Hiroshima mayor urges Trump visit after atomic bomb comments on Iran
'It seems to me that he does not fully understand the reality of the atomic bombings, which, if used, take the lives of many innocent citizens, regardless of whether they were friend or foe, and threaten the survival of the human race,' Mayor Kazumi Matsui told reporters.
'I wish that President Trump would visit the bombed area to see the reality of the atomic bombing and feel the spirit of Hiroshima, and then make statements,' Kazumi said.
The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and then another on Nagasaki three days later. Shortly afterwards, Japan surrendered, ending World War II.
Around 140,000 people died in Hiroshima and about 74,000 others in Nagasaki, including many from the effects of radiation exposure. It was the only time that atomic weapons were used in warfare.
On June 22, following days of Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic, the United States bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.
Soon afterwards, Iran and Israel agreed a ceasefire, ending their 12-day war.
'I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing,' Trump said last Wednesday.
'That ended that war and this ended (this war),' Trump said at a NATO summit in The Hague.
His comments prompted anger from survivors and a small demonstration in Hiroshima. Last week, the city's assembly passed a motion condemning remarks that justify the use of atomic bombs.
Japan's atomic bomb survivors' group Nihon Hidankyo won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, and while accepting the prize, called on countries to abolish the weapons.
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Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
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Weeks before the primary, Vickie Paladino, a Republican member of the New York City Council, called for Mamdani to be deported. After Mamdani declared victory over Cuomo last week, Rep. Randy Fine, a Florida Republican, wrote on X that 'If Mamdani has his way, NYC classrooms won't be teaching the Constitution in civics class. They'll be teaching Sharia Law.' Another Republican congressman, Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas, circulated a video of Mamdani eating a rice dish with his hands on X and wrote, 'Civilized people in America don't eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World.' Republican Rep. Andy Ogles, of Tennessee, late last month wrote a letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi calling for the Justice Department to investigate whether Mamdani should be denaturalized as a citizen.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
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Trump Says Deal for Ceasefire in Gaza Is Closer After Israel Agrees on Terms
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But rather than being completely new, the potential deal seems to be a somewhat modified version of a framework proposed earlier this year by Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. Trump said Tuesday in a social media post that Qatar and Egypt have been working on the details and would deliver a final proposal to Hamas. An Egyptian official involved in the ceasefire talks told The Associated Press that the proposal calls for Hamas to release 10 more hostages during the two-month period — eight on the first day and two on the final day. During that period, Israel would withdraw troops from some parts of Gaza and allow badly needed aid into the territory. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The group is believed to still have some 50 hostages, with fewer than half of them thought to be alive. The Egyptian official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters, said a sticking point over how aid would be distributed had been resolved with Israel. He said both sides have agreed that the United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent would lead aid operations and that the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund would also continue to operate. Hamas has been weakened The unraveling of Iran's regional network of proxies, capped by the blow inflicted on Iran during the recent 12-day war with Israel, has left Hamas weaker and more isolated in the region. Iran was a key backer of the group, but its influence has waned, and it's now preoccupied with its own problems. At the same time, Trump has made it clear to Israel that he wants to see the Israel-Hamas war end soon. While he has been supportive of Netanyahu, Trump had tough words for Israel in the opening hours of last week's ceasefire with Iran, when he pressured Israel to scale back its response to an Iranian missile attack. That could help persuade Hamas to embrace a deal. A diplomat briefed on the talks said there is now a 'big opportunity' to reach an agreement. 'The indications we're getting are people are ready.' He said Trump's harsh talk toward Israel has 'given a bit of confidence to Hamas' that the US will guarantee any future deal and prevent a return to fighting. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing behind-the-scenes diplomatic contacts. Israeli military positions and future talks pose obstacles The Egyptian official said Israel has not yet agreed to a proposal to withdraw its forces to positions held in early March after a previous ceasefire officially expired. 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Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
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