"talk to al jazeera". saturday, 6:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america. aftermath of the earth quake, rescuers scramble to reach thousands of people feared trapped under the rubble in northern pakistan. ♪ ♪ you are watching al jazeera live from our head quarters in doha. also ahead, china warns the u.s. after its warship enters the waters near disputed islands in the south china sea. a hellish life. we neat internally displaced syrians from aleppo who have lost their homes and are facing a harsh winter ahead. plus. >> reporter: i am andy gallagher in alabama where state official have his been criticized for

closing dozens of driver's licenses offices. civil rights activists say it's an attempt to suppress black voters. ♪ ♪ authorities in pan stack and afghanistan have innocence identified restless crew operations. the death toll of the magnitude 7.5 caught has towns over three hunk the bulk of the casualties were in pedroia pakistan where rescuers are searching the rubble for survivors but struggling to reach those in more remote mountainous areas. hotses are inning undal [ inaud. over in india, the affects were also felt there mostly in the north of the country but casual icasualties have been far lower.

>> reporter: this hospital in the pakistani city is prouded with injured people. rescue efforts are complicated by patchy communication and rural mountainous regions which are hard to access. >> translator: according to the latest information received so far, the highest death toll is from [ inaudible ] helicopters have been sent to carry out aerial survey of the affected region. >> reporter: in the city medical workers scrambled as the injured were rushed to hots. more than 200 patients arrived in just a few hours. but staff said they were well prepared for the medical. >> translator: if a sudden event occurs this hospital will activate its emergency protocol. current the staff are capable of tending to all the injured from the quake.

>> reporter: the epicenter was 60-kilometers west of the afghanistan-pakistan border think the moment it hit was captured live during a news broadcast in kabul. the quake toppled buildings and leveled homes which sent millions of people in to panic. the afghan president appealed for unity. >> translator: i demands all afghans, my fellow countrymen to help each other if they are in the afternoons areas, also i ask every afghan to provide accurate information on the casualties and damages so we can start managing help for those who need it. >> reporter: the same region was hit by a powerful earthquake 10 years ago that killed at least 75,000 people. and caused extensive damage. as the death toll grows and the aftershocks continue. millions of people are once again on edge. victoria gatenby, al jazeera. >> jennifer glasse joining us from kabul to tell you whether

aid workers have been able to reach the hard-hit areas in afghanistan. >> reporter: doreen, they are trying to do that right now. we know that a lot of those vellums are in very remote areas and it's complicated by the fact that in some of the provinces in the hardest hit with 42 dead. nearly half of the death toll here. the taliban control a number of the areas that have been affected the same too in other provinces so that will further complicate aid efforts. government officials will have a hard time getting to taliban-controlled areas. the taliban called on afghans and aid organization to his help where they can to provide healthcare, food and sell shelter for those who need it. but the remoteness of some of the villages at the epicenter was 260-kilometers northeast of here in very remote, deep beneath the hindu curb mountains. in the best of times those

villages aren't easy to get to. and we are not clear exactly on the full picture where the epicenter was how many homes have been aed there. more than 4,000 homes, though, across afghanistan, across at least 11 provinces of afghanistan have been affected. >> all right, jenner it, if youk you for that update from kabul. well, kamal hyder sent this update from the swat valley. >> reporter: rescue efforts are already underway. although for the most part, it is on self help basis. because the locals are now trying to dig out the valuables from under the rubble. however, the strong earthquake has left a trail of destruction swat is the worst hit. now, if you can see the wall on my right, it is swaying badly it. can come down any time. the government authorities are already warning of aftershocks. they have closed the schools in the valley as well as a is who the country just to be on the safe side.

the important thing right now is for a proper reconnaissance of the far-flung twrairs. areas. the military says they have already started that. people are waiting to see what kind of relief and help they will get from their government. the important thing also is to treat the medical emergencies because the hospital in swat is already overwhelmed. they are over 200 people who are in that hospital, they need help. and the government, of course, will have to gear up in order to insure that help reaches to these far-flung areas where it is needed most. mean while. there has been an early morning attack at the border between pakistan and afghanistan. seven unidentified fighters were killed in that gun battle. pakistani military says their check point came under heavy fire. china has warned the u.s. not to cause trouble in the south china sea after it says a

warship illegally entered its waters. the u.s. says it only sailed close to two man-made islands constructed by china in 2014. beijing warned washington it will respond to deliberate poff indications in its wort, he china as well as other countries have competing claims. the philippines says the u.s. presence in the region helps keep a balance of power in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. japan has voiced its concerns over china's actions it says it's closely communicating with washington. >> translator: the unilateral conduct to change the status quo such as the large scale landfills to build ocean platforms are a common concern for the international community as the prime minister repeatedly said it's very important that the inning national community unites to maintain the peace and stability in the south china sea. we are closely conducting our intelligence information with the united states.

>> well, china built the artificial island by dredging areas around reefs and has said it will not tolerate any challe tongs what it considers chinese territory. vietnam. malaysia, taiwan and the philippines also lay claim to the nearby spratly eye and, rob mcbride is in beijing and september this report. the chinese have condemned this patrol. the foreign minister warning the americans not to take any reckless action. they see these islands as being very much chinese sovereign territory. they say they have claims to them. even though they are hundreds of kilometers south of the south china coast. they go back hundreds of years to previous chinese dynasties. the americans, though, have always asserted that these are international waters and that they will, within their rights, sail within 12 nautical mile of these disputed territories. >> reporter: we are expecting more reaction from the chinese

side as we go through the day and also waiting to find out what the chinese military has been doing in response to this. whether in account fa they have also been shadowing this patrol with their own vessels or their own aircraft. and whether that now becomes a new normal in the south china sea an almost cold war style of encounters between military forces from the two sides. a so-called day of rage has been organized across the occupied west bank. there are fears that violence may flare enough help ron, that's where 18 people have been killed since the start of october. in the most recent incident a 19-year-old palestinian man from the occupied west village was shot dead by israeli forces. israel says he seriously injured a 19-year-old soldier. and earlier on monday, a second palestinian was shot and killed by an israeli soldier at a check point in hebron after an argument. joining us from there it doesn't seem that there is any sign that the violence is subsiding in the

occupied west bank. >> reporter: that's right. doreen, some people have called until the jerusalem intifada or uprising after the clashes and the outrage over what palestinian see has change of the status quo of the al-aqsa mosque in jerusalem. in that city it seems tensions have subsided somewhat. however, here in the occupied west bank, there is still a lot of anger. and as you were pointing out, of the year 60 palestinians who have lost their lives this month in the violence, around 18 of them have come from hebron in the south of the west bank, or the surrounding area. the latest person to die a 19-year-old who was killed by live ammunition during clashes with the israeli army on monday. he is due to be buried in the next few hours, that's other likely to attract more angry

scenes as well as this day of rage. which is a regular occurrence they happen on tuesday and friday here. they are officially organized, called for by the various political factions. i think the fact that so many people have lost their lives in hebron will make that a flash points, but i don't know that people will be gather to go show their anger. >> so the diplomatic effort that we have seen recently not really having any affect on what is going on on the ground. >> reporter: well, here in the occupied west bank, depends on who you ask. i think that certainly an older generation might actually hold out some hope for example in mahmoud abbas' president, president abbas' visit to the united nations human rights council on wednesday where he will repeat his call for international protection from

palestinians from the israeli security forces not just here in the occupied west bank but in general. however, if you talk to many young activ activists, they are extremely frustrated and some of them reject out right the diplomatic moves and basically calls by the political parties for calm. we have talked to some people who have criticized the security forces in the last few weeks who have in some cases tried to stop protesters getting the checkpoints, for example. and i think that certainly there is a group of people here, particularly young palestinians who don't answer to anybody. so it's difficult to predict where the next violence will occur. >> thank you. well, thein' security council is preparing a briefing later on monday the humanitarian situation in syria. accord to this u.n. at least 120,000 people have been internally displace ed in the last month alone, due to an escalation in the fighting.

the cities of aleppo huh ma and idlib are the most affected. mohammed jamjoon has the story of one family who described their life at hellish. >> reporter: she used to carry her youngest child in to an actual home. now she says ruefully, this is where we live. the mother of seven prepares what she can for her kids. today inside this dark, dingy structure, it's potatoes. >> translator: our livelihood is gone. our livelihood is gone. our land is gone. our homes are destroyed. >> reporter: the family is just one of the thousands of newly displaced in syria since the beginning of russia's air campaign in late september. accord to this u.n., an increase in fighting has resulted in at

least 35,000 new i.d. p.s from the southwestern outskirts of aleppo. >> translator: this is a hellish life. we have reached our lowest point. we were sleeping under pains as they attacked. now we have no place else to go and there is severing all around. >> reporter: in southern aleppo, it's not simply the war raining misery upon the newly displaced. as winter approaches, conditions will only worsen. already keeping warm is a struggle. aid workers are doing what they can, but in this makeshift camp, there are only so many tents to go around. he says 10s of thousands of families are now displaced in a legal owe and more are arriving every day. >> translator: somebody six from natural causes here can't go to a hospital. so how can you help somebody

facing an emergency? somebody somebody may be injured by a russian or syrian air strike, there aren't everybody ambulance to his help the wounded. >> reporter: the children still play, even during these tough times. but it's the parents who can barely keep the agony at bay. >> we left our home because of all the death. there was nothing but death all around us. that's why we are hearing now. hopefully we won't have air strikes happening here. we have nothing now. >> reporter: nothing but a reality that is harsh and cold. mohamed jamjoon, al jazeera. more than 92% of voters in the republic of congo have approved a change to the constitution that will allow the president to run for a third term. the contusion has an age limit for candidates, and limits presidencies to two terms.

at 71 the current president is too old and he's already served two terms. the opposition has called for a boycott of the poll. they now say the outcome should be annulled due to low voter turn out a presidential election is due next year. still ahead on the program, the e.u. has a new plan to help refugees but some volunteers say they are being kept from giving basic relief to those in need. plus. a few warning as a u.n.-backed report find processed meat can cause cancer. we have reaction from the streets of new york.

rescuers in afghanistan and pakistan are rushing deliver relief aid to quack victims. more than 300 people died on monday of the end center was in the hindu curb mountains of northeastern afghanistan. china warning the u.s. not to cause trouble in the south china sea after it says a warship illegally entered it's waters. china do constructed two island in 2014. according to the u.n. at least 120,000 people have been displaced last month alone after the fighting in syria. the u.n. security council is preparing a briefing later on monday on the humanitarian situation. the european union is working to implement new pressures to tackle the refugees crisis in the western balkans croatian authorities sagan

estimated 260,000 people have passed through the region since hungary closed its borders in mid september. meanwhile, slovenia continues to face 10s of thousands of new arrivals. but as robin reports from the slovenia-croatia border, volunteer aid workers say they are being prevented from offering much-needed help. >> reporter: the promise now of 400 extra police from the european union to manage this unparalleled scale of migration may come as a relief for the slovenian authorities. but relief for the refugees, i try to and people how they spent the last night. not enough water said this man. they had been waiting for hours. finally some were allowed to leave for an austria-bound train. but members of this family had been left behind. >> and one of my brother and my sister's husband they can't, they didn't let them come out. >> reporter: hopefully they made it onto the next train.

but by the afternoon the camp was ready for more arrivals. this is just the latest batch of hundreds of refugees to arrive at this holding facility. the police seem to be doing a very good job at crowd control. but the humanitarian effort, from what we have seep, isn't quite as adequate. aid agencies such as this say more resources are needed. they stress the slovenian authorities are cooperating closely with them but these volunteers say they have been obstructed from getting food and support to where it's need the. >> to be disallowed to hand blankets to people when we have sufficient to get to the children and family, i mean, this is disgusting. before you everybody get to the food issues or the restriction of medical aid to those that need it. >> reporter: the civil protection agency says volunteers need to register with

recognized organizations. but the police are stopping everybody from going in there. this is what is happening. >> but i think -- i am not from the police, but i think that is for their -- their security. >> reporter: swamped by up to 15,000 hungry and exhausted new arrivals a day, help for them and for the authorities cannot come soon enough. robin, al jazeera, on the slovenia off croatia border. in colombia 12 security personnel have been killed by rebels from e.n.l. marksist gorillas have been operating in colombia since the 1960s, six more people are missing from the ambush. it comes as talks continue between the government and colombia's largest rebel group the farc. in both duh w bogota we have th.

>> reporter: today after the most peaceful elections in decades colombians were reminded once again their internal civil conflict is far from over. the government says at least 12 members of the country's security forces were ambushed by the second biggest rebel group in the country the eln. it happened inside an indigenous reservation in the central province. while the soldiers and policemen were escorting a group of election official and transporting official ballots out of that region. besides those who were killed another three soldiers were injured and at least three civilians are missing at this point. now, the government and the enl hats been engaged in exploratory conversations to start formal peace negotiations for over a year, these negotiations would be similar to the ones the government had with the biggest rebel group in the country the farc. the question is, how this attack will now change that in a statement the president of the

country juan manuel santos said the attack shows the eln is clearly not ready for police. >> translator: if the eln considers that with these actions they are going to win a political space or get stronger before an eventual peace negotiations they are absolutely wrong. it is exactly the opposite. >> reporter: president santos also ordered a military to redouble their effort against the eln rebels. this was the most deadly attack defense colombian security forces since last april. when the farc killed 11 soldiers. tunisia's president has announced his support for a contentious trade deal after meeting president obama at the white house. it's being seen as a political victory for obama who has faced opposition to the deal back home. the u.s. and 11 other countries agreed to the trans-pacific partnership h earlier this mont.

the pact is the lodge every of its kind covering free trade in the pacific region. 1234r-9s u.s. state of alabama is being accused of deliberately suppressing black voters. a it announced plans to close dozens of offices that issue i.d.s. without it voters cannot cast their ballot in upcoming elects, amends i gallagher reports. >> reporter: it's the victory of southern charm. but activists say union springs in rural alabama is part i've new battle ground in a decades old fight. dozens of driver's licenses offices have closed making it hard for many to get picture identification. in alabama voters need government-i have been youd i.d. to cast their ballots. in the state's poorest communities it just got harder. >> hello. >> reporter: residents like evelyn smart say it's a reminds their voting rights here are still an issue. >> we come a long ways but we have a long ways to go.

and we are still fighting for that right that we earned years and years ago. and we shouldn't have to fight now like we did in the past. >> reporter: civil rights activists say not so much that driver's licenses offices are closing but where they are closing, overwhelmingly it's rural and black communities that are losing their facilities and critics say it's nothing short of an attempt to suppress the african american vote. some law makers in the state are now calling for a federal investigation in to the cloak user but officials claim budget cuts gave them no choice, alabama's governor says the suggestion of voter discrimination is simply untrue. >> we will go to people's house to his of their picture made if they don't have a photo i.d. in the state of alabama. we are not ever going to do anything to keep people in the state of alabama from voting. and for them to jump to a conclusion like this, that is politics at its worst. >> it's a big barrier in many of these rural counties people don't have trans take. >> reporter: campaigners say the

closures combined with the state's introduction of vote every i.d. laws are part of a long and ugly history of discrimination. >> here we are 50 years later on the year, 50 years after the voting rights act. and we are again suppressing the rights of black voters in alabama. >> reporter: officials say the clearing user will save the state millions of dollars, civil rights campaigners are more concerned about the potential cost on democracy. andy gallagher, al jazeera, union springs, alabama. a global environmental campaign group says it hopes a new report on meat consumption will be a wake-up call for people to change their diets. the report by the world health organization says processed meats like ham and sausage can cause cancer. the findings come after a year-long evaluation which has seen processed meat given the highist carcinogen i can rating with red meat just one place below. so what impact will it have.

gabriel elson so visited a buscher shop in new york city to fine out. >> reporter: we are here at shambles it's a meat market in new york city it's a small boutique butch are you, they sell owl different kind of sausages and different cuts of beef as well and i spoke to the owner here and i asked him what he thought about this new report linking red meat and processed meet to cancer. and he said, he really wasn't worried about it. >> i think the lot of our customers are concerned about the health. we have here are not given' botts and things like that which may or may not contribute to that issue. but a lot of people look for or moan or antibiotic free meat. a lot people are buying better quality, smaller portions. we also spoke to customers who said they remember not very concerned. >> i don't think it will really affect what meat i consume and how often. i am a big believer in every in

moderation and i think as long as you are getting meat that is locally sourced coming from a great place and you are consuming it again along with alcohol and anything else in small quantities, it's something that you can enjoy and be responsible about. >> reporter: the international agency for the research of cancer estimates that a little over 30,000 people a year around the world die from cancer caused by red or processed meat. but a little perspective is in order here, there is also estimates that say about 600,000 people a year globally died because of alcohol consumption that over a million people a year die because of tobacco. maybe that's why many people we spoke to said they weren't too concerned about meat. in ukraine, the force was not with a man dressed as clue baca campaign fog a candidate at the polling station. the man in the furry garb was

support the dag faired the man running for mayor in that city. the town does not allow canvassing for candidates on the day of at election but chewbacca fought back it took four police to arrest him and put him in the back of a police car. car. a unique way. this is a show about science by scientists. . >> tonight "techknow" vets the virus hunters. >> we want to understand the evolution of these pathogens. >> this team deals with the