Deadly earthquake strikes off Indonesia | Fresh wave of wildfires in Europe

Good evening.At least 20 people have been killed after a magnitude 7 .7 earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province.The powerful quake was followed by several aftershocks wreaking havoc in the region.Authorities issued a tsunami warning which was lifted shortly after.International correspondent Claudia Farhart is following developments from Jakarta and joins us now.Claudia, what more can you tell us?

Anton, not only was this a very powerful earthquake, it was also relatively shallow.It had a depth of about 15 kilometres and it struck just before five o 'clock this morning while most people were still asleep.So a disastrous combination of factors and the picture on the ground in Flores is not looking good.In addition to the 20 people rescuers say have been killed, they say at least six more are injured and there are reports that several more remain trapped underneath the rubble and they're warning that all of these are just in their homes, seeking safer ground.And the governor of Flores says that both the military and the police are preparing to deploy extra people into the region.They're going to be trying to get those evacuees into tents with portable beds and things like water tanks and generators.

But Anton, in the coming days, as it has been all day, their top priority is going to be trying to find any more survivors.

Buildings crumbling to the ground as people run for their lives.This structure in the port of Maumare stood no chance against the magnitude 7 .7 earthquake that struck Flores Island early this morning.The strong tremors forcing a dockside gangway into the water along with those on it.causing panic among helpless onlookers.Some residents have been left trying to comprehend the disaster.Others wasted no time fleeing.

Rescue operations have begun, with officials clambering through debris to find survivors, in some cases using saws to cut through.Multiple casualties were quickly confirmed.Those numbers rising significantly in a matter of hours.In the Manggarai region, Sid, this is the state some homes have been left in.As residents sort through rubble trying to salvage anything, this house, like countless others, is now uninhabitable.Mahnoor Zangouri, SBS World News.

U .S.President Donald Trump says he'll soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a U .S.territory, prompting an angry response from Tehran.Iran's deputy foreign minister said Tehran would remain in control of the strait and vowed to continue enforcing Iran's blockade.

The Iranian government says no decision has been made on restarting talks with Washington.

Six months into the war with Iran and with no end in sight, the US commander -in -chief telling this gathering at a police academy about his plans for policing the Gulf.

And after we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.

No clear indication if these were off -the -cuff remarks from the president or a change in US policy.Tehran pushing back against the threat of a US takeover.the Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Kharibabadi, saying the Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech, and that the Strait has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian, and it will only be closed and opened under Iran's command.A critical hurdle for any future talks, with the Iranian government saying no decision has been made about whether to even restart negotiations.Both sides are adamant they're in control of the waterway.It used to handle about one in five barrels of the world's exported oil before the war.

The U .S.Navy is blockading Iranian ports and shipping, but Iran is also enforcing its own blockade of marine traffic, preventingthe passage of U .S.S.naval vessels.

For decades, we've had a logistics model in the Middle East that allowed our ships to be supplied and replenished and indeed even repaired.and the ports on the Gulf, whether it was Jebel Ali for the larger ships or Bahrain, and that has gone away.

As the war has dragged on, it's meant extending deployments at sea, leading to reports from the USS Abraham Lincoln of flagging morale and mental health concerns for sailors after nearly nine months without shore leave.

So it can be very monotonous and that also takes a toll on people.And although their operations are relatively stressful because they are doing flight operations and they do get shot at periodically by the Iranians.

President Trump dismissing those concerns.

Not nearly long enough.

But confirming another ship is on the way.The USS George Washington sailing from Asia, leaving the Pacific without a US aircraft carrier.Signalling the Middle East remains mission critical for the White House.Natalie Pohonen, SBS, World News.

Countries across Europe are battling a new wave of wildfires, with fierce winds and heat waves fuelling a summer of unrelenting blazes.Thousands have been evacuated as flames consume homes, scorch tourist towns and overwhelm firefighting resources.Even the UK, not normally associated with fire weather, is on high alert.

sounded across the UK, warning millions to avoid anything that could ignite another blaze.As parts of England and Walesburn in an unprecedented wildfire emergency.

In fact, don't light anything in an outdoor space right now.Britain is a tinderbox.

The UK's meteorological service predicting this summer to be the country's hottest since records began.

It's clear that the climate is changing.Everybody can see that.

We're only in the middle of August.and the wildfire season seems to extend way into November at this moment in time, so we're anticipating this being not just a record -breaking year but a considerable increase on the number of wildfires previously experienced.

At least 37 significant blazes burn across the UK, 19 homes so far destroyed as firefighting resources are tested.

The demands and the requests for support have probably outstripped the capability of the UK Fire and Rescue Service.

The Prime Minister visiting the fire ravaged West Midlands announcing 100 military personnel will be deployed to the hardest hit areas while pledging additional funding for fire services.Two trains have derailed in recent days.Authorities investigating whether the high temperatures had buckled the rails.

I think the worst feeling was really when it was all going on because I just didn't see how on earth we were going to survive it actually.

In this Croatian coastal town, strong winds fanned a raging wildfire as more than 1 ,000 people were forced to flee the tourist destination.Authorities confirmed one person was killed and more than a dozen were hospitalised.

Further south, wind fuelled another blaze.

Four firefighting aircraft helped local crews bring it under control as flames threatened the city.and scorched vineyards.Under siege from blazes since the start of summer, French authorities now confirming 500 people have been arrested on suspicion of starting fires.And as flames also tear through parts of Greece, Spain, Germany, Montenegro and Albania, there is some relief on the horizon.The coming days predicted to bring cooler conditions.VBD's SBS World News.

Activists have tried to deliver supplies to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, whose homes have been besieged for almost a week by Israeli settlers.The IDF says it ordered the settlers to leave the village of Kusra, but Palestinian residents say settlers returned to the area hours after the IDF intervention.

Israeli security forces hold the perimeter outside a Palestinian home in Kuzra, activists leaving essential supplies outside the gate.Urging Israeli troops to let them pass, they say they were prevented from reaching their destination.

We have arrived here to raise our voices and show solidarity with the people of Kuzra.

The IDF calling the village of Kusra a closed military zone as it continues to restrict movement in the area.It says action has been taken to disperse Israeli settlers by dismantling two unauthorised outposts.Activists say the settlers returned only hours after their eviction, setting up a tent before Israeli soldiers arrived to take it down.The village of Khuzra on edge since last weekend after settlers moved to block the road to Palestine.homes, cutting off water and power supplies.New security vision has emerged of IDF troops fraternising with settlers after they were called in last Sunday to resolve the standoff.

Scenes of confrontation then breaking out later in the week.The IDF says it continues to carry out patrols in the area to maintain security.Some Palestinian residents saying they returned to ransacked homes.Israeli settlements have been expanding across the West Bank.They're considered illegal under international law, which Israel disputes.The U .

S.ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, already condemning the besieging of a home belonging to a U .S.citizen this week.A U .S.

official telling the Reuters news agency, the United States wants the Israeli Prime Minister to speak out against this latest episode.Tom Stainer, SBS, World News.

In a case that's gripped the United States, a man has admitted stalking and killing the head of a major U .S.healthcare provider.Luigi Mangione said his actions were the result of his experiences dealing with the country's healthcare system.The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson came to symbolize Americans' frustration with the health insurance industry, many people sympathizing with Mangione's actions.

Measured and calm in a statement to the court, Luigi Mangione explained that after enduring severe back pain and struggling with the obstacles of the health insurance system, he decided to take matters into his own hands.The killing of Brian Thompson set off one of the country's biggest manhunts, which dominated the news until he was arrested five days later.Shell casings recovered at the scene bore the words,delay, deny and defend, apparently in reference to health insurers' tactics to deny claims to maximize profits.Outside the court, Mangione's legal team pushed the same narrative.

As Luigi explained in court today, he endured years of severe debilitating pain following a broken back while struggling to navigate our health care and health insurance systems.Like the thousands of people who have reached out since this tragedy to share their own experiences, he believed that the system had failed him and destroyed his life.

He's many supporters channeling their frustration with the country's health care industry and attempting to keep the focus on the question of affordable health insurance.

My support continues, even when there's a verdict and sentencing.For me, this is a movement.It goes beyond just this case.So I will continue to support it in any way that I can.

Authorities mindful of the glorification of violence, however legitimate the cause.

Violence is not a legitimate instrument.to promote any political or social message.And those who resort to violence in an effort to advance their beliefs will be prosecuted, convicted, and put in jail.

Law enforcement officials adding that there was nothing heroic in murder.

Every member of the NYPD who played a role in this investigation, you should be enormously proud for bringing us to this day.And to those who idolize Luigi Mangione, I say this.Violence is not a cause.Murder is not a message.And a killer is certainly not a hero.

His guilty plea to federal stalking charges does not end his legal battles.Mangione's legal team has already filed a motion asking the state's Supreme Court to dismiss second -degree murder and other charges.double jeopardy grounds.Edmund Roy, SBS World News.