Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on January 16th, 2024. In today’s news, the Japanese government’s earthquake investigation committee has raised the probability of a major earthquake in Miyagi Prefecture. The committee has increased the chances of a magnitude 7-class earthquake occurring within the next 30 years from 70% to 90%. Moving on to another story, approximately 8,700 households in Ishikawa Prefecture are experiencing power outages due to the impact of the recent earthquake. According to Hokuriku Electric Power Company, as of 6 a.m. today, the Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture has been affected, and efforts are underway to restore the power supply. Please stay tuned for updates on the situation. Now, let’s discuss the transportation impact caused by the earthquake. Railways, aviation, and roads have been affected as a result of the seismic activity. The earthquake has disrupted various modes of transportation and road networks. Please check for updates on the status of transportation services. Shifting our focus back to the earthquake, the government’s earthquake investigation committee has evaluated the Noto Peninsula earthquake and concluded that it is highly likely to be related to known active faults. The committee advises the public to remain cautious of earthquakes with a maximum intensity of around 5 strong for the next 2 to 3 weeks or potentially stronger. The affected areas of the Noto Peninsula earthquake are currently experiencing severe cold weather and snowfall. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a warning regarding the impact on transportation. Since the earthquake on the 1st of this month, there have been over 1,400 noticeable seismic activities, indicating active seismicity. It is important to be aware of earthquakes with an intensity of around 5 strong or higher in the next 2 to 3 weeks. Shifting gears, the Liberal Democratic Party will hold a meeting of the ‘Political Reform Headquarters’ today, involving all party members to discuss factional reforms and other matters. Meanwhile, the faction led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is working on revising their financial reports. There are calls for senior members to explain the circumstances and future actions. Lastly, in response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, the government has decided to double the contingency budget for the next fiscal year’s budget to 1 trillion yen. The government aims to implement continuous financial measures together with the current fiscal year’s contingency budget, focusing on supporting victims and facilitating recovery efforts. Additionally, the government will continue to encourage secondary evacuations to prevent disaster-related deaths. That’s all for today’s news. Thank you for listening to Japan Daily News. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be mostly clear with a high of 7°C and a low of 3°C. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.