where tsunami's are expected, please evacuate as soon as possible. >> despite the damage to roads and buildings, this earthquake is not as severe as 2011, when a magnitude nine quake triggered a tsunami, needing to a nuclear meltdown at the fukushima power plant. at this time, all current nuclear facilities are unaffected. a huge fire broke out in one of the affected areas and thousands are now spending the night outside in below zero temperatures, fearful of going back into their homes, as

aftershocks continue to hit. >> dan faulkner is a professor of geology and earth sciences at the university of liverpool. he told me japan is used to earthquakes on this scale. >> in this part of the wld, they expect events of this size. 60 years ago, about 200 kilometers to the northeast of where this event happen, there was a similar size earthquake back then, too. so they are certainly known to have earthquakes in the area. >> they have a sophisticated warning system, particularly for the tsunami's. >> absolutely. japan is one of the best prepared -- countries in the world. people will have been prepared for that, and thankfully engine not turn out to be as hazardous as -- it did not turn out to be

as hazardous as first beard. >> explain why japan is so liable to earthquakes. >> it's an amazing part of the world that japan is on. as part of the pacific ring of fire, where there's lots of zones where tectonic plates are being thrust back down into the earth's mantle all around the pacific. while this earthquake did not happen on one of those faults, it's part of that same system where the tectonic plates are pushing against each other. basically the earth's crust would have been pushed up about 3.5 meters. in this event, related to those stresses and tectonic forces that are reflected in the region. >> we've had dozens of other earthquakes today. could we get more, and they -- will they be smaller, or could we get another large one?

>> we know that earthquakes of this size are typically followed by an aftershocks sequence, with aftershocks becoming less and less severe in strength. what this was a really heard- huge earthquake, agnes toots 7.6. some of the aftershocks will still be prey large and could affect infrastructure and buildings which were weakened to the main event. what we would expect scientifically in this region is to see a gradual diminishing of earthquakes and we would not expect anything of similar size, but still perhaps se significant aftershocks are yet to calm. >> dan faulkner from the university of liverpool. israel supreme court has struck down judicial reforms, the reform sparked months of protests as the legislation

limited powers. its opponent said it affected proper oversight of the government. the court was split in its decision. eight judges voted in fav of striking down the law, seven voted to uphold it. our reporter in jerusalem explains why these reforms were so controversial. reporter: the reason they were so controversial is because first of all, they were almost pushed through the legislature without any real talk with either the court or the opposition to reach some kind of consensus on re-tinkering the balance between the judiciary, the executive and the legislature. and that is one of the reasons that we saw or weeks and weeks, tens of thousands of israelis taking to the streets, because they saw this is not only a move

to weaken the courts, from the supreme court on down, but they also saw it as a kind of power grab by israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu, though all this was only the first piece of a larger program to overhaul the judiciary, they believed that there was a conflict of interest here, that in the end, netanyahu might benefit and find a way out of his legal troubles. remember, part of this plan was to pass and override bill with the full majority that is the legislature, which is aligned with the executive in this parliamentary system, would be able to essentially strike down e supreme court's decisions. so in a ruling of 8-7, the sueme court said that removing the reasonableness clause was

just -- caused damage to israel's character as a democracy, that it harmed the separation of powers and the rule of law, and it could open the door to corruption and a lot of other problems, also with individual rights, etc. the court, in an unprecedented step, struck down a basic law. it should be said that netanyahu and his government knewhat they were doing when they framed this law as a basic law, knowing it would be harder for the supreme court to make such a huge step and strike it down. they can' appeal against what the supreme court said, but if they chose to, they could ignore the ruling, which would bring a kind of constitutional crisis. >> israel says the war in gaza

which has reduced much of the territory to rubble could go on throughout 2020 four. but it has signaled a shift in tactics, withdrawing some forces to focus on more targeted operations against hamas. there has been no let up in the intense bombardment which is now killed almost 22,000 people in gaza. reporter: the sound of gunfire and airstrikes. they continue to flee further south, seeking ever shrinking spots of safy. for many families, it is an all-too-familiar journey. >> there is no safe place left in gaza. we had to move to central gaza. there is still no safe place. reporter: in central gaza, the

intense bombardment shows no sign of easing. in this building, people use their bare hands and whatever equipment they can find to pull out casualtiesrom the rubble. this was meant to be one of the safer areas for people who had to evacuate other parts of the center. the union h yet again warned of a worsening humanitarian situation in gaza and says teams on the ground are facing restrictns in different areas. israel says it is not limiting aid, but with the continued fighting, delivering aid to those who need it most has become a dangerous and complex process. israel's war in gaza has come at a very heavy price. these were the words of the prime minister a few days ago. as the number of soldiers killed in battle now nears 200. israel's military says it has withdrawn some troops and switched to more targeted operations, but the aim remains

the same, to dismantle hamas and bring back hostages. in this war looks set to last well into the new year. >> russian president vladimir putin has pledged to intensify attacks on ukraine after an escalation of deadly attacks on both sides in recent days. authorities say ukrainian shelling has killed four people, while ukraine says one person was killed in the port area of odessa after russia launched 90 attack drones, 87 of which were destrod by the country's air defense systems. president zalewski has promised to increase production including at least a million drones. we spoke to locals in odessa and the occupied crimea about what they have witnessed.

reporter: what is usually a moment to celebrate turns into another deadly night for people in odessa,, number attack from russian drones. -- coming under attack from russian drones. ukraine woke up to at least five killed in southern odessa and eastern donetsk, occupied by russia. moscow blames kyiv. kyiv says russia sent a record 90 drones all over the country. ukraine is still mourning the deaths of more than 40 civilians kied just two days ago. this is what is left of a five-star hotel. >> when i was cooking our festive meal, i had to shelter in the bathroom because of the

attack. the drones were right above our home. it was very scary. >> this video read -- we received from the occupied crimea. this christmas tree would be labeled extremism by russia if found. locals hope this year will finally bring freedom and peace. >> throughout the world and across the u.k., this is bbc news. that's take a look at some other stories making news. police have launched a murder inquir over 38-year-old man who was shot dead in edinburgh last night. officers were called to the scene just before midnight after gun was fired and what is believed to be a targeted instant. another man was seriously injured and is in the hospital in serious but stable condition. police in london have named a 16-year-old boy who was stabbed to death's on new year's eve but he died just before midnight at

the top of primrose hill. a man has been arrested on suspicion of bird. police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. almost 3 million people were seen for an urgent cancer check over the last 12 months. the number being tested has increased by more than a quarter impaired with the same period before the pandemic. the government says catching the disease early is crucial to improving survival rates. more on that story on the bbc news website. your live withbc news. it is time to get a full round up the sport with jane. >> one new year's day game in the premier league. after 15 minutes it is still 0-0 between the two sides.

newcastle have lost the last four away games. they have forced some saves from the newcastle old king for but still 0-0 after 15 minutes. history has been made with the youngest player to reach the pbc world championship semifinals. the 16-year-old beat northern ireland's brandon dillon and has been dominant from the start of this tournament. he took the first four sets in the match, but he did begin to fight back. it was 4-1 when they took a break. he came back out in one the fifth set, giving him the match. he picks up 100,000 pounds of prize money for that and will play in the last four on tuesday. he thinks he has a chance to win the tournament. >> it always takes a few to

settle on that stage. it just takes a while to get myself focused and find my rhythm. i got a chance and i got a good feeling. >> disappointment for andy murray, who is out of the brisbane international, losing the first round. he did start well, but the second seed came from behind to win the next two sets. he is scheduled to play next week ahead of the australian open. elsewhere, naomi osaka said she was proud of herself after she won her first match back following 50 months away from the professional game. the four time grand slam champion is playing in her first tournament since giving birth to her daughter. a psaki won 6-3, 706, setting up

a meeting at the brisbane internationa petra kvitova has revealed that she is expecting her first child and won't be playing at the australian open. she was scheduled to take part in the tournament, but she didn't play in the qualifiers or travel to melbourne. the the 30 three-year-old married her coach last year and announce her news on social media, saying she was looking forward to spending some time at home while preparing for this exciting next chapter in her life. over in paris, the world number one iga swiatek has helped poland become the first nation to the world cup. she breezed through the mixed doubles. the pair did not even drop a grain to give poland the victory over spain and confirm your spot

at the top of the league. actual stray aware david warner has announced his retirement from international cricket. he had alrea stepped back before the current series against pakistan but has kept the door open to a possible return if needed next year's champions trophy. he had also won two world cups. >> it was a decision i was very comfortable with. to win in india from where we were was absolutely amazing. i'm not always fit the mold, but i've been authentic and honest, and i think that shows you i've play the exact same way. >> a quick update, liverpool had put the ball in the back of the neck. diaz scored it, however it has been ruled offsides, so still

0-0 after 18 minutes. that is sports for now. >> here in the u.k., the number of migrants crossing the english channel fell by over a third in 2023, compared with a record number crossings the year before. over 29,000 people made the journey. i gratian is likely to be one of the key issues in the general election this year. >> with that general election looming, the government wanted to start the new year with evidence the prime minister's two big promises are being delivered. the home office claims its plan is working. the number was down around one third from 2022. still over 30,000 individuals arrived, the second-largest figure ever, but officials point to three key deals which they claim are helping turn the tide. improving security on the coast,

disrupting smugglers supply chains, and a deal with albania to return failed asylum-seekers. the deal the government guards as a game changer is with rwanda, but that plan was ruled unlawful. it brings us to the prime minier second big promise, to clear the asylum backlog. we have to wait until tomorrow for the official numbers, but we expect the prime minister to claim his job done. number 10 said it only relates to what is called a legacy backlog, people stuck in the system for more than 18 months. the legacy backlog is shrinking, but the backlog of new claims are still numbering around 100,000 people. there will be lanes of creative accounting, with thousands of those legacy cases simply withdrawn and thousands more excluded as complex cases.

yes, an election is looming and the argument on whether promises were kept or broken will intensify. >> underwear on sale here in the u.k. is seto get cheaper. the treasury said removing the tax should make them an average of two pounds cheaper repair. they are seen as a greener alternative to 10 ponds and sanitary towels. i spoke to molly fenton and ask her why this change has taken so long. >> it's a very good question, one many asked themselves. period products are still seen as a luxury, however they are a necessity. period pants are pretty much a new concept, but they are getting more and more popular.

pads and tampons were seen as necessities and period pants as an option. >> do expect others to pass it? >> i hope after today's announcement that will happen. those that have been part of this company will continue the conversation. >> do you think it will help in raising the profile of the pants themselves? >> 100%. we know that period pants are growing in popularity. they are now available in schools and it is extremely important that people know about them because they are cost-effective. they are eco-friendly, and it is important that this option is available for everyone.

>> i would not of course go shopping for them, but are they in the high stream stores already? >> you can pretty much get period pants in every supermarket. they are incredible, but paying a large price is not accessible to everyone. >> would you like to see them given away free to people who really need them and cannot afford them? >> that would be amazing. we know already that schools across england and wales already have period pants in schools. because the conversation is not that wide and there is still a lot of stigma, many young people in their parents do not know that these products are available. we must keep talking about it some people know they can access these products are free. >> do you think more needs to be

done by the government, for example, to dress this problem? >> 100% privy we know that poverty levels in general are skyrocketing. before the pandemic it was one in 10 missing because of periods, now it is one in four. lots more has to be done. in my opinion, i think conversation is the first step. >> pope francis has celebrated a mass for the world day of peace in st. peter's basilica in the vatican. he called on emerging from the spiral of violence and hatred. he also called on every society to respect, defend, and esteem women and try to see things with genuinely human eyes and hearts. finally, how did you start the new year? thousands of people in the

german capital of berlin were up early for a fun run. take a look at this. the four kilometer fun run started at the famous brandenburg gate. nearly 5000 people took part. for many, it was a way of shaking off the excesses of new year's eve and kicking off fitness resolutions. there was no entry fee and the money went to those in need in the city. you would narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... narrator: financial services firm, raymond james. man: bdo. accountants and advisors. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪ narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... narrator: pediatric surgeon. volunteer. topiary artist. a raymond james financial advisor tailors advice to help you live your life. life well planned.