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Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Hiroshima marks 80 yrs since nuke bombing
dpa Tokyo The Japanese city of Hiroshima on Wednesday commemorated the victims of the atomic bombing 80 years ago, as global concerns over the threat of nuclear conflict grow. At a ceremony marking the anniversary of the US atomic bombing on August 6, 1945, Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged younger generations to continue the fight against nuclear weapons. Matsui said that younger generations must understand that misguided decisions on military spending, national security and nuclear weapons could lead to inhumane consequences. At 8:15 am - the moment when the US bomber Enola Gay dropped the first wartime atomic bomb, known as 'Little Boy' - attendees observed a minute of silence. Tens of thousands of Hiroshima residents were killed instantly and by the end of 1945, an estimated 140,000 people had died. Three days after the Hiroshima bombing, the US dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered shortly after. Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidanky?, a Japanese organization representing survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, for its work towards a nuclear-free world. UN Secretary General António Guterres warned in a statement that the risk of nuclear conflict is rising again. The same weapons that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he said, are once again being used as tools of pressure. Japan increasing military capabilities Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reaffirmed on the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing that the government remains committed to the three principles of not producing, possessing or allowing nuclear weapons on Japanese soil. However, in light of Russia's war against Ukraine, China's growing power and the threat from North Korea, Japan is significantly ramping up its military capabilities. There are even voices in Japan - the only country to have suffered atomic bombings - openly calling for the country to arm itself with nuclear weapons. Experts like MG Sheftall, a professor of modern Japanese cultural history at Shizuoka University, have observed a gradual decline in the pacifism deeply rooted in Japanese society for decades, based on the experiences of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Sheftall, who documented the experiences of the last eyewitnesses of the atomic bombings in two books with harrowing detail, criticized the erosion of peace education programmes in Japan. These programmes, which for decades conveyed the horrors of war - particularly those of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - are being undermined by conservative politicians and education officials, he said. As a result, Japanese youth today know almost nothing about the war, 'apart from what they pick up from sensationalist manga comics, sentimental TV dramas and films, or lurid internet content,' the expert told foreign journalists.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Hiroshima Mayor Issues Nuclear Bomb Warning to West
The world should abandon nuclear deterrence, the mayor of Hiroshima has said at a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary since his city was destroyed by an American atomic bomb. Kazumi Matsui warned on Wednesday that the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East had contributed to a growing acceptance of nuclear weapons and raised the prospect of not learning from the devastation that such arms cause. A U.S. B-29 bomber dropped the atomic weapon "Little Boy" on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Three days later, the nearby city of Nagasaki was destroyed by a second American atomic bomb and WWII ended with Japan's surrender. The 80th anniversary of the bombings has focused minds on the legacy of the weapons as Russia continues to issue nuclear threats linked to its war in Ukraine. It also comes amid conflict in the Middle East that prompted the U.S. to target Iran's underground nuclear facilities to prevent the development of an atomic bomb. Dignitaries, survivors and representatives attended a commemoration on Wednesday at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. During the ceremony, Matsui said the war Russia started in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East had contributed to a growing acceptance of nuclear weapons. He said that they threatened the lessons learnt about the horrors of atomic bombs and called on younger people to understand the nuclear option could cause "utterly inhumane" consequences for their futures. Matsui also said that people must work harder to ensure that nuclear weapons "be abolished for a genuinely peaceful world," The Guardian reported. His comments were met with applause, and doves were released in a ceremony considered the last chance for significant numbers of survivors of the attack, which number just under 100,000, to describe the events first hand. The other personal details of 4,940 registered survivors who died in the past year were added to a registry inside the cenotaph, bringing the number of deaths attributed to the Hiroshima bombing to almost 350,000. Japanese media reported that Russia did not send an official, but its ally, Belarus, did attend for the first time in four years and Taiwanese and Palestinian representatives were there for the first time. Kazumi Matsui, mayor of Hiroshima: "Policymakers in some countries even accept the idea that 'nuclear weapons are essential for national defense…take to heart the peace-loving spirit of Hiroshima, then begin immediately discussing a security framework based on trust through dialogue." Yoshie Yokoyama, 96, told reporters her parents and grandparents had died from the Hiroshima attack: "My parents-in-law also died, so my husband couldn't see them again when he came back from battlefields after the war. People are still suffering." U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement: "The very weapons that brought such devastation to Hiroshima and Nagasaki are once again being treated as tools of coercion." Nagasaki Memorial Day will take place on Saturday and somber reflections of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings are likely to continue, as will warnings such as by Guterres about nuclear saber rattling. Related Articles Iran Says Spy Executed for Passing Nuclear Secrets to MossadRussia Issues Nuclear Weapons Warning: 'No Limits'Russia Expands Nuclear Goals for Africa in New DealRussia Responds After Trump's Nuclear Submarine Move 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Jordan News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Jordan News
Hiroshima Marks 80 Years Since Atomic Bombing
اضافة اعلان Hiroshima commemorated today, Wednesday, the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing carried out by the United States, holding a memorial ceremony attended by representatives from over 100 countries. A moment of silence was observed during the exact time the bomb was dropped on the southern Japanese to the moment of silence, many participants laid wreaths of flowers at the memorial site dedicated to the this solemn occasion, Hiroshima once again urged world leaders to take action toward eliminating nuclear Matsui, the Mayor of Hiroshima, stated:'The United States and Russia possess 90% of the world's nuclear warheads. Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, we are witnessing a rapid trend toward military buildup across the globe.'He added:'Some leaders still believe that nuclear weapons are essential for national defense, blatantly ignoring the lessons that should have been learned from the tragedies of the past. Such thinking threatens to undermine efforts to promote peace.'Representatives from 120 countries and regions, including the United States — which has never issued an official apology for the attack — and the European Union, participated in the ceremony. A similar memorial will be held in Nagasaki this Saturday, with a record number of countries expected to the morning of August 6, 1945, at exactly 8:15 AM, a U.S. military aircraft dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing approximately 140,000 days later, the U.S. dropped another nuclear bomb on the southern city of Nagasaki, resulting in around 74,000 two bombings, believed to have hastened the end of World War II, remain the only instances in history where nuclear weapons were used during wartime.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Hiroshima Mayor Issues Nuclear Bomb Warning to West
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The world should abandon nuclear deterrence, the mayor of Hiroshima has said at a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary since his city was destroyed by an American atomic bomb. Kazumi Matsui warned on Wednesday that the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East had contributed to a growing acceptance of nuclear weapons and raised the prospect of not learning from the devastation that such arms cause. Why It Matters A U.S. B-29 bomber dropped the atomic weapon "Little Boy" on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Three days later, the nearby city of Nagasaki was destroyed by a second American atomic bomb and WWII ended with Japan's surrender. The 80th anniversary of the bombings has focused minds on the legacy of the weapons as Russia continues to issue nuclear threats linked to its war in Ukraine. It also comes amid conflict in the Middle East that prompted the U.S. to target Iran's underground nuclear facilities to prevent the development of an atomic bomb. This image taken on August 5, 2025, shows the cenotaph ahead of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. This image taken on August 5, 2025, shows the cenotaph ahead of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial To Know Dignitaries, survivors and representatives attended a commemoration on Wednesday at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. During the ceremony, Matsui said the war Russia started in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East had contributed to a growing acceptance of nuclear weapons. He said that they threatened the lessons learnt about the horrors of atomic bombs and called on younger people to understand the nuclear option could cause "utterly inhumane" consequences for their futures. Matsui also said that people must work harder to ensure that nuclear weapons "be abolished for a genuinely peaceful world," The Guardian reported. His comments were met with applause, and doves were released in a ceremony considered the last chance for significant numbers of survivors of the attack, which number just under 100,000, to describe the events first hand. The other personal details of 4,940 registered survivors who died in the past year were added to a registry inside the cenotaph, bringing the number of deaths attributed to the Hiroshima bombing to almost 350,000. Japanese media reported that Russia did not send an official, but its ally, Belarus, did attend for the first time in four years and Taiwanese and Palestinian representatives were there for the first time. What People Are Saying Kazumi Matsui, mayor of Hiroshima: "Policymakers in some countries even accept the idea that 'nuclear weapons are essential for national defense…take to heart the peace-loving spirit of Hiroshima, then begin immediately discussing a security framework based on trust through dialogue." Yoshie Yokoyama, 96, told reporters her parents and grandparents had died from the Hiroshima attack: "My parents-in-law also died, so my husband couldn't see them again when he came back from battlefields after the war. People are still suffering." U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement: "The very weapons that brought such devastation to Hiroshima and Nagasaki are once again being treated as tools of coercion." What Happens Next Nagasaki Memorial Day will take place on Saturday and somber reflections of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings are likely to continue, as will warnings such as by Guterres about nuclear saber rattling.
Saudi Gazette
5 days ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Hiroshima marks 80 years since atomic bombing
HIROSHIMA — A silent prayer was held in Japan on Wednesday morning as it marked 80 years since the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba attended the ceremony on Wednesday, along with officials from around the world. "Japan is the only nation that has suffered an atomic bombing in war," Hiroshima mayor Kazumi Matsui said at the city's Peace Memorial Park. "The Japanese government represents a people who aspire for genuine and lasting peace." World War Two ended with Japan's surrender after the dropping of the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which took place days apart. The bombs killed more than 200,000 people - some from the immediate blast and others from radiation sickness and burns. The legacy of the weapons continues to haunt survivors today."My father was badly burned and blinded by the blast. His skin was hanging from his body - he couldn't even hold my hand," Hiroshima survivor Shingo Naito told the BBC. He was six years old when the bomb struck his city, killing his father and two younger Naito has been sharing his story with a group of students in Hiroshima, who are turning his memories of the tragedy into 2024, Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese group of atomic bomb survivors won the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to rid the world of nuclear a speech on Wednesday, Hiroshima mayor Matsui warned of an "accelerating trend toward military build-up around the world" and "the idea that nuclear weapons are essential for national defence"."These developments flagrantly disregard the lessons the international community should have learned from the tragedies of history," he said. "They threaten to topple the peacebuilding frameworks so many have worked so hard to construct."Matsui said that the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, was "on the brink of dysfunctionality".He also called on the Japanese government to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons - an international agreement banning nuclear weapons that came into force in than 70 countries have ratified the treaty, but nuclear powers like the US and Russia have opposed it, pointing to the deterrence function of nuclear has also rejected such a ban, arguing that its security is enhanced by US nuclear nuclear issue is a divisive one in Japan. On the streets leading up to the Peace Memorial Park, there were small protests calling for the abolition of nuclear Tanaka, another atomic bomb survivor who suffered multiple cancers from radiation exposure, said that seeing the bloodshed in Gaza and Ukraine today conjures up his own suffering."Seeing the mountains of rubble, the destroyed cities, the children and women fleeing in panic, it all brings back memories of what I went through," he told the BBC. "We are living alongside nuclear weapons that could wipe out humanity multiple times over.""The most urgent priority is to push the leaders of nuclear-armed countries. The people of the world must become even more outraged, raise their voices louder, and take massive action." — BBC
