Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on July 20th, 2024. In our top news stories today:

First, in Yamaguchi, the city of Nagato has issued evacuation orders to 13,564 households, comprising a population of 28,745 people. This comes as the risk of landslides and other disasters due to heavy rainfall has increased. The city has issued a level 4 warning, urging everyone to evacuate from dangerous areas.

In related news, following the occurrence of a landslide at Matsuyama Castle in Matsuyama City last week, Kochi Prefecture has announced that it will conduct an investigation into the slopes and stone walls of Kochi Castle to assess the risk of collapse.

Moving on to other news, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Mr. Saito, and climate change experts held a discussion in Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, regarding the reduction of coal-fired power generation and other related issues.

In global news, a computer system failure believed to be caused by security software has affected various parts of the world, including Japan. This has led to disruptions in air travel, healthcare, broadcasting, and other sectors. While efforts to restore the systems are underway, the impact continues to be felt, particularly at airports in the United States.

Furthermore, concerns over the global system failure have had an impact on the New York Stock Exchange, with increased selling orders due to the widening concerns. As a result, the Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced a drop of over 300 points.

Turning to a tragic incident in Aichi Prefecture, a 1st-grade girl was fatally assaulted in an apartment in Inuyama City. The girl’s mother and her common-law husband have been arrested in connection with the case. It has been reported that there were no visible signs of abuse during the girl’s time at the kindergarten she attended before moving to Inuyama City. The police are investigating and believe that the abuse began after the three individuals started living together.

Lastly, the number of children on the waiting list for after-school care, known as ‘gakudo hoiku,’ has reached a record high of 18,462 as of May this year. This increase is attributed to the rising number of dual-income households and the lack of available spaces in after-school care facilities.

That’s all for today’s news. Thank you for listening to Japan Daily News. Stay tuned for more updates. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be mostly sunny with a high of 33°C and a low of 28°C. There is a slight chance of rain in the evening. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.