Transcript

Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on July 11th, 2023. In Osaka, a 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of pushing his 65-year-old father into the Kanzaki River, resulting in his death. The body of the father was found in the river on the 10th, and the police believe that the son pushed him off the bridge. The motive behind the incident is currently under investigation.

As the heatwave continues, Kanto and Koshin regions are expected to experience scorching temperatures, with a high of 37 degrees Celsius forecasted. Even in the flood-stricken areas of northern Kyushu, where record-breaking heavy rain has occurred, temperatures are expected to exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Authorities are urging people to take precautions against heatstroke.

In Fukuoka, the body of a man was discovered in a flooded underpass in Dazaifu City on the night of the 10th. The police are investigating the relationship between the heavy rain and the incident, as well as working on identifying the deceased.

A company involved in excavation work in Rankoshi-cho, Hokkaido, held a second explanatory meeting for residents on the 10th regarding the issue of steam and high levels of arsenic detected during drilling. The company presented specific plans to control the steam emissions and expressed their desire to stop the emissions as soon as possible.

Following the record-breaking heavy rain in northern Kyushu on the 10th, which caused river flooding and landslides, authorities are continuing to warn of the potential for further disasters. The unstable ground in northern Kyushu remains a concern, as even light rainfall could lead to further landslides. People are advised to exercise caution and avoid dangerous areas.

In preparation for the summer traffic safety campaign starting on the 11th, a giant panda named Kaede-Hama at a theme park in Shirahama-cho, Wakayama Prefecture, has been appointed as a traffic safety ambassador.

In response to a large-scale traffic congestion caused by heavy snowfall on the national road in Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, which serves as an evacuation route in the event of a nuclear power plant accident, the prefecture and others have decided to submit a request to the national government to develop evacuation routes as part of their responsibility in the event of a nuclear accident coinciding with a natural disaster.

The Supreme Court is set to deliver a verdict on a lawsuit filed by a transgender employee of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry who claims that restrictions on using the women’s restroom in the workplace are unjust. This is the first time the Supreme Court will rule on a lawsuit regarding the workplace environment for sexual minorities, and the verdict is expected to have implications for other public institutions and companies. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be partly cloudy with a maximum temperature of 25°C. And that’s all for today’s news. Thanks for listening to Japan Daily News.