July 8, Thursday, 2021 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. Deaths worldwide from the coronavirus have now topped four million. The Unite States tops the list with 606,218 deaths, followed by Brazil with 528,540, India with 404,211, and Mexico with 233,958. 2. The Japanese government has decided to place Tokyo under a coronavirus state of emergency, its fourth so far. Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide announced it will be in effect from Monday July 12 to August 22. That will include the duration of the Tokyo Olympics. 3. A Japanese -owned shipping vessel that blocked the Suez Canal has resumed its journey after being held for more than three months due to a dispute over compensation. The Ever Given, owned by Japanese company Shoei Kisen Kaisha, was grounded across the canal for nearly a week in March. The blockage disrupted global trade. Shoei Kisen and the Suez Canal Authority reached a settlement on compensation, and their representatives signed the agreement in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia on Wednesday.