August 9, 2026

Nagasaki on Sunday marked 81 years since the U.S. atomic bombing with a blunt warning that nuclear weapons are “absolute evil” — and a sharp rebuke of the growing embrace of nuclear deterrence just as Japan’s new government moves to beef up offensive military power. Mayor Shiro Suzuki said reliance on nukes only raises the risk of nuclear war, as speculation swirls over whether Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi may weaken Japan’s non-nuclear principles. The anniversary, remembered with a moment of silence at 11:02 a.m., came with more than 90 nations present — a grim reminder of what’s at stake.

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