August’s video game line-up includes a new Marvel fighting game, a dream Star Wars/XCOM crossover, and a rare non-Pokémon game from Game Freak.

While we are currently in the midst of the typical summer drought of big video game releases, July still saw a handful of significant titles, particularly from Nintendo and Microsoft.

The former launched Rhythm Paradise Groove as its final (for now) Switch 1 game and a new Splatoon spin-off, Splatoon Raiders, for Switch 2. Microsoft, meanwhile, launched its long-awaited Halo: Combat Evolved remake and an excellent Doom: The Dark Ages expansion, although both were severely undermined by the awful Xbox layoffs at the beginning of the month.

Things will remain quiet until September, which stands to have the opposite problem, but August is not without a handful of interesting new releases. Plus, you can look forward to some new announcements at the end of the month, at Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25.

Beast Of Reincarnation

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

Before Pokémon Winds and Waves next year, Game Freak is releasing a very different kind of role-playing game and not even for Nintendo consoles. Although you do still get a cute animal companion for the adventure.

Beast Of Reincarnation’s post-apocalyptic setting and real-time sword combat bring to mind games like Monster Hunter and Wild Hearts, but you can also command a large dog to assist you with special moves.

Game Freak’s non-Pokémon projects have always been hit-or-miss but if nothing else, Beast Of Reincarnation shows the studio has the skills to make graphically beautiful games.

Release date: August 4

Big Walk

PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC

After the deservedly viral sensation that was Untitled Goose Game, Australian developer House House’s next project is lacking in obnoxious waterfowl but does have the potential to be the next big friendslop game.

Big Walk is primarily a co-op game where you and up to seven friends must explore a vast open world and solve puzzles… or just hang out and enjoy the vibes.

It features a proximity chat system, where the further away someone is the quieter they become, so the game offers alternative tools for communicating with your friends from a distance, like a megaphone or signal flares.

Release date: August 4

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls

PlayStation 5 and PC

There’ll probably never be a new Marvel Vs. Capcom game, but Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls from Guilty Gear studio Arc System Works stands to be the next best thing.

A 4v4 tag fighter that infuses the Marvel universe with an anime aesthetic, it had an open beta recently; although the PC version suffered from widespread performance issues that Arc System Works had to apologise for.

The game is set to launch with 20 characters, but it already has four more planned as DLC, with the first confirmed to be Cyclops of the X-Men, specifically Phoenix Cyclops from when he was possessed by the Phoenix Force in the comics.

Release date: August 6

Grounded 2

PlayStation 5

Of all of Obsidian Entertainment’s 2025 releases, Grounded 2’s early access launch was the only one deemed a success by Microsoft and now it’s coming to PlayStation 5.

Much like the first Grounded, this is a Honey, I Shrunk The Kids inspired survival game, although instead of someone’s garden, you must fend for yourself in an entire park, scavenging for resources and fighting off insects – although some insects now serve as ridable mounts.

The PlayStation 5 early access launch also coincides with the Into The Abyss update, which will be available across all platforms and opens up a new pond area and underwater exploration.

Release date: August 11

The Sinking City 2

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

In 2019, Ukrainian studio Frogwares broke away from its frequent Sherlock Holmes games to take a stab at adapting the works of H. P. Lovecraft, with open world detective/survival horror game The Sinking City.

Frogwares has spent the years since working on more Sherlock Holmes games and dealing with the Russia-Ukraine war but, after a successful crowdfunding effort, it’s heading back to Lovecraft with The Sinking City 2.

The sequel promises a new setting of 1920s era Arkham (the real-life city in Maine, not the asylum in Batman), which has been impacted by a supernatural flood that will see rising water levels cut off areas as the game progresses.

Release date: August 18

Mortal Shell 2

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

In the endless sea of Dark Souls clones, 2020’s Mortal Shell stands out as one of our personal favourites thanks to its more approachable, beginner friendly design and novel shell mechanic, where you possess different dead bodies that offer their own perks.

So, we were pleasantly surprised to see a sequel, Mortal Shell 2, be announced at last year’s Summer Game Fest, which promises more of a horror focus and far more gun combat than you’d expect from a Soulslike.

Considering the first Mortal Shell was only the debut release of developer Cold Symmetry, we’re confident of the sequel’s chances, although hopefully it will offer more original ideas to help it truly break out from FromSoftware’s shadow.

Release date: August 20

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

While the first Aliens: Fireteam Elite was a noble effort, with a clear love for the source material and a few neat ideas, its attempt at an Alien themed Left 4 Dead was clearly hamstrung by a small budget and bland action.

It sold well though (it was the top selling game in the UK at launch) and now developer Cold Iron Studios is back with a sequel that was announced just a couple of months ago (after it had leaked in 2024).

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 bumps the player count from three to four and promises ‘deeper team-based mechanics’ and improved character classes (including a new customisable specialist class), so hopefully it can make good on the original’s potential.

Release date: August 25

Star Wars Zero Company

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

From one classic sci-fi franchise to another, Star Wars Zero Company is an XCOM inspired strategy game set during the events of the Clone Wars.

As the leader of the titular Zero Company, you command your own band of mercenaries through various missions with turn-based combat. There’ll be a wide variety of customisable characters to recruit, from clone troopers to astromech droids and, much like XCOM, there is permadeath – although genre newbies can disable this option if they want.

You’ll also have to juggle managing your home base and deciding which missions to complete, some of which can impact the story. As for character cameos, Anakin Skywalker himself will show up, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be friend or foe.

Release date: August 27

Resonance: A Plague Legacy

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

This prequel to A Plague Tale: Requiem is quite the change of pace for the series, shifting from Middles Ages era France to the Greek island of Crete, but also ditching the stealth elements to be a more action-focused game.

Part of that is down to smuggler Sophia taking over as the protagonist, who is more than capable of getting up close and personal with enemies. She has no need for a slingshot, when she can deftly wield a sword and parry attacks.

The graphics are gorgeous looking , but there is so far a noticeable lack of rats, making Resonance feel even further removed from the other Plague Tale games.

Release date: August 27

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC

This second collection of Metal Gear Solid games might have far fewer titles than the first one, but it does have Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots, which has been locked to the PlayStation 3 since 2008.

Additionally, the collection includes the PlayStation Portable spin-off Peace Walker (specifically the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 HD re-release) and Game Boy game Ghost Babel, which was notably absent from the last collection.

This still leaves a few games unaccounted for (perhaps for a Volume 3?) and though we welcome further behind the scenes content, Konami will no doubt continue to omit any mention of series creator Hideo Kojima.

Release date: August 27

Elden Ring Tarnished Edition

Nintendo Switch 2

Elden Ring was one of the first third party ports announced for the Switch 2 and yet it’s taken well over a year to come out. Possibly because there’s been difficulty getting it to run at an acceptable level, after an infamously poor first showing at Gamescom.

Considering the high calibre of third party Switch 2 ports like Cyberpunk 2077, FromSoftware hopefully won’t let the side down, as Nintendo fans deserve to experience the best game of 2022 in its full glory.

Aside from bundling in the equally excellent Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC, the Tarnished Edition adds two new character classes and cosmetics, although these will also be available for other platforms as paid DLC.

Release date: August 28

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YAME, Japan (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said 13 people have been found dead after a powerful quake shook part of southwestern Japan and rescue work was continuing Wednesday morning for the missing.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu late Tuesday afternoon.

“There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,” Takaichi said. “We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can.”

Takaichi offered her condolences to the victims and sympathy to their relatives, while urging those affected by the quake to take care of themselves under the hot weather.

Japan’s Self Defense Forces joined rescue workers in the search and rescue operations at a badly damaged shopping mall and were delivering water, food and other necessities to the hard-hit areas, she said.

The quake collapsed the second floor of the Aeon Mall in Kashima Town, trapping people, according to the fire department in the prefectural capital of Kumamoto.

A chimney collapsed at the Nippon Paper Industries Co.’s Yatsushiro factory, trapping people under the debris, the Kumamoto emergency team said.

The affected area is about 900 kilometers (540 miles) southwest of Tokyo.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said major public facilities or infrastructure were not damaged, and the Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were found at three nearby nuclear power plants.

Kyodo News said a hospital in the city of Yatsushiro took in about 40 people with injuries and about 50 others were taken to a hospital in Kumamoto city.

Many major manufacturers in Kyushu suspended operations Tuesday but found no major damage and planned to resume work Wednesday.

The runway at Aso Kumamoto Airport was closed, with no immediate word on when it would resume operations.

A train derailed and fell on its side at Yatsushiro station, and stone walls were damaged at Kumamoto Castle, a main tourist destination that was badly damaged in the 2016 quake and is still being repaired, Kyodo said.

“The shaking reminded me of the Kumamoto quake (10 years ago) and I was frightened,” said Hiroki Shimoda, an official at Mifune town hall, who saw roof tiles of nearby homes crash to the ground. Kumamoto was hit with a deadly quake in 2016 that killed at least 50 people.

Shinji Kiyomoto with the Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents to be cautious over the next two to three days due to potential aftershocks.

Irena Mereacre, 9, had been critically ill since collision in which her mother Nell Raven was killed on Friday

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A young girl has tragically died from the injuries she sustained in a horror car crash that also claimed her mother’s life.

The child, identified locally as nine-year-old Irena (Ira) Mereacre, had been in a critical condition following the accident in Co Cavan, Ireland, which killed her mother, Nell Raven, on Friday. Gardai confirmed today (Tuesday) that she had sadly died.

Irena and Ms Raven, aged 53 and English-born though recently granted Irish citizenship, were involved in a collision between their vehicle and a flatbed van near the village of Shercock at approximately 4.30pm on Friday, reports the Irish Mirror. Ms Raven, who worked as a writer and journalist, was declared dead at the scene.

Her young daughter sustained serious injuries and was transported to Temple Street Hospital in Dublin, where she succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday.

In a statement, gardai said: “Gardaí continue to investigate a fatal road traffic collision on the R162 at Corclare, Shercock, Co. Cavan, on Friday 24th July 2026. The collision involved a car and a flatbed van, and occurred after 4.30pm (approximately).

“The driver of the car, a woman aged in her 50s, was pronounced deceased at the scene. A passenger in the car, a female juvenile child, was removed from the scene to Temple Street Hospital, where she passed away this afternoon, Tuesday 28th July 2026.”

Gardai have issued an appeal for witnesses to come forward.

The statement said: “Any road users who were travelling in this area between 4:15pm and 5:00pm on Friday 24th July 2026 and who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí.”

Those with any information are urged to get in touch with Bailieborough Garda Station on 042 969 4570, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or their nearest Garda station.

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It may seem normal, but it could actually be an early warning sign

Feeling full is completely normal – especially after a takeaway or one too many helpings at dinner. But in some cases, a lesser-known type of persistent fullness can be a warning sign of cancer.

Sharing “symptoms of cancer you might be ignoring but shouldn’t”, Johns Hopkins Medicine stresses that while some cancer diagnoses come with no symptoms at all, more often, there are signs the body gives. And being ‘full’ can act as an early warning sign.

The healthcare professionals advise paying close attention to your body so you can spot any symptoms that start suddenly or begin to worsen. If that happens, it’s worth speaking to your GP to make sure there’s nothing to worry about.

5 symptoms of cancer you might be ignoring but shouldn’t

1. Shortness of Breath – This can have lots of causes, including something as straightforward as needing to build up your fitness. But if you’re finding yourself breathless during everyday tasks or when walking up stairs, that isn’t normal and should be checked out.

2. Lumps and Masses – Sometimes, lumps can be completely normal. For example, a cold can cause your lymph nodes to enlarge. This is temporary and is your body’s way of fighting off the cold. If you are worried or there is no clear reason, seek help from your GP.

3. Difficulty Swallowing or Feeling Full – Do you feel like food gets stuck in your throat, or that swallowing is difficult? This is known as dysphagia. It isn’t always a sign of cancer, but if it worsens over time you should speak to your doctor. Maybe you notice a “full” feeling even when you’re hardly eating – that also warrants a visit to your doctor.

4. Changes in Body Functions – There are other ways your body may try to alert you to a potential cancer. You should contact your doctor if you have these symptoms:

• Sudden constipation or diarrhoea
• Difficulty passing urine or passing stool
• Passing air in urine or urine mixed in your stool
• Feeling like you’re not emptying your bowels completely
• Any other change from your normal bowel function

5. Bleeding – Doctors consider certain types of bleeding more indicative of cancer than others. While they could be caused by other conditions, these types of bleeding should be evaluated by a doctor.

Bleeding to look out for includes:

• Coughing up blood, called hemoptysis
• Blood in stool, which can look dark or tarry
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding
• Blood in the urine (hematuria)
• Bloody nipple discharge

What can I do to reduce my risk of getting cancer?

Cancer Research notes that while there is no sure way to prevent cancer and “no guarantees” even if you do make changes. But there are “healthy changes” that can “help reduce your risk.”

It explains: “A person’s risk of cancer depends on many different things. This includes things we can’t change, like getting older and our genetics. As well as exposure to cancer risk factors.

“The world around us can make it harder to be healthy. The world around us also affects how healthy we are, like whether we can access healthier food options or have opportunities for exercising.

“These challenges can impact some people more than others. While there are things we can do to help us form healthy habits, we also need the government to help make it easier for everyone to be healthy.”

While there is no way to fully prevent it, you can try the following:

• Stop smoking
• Keep a healthy weight
• Protect your skin from the sun
• Cut down on alcohol
• Have a healthy, balanced diet
• Get the HPV vaccine

The daughter of TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has announced she is now married. Rosie shared the wonderful news yesterday on Instagram saying she had ‘the most special weekend’

The daughter of TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has announced her marriage.

Rosie, who is Lorraine and her husband Steve Smith’s only daughter has tied the knot two years after her boyfriend Steve White proposed. Just two years ago the pair announced they were expecting her first child, now they have revealed they have finally said ‘I do’.

After Steve proposed Rosie shared a carousel of images to her social media, she showed off a snap of her engagement ring, while cradling her bump, with the caption: “There are too many lovely things going on and I’m not quite sure what to do with myself. Everyone always told me you’ll know when it’s about to happen but I had absolutely no idea, but I have a lifetime to get you back @stevewhite94.”

Two months later, they welcomed baby girl Billie on August 29- making Lorraine a grandma.

Fast forward two years and the pair have now tied the knot. While exact details about the wedding have not yet been shared publicly Rosie took to Instagram to share the happy news on Tuesday July 28.

Taking to her Story she shared a snap of her hotel room as she looked back on the past few days, penning: “Well we got married… Decompressing in Edinburgh after the most special weekend of our lives – will share more soon but taking the time to just soak it all up.”

So far Lorraine is yet to comment publicly on her daughter’s wedding, but she has previously opened up about her sheer joy becoming a grandma.

But Lorraine admits that becoming a granny is one of the best thing that’s ever happened to her. Explaining that her new role has allowed her to create more time for the people she loves, she says, smiling: “Don’t go out with people you don’t like – spend more time babysitting!”

At the time Lorraine said: “Billie’s so gorgeous. She’s crawling, nearly walking, she’s talking rubbish and she’s wonderful. Her lovely little face lights up when she sees me, she’s my wee sunshine. She’s got such a great temperament. Sometimes she calls me Banana, sometimes it’s Nana. I don’t care, I’ll answer to anything.”

For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

When it was revealed that Oasis star Liam Gallagher had bought Tony Adams’s Cotswolds home for £4million (with no mortgage), there was bemusement about why the former England footballer had decided to sell up.

Adams, 59, had bought the eight-bedroom house – set in five acres near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, and featuring a swimming pool, tennis courts, stables and a two-bedroom cottage – with his wife, whisky heiress Poppy Teacher, in 2002.

He has now revealed his reason for the sale – Poppy is going back to university at the age of 52. ‘This is a new era for us,’ he tells me at The Oldie magazine’s luncheon at the National Liberal Club in Westminster, where he was promoting his new book, 1996: Reflections On The Year That Changed My Life.

‘We’ve sold the house and are returning to London. My wife is going back to school.’

Poppy, pictured with Adams, says: ‘I told Tony I wanted to do early modern history and he said, “How do you monetise that?” And I said, “You don’t!”

‘But I think he’s proud. He’s telling everyone I’m doing a PhD, but it’s a masters.’

Fittingly for a former Arsenal defender, Adams says: ‘We are now renting while we find a new home in north London. We’re not going back to the Chelsea area where all the Blues are.’

Poppy became the former Strictly contestant’s second wife in 2004 following his recovery from alcoholism. They have three children and he has three more from his first marriage to Jane Shea.

‘I’ve brought up the children, but now I need to use my brain again,’ Poppy says. ‘Tony and I want to have a London life, do things like go to galleries.’

Georgia gets itchy feet over skin range 

Sir Mick Jagger’s daughter Georgia, seen with mum Jerry Hall, is putting her skincare range, May Botanicals, on hold three years after its launch

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Sir Mick Jagger’s daughter Georgia’s struggles with eczema and sensitive skin led her to set up her own organic skincare range, which her mother, Jerry Hall, helped to promote.

Yet after just three years the Burberry model has put the firm, May Botanicals, on hold. ‘This wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s the right one for me as I focus on my family, modelling and my other business, Bleach London,’ says Georgia.

The firm’s products include 50ml of Golden Hour Face Oil for £58 and a 50ml of Super Balm Skin Saviour for £50.

Georgia, 34, who has a 21-month-old son, Dean, with her boyfriend, Texan skateboarder Cambryan Sedlick, 26, adds: ‘Building May Botanicals has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.’

Sir Lenny Henry was happy to accept a knighthood, but the investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle appears to have been a challenge. ‘I got knighted by Queen Elizabeth,’ he said in the comedy tent at the Latitude Festival near Southwold in Suffolk at the weekend. ‘It was a huge honour… although a bit triggering. Posh English person coming at me with a sword – triggering on an ancestral level.’ 

Suits you! Phoebe finally weds in traditional gown 

When Mountbatten heiress Phoebe Knatchbull married 32-year-old banker Leopold Glover last year the groom wasn’t the only one in a suit.

Phoebe, 30, a great-granddaughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, wore a tuxedo dress by her step-sister Daisy Knatchbull, a Savile Row designer, at the ceremony in Chelsea, west London.

But at their second, more lavish ceremony in Portugal at the weekend, she wore a traditional bridal gown. Daisy says Phoebe’s ‘in her Mrs G era’.

Phoebe and Leopold got married in February 2025 in a small ceremony at the Kensington and Chelsea Registry Office in London. The couple had a second celebration in Portugal where Phoebe modelled a stunning white dress (pictured)

Did Meghan eat her words on chef show? 

The Duchess of Sussex’s guest appearance as a judge on MasterChef Australia may have left some of her admirers rather confused.

She declared on the show: ‘I grew up in California and so, as you know, we have incredible produce, so you just start to love farm-to-table at an early age.’

She added of her mother, Doria Ragland: ‘My mom’s an incredible cook and I grew up watching so many cooking shows.’

However, the comments have a different flavour to some she made last year on her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan.

‘I was a latchkey kid,’ the duchess said then. ‘I grew up with a lot of fast food and also a lot of TV-tray dinners.

‘It feels like a different time, but that was so normal with the microwaveable kids’ meals.’

The former actress continued: ‘I used to eat a lot of Pollo Loco, Taco Bell… Jack In The Box, because my mom loved their tacos.’

She captured the greed and extravagance, the insecurity and vulnerability, plus the other hallmark of Sarah Ferguson’s character – summarised by my colleague Christopher Stevens as ‘thoughtless contempt for anyone but herself’ – without sharing any of those traits.

Indeed, after portraying Fergie in The Lady, ITV’s drama about Fergie’s former aide, murderess Jane Andrews, Natalie Dormer, 44, donated her fee to charity. So I’m pleased to see that the Game Of Thrones star has received lucrative rewards elsewhere.

Latest accounts show she made a £400,000 profit in 2025 at Pangur, one of two firms into which she pays her earnings, boosting its bottom line to £1.7million last November.

Hiss and make-up… 

Bridget Jones star Sally Phillips admits that, at the age of 56, she had to concede defeat after being body-shamed by a cosmetician.

She explains: ‘A make-up artist said to me recently, “I’m going to put powder on”. I said, “Do you put powder on now at my age?” She said, “You don’t put gloss paint on a cracked wall.” So, powder it is.’

Dozens of people remain missing after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake flattened a shopping centre in Japan.

At least 13 people were confirmed dead on Tuesday after the quake, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said. 

A number were understood to have been killed following an explosion at the Aeon mall in Kashima Town, thought to have been triggered by a gas leak. 

A large chimney at a paper factory also collapsed amid reports of injuries and damage to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fire.

An unknown number of people were trapped when the second floor of the shopping centre collapsed, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Four people were pulled out with injuries and taken to a hospital while 10 others were unaccounted for.

The extent of the damage is still under investigation as search-and-rescue efforts continue.

A 35-year-old shopkeeper told Japan’s Asahi newspaper he fled the building after a quake alert and heard an explosion sounding like a bomb blast around an hour later.

When he turned around he reported seeing plumes of white smoke billowing from the mall.

Footage shows clouds of smoke billowing into the air as flames engulf a building

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This aerial image shows a section of the Kyushu Expressway damaged by the earthquake is seen in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Monday, July 28, 2026

An employee at the mall told Japanese broadcaster TBS television she and her colleagues smelled gas when they returned to their shops after helping customers to evacuate out of the building, then heard the explosion.

And a man interviewed by Yomiuri newspaper said his friend who works at the mall was missing, and he was praying for those who are unaccounted for to be safely rescued.

Footage on social media shows members of the public running for cover and crouching down on the floor as the ground shook at the shopping centre.

Other videos showed clouds of smoke billowing into the air as flames engulfed a building, while firefighters scrambled to tackle the blaze.

A separate clip showed the section of a collapsed bridge lying in a river in Yatsushiro City, while another showed how multiple freight wagons were derailed at Yatsushiro Station.

Sections of the Kyushu Expressway, a major highway linking Fukuoka and Kagoshima, suffered severe damage.

Footage appeared to show how sections were separated from the main structure following the quake, while separate images showed how parts of the road appeared to have split in two.

Around 30 people were injured across the Kagoshima prefecture, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said on Wednesday.

Pictures: Shoppers run for cover after the earthquake struck at the Aeon shopping centre in Kashima Town

Costco shoppers run away in fear in the aftermath of the quake 

A damaged truck is seen on a debris-covered road following an explosion at the Aeon Mall in Kashima

Sections of the Kyushu Expressway, a major highway linking Fukuoka and Kagoshima, suffered severe damage

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A road guardrail is damaged following an explosion at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture

Pictured: The section of a collapsed bridge lying in a river in Yatsushiro City after a powerful earthquake struck southern Japan

Damage is seen to part of the Aeon Mall where three people died and dozens more people were injured

Scenes also showed shoppers screaming inside a Costco supermarket in the aftermath of the tremor. 

Footage shows toppled-over boxed food items, as people climb over knocked-over shelves.

Large cracks appeared on major roads, including an elevated highway, and a goods train derailed, according to NHK, while rail services were halted and flights grounded.

At the Nippon Paper Industries Co.’s Yatsushiro factory, where a chimney collapsed and the building was damaged, 11 people were trapped underneath the debris, the Kumamoto emergency team said. 

Two of them were later found without vital signs, while the conditions of nine others were unknown.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said more than 260,000 people were advised to evacuate, most of them in Kumamoto prefecture, but also in the neighbouring Nagasaki prefecture.

The affected area is around 540 miles south-west of Tokyo, the country’s capital.

A tsunami advisory for the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas on the western coasts of Kumamoto prefecture and three neighbouring prefectures was lifted within two hours, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Emergency workers gather outside the Aeon Mall after scores of people were trapped inside following an explosion

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A damaged motorcycle and bicycles lie in a debris-covered car park following an explosion at the Aeon Mall

An unknown number of people were trapped when the second floor of the shopping centre collapsed, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency

View of the heavily damaged Aeon Mall Kumamoto building in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told journalists there were reports of damage to roads, bridges and buildings as well as blackouts and fires, though details were unclear. 

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said major public facilities or infrastructure were not damaged. 

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were found at three nearby nuclear power plants. 

It comes as Kumamoto police are believed to have received more than 100 emergency calls following the quake.

Kyodo News said a hospital in the city of Yatsushiro took in around 40 people with injuries and about 50 others were taken to a hospital in Kumamoto city.

The quake also affected a number of major manufacturers in Kyushu.

Shinkansen bullet trains and local trains in Kyushu were suspended for safety checks, and the runway at Aso Kumamoto Airport was closed, with ‘no prospect of resuming operations’ in the near future, according to a notice on the airport’s website.

The Japanese Defense Ministry said it dispatched military aircraft to the area to assess the situation.

A train derailed and fell on its side at Yatsushiro station, and stone walls were damaged at Kumamoto Castle, a main tourist destination that was badly damaged in the 2016 quake and is still being repaired, Kyodo said.

‘The shaking reminded me of the Kumamoto quake (10 years ago) and I was frightened,’ Hiroki Shimoda said, an official at Mifune town hall, who saw roof tiles of nearby homes crash to the ground. 

Kumamoto was hit with a deadly quake in 2016 that killed at least 50 people.

Shinji Kiyomoto, from the Japan Meteorological Agency, has urged residents to be cautious over the next two to three days.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ deputy spokesman extended sympathy to those in danger and the people of Japan.

‘Our hearts go out to the people affected by this earthquake,’ Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman, said. ‘The national authorities are leading the response, but we stand ready to support if needed.’

There was an energetic push to install air-filtering devices in schools and care homes when the COVID pandemic struck. However, these devices had rarely been tested in real situations looking at infection outcomes in people.

Because there was no solid proof that these devices actually worked, researchers ran a trial testing whether air filters can prevent viral respiratory infections in care homes for the elderly. The filters used in the study – called Hepa (high-efficiency particulate air) filters – are designed to remove more than 99.9% of very small particles from the air, including, in theory, many viruses.

The UK trial, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, included 91 care homes. Forty-seven were given Hepa filters for communal areas, and 44 were not. Researchers then tracked whether residents or staff developed respiratory infections, and whether staff needed time off sick.

The results showed that there was no difference in infection rates between homes with filters and homes without. There was also no difference in staff illnesses or absenteeism between homes with and without filters.

In this study, staff and residents knew whether they had filters in their home. This kind of open, unhidden setup (called “unblinded” in the jargon) can sometimes skew results because people’s expectations affect what they report. But this kind of skew almost always makes treatments look better than they really are, not worse – so it’s unlikely to explain why the study found no benefit.

In our own review of the evidence in 2023, we found that while air treatment technologies could reduce the amount of virus in the air, there was no solid proof they cut rates of respiratory or stomach infections among people in real-world settings.

Three other studies since 2022 point the same way. A randomised trial in Australian care homes found no significant drop in infection rates in homes using Hepa filters.

Two further studies, although not randomised, add to the picture. One compared German kindergarten classrooms with and without portable air filters, and actually found higher illness rates in classrooms that had them. The other, a small Swiss study, found air filters made no difference to COVID transmission risk.

The evidence isn’t even consistent on whether Hepa filters reliably clear viruses from the air in the first place. A large US study, mainly designed to test whether air filters could reduce asthma risk in schools, also measured virus levels in classroom air as a secondary check. It was “double-blinded” – some classrooms got real filters, others got sham ones – and the real filters made no difference to the total amount of virus in the air.

Why don’t they work?

Why might air filters fail to cut infection risk? Filters alone were probably never going to make much difference. Early in the COVID pandemic, it became clear that the biggest risk factor for catching an infection from someone else was simply being close to them, with the risk dropping sharply once people were at least one metre apart.

Most transmission probably happens almost instantly at close range, so a filter sitting in the corner of a room can’t act fast enough on the air passing directly between two people standing near each other. And even where filtration might help in one room, people move constantly between spaces, so filtering air in one place can’t stop infections happening in all the others.

There’s one context where air filtration does seem to have real value: preventing invasive aspergillosis, a serious fungal lung infection that’s especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems. Unlike viral infections, aspergillosis doesn’t spread between people – most outbreaks are linked to construction or building work instead.

So the evidence is building towards a clear conclusion: Hepa air filtration doesn’t reduce the risk of catching viral respiratory infections. Given the size and quality of the new study, it’s unlikely any future study will overturn it.

Installing Hepa filters shouldn’t be treated as an effective way to control respiratory infections in care homes or schools. As the authors of the latest study put it, care homes should stick to the prevention measures already recommended.