US: Massive Fire Destroys Seafood Warehouse in Galveston, Texas

A massive fire destroyed the Texas Gulf Seafood distribution warehouse near the Galveston Yacht Marina on Wednesday night, August 5. The blaze broke out around 8:40 p.m. at Pier 7, near 7th Street and Wharf Road, sending towering flames and heavy smoke into the sky. Three people and a dog were safely rescued with no injuries reported, and the fire was contained early Thursday morning.

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Colorful streamers decorate a shopping arcade in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 6, 2026, as the annual Sendai Tanabata Festival begins for a three-day run.

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Colorful streamers decorate a shopping arcade in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 6, 2026, as the annual Sendai Tanabata Festival begins for a three-day run.

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Colorful streamers decorate a shopping arcade in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 6, 2026, as the annual Sendai Tanabata Festival begins for a three-day run.

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Colorful streamers decorate a shopping arcade in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 6, 2026, as the annual Sendai Tanabata Festival begins for a three-day run.

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Colorful streamers decorate a shopping arcade in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 6, 2026, as the annual Sendai Tanabata Festival begins for a three-day run.

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Tanabata festival in Sendai

Colorful streamers decorate a shopping arcade in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 6, 2026, as the annual Sendai Tanabata Festival begins for a three-day run.

Japan: Performers Balance Towering Lanterns at Akita Kanto Festival

The Akita Kanto Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan's Tohoku region with roughly 270 years of history, opened Sunday, August 2, in central Akita City and runs through August 6. This year's event features 67 groups—38 neighborhood teams and 29 school and workplace teams—swaying 273 lantern-laden bamboo poles through the night sky in a prayer for a bountiful harvest, the poles representing rice stalks. The largest of the poles measure up to 12 meters long and weigh 50 kilograms, balanced skillfully by performers on their foreheads, palms, and other parts of the body.

Japan: Nagaoka Fireworks Festival Lights Up Sky With 20,000 Shells 5

The Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, one of Japan's three major fireworks displays, was held on Sunday and Monday, August 2 and 3, along the Shinano River in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture. The two-day event featured about 20,000 fireworks, including large traditional shells that bloomed into flowers roughly 650 meters wide.

Japan: Nagaoka Fireworks Festival Lights Up Sky With 20,000 Shells 4

The Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, one of Japan's three major fireworks displays, was held on Sunday and Monday, August 2 and 3, along the Shinano River in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture. The two-day event featured about 20,000 fireworks, including large traditional shells that bloomed into flowers roughly 650 meters wide.

Japan: Nagaoka Fireworks Festival Lights Up Sky With 20,000 Shells

The Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, one of Japan's three major fireworks displays, was held on Sunday and Monday, August 2 and 3, along the Shinano River in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture. The two-day event featured about 20,000 fireworks, including large traditional shells that bloomed into flowers roughly 650 meters wide.

Japan: Nagaoka Fireworks Festival Lights Up Sky With 20,000 Shells 3

The Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, one of Japan's three major fireworks displays, was held on Sunday and Monday, August 2 and 3, along the Shinano River in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture. The two-day event featured about 20,000 fireworks, including large traditional shells that bloomed into flowers roughly 650 meters wide.

Japan: Nagaoka Fireworks Festival Lights Up Sky With 20,000 Shells 2

The Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, one of Japan's three major fireworks displays, was held on Sunday and Monday, August 2 and 3, along the Shinano River in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture. The two-day event featured about 20,000 fireworks, including large traditional shells that bloomed into flowers roughly 650 meters wide.

Fireworks festival in Niigata

Fireworks festival in Niigata

Fireworks light up the night sky in Nagaoka in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, on Aug. 2, 2026, during one of the three largest fireworks festivals in Japan.

Fireworks festival in Niigata

Fireworks festival in Niigata

Fireworks light up the night sky in Nagaoka in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, on Aug. 2, 2026, during one of the three largest fireworks festivals in Japan.

Fireworks festival in Niigata

Fireworks festival in Niigata

Fireworks light up the night sky in Nagaoka in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, on Aug. 2, 2026, during one of the three largest fireworks festivals in Japan.

Fireworks festival in Niigata

Fireworks festival in Niigata

Fireworks light up the night sky in Nagaoka in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, on Aug. 2, 2026, during one of the three largest fireworks festivals in Japan.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Work to restore electricity is underway in Yatsushiro in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the region.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Work to restore electricity is underway in Yatsushiro in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the region.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Work to restore electricity is underway in Yatsushiro in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the region.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Work to restore electricity is underway in Yatsushiro in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the region.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Work to restore electricity is underway in Yatsushiro in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the region.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A man stands in front of a collapsed house in Hikawa in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the region.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Propane gas cylinders lie scattered in Yatsushiro in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the region.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A "torii" gateway is seen collapsed at a shrine in Uki in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake hit the region.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A damaged shrine is pictured in Uki in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake hit the region.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A red warning notice reading "Danger" is posted on the wall of a damaged house in Uki in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the region.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Workers on July 31, 2026, clean up a carpentry shop in Hikawa in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, after a powerful earthquake hit the region three days earlier.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Staff members on July 31, 2026, clean up a Lawson convenience store in Uki in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, after a powerful earthquake struck the region three days earlier.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

People line up at the town government office in Hikawa in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, to receive bottles of water three days after a powerful earthquake hit the region.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train runs after leaving Kumamoto Station in Kumamoto Prefecture on July 31, 2026. The reopening of a section of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line earlier in the day restored full rail service between Kumamoto Station and Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture after a powerful earthquake suspended operations three days earlier.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train runs after leaving Kumamoto Station in Kumamoto Prefecture on July 31, 2026. The reopening of a section of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line earlier in the day restored full rail service between Kumamoto Station and Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture after a powerful earthquake suspended operations three days earlier.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train runs after leaving Kumamoto Station in Kumamoto Prefecture on July 31, 2026. The reopening of a section of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line earlier in the day restored full rail service between Kumamoto Station and Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture after a powerful earthquake suspended operations three days earlier.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A firefighter is engaged in a search and rescue operation at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping center in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a deadly explosion following a powerful earthquake.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A road is seen cracked in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A road is seen cracked in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A road is seen cracked in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Tilted electric poles and collapsed houses are pictured in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A warped and cracked road is pictured in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture.

China: Residents Form Human Chain to Aid Firefighters at Zhengzhou Auto Market Blaze

Residents in Zhengzhou, Henan, formed a human chain on June 20, 2026, to help firefighters lay water hoses at a massive blaze at Hongda International Auto Market after fire truck water supplies ran short. Crews piped in water from Dongfeng Canal roughly three kilometers away, and locals carried and connected hose sections to keep the operation going.

China: Typhoon Bavi Rips Metal Roof Off Residential Building in Shanghai

Typhoon Bavi tore the metal roof off a residential building in Chongming District, Shanghai on July 12, 2026, with footage showing the structure shaking violently before being ripped apart and blown to the ground by powerful gusts.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Citizens wait to apply for a document certifying damage done to their property at the Uki city government office in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture. The certificate is required to receive such support as temporary housing and tax reduction or exemption.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

People collect water from a water tanker truck in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, as tens of thousands of households remained without water on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Collapsed houses are pictured in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A collapsed house is pictured in Hikawa, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, 2026, three days after a powerful earthquake struck the southwestern Japan prefecture.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

A passenger heads to a ticket gate at JR Kumamoto Staton in Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, 2026, as the Kyushu Shinkansen Line resumes operations on a section to and from Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture following its suspension after a powerful earthquake three days earlier.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Efforts are under way to remove debris at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping center in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a deadly explosion following a powerful earthquake.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Police officers are seen in a parking lot at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping center in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 31, 2026, three days after a deadly explosion following a powerful earthquake.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Flowers are placed in a parking lot at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping center in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, 2026, three days after a deadly explosion following a powerful earthquake that hit the southwestern Japan prefecture and its vicinity.

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Aftermath of strong earthquake in Kumamoto

Flowers are placed in a parking lot at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping center in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, 2026, three days after a deadly explosion following a powerful earthquake that hit the southwestern Japan prefecture and its vicinity.