Japan Disaster Update: Japan’s Kumamoto earthquake death toll rose to 34 as thousands of survivors faced searing heat, power and water outages, and searches around the damaged Aeon mall and a collapsed factory smokestack. India Floods: Assam floods killed at least 78 and left over 300,000 people in the disaster zone, with hundreds of settlements submerged and major damage to roads and homes. Geopolitics/West Asia: PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting on the West Asia crisis’ impact on India’s energy security, as the Strait of Hormuz remains chokepointed and shipping risks grow. China-Iran Denial: China’s foreign ministry rejected a report that it would supply 400 surface-to-air missiles to Iran. Markets & FX: The yen jumped sharply against the dollar, with traders flagging possible Japanese intervention as the currency nears multi-decade lows. India Trade/Shipping: India launched its first sovereign-backed maritime P&I insurance under the Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool to cut reliance on foreign insurers. Tech & Research: A study found China-based researchers and those with Chinese surnames were less likely to be accepted by top US science journals. Business/Transport: Hyundai Motor India Q1 profit fell 35% amid higher costs, while Kia teased its Sorento hybrid SUV for India. Regional Space Safety: The Philippine Space Agency warned of possible rocket debris from China’s Long March 6A falling near Northern Luzon, urging people not to touch any material.