Hello, glad to have you with us on NHK Newsline. I'm Maria Sato in Tokyo.
DANGEROUS EXCHANGE OF STRIKES OVER NUCLEAR FACILITIES
We start this hour in the Middle East. A cycle of retaliatory strikes between Iran, Israel, and the United States is raising concerns over escalation of the conflict.
Iran's atomic energy organization said on Saturday that attacks by the United States and Israel hit a uranium enrichment complex in Natanz.
It said investigations on site and its vicinity have found no leakage of radioactive material.
It added there is no threat to the residents in the surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, local authorities in Damona, southern Israel, said 39 people are being treated at a medical center following a missile strike. A nuclear facility is located near the city.
Tasim News Agency, which has ties with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, said a missile strike on the Dimona area once again made their message clear: no region is beyond the reach of Iran's missiles.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it has not received any indication of damage to the nuclear facility.
US President Donald Trump called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
He said in a social media post on Sunday that if Iran does not fully open without threat the strait within 48 hours, "the United States will hit and obliterate their various power plants."
ONE OF TWO JAPANESE DETAINEES IN IRAN RETURNS HOME
Japan's foreign minister says a Japanese national detained in Iran has returned home after about nine months.
The individual is one of the two Japanese citizens held by Iranian authorities, with the second detained in January.
Motegi Toshimitsu announced a development on a TV program Sunday morning, saying he had pressed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi on the issue.
He says he's staying in contact with the family of the other detainee while working toward an early release.
The foreign ministry says the Japanese embassy in Iran helped arrange the return.
The Japanese national was taken to neighboring Azerbaijan before flying to Japan, arriving around 8:30 Sunday morning.
ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER: MORE SIGNIFICANT STRIKES THIS WEEK
Israel's defense minister, Israel Kotz, says his country and the United States will significantly step up strikes against Iran's regime and infrastructure this week.
In a video released on Saturday, Kotz said the attacks will continue until all security threats to Israel and US interests in the Middle East are removed.
The Israeli military says a wide-scale raid conducted over Tehran on Saturday struck sites, including a ballistic missile production facility of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
On the same day, the Israeli military said Iran is targeting civilians and released a video of a kindergarten in central Israel that was hit by a cluster bomb.
Meanwhile, Tasnim news agency, linked to the Iranian core, quoted a military source as saying that if the US carries out military aggression against Kharg Island, it will certainly face an unprecedented response. The island is Iran's largest oil export hub.
The source reportedly said the options available to the axis of resistance include the destabilization of the Bab el Madam Strait and the Red Sea.
It added that the situation for the US will become far more complicated than it is today.
N.KOREA ASSEMBLY MEETS AS SIGNALS ON US, S.KOREA EXPECTED
North Korea is set to open the first session of its new Supreme People's Assembly on Sunday, a meeting that could signal Pyongyang's latest positions on the United States and South Korea.
The agenda includes personnel changes, the national budget, and an economic development plan.
The assembly held its first election in seven years earlier this month, with more than 70 percent of members replaced.
Standing committee chair Choi Ryong-hae was not re-elected, pointing to a possible generational shift.
Last month, leader Kim Jong-un said relations with the US could improve if Washington withdraws what he calls hostile policies.
Observers will watch closely to see whether Kim addresses the US in his remarks.
They will also look for signs that North Korea's stance towards South Korea could be written into the Constitution.
Pyongyang has rejected dialogue with the administration of South Korean President Lee Jae-myong and continues to regard the South as a hostile state.
TRUMP TO DEPLOY ICE TO AIRPORTS AMID BUDGET STANDOFF
US President Trump says he plans to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE personnel, to airports as early as Monday.
The announcement comes amid a budget impasse in Congress over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
In January, two US citizens were fatally shot by federal agents in Minnesota.
Democrats opposed the administration's funding proposal in response to these and other incidents.
With the budget unresolved, many airport security staff nationwide are working without pay, and local media report long lines at checkpoints due to staff shortages.
Trump criticized Democrats on social media Saturday and said he would send ICE personnel to airports.
He added that they would enforce security and said, quote, like no one has ever seen before, including the immediate arrest of all illegal immigrants.
ICE has long faced criticism for its aggressive enforcement tactics.
Trump's announcement is widely viewed as an effort to pressure Democrats to approve the budget.
JAPAN TO STUDY FUTURE MT. FUJI ERUPTION
A possible massive eruption of Mount Fuji has Japan's Cabinet Office and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government making preparations to jointly study ways to handle such an event.
A large-scale eruption of the iconic volcano could blanket wide areas of Tokyo and its surroundings with 10 centimeters or more of ash, depending on wind directions.
Experts say such an event could halt public transportation and hinder businesses, such as logistics.
Sources tell NHK that the Cabinet Office and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will soon set up a council along with railway telecommunications operators, and other related organizations.
They will discuss how to sustain urban functions in the event of ash fall and heavy accumulation.
The council will also discuss ways to use volcanic ash forecasts in planning the suspension of train operations and asking people to refrain from venturing outdoors.
It will look into what needs to be stockpiled, as well as assuming a prolonged impact on key infrastructure.
The council plans to reflect the outcome of its discussions and future national guidelines.
JAPAN Sketch
00:08:14 話者 2
It's like a picture that always changes. A pond is a living picture.
WEATHER
00:08:48 (Maria Sato)
And here's a three-day weather forecast for cities around the globe.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
And that's the latest we have for you at this hour on NHK Newsline.
I'm Maria Sato in Tokyo. Thank you for watching.
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