Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on July 31st, 2024. In our first news story, Senator Suzuki Souzou revealed that the repair of the lighthouse on Kaikaku Island in the Habomai Islands of the Northern Territories is expected to be completed on August 3rd. The repair has temporarily halted the operation of Japanese fishing vessels in the area. Moving on to our next story, a Japanese surgeon who performed a gene-edited pig kidney transplant on a patient in the United States emphasized the importance of accelerating research on animal-to-human organ transplants in Japan. The surgeon made these remarks during a press conference held in Kawasaki City. In other news, a settlement is expected to be reached in a lawsuit related to forced sterilization surgeries conducted under the former Eugenic Protection Law. The Japanese government will reportedly pay compensation to a woman who was forcibly sterilized under the law. This marks the first settlement in a series of lawsuits following the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Eugenic Protection Law was unconstitutional. As temperatures continue to rise, Japan is bracing for dangerously hot weather today, with temperatures expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius in regions including Tokai and Shikoku. Authorities are urging people to take precautions against heatstroke and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities. Moving on to a corruption case in Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, it has been revealed that one of the contracted projects was awarded at the minimum price limit. The deputy chief of the city’s sewage department was arrested for leaking bid information and accepting entertainment from a local construction company. Police are investigating the collusion between the deputy chief and the construction company. In a tragic incident in Kikukawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, an 80-year-old couple and their daughter were found dead with stab wounds in their home. The police have apprehended their 27-year-old grandson, who was wanted nationwide on suspicion of murder. The grandson, who is currently hospitalized with abdominal injuries, reportedly confessed to the crime. Lastly, in the case involving Senator Hirose Megumi’s embezzlement of her secretary’s salary, multiple individuals associated with her offices have stated during voluntary questioning by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office’s special investigation department that there was no actual work performed by the secretary. The special investigation department is conducting further inquiries, including questioning Senator Hirose herself, to uncover the truth behind the opaque flow of funds. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be partly cloudy with a maximum temperature of 34°C and a minimum temperature of 28°C. There is a 0% chance of rain and the UV index is 10. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.