Volunteer searching for WWII dead in Japanese caves unearths remains of hundreds of people
CBSN
Takamatsu Gushiken turns on a headtorch and enters a cave buried in Okinawa's jungle. He gently runs his fingers through the gravel until two pieces of bone emerge. These are from the skulls, he says, of an infant and possibly an adult.
He carefully places them in a ceramic rice bowl and takes a moment to imagine people dying 80 years ago as they hid in this cave during one of the fiercest battles of World War II. His hope is that the dead can be reunited with their families.
The remains of some 1,400 people found on Okinawa sit in storage for possible identification with DNA testing. So far just six have been identified and returned to their families. Volunteer bone hunters and families looking for their loved ones say the government should do more to help.
Washington — Ukrainian officials have indicated to their U.S. counterparts they are willing to sign a key minerals agreement, days after the original plan to sign the deal at the White House imploded in an acrimonious Oval Office meeting between President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance.
At least three lawmakers were injured on Tuesday, one of them seriously, after chaotic scenes in Serbia's parliament, during which smoke bombs and flares were thrown, further fueling political tensions in the Balkan country.
President Trump's imposition of blanket 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico drew swift vows of retaliation from the United States immediate neighbors on Tuesday. China, which was hit with a second 10% tariff on U.S. exports since Mr. Trump took office, bringing the total levy to 20%, immediately announced its own reciprocal measures — deliberately targeting America's agricultural sector.
Melbourne, Australia — An Australian man credited with saving 2.4 million babies through his record-breaking blood plasma donations over six decades, has died, his family said Tuesday. He was 88.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia — A convoy of semi-trucks passed by as our CBS News team drove about two hours south of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. Moments later we were greeted by an enormous arch with signage in two languages — the local Khmer and, beneath it, Chinese.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country felt the full support of its European allies after a summit in London over the weekend, as he reiterated the need for Western security guarantees as part of any agreement to secure a lasting end to the war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of his country three years ago. Ukraine fears Russia would renege on any peace deal that doesn't carry with it the threat that Ukraine's partners would come to its aid in case of a violation.
The Vatican said Monday evening that Pope Francis had suffered "two episodes of acute respiratory failure" over the course of the day, which it said were caused by "significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm."
Dutch police say they have cracked the case of the mysterious disappearance of a Brueghel painting from a Polish museum over 50 years ago. Authorities say the case was finally solved with the help of arts magazine journalists and a well-known art detective.
A vehicle drove into a crowd of people in the western German city of Mannheim on Monday, according to local media reports, citing witnesses. The Reuters news agency said there was a police operation underway in the middle of the city, and that the incident came as crowds gathered in cities across Germany for parades to mark the Carnival season.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet with King Charles III, the country's head of state, on Monday where he will discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to make Canada the 51st state.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told leaders gathered Sunday for a summit on the war in Ukraine that they need to step up and continue to support Kyiv and meet a "once in a generation moment" for the security of Europe.
Israel warned of "further consequences" after it stopped the entry of all goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip on Sunday, in a move aimed at pressuring Hamas to accept a new proposal to extend the fragile ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in London Saturday ahead of a summit organized by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.