Germany creates centralised council to improve security planning
The German government on Wednesday approved the creation of a permanent National Security Council aimed at strengthening the country’s medium- and l...
Thousands gathered in Hiroshima on Wednesday to mark 80 years since the city was devastated by an atomic bomb, as the mayor warned of the growing threat of nuclear weapons and urged global leaders to reflect on the lessons of the past.
The annual ceremony, commemorating one of history’s deadliest wartime attacks, was attended by representatives from a record 120 countries and regions.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui addressed the gathering, warning of a growing global drift toward militarisation and renewed reliance on nuclear weapons.
"Among the world's political leaders, there is a growing belief that possessing nuclear weapons is unavoidable in order to protect their own countries," he said, noting that the U.S. and Russia possess 90% of the world's nuclear warheads.
"This situation not only nullifies the lessons the international community has learned from the tragic history of the past, but also seriously undermines the frameworks that have been built for peace-building.
"To all the leaders around the world, please visit Hiroshima and witness for yourselves the reality of the atomic bombing."
Yoshikazu Horie, a 71-year-old tourist, echoed the mayor’s concerns.
"It feels more and more like history is repeating itself. Terrible things are happening in Europe ... Even in Japan, in Asia, it's going the same way, it's very scary," he said.
"I've got grandchildren and I want peace so they can live their lives happily."
Survivors of the bombing, known as "hibakusha", have long faced social stigma over fears they carried diseases or passed on genetic damage. Their numbers dropped below 100,000 for the first time this year.
On 6 August 1945, the United States dropped a uranium bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy", on the western Japanese city, killing about 78,000 people instantly. The blast and resulting radiation claimed tens of thousands more lives by the end of the year - estimated to be around 140,000 by the end of that year.
Hiroshima had served as a military headquarters and supply base during World War Two. U.S. planners selected it partly because the surrounding mountains were expected to concentrate the bomb’s force and amplify its destructiveness.
"Little Boy" unleashed a heatwave reaching 4,000 degrees Celsius (7,200 Fahrenheit), followed three days later by a plutonium bomb dropped on Nagasaki killing around 70,000 people.
Japan surrendered on 15 August, bringing the war to an end.
The country, the only one to have experienced nuclear attacks, has declared its commitment to nuclear disarmament, though it is not a signatory or observer of the U.N. treaty to ban nuclear weapons.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
Emergency areas have been officially designated in Spain after 113 wildfires destroyed more than 400,000 hectares this summer. Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska made the announcement on Wednesday.
The German government on Wednesday approved the creation of a permanent National Security Council aimed at strengthening the country’s medium- and long-term security planning.
Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters cameraman who was killed Monday at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, had spent months capturing the daily hardships of civilians while living in a makeshift tent and struggling to provide for his family.
More than 100,000 people in Ukraine are without electricity after Russian forces carried out extensive overnight drone attacks on energy and gas transport infrastructure across six regions, causing significant damage in Poltava, Chernihiv and Sumy on Wednesday.
Head of the Catholic church Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday urged the global community to push for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, calling for the release of hostages and safe delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
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