Rescuers search for survivors after Japan quake | Iran and U-S trade blows, ending brief ceasefire

Good evening.At least 13 people have been confirmed dead, with more still missing after yesterday's major earthquake in Japan.Prime Minister Sanae Takahichi has said thousands of rescue workers are now in a race against time to find any survivors.The 7 .1 magnitude earthquake hit the southern island of Kyushu.Its epicentre was about 20 kilometres from Kumamoto, home to some 700 ,000 people.Today, much of the rescue effort has been focused around the city's main shopping centre, which collapsed after the quake.

This morning, smoke still rising from the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto City.Rescue crews worked through the night searching for survivors after the shopping center's second story collapsed.This damage wasn't done by the quake itself, but by a blast about an hour later.

There is such a report, and in any case, the details of the cause are current.

Authorities say they've pulled eight people out of the shopping centre alive, but another 20 to 30 people, mostly workers, are still unaccounted for.Tokyo has now deployed more than 4 ,500 soldiers to join the rescue effort.The quake crushing homes, bringing down the smokestack at this paper plant, and sending the walls of the 400 -year -old Kumamoto Castle crumbling.

Many plates and cups fell off from the shelves and also some are popped out from the fridge and some piano moved and so many things get around so it was a mess.

This part of Japan is no stranger to earthquakes.Sitting on the Pacific Ring of Fire, it logs mostly unnoticeable microtremors almost every day.The Aeon Mall had only just celebrated its reopening last month after sustaining severe damage in the 2016 earthquake, which killed more than 270 people.Scientists telling public broadcaster NHK they believe unruptured faults from that quake were the likely cause of this one.And with aftershocks continuing, the government is warning there will be more dangerous days ahead.About 300 ,000 people have been ordered into evacuation centres.

Tens of thousands of homes and some hospitals remain without power.With temperatures soaring to about 34 degrees today, health warnings have been issued too.Hospital staff saying some survivors have already developed symptoms of heat stroke.Claudia Farhart, SBS, World News.

A days -long pause in fighting has been shattered, with deadly airstrikes resuming once again between the US and Iran.At least 20 members of an Iraqi former paramilitary alliance have been killed in US -Saudi strikes, according to a statement from the Popular Mobilisation Forces.The US says the attacks were targeting Iran -backed militants in response to dozens of Iranian drone strikes in recent days.Jordan's army says it hasand downed five Iranian missiles.Iran's Revolutionary Guards say it attacked and stopped three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and is maintaining full control of the waterway.

The latest flare -up in the conflict came as the funeral of late U .S.Senator Lindsey Graham drew U .S.war allies to Washington.

Remembering a hardline Republican described by the President as a giant of the United States Senate.The late Lindsey Graham bringing together US allies at Washington National Cathedral.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sharing a moment ahead of the memorial for Senator Graham who was a major supporter of both countries in their respective conflicts.His casket given a tap by Donald Trump before the US commander in chief paid tribute.

He was extremely hawkish.I will tell you, he never saw a war that he didn't like.Only his true friends would understand that, but he wanted it for the good of our country.He felt in his bones that our destiny is to win and that his job was to do everything he could to ensure our enemies would lose.

As the funeral took place, fresh US attacks launched in Iraq.American and Saudi forces hitting targets they say were used by Iran -backed militants to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.U .S.Central Command says it was a strong response to over 30 IRGC -directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours.Tehran says that blaming it for such attacks was a major miscalculation.

On Iranian state television reports that recent U .S.strikes had destroyed an airport, marine control tower and caused damage to 12 bridges, two tunnels.and other infrastructure.Iran's military says it maintains full control of the Strait of Hormuz.The IRGC attacking three ships said to be taking a quote illegal route.

This warning issued to any country looking to demine the strategic waterway.

We told them explicitly that under no circumstances are they permitted to do so.They will be considered legitimate targets by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In another troubled shipping route off the coast of Yemen, data showing 37 commodity ships passed through the Bab el -Mandeb Strait over the past 24 hours.Yemen's Iran -backed Houthi rebels say they fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea as they step up enforcement of a newly declared maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia.Virginia Langeberg, SBS World News.

U .S.President Donald Trump has sat down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a meeting the White House described as positive and productive.U .S.-Israel ties have been frayed recently over policy in their joint war against Iran.

Mr. Netanyahu, though, was keen to dispel reports of any such tension.

A photo op in the Oval Office for the US and Israeli leaders.Their smiles masking any hint of a strained relationship.Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu meeting for the first time since launching a joint war against Iran in February.

Israel's Prime Minister hailing it as one of the best conversations he's ever had with Mr. Trump.with understanding of Iran's shared goal of securing peace.

In an interview with U .S.network Fox News, Mr. Netanyahu dismissed reports of any tension with the U .

S.President.I always hate to disappoint our would -be critics who are trying to find, you know, cracks in our alliance.And what they find, like today, is a wall of granite.

Ties between the two leaders have been tested in recent months, with Mr Trump often criticising Mr Netanyahu for continuing strikes in Lebanon and ignoring a ceasefire.The Israeli Prime Minister under increasing pressure on all fronts with less than three months until the country's elections.Protesters in Washington DC accusing him of being an imposter and using the name of Israel.

He claims that all Jews support his movement and his actions, his crimes and he misuses our religion and our identity.to justify all these criminal actions.We say no.

There were demonstrations in Israel too.Protesters scuffling with police as they called for an end to Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

They are doing horrific, horrific atrocities.

This as the Israeli military continues its strikes in Gaza.hitting this mosque in Gaza City, despite a fragile US -brokered ceasefire.Rachelle Harrison -Pless, SBS World News.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also hailed what he called a good meeting with Donald Trump at the White House in which the prospects of Ukraine manufacturing Patriot air defense missiles were discussed.The talks came as Republican and Democrat senators joined hands to advance legislation named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham to impose sweeping economic sanctions on buyers of Russianoil and gas.

Arriving in Washington the Ukrainian president was taken straight into an hour -long meeting with Donald Trump.Soon after he took to social media to say a good meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office.We discussed with the president licenses for the production of interceptors for Patriots and some other ideas that could help.Grateful to the United States for their strong support.Later, heading into the capital to meet with senators, the Ukrainian leader elaborated on the question of missiles.in producing missiles for the Patriot system.

The Ukrainian leader in the capital, as senators began advancing the Russia sanctions legislation, named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, long a supporter of Ukraine.The bill, now heading to the House of Representatives, expands sanctions on Russian officials, financial institutions and energy interests, while imposing tariffs against countries that buy Russian oil.

It's not only about money, how Russia, how to stop, to finance this war, but it's also a big signal to Europe, big signal to Ukraine, big support of our people.So I'm very thankful.I hope that, God bless, we will have positive results.

His urgent need for positive results growing with news that last month was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since April of 2022.Russia reportedly firing more than 100 drones into Ukraine overnight and attacking the port of Odessa and ships carrying Ukrainian agricultural exports.Edmund Roy, SBS World News.

Nearly 200 passengers have been evacuated from a cruise ship that ran aground in Bulgaria.The Viking vessel had been due to reach the nearby city of Vidin, but instead became stranded overnight in low water levels with poor visibility.52 crew members remain on board to assist with attempts to refloat the Swiss -registered ship.Uganda's health minister has declared the country is free of Ebola following its latest outbreak.42 days have passed since the last discharge of a Ugandan national with the disease, completing the monitoring period required by the World Health Organization.And a man allegedly connected to Melbourne's organised crime has been sentenced to life in prison in Iraq for importing large quantities of drugs into Iraq and Australia.

Kazem Hamad was deported from Australia in 2023 after spending eight years in prison.Iraq's judicial authorities say he's considered one of the most wanted individuals in the country.Firefighters in France and Spain believe they've made headway against massive wildfires ahead of yet another heatwave.The biggest blaze in the Gironde region, near the city of Bordeaux, has stabilised but is not contained, according to local authorities.In Spain, eight fires are still burning.The Spanish Prime Minister declaring the end of the tunnel is in sight, but warning against complacency.

With temperatures on the rise again and winds strengthening, firefighters across the Gironde region are engaged in a constant battle against flare -ups.The extent of the damage now becoming clear as residents are able to return to some areas the fire has passed through.While hundreds of properties have been lost, no lives have been.That's largely down to effective and early communication by authorities who did not want to take risks.And it's why another 4 ,000 people have been ordered to evacuate the Atlantic coast, many of them holidaymakers.Campsites like this one abandoned across the region at the height of summer tourist season.

In Spain, firefighting efforts over the last two cooler days have had an impact and emergency measures are being scaled back.But authorities warn the new heatwave will present new challenges and perhaps fuel new fires.

We are changing the towers and therefore we can start to see the end of the tunnel in the fight against these fires with all the precautions and effectively in days and especially complex hours like the ones we have left.

With the threat over in several towns outside Madrid, cordons were lifted.Modern technology meant some residents knew what they would find.The blaze tore through these villages inIt will take them years to recover.Ben Lewis, SBS World News.