A tsunami warning issued for Japan's western coast has been downgraded. Southeast Queensland continues to be battered by heavy rains and flooding. And in tennis, Naomi Osaka has beaten Tamara Korpatsch at the Brisbane International.
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TRANSCRIPT
- A tsunami warning issued for Japan's western coast has been downgraded.
- Southeast Queensland continues to be battered by heavy rains and flooding.
- Naomi Osaka has beaten Tamara Korpatsch at the Brisbane International.
Tsunami warnings have been downgraded across Japan's western coastal regions after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the island country.
Following the quake, Japan Meteorological Agency initially issued a major tsunami warning along Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama prefectures, the first such warning since the deadly 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the north-east of Japan.
National broadcaster NHK says this warning was downgraded to a lesser warning and now simply an "advisory" after waves that hit the coastline in Ishikawa were not much higher than a metre.
At least two people are feared dead following the quake according to Kyodo news agency with the toll expected to rise.
Japanese chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi says he has received reports of collapsed buildings with trapped individuals in Ishikawa prefecture.
"The specific details are currently unclear, but we currently have received reports of six individuals trapped by collapsed buildings in Ishikawa prefecture. We will continue to make all efforts to gather more information."
Heavy rain in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales could lead to life-threatening flash floods.
That's the forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology after a new year deluge with more than 300 millimetres falling on in some parts of the Gold Coast.
Police have urged people to stay off the roads, where possible, and not to go boating.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate says the intense falls could continue.
"The Bureau has indicated that there will be more significant rain and it won't let up until Tuesday afternoon, perhaps even going on to Wednesday."
Large areas of northern Australia have had a sweltering start to the new year with temperatures soaring into the 40s.
A heatwave warning is in place for parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
In WA's Marble Bar is expected to reach 45C on Tuesday with similar maximums forecast across the next seven days.
The heatwave conditions are expected to ease slightly throughout the week in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions.
The NT is expecting temperatures up to the low 40s in the coming days, with overnight temperatures only cooling to the mid to high 20s.
Displaced Palestinians in a makeshift refugee camp in Gaza wish to be able to return to their homes in the New Year after 12 weeks of a deadly war between Hamas and Israel.
Huddled around a fire, the al-Zeinaty family say they cannot find any good reason to celebrate the New Year.
"We do not feel that there is a new year because of the intensity of the pain we live in - all days are the same. Our celebrations are not celebrations. When can we celebrate? When we check on our children who we left behind in the north, in Jabalia and check on our people, about 80 people, from the rest of our family who are still in the north, then it will be a celebration. ... My tragedy lives inside me; the outside world does not feel it at all. Let them have their celebrations and leave me to live my tragedy."
The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 21,800 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israeli fire and airstrikes since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out
The war erupted on the 7th of October when militants linked with Hamas, and other armed Palestinian groups, stormed southern Israel and killed 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, and abducted 240 others.
The end of unsustainable commercial logging in Western Australia could save almost 20,000 square kilometres of forest, the state government says.
Chopping down native karri, jarrah and wandoo hardwood in the state's southwest and selling it is banned from today.
Under the new Forest Management Plan 2024-2033, native timbers can only be felled for ecologically thinning to enhance forest health and resilience from drought and bushfires.
The government has invested $350 million in WA's softwood pine plantations to supply the construction industry with timber.
In tennis, Naomi Osaka has beaten Tamara Korpatsch at the Brisbane International.
It was the first W-T-A victory in 15 months for Japan's former world number one and the first match since the arrival of her daughter in July.
The 26-year-old thumped 36 winners to win 6-3, 7-6.
The two-time Australian Open champion will now prepare for her first grand slam since 2022.
