Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on February 17th, 2024. In today’s news, the Ministry of the Environment has conducted an investigation into breeders who sell dogs and cats for breeding purposes and found that half of them have violated regulations, such as not keeping records of the animals’ birth dates. The ministry is now considering measures to address this issue.

Moving on to our next story, a tragic incident in Aomori has led to the arrest of a mother and her partner. They are accused of causing the death of the mother’s 5-year-old daughter by leaving her in a bathtub and pouring cold water on her. During the investigation, it was revealed that the suspects claimed this was a form of discipline for the child’s bedwetting.

Next, we have an update on the water supply situation in Ishikawa. The local authorities have announced that water supply support will be provided in Rikuzen-Takata and Suzu on the 17th of February.

In other news, the city of Isezaki in Gunma Prefecture has reported the presence of hazardous substances in the wastewater from a factory. Although the levels exceeded the standard in a nearby regulating pond, they were below the standard in the surrounding rivers.

Moving on to Niigata, a traffic accident involving three elementary school students has resulted in two of them suffering serious injuries. An 88-year-old driver has been arrested on suspicion of negligent driving causing injury. The police are currently investigating the cause of the accident.

In Tokyo, a 19-year-old suspect has been arrested for allegedly providing cough medicine to a high school girl without permission at a location known as ‘To-Yoko’ in Kabukicho, Shinjuku. The suspect has admitted to the act, stating that he thought it would be a way to meet girls.

Lastly, in Ishikawa Prefecture, free buses will be operated for temporary home visits. These buses will transport people who have relocated from evacuation centers to hotels and inns back to their homes. The service will now include departures from Kaga City and Komatsu City. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be overcast with a high of 12°C and a low of 6°C. No rain is expected. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.