Transcript

Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on June 17th, 2023. In an effort to provide a more comfortable living environment for Futa, a popular red panda at Chiba City Zoo who will turn 20 in July, a crowdfunding campaign is being conducted online to raise funds.

Today, various regions in western and northern Japan are experiencing scorching heat, with some areas expecting temperatures to reach summer levels. It is important to be cautious of heatstroke.

A Chinese research scientist who was arrested for leaking advanced technology information is believed to have participated in China’s ‘Thousand Talents Program,’ a project that aims to attract outstanding researchers from overseas. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police suspect that the scientist also leaked information as part of a contribution to their home country’s technological development.

Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan will embark on their first official foreign goodwill visit to Indonesia for a duration of seven days, starting from today.

From September of this year, the COVID-19 vaccine administration for individuals aged five and above will use vaccines that are effective against the ‘XBB.1’ lineage, which has become the dominant variant.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4 was recorded in Chiba Prefecture yesterday at 9:24 pm. There is no concern of a tsunami.

Following North Korea’s missile launches, fishermen in various regions have expressed concerns. On the night of the 15th, North Korea launched at least two ballistic missiles, which are estimated to have fallen within Japan’s exclusive economic zone. The captain of a fishing boat from Tottori Prefecture, who was fishing for snow crabs in the nearby waters, reported hearing a loud noise similar to fireworks.

In the shooting incident at the Ground Self-Defense Force shooting range in Gifu City, where three personnel were killed or injured during live ammunition training, the 18-year-old self-defense officer candidate has admitted to shooting the personnel but has not provided any statements regarding specific dissatisfaction with any individual personnel. Both the Self-Defense Forces and the police are conducting a careful investigation into the motives behind the incident. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be sunny with a high of 26°C and a low of 23°C. And that’s all for today’s news. Thanks for listening to Japan Daily News.