Hello, welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Maria Sato in Tokyo.
Iran Conflict: Talks to Begin as Tehran Says Strait of Hormuz Will Close
The United States and Iran are heading into their first talks since they signed a memorandum aimed at ending their fighting.
Tensions between the two countries have continued ahead of the negotiations set to start Sunday in Switzerland.
Under the memorandum of understanding, the US and Iran agreed to hold negotiations within 60 days toward reaching a final agreement.
A statement from Islamabad says representatives of the US and Iran will participate in the discussions, along with Pakistan and Qatar as mediators.
US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday. Before leaving Washington, he said there were two issues they were focused on discussing.
00:01:01 話者 2/JD Vance
I think we're going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue.
00:01:09 (Maria Sato)
Vance had reportedly stated that two US envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had already arrived there and were preparing for talks.
Iran's state-run media has reported that the country's delegation has also arrived in Switzerland.
It includes parliamentary speaker Mohamed Baghir-Galibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Iran's Central Military Command issued a statement saying that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed.
It says the closure is due to Washington's failure to implement the memorandum of understanding.
The memorandum calls for an end to military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
A report from Reuters "A US Central Command spokesperson as saying Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz."
The report also says the US military considers the critical waterway open.
World Cup 2026: Japan Beats Tunisia, Ueda Scores 2 Goals
In the men's Soccer World Cup, Japan has won a sweeping 4-0 victory against Tunisia in its second Group F stage match.
Japan scored four goals for the first time in a men's World Cup game.
The 18th-ranked Japanese team faced off against 45th-ranked Tunisia at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on Saturday.
Kamada Daichi got the first goal with his left foot in the fourth minute, the fastest in Japan's World Cup history.
In the 31st minute, Ueda Ayase fired a powerful mid-range shot to double Japan's lead before halftime. Japan continued to take control in the second-half.
Ito Junya added an additional goal in the 69th minute.
Ueda headed across from the right side in the 83rd minute to deliver a decisive fourth goal for Japan.
Ueda became the first Japanese player to score two goals in a World Cup match.
He said he finally cleared the frustration he felt at the previous tournament.
Japan now has four points in its group after its draw against the Netherlands.
Its next game will be against Sweden on Thursday.
Zelenskyy Stripped of Poland's Highest Honor
Poland says it is revoking its highest state honor from Ukraine's president.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier decided to name special operations forces after a World War II era militant group that allegedly massacred Poles.
00:03:44 話者 3/Karol Nawrocki/Polish President
I have decided to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from the president of Ukraine.
00:03:51 (Maria Sato)
Polish President Karol Navrodsky called the name change outrageous and deeply disappointing.
Ukraine's foreign minister then said the Polish president made a strategic mistake that benefits Russia. Poland presented Zelensky with the honor in 2023.
Observers say the development could affect relations between the two countries.
Poland has supported its neighbor since the start of the Russian invasion.
It's also set to host an international conference starting Thursday on the recovery of Ukraine.
Colombia Holds Presidential Runoff Vote
Colombia is holding a presidential run of votes on Sunday. A right-wing candidate, backed by US President Donald Trump, is running against a leftist politician.
The first vote on May 31st resulted in a tie between right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espirella and leftist senator Ivan Cepeda.
Colombia is a major producer of the main ingredient in cocaine, and measures against the drug trade and security are key issues in the election.
Another focus is reducing the wealth gap.
De la Espieja advocates for closer cooperation with the Trump administration.
He's vowing to restore order by attacking armed groups involved in drug trafficking.
Zepeda wants to continue the policy of incumbent President Gustavo Petro to engage in dialogue with armed groups.
Observers believe that if elected, Zepeda would keep his distance from the Trump administration, which has imposed sanctions on President Petro.
Argentina, Chile and Bolivia have seen a power shift from leftists to pro-US right-wingers or centrists.
Analysts are waiting to see if Colombia's election will further increase the US influence in South America.
Okinawa Peace Monument Cleaned Ahead of Memorial Day
People in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Okinawa have taken time to clean a peace monument ahead of Tuesday's Memorial Day.
The prefecture recognizes June 23, 1945, as the day Japan's now-defunct imperial military ended organized combat against US forces in the Battle of Okinawa.
The Cornerstone of Peace is situated in Peace Memorial Park in Itoman City, which was the site of some of the fiercest fighting during the campaign.
The names of more than 240,000 people who died in Okinawa and elsewhere are inscribed on the monument.
The city organizes the cleaning event every year to pass down memories of the battle and the significance of peace to future generations.
More than 140 people took part in the event.
00:06:57 話者 4
The war took so many lives. I never want it to happen again.
00:07:06 (Maria Sato)
Another participant said Saturday was a scorching day, and that she could only imagine the heat and intense fear that people lived through in the closing days of the battle.
Japan's Emperor, Empress Arrive in Belgium
Japan's Emperor Narushito and Empress Masako arrived in Belgium on Saturday after completing their visit to the Netherlands.
The imperial couple were greeted by a musical band and an honor guard.
Descending the aircraft stairs, they were welcomed by Princess Elisabeth, who is first in line to the Belgium throne.
It was Princess Elisabeth's first time taking part and receiving state guests.
The emperor and empress then departed for the royal castle of Silneon, the royal family's southern retreat.
On Tuesday, the imperial couple will attend a welcome ceremony as state guests at a square in front of the royal palace in Brussels.
That evening, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will host a banquet in their honor.
On Wednesday, the emperor is scheduled to visit a university that received support from Japan after its library was destroyed during World War I.
Researchers Find Step Counts Vary Across Japan
A research group studied how much people walk in cities across Japan, and they found out that residents of the most walkable places take nearly twice as many steps per day.
The team studied data collected by the smartphone apps of over 1.5 million people between the ages of 20 and 64. The national average was 6,138 steps per day.
Central Tokyo and Osaka had figures over 6,000, while smaller municipalities in the Tohoku and Kyushu regions and elsewhere came in under 6,000 steps.
Kamada Masamitsu, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, leads the group.
They found that the presence of supermarkets and restaurants, as well as pedestrian-friendly roads, appeared to encourage residents to walk more.
00:09:25 話者 5/Kamada Masamitsu
I hope that people will take advantage of our findings to improve their health and to take measures such as doing sports.
00:09:33 (Maria Sato)
The research results are available to the public.
And that's the latest we have for you at this hour on NHK Newsline.
I'm Maria Sato in Tokyo. Thank you for joining.
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