The Japanese city of Hiroshima is marking the 65th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack.

日本广岛市正在举行原子弹爆炸65周年纪念。

For the first time, a representative of the United States, which dropped the bomb on the city, is attending.

About 140,000 people were killed or died within months of the bomb being dropped by a US aircraft in 1945 in the final days of World War II.

Japan surrendered after a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki three days later on 9 August.

Washington's decision to send its ambassador to Tokyo, John Roos, is being seen by some in Japan as a sign that President Barack Obama may decide to visit Hiroshima when he comes to Japan.

If so, he would be the first sitting（在任期中的） US president to visit the city.

Speaking in Washington, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US was committed to ridding the world of nuclear weapons.

"This president, President Obama, is very committed to working toward a world without nuclear weapons. He has said many times he recognises this is a long-term goal."

Britain and France, both nuclear powers, are also making their first appearances at a Hiroshima commemoration（纪念，庆典） .

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is in the city as well as representatives from 75 nations.

Japan, the only country to have been attacked with nuclear weapons, has been pushing for their abolition¹（废除） .

Hiroshima was obliterated²（阻塞） by the bomb, and the centre of the city now hosts the Peace Memorial Park where the anniversary commemoration takes place.

After arriving in the city on Thursday, Mr Ban said: "The only way to ensure that such weapons will never again be used is to eliminate them all.

"There must be no place in our world for such indiscriminate（任意的，无差别的） weapons."

Some Japanese have called on the US to apologise for the atomic bombings, but the BBC's Roland Buerk, in Hiroshima, says this is unlikely to happen.