1. Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei Stock Average nosedived on Friday with its biggest one-day drop since the “Black Monday” crash in 1987. Investors worried whether a gloomier US economic outlook would impact the Japanese economy.
2. A plane carrying three Americans released by Russia in a complex prisoner exchange landed at an Air Force base outside the capital Washington late Thursday. The three freed Americans include Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan. They were welcomed by US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as their families.
3. Japan’s high school baseball governing body will start full-fledged discussions on shortening its games from nine innings to seven as a way to protect players from the intense summer heat. The working group will discuss the pros and cons of introducing the seven-inning system for the spring and summer national championships, as well as for regional tournaments.
日: 2024年8月4日
August 1, Thursday, 2024
1. Delegates to the US Democratic National Convention are voting online to select Vice President Kamala Harris as their nominee for president. President Joe Biden three his support behind Harris after dropping out of the race in late July. Nearly 4,700 delegates are taking part in what they call a “virtual roll call.” They started casting their ballots on Thursday and will wrap up Monday evening.
2. Japanese weather officials said on Friday that the rainy season appears to be over in the northern Tohoku region, virtually declaring the arrival of full-fledged summer across Japan. Officials are advising people to stay on the alert against heatstroke.
3. Honda and Nissan have announced plans to jointly run research into developing next-generation automobiles, known as software-defined vehicles, or SDVs. Both companies released the details of the plan on Thursday. It follows on from their strategic partnership announced in March.