Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on November 2nd, 2023. In our first news story, a man in his 60s was injured after being attacked by a bear while delivering newspapers in North Akita City early this morning. This incident brings the total number of people injured by bear attacks in Akita Prefecture this year to 64, surpassing the previous record.

Moving on to our second story, the National Agriculture and Food Industry Research Organization recently analyzed the genetic makeup of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus detected in wild birds in Hokkaido last month. The results revealed that the virus is of the same type as those found in poultry farms across the country since the season two years ago. The organization warns that caution is still necessary in poultry farms this season.

In other news, an 86-year-old suspect who took hostages at a post office in Warabi City, Saitama Prefecture, explained that the liquid in the bottles and containers seized from the scene was gasoline. The police are conducting tests to confirm this claim and investigating the possibility that the suspect intended to set the place on fire.

Meanwhile, the water level of the Shinjo River in Akita City, which had exceeded the dangerous flood level, has now dropped below it. However, the prefecture advises residents to remain vigilant as the river level is still higher than the evacuation threshold.

Speaking of the Shinjo River, it has reached the dangerous flood level in Akita City at 12:50 a.m. today. The prefecture urges residents to pay close attention to evacuation information from the city due to the risk of flooding.

In weather-related news, the Meteorological Agency reports that a record-breaking heavy rain of about 100 millimeters fell in the western part of Akita City within an hour until 11:20 p.m. Disaster alerts have been issued, and the agency urges people to take necessary precautions for their safety.

Lastly, water samples taken from the vicinity of a chemical plant in Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, exceeded the national interim target value for harmful substances. The city conducted a water quality test in October, revealing a concentration of the harmful organic fluorine compounds known as PFAS that was 5.4 times higher than the government’s interim target value. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be sunny with a maximum temperature of 24°C and a minimum temperature of 18°C. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.