Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on October 16th, 2023. In today’s news, we have some updates from Japan. First, a recent investigation by the Board of Audit revealed that bridge reinforcement projects on 90% of the highways managed by four highway companies have not been completed as of the end of last fiscal year. This raises concerns about the safety of these bridges. Moving on, in Akita, a pump submersion incident at a water purification plant caused the water pressure in the connecting pipes to be higher than usual. This led to a water leakage and the possibility of water supply disruption for approximately 20,000 households. The city is currently investigating the incident, including the potential role of pump deterioration in the abnormal water pressure. Today also marks the 10th anniversary of the landslide disaster on Izu Oshima Island, which claimed the lives of 39 people and left many missing. A memorial ceremony will be held at a park built on the site of the disaster, with the attendance of bereaved families and others. In other news, the bodies of five individuals, including a father and four elementary school children, were found inside a submerged car in Minamiise-cho, Mie Prefecture. The police discovered fishing equipment and a cooler box inside the vehicle, and they are currently investigating the cause of the car’s plunge into the sea. Turning to international news, Afghanistan, which has been experiencing a series of earthquakes, was hit by another magnitude 6.3 earthquake in the western region. According to local authorities, two people have died and 160 others have been injured. Finally, Emperor and Empress of Japan attended the opening ceremony of the National Culture Festival held in Kanazawa on the 15th. And to uplift the spirits of the disaster-stricken areas, a group of Japanese-American musicians visited Minamisanriku Town and held a concert, showing their support through music. That’s all for today’s news from Japan Daily News. Thank you for listening. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.