Search operations have continued overnight for people missing after a major earthquake in Japan. The 7.1 magnitude tremor hit the country’s southern Kumamoto prefecture. At least two women are reported to have died after an explosion tore through a shoppping mall, and the number of casualties are expected to rise. Jamie Clarke reports:

Chief Executive John Lee has described his first policy exchange session with lawmakers as both warm and substantive, saying it fostered mutual understanding and strengthened the groundwork for future consensus. Fifteen of the 67 legislators present spoke at the session which lasted about 90 minutes. Hailey Yip has details:

Judy Chan of the New People's Party was among those who attended the session with John Lee. She told Swara Kamble that there were many advantages to this form of exchange with the chief executive:

The chief executive says priority must be given to three elections before considering whether to hold a by-election after a lawmaker resigned. Separately, John Lee expressed confidence that all judges and judicial officers will stand by their oaths and discharge their duties diligently. His remarks came after High Court judge Wilson Chan was told to retire early amid a plagiarism row. Raymond Yeung with that story:

Taxi fleets have been urged to work harder to hire drivers. As Charlie Chun reports, the number of fleet taxis providing services is short of the initial target set by authorities:

The Trade Development Council is set to host a shopping festival aimed at helping Hong Kong's small and medium-sized enterprises expand their cross-border e-commerce presence. For the first time, the Hong Kong Shopping Festival will extend beyond the mainland market into the Asean region, with Singapore and Malaysia serving as the primary launchpads. Bruce Pang, the TDC's Director of Research, spoke to Belle Yip:

Tourism minister Rosanna Law has expressed the hope that upcoming mega events will stimulate consumption. This comes as the Kai Tak Mall recorded a 40 percent growth in sales in the first five months of this year. Charlie Chun has the details:

About 33,000 people have participated in the SAR’s Hepatitis B co-care programme. This comes as the Department of Health urged high-risk individuals to be screened for the disease early to prevent more severe conditions. About 80 percent of primary liver cancer cases are linked to chronic hepatitis, but around 40 percent of them are not aware of their chronic hepatitis B condition as they are asymptomatic. Dr Bonnie Wong, a consultant at the Department of Health, told Charlie Chun more about the prevalence of the disease in the city:

President Xi Jinping has urged pooling the strength of overseas Chinese and those who have returned to China to contribute to build a strong country and advance national rejuvenation. Aaron Tam reports:

Spanish residents forced to flee some of the worst fires in living memory have begun returning home. The country has lifted evacuation orders for more than a dozen areas, with the prime minister claiming “we are starting to see the end of the tunnel.” But in France, thousands more people have been ordered to flee, with fears growing over another searing heatwave. Jamie Clarke has more:

US President Donald Trump has hailed Lindsey Graham as a "true American original" as world leaders and Washington's political elite gathered for the funeral of the hardline Republican senator who helped shape US policy on Ukraine and the Middle East. Cecil Wong has details: