Noontime News Recap: Japan quake death toll rises as Europe wildfire risk and Asia tech shares slide

Japan is in a second day of rescue work after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit southern Japan and killed at least 13 people, with emergency crews searching rubble in the Kumamoto area of Kyushu and assessing damage to homes and a mall.  🔗  🔗

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In Europe, France and Spain are battling intensifying wildfires as evacuations rise and officials warn that climate adaptation needs to accelerate, with a new heatwave set to push temperatures into the high 30s and low 40s Celsius and raise the risk of further blazes.  🔗  🔗

The Russia, Ukraine war continued to spread damage overnight, with Russian authorities saying Ukrainian drone strikes hit industrial facilities in Ryazan and caused fires and evacuations, while casualties were also reported in Taganrog, Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk.  🔗

Elsewhere in the conflict zone, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine said it is monitoring the merchant vessel MV AMIR1 after drone and missile threats near Chornomorsk port, as concern grows over shipping safety in the Black Sea.  🔗

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In the Middle East, Iran rejected an Omani proposal for joint oversight of the Strait of Hormuz and instead put forward a counterproposal that would give Tehran more control over the waterway, underlining the wider dispute over one of the world's most important energy routes.  🔗

Across Asia, Taiwan has suspended some liquefied natural gas purchases from Papua New Guinea amid a diplomatic row over its representative office, while Australia said US Virginia class submarines rotating through HMAS Stirling in Western Australia will stop doing so in 2032.  🔗  🔗

On the technology and security front, the Trump administration widened restrictions on Chinese imports by adding limits on humanoid and quadruped robots and on power inverters, and Russia issued an international arrest warrant for Telegram founder Pavel Durov, accusing him of facilitating terrorist activity.  🔗  🔗

In other political developments, the US Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence, Algeria elected Khalida Boufedeche as its first woman parliamentary speaker, and the National Crime Agency and Freeview channel Great! Romance launched a campaign warning viewers about romance fraud.  🔗  🔗  🔗

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Asian chip and artificial intelligence linked shares fell sharply after SK Hynix reported results that missed expectations, adding pressure to the region's semiconductor sector.  🔗

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