Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on June 12th, 2024. Today, we have several news stories from Japan.

First, we have the story of Hitomi Soga, who was abducted by North Korea and returned to Japan in 2002. She recently gave a speech at a college in Niigata City, calling for the cooperation of students in the rescue of all victims of abduction. Soga emphasized the importance of bringing all the victims back to their families as soon as possible.

Moving on to Okinawa, the main island is facing an increasing risk of landslides due to the unstable atmospheric conditions and heavy rainfall. The Meteorological Agency has issued a warning for the high risk of landslides and has urged people to be cautious of river flooding and low-lying areas being inundated.

In Yokohama, a collision between a bus and a light car resulted in five people sustaining minor injuries. The driver of the light car initially left the scene but later turned himself in to the police. The police are currently investigating the details of the incident.

In Gifu Prefecture, a woman in her 70s was attacked by a bear while working in a field, causing serious injuries to her face.

Turning to gender equality, Japan has been ranked 118th out of 146 countries in a survey on gender equality. Although Japan has improved its ranking from last year, there is still a significant gender disparity in the fields of politics and economics.

In a recent case of a special fraud, a 55-year-old suspect believed to be a member of the criminal group ‘JP Dragon’ was arrested by the Fukuoka Prefectural Police. It was discovered that the suspect had left Japan more than five months before the incident and had not returned. The police are investigating the group’s activities, suspecting that they operated from overseas and used local members to carry out special fraud schemes.

Lastly, in a case involving a fraudulent side job website, it has been revealed that multiple members of the group behind the website posed as users and posted comments claiming they had made money by providing advice. The group deceived women who had registered on the website and tricked them into giving them cash. The police have arrested several members of the group and are currently investigating the extent of their fraudulent activities.

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 sunny with a maximum temperature of 27°C and a minimum temperature of 22°C. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.