‘It will take years to rebuild’: Villagers pick up the pieces after devastating Japan earthquake
The roads that snake up the Noto peninsular get worse the further we drive.
What starts as a few small, irregular cracks turn into sizeable craters and fissures. In some places the concrete has totally buckled, making the route impassable.
It is no wonder rescue efforts have been rendered so complicated, and the full scale of the damage and casualties is still extremely unclear.
Indeed, some of the worst-hit areas remain almost inaccessible unless you have an army truck, or better a helicopter.
But you don’t need to be at the epicentre of this disaster to clearly see the destruction it has wrought.
That is plainly evident in village after village we pass.
Entire streets of old traditional houses are damaged or destroyed in the village of Kuroshima
Some of the worst-hit areas remain almost inaccessible
In one, entire streets of old traditional houses are, at best, damaged beyond what’s habitable, surrounded by shattered glass and fallen beams and, at worst, have completely collapsed.
There are clues in the rubble as to the traditional lives uprooted here.
In one destroyed home, wicker baskets lie scattered atop the fallen wooden walls, reinforced with just clay.
A lot might have been said about how good Japanese infrastructure is in the face of such quakes, but these homes didn’t stand a chance.
It’s here we meet Mamiko Nakatani. She is taking shelter in the village hall.
She takes us to her home – it’s been in her family for 45 years. It’s still standing, but only just and the damage is shocking.
Ceilings collapsed, windows smashed, and her broken possessions cover the floor.
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Japan earthquake shakes drinks
She described how, when the quake hit, her huge bookshelves collapsed right on top of her elderly husband.
It’s a miracle he was unhurt, she says.
And when I ask her how it feels to look at the devastation – “I’m at a loss,” she says, with tears in her eyes.
“It will take years to rebuild.”
It’s clear the danger isn’t over. Every so often we hear a deep rumble and the ground moves a little beneath us – tremors continuing.
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Back in the car, our phones sound with alarm warnings of further quakes expected.
Eventually, we reach a point where we can go no further. Landslides and trees block the roads and fissures in the concrete are too large for us to cross.
At one such blocking, we meet Takuya Yamagishi who is being picked up by car. He is shivering, his clothes and hair are soaked through and his feet are cracked with mud.
He has walked for over five hours in the cold and rain from his grandparent’s village near Wajima to meet others and fetch help.
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Scale of Japan quake damage becomes clearer
He couldn’t get here any other way, the roads are impassable by car.
He tells us the village has limited supplies, water and power are cut, and many people have been left homeless. He looks like he’s in shock.
Indeed, 33,000 people have had to evacuate their homes, and lots of people remain without water or electricity.
“Even those who narrowly escaped death cannot survive without food and water,” says Masuhiro Izumiya, the mayor of Suku – one of the worst affected towns.
Other local leaders have implied help has been too slow and have urged the government to hurry to clear the roads.
At a roadside hub for rescue and relief workers, there are dozens of people and trucks. They are preparing to work through the night.
Kenji Kamei is one of many who has been sent here from a neighbouring province.
A roadside hub has been set up for rescue and relief workers
He shows us the saws used to cut people out of rubble, but adds sadly the only people still being retrieved now are the dead.
It is still very unclear how many more bodies he will have to pull from their homes, but the plight of survivors continues.
It is bitterly cold and heavy rain today has increased the risk of landslides. There is a lot more suffering ahead for the people of this region.
World
Ten explosions near international airport in India-administered part of Kashmir, officials say
Ten explosions have been heard near Srinagar International Airport in India-administered parts of Kashmir, officials have told Reuters news agency.
The blasts followed blackouts caused by multiple projectiles, which were seen in the sky above the city of Jammu earlier on Friday.
Explosions were also heard in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, in the neighbouring Punjab state, according to Reuters.
An Indian military official told the agency that “drones have been sighted” and “they are being engaged”.
It comes as tensions between India and Pakistan across the line of control around the region of Kashmir have boiled over this week, leading to fears of a wider conflict.
On Wednesday morning, India carried out missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered parts of the disputed region.
The retaliation came weeks after 26 people, mainly Indian tourists, were shot dead by gunmen in an India-administered part of Kashmir last month.
The government in India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites, while Pakistan said it was not involved in the April attack and the sites were not militant bases.
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Explained: India-Pakistan conflict
Around 48 people have been killed since Wednesday, according to casualty estimates on both sides – which have not been independently verified.
India also suspended its top cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League, as a result of rising tensions, while the Pakistan Super League moved the remainder of its season to the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a conference on Friday that the US is in constant contact with both India and Pakistan.
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Conclaves are famously unpredictable affairs – and once again the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the new pope caught many by surprise.
The newly elected Pope Leo XIV won the consensus of the 133 cardinal electors after only four ballots – a fast process for a diverse college of cardinals.
Though his name had circulated among some Vatican watchers, other cardinals had emerged as clear front-runners, including Pietro Parolin – the Vatican’s number two who would have been the first Italian in almost 50 years to become pontiff – or Luis Tagle, a Filipino cardinal looking to become the first Asian pope.
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What are the conclave’s secrecy measures?
Instead, it was the first North American to win the highly secretive process.
So, what went on behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel?
Until Thursday lunchtime, Cardinal Parolin was ahead, gathering between 45 and 55 votes, sources say.
A substantial number, but well short of the 89 votes he needed for a two-thirds majority.
At this point, Cardinal Prevost had between 34 and 44 votes.
But as the Italian struggled to grow his support during the first three rounds of voting, he stepped down from the race, endorsing Prevost instead, Sky News understands.
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Who is Pope Leo?
An internal battle between Luis Tagle and Pablo Virgilio David – both cardinals hailing from Asia – cancelled out both of their chances.
And a contender from Africa – the most conservative sector of the church – was never likely for a conclave where the overwhelming majority of cardinals had been appointed by Francis, a progressive pontiff, sources say.
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Moment new pope emerges on balcony
An American pope has long been seen as highly improbable, given the geopolitical power of the US.
But Cardinal Prevost was able to draw from across the groups making up the electors: moderate US cardinals, South American cardinals and many European cardinals all coalesced around him.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica said Prevost “certainly attracted cross-party preferences, both ideologically and geographically”.
“In the conclave he was the least American of Americans: Born in Chicago, he lived 20 years in Peru,” the newspaper said.
It added: “As a man used to teamwork, Prevost appeared to many as the right man to make the papacy evolve into a more collegial form.”
Standing on Red Square, this was an intimidating sight, which felt much more like a celebration of war rather than peace.
I could feel the ground shake as the tanks rolled past, their caterpillar tracks on the ancient cobbles providing a deafening clatter.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up in fear as the phalanxes of troops roared “Hurrah” in response to their commander in chief.
And the sight of combat drones being paraded on their launchers was actually quite sickening. Weapons that have been at the forefront of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were paraded in a show of pomp and patriotism.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin watch the procession. Pic: Reuters
Ukraine war latest: Putin welcomes Xi at Victory Day parade
For the rest of Europe, the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War has been a celebration of peace, but this felt much more like a celebration of war.
And it wasn’t just military hardware on display here, but the very identity of modern Russia.
Pic: Reuters
For this is a country that is now defined by its military and its memory. The glory and sacrifice of 1945 have been weaponised to give credence to Russia’s current course and to make people believe that victory is their right.
For Russians, it served as a rallying cry and there was applause when the troops who have fought against Ukraine marched past.
But for those watching in Kyiv and other European capitals, it was an overt warning that Moscow has no intention of backing down.
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Putin hails sacrifice of Russian troops
The parade was considerably larger in scale than in recent years, when units and hardware have been needed on the battlefield. I think it was a deliberate attempt to project an image of confidence, and so was Vladimir Putin‘s positioning of his guests.
China’s Xi Jinping was given a prime position on the Kremlin leader’s right-hand side. It was no surprise given the economic lifeline Beijing has provided, but it felt like a particularly pointed gesture to the West – that they were looking at a new world order.
Despite that appearance of confidence, there were signs of Moscow’s unease that the parade could be disrupted.
There were snipers on every rooftop. Security was extremely tight. And the mobile internet signal across the city centre was completely shut down for fear of Ukrainian drone attacks, meaning none of the international media that had gathered could broadcast any live transmissions.
After the parade finished, Putin saluted the crowds as they spontaneously erupted into rhythmic shouts of “Rus-si-ya” at the sight of him.
Another PR coup complete without interruption, he will have departed as a very happy man.
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