Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today

Limerick man Garry Irwin, a teacher in Japan, tells how he was caught up in the mayhem surrounding the earthquake in Kumamoto city. Nine people were killed and about 800 others injured in the 6.5 strength quake.

A second earthquake of magnitude 6.4 has struck southern Japan in the same area affected by another quake earlier.

Thousands of people in southern Japan remained cut off by floods and mudslides triggered by torrential rains that have killed at least 28 people.

Most of the estimated quarter of a million people who fled flooding in south-west Japan were able to return home today, although the danger has not fully passed from record rainfall that led to at least 28 deaths.

Thousands of people in southern Japan remained cut off by floods and mudslides triggered by torrential rains that have killed at least 26 people, local authorities said.

Heavy rain has triggered flash floods and mudslides in southern Japan, causing at least 15 deaths and leaving 11 more people missing.

Heavy rain has triggered flash floods and mudslides in southern Japan, causing at least nine deaths and leaving 18 more people missing.

Honda is today extending its suspension of car and motorcycle production in Japan until Sunday amid a shortage of parts following the colossal earthquake and tsunami earlier this month.

Haile Gebrselassie's world 30-kilometres road-running record of one hour 27 minutes 49 seconds has been ratified by the IAAF.

A Japanese hospital has opened the country's only anonymous drop box for unwanted children.

JAPAN’S first abandoned baby “hatch”, where mothers can drop off babies they can’t care for, completed a test run yesterday with a doll, clearing the way for the controversial facility to start operating.

A powerful tropical storm hit southern Japan today, disrupting transport and whipping up waves and winds that damaged homes, downed electricity lines and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.