World leaders converge for G-7 with Ukraine war high on agenda

Protesters gather near the famed Atomic Bomb Dome ahead of the G7 meet in Hiroshima. Pic/AP

World leaders landed on Thursday for a Group of Seven (G7) meeting in Hiroshima, the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack, with Russia's war in Ukraine expected to be high on the agenda.

G-7 leaders and invited guests from several other counties are also expected to discuss how to deal with China's growing assertiveness and military buildup as concerns rise that it could try to seize Taiwan by force, sparking a wider conflict. China claims the self-governing island as its own and its ships and warplanes regularly patrol near it.

During the meeting in Hiroshima, Kishida hopes to highlight the risks of nuclear proliferation. Leaders are expected to visit a memorial park that commemorates the 1945 atomic bombing by the US that destroyed the city and killed 1,40,000 people.

The leaders are also expected to discuss efforts to strengthen the global economy and address rising prices that are squeezing families and government budgets around the world, particularly in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

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Biden consults with Japan's Kishida ahead of summit

President Joe Biden arrived in Japan on Thursday and greeted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida by saying, "When our countries stand together, we stand stronger" - a sign of how the economic and national security alliance between the two countries has grown.

The US president began his remarks by noting that Kishida said during a January Washington visit that the world faced one of the "most complex" security environments in recent history. "I couldn't agree with you more," Biden said. "We very much welcome that the cooperation has evolved in leaps and bounds," Kishida told Biden in response.

Russia fires 30 cruise missiles at Ukraine

A Russian self-propelled gun fires toward Ukraine. Pic/AP

As G-7 attendees made their way to Hiroshima, Moscow unleashed another aerial attack on the Kyiv, with loud explosions thundering through the city during the early hours. This was the ninth time this month that Russian air raids targeted the city after days of relative quiet.

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No of people killed in the Hiroshima bombing

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