July 28, Friday, 2017 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Mariko Kojima and Ms. Sara Mcdonald

1. Tomomi Inada has been replaced as Japan’s defense minister after she stepped down to take responsibility for a controversy that has been swollen around her.
2. A U.S. government official has told NHK that North Korea may have had a technical problem during preparations for a possible ballistic missile launch.
3. China and Russia have staged joint naval drills in the Baltic Sea for the first time.