Latest news with #NobelPeacePrize
The Intercept
37 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Intercept
Who's the Real Bully of the Middle East?
A tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Iran announced Monday appears to be holding. President Donald Trump made the announcement after unilaterally dragging the U.S. into the conflict and authorizing strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites using 30,000-pound bunker busters. Israel attacked Iran on June 13, just days before Iran and the U.S. were set to resume talks in Oman over the country's nuclear enrichment program. ' You don't have to be anti-war to understand that diplomacy in this case would've been better,' said Hooman Majd, an Iranian American writer and the author of three books on Iran. Majd is a contributor to NBC News and covered the 2015 Iran deal for the network. This week on The Intercept Briefing, Majd joins host Akela Lacy to discuss what's left of the path to diplomacy after years of sabotage, from Israel's aggressive military posture to Trump's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal. The deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aimed to stop Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons development. Majd says that the incentive structure of the deal included increasing transparency, access, and inspections of Iran's nuclear sites and reintegrating the country back into the global economy: What 'Obama recognized was, 'Look, if you guys make this deal with us, your incentive to not build a bomb is very clear. … Inflation will go down. Your people will be happier. The economy won't be suffering the way it is. Sanctions will be lifted. You'll make money from oil sales. We'll have international companies coming and investing in Iran.' In 2018, during his first term, Trump pulled out of the agreement and now, after authorizing military strikes, has obliterated what little trust remained. 'The problem here is that with the Trump administration having once withdrawn from the nuclear deal that was working, and having now agreed to Israel attacking Iran, and then attacking Iran itself — there's no trust in diplomacy anymore on the Iranian side, and that's understandable,' says Hooman. Trump is reportedly set to resume talks with Iran next week. But will the ceasefire hold — given that Israel has repeatedly broken its own truces with other countries, and Trump's own volatility? Is a diplomatic solution still possible? Majd says it may take leaning more into Trump's personal ambitions, 'The only way it could be over, and this is unlikely, is that the U.S. under President Trump makes a deal that makes Mr. Trump, very happy, puts him along the path to his Nobel Peace Prize. And he, who's the only one right now, can prevent Israel from attacking Iran again.' You can hear the full conversation of The Intercept Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Metro
an hour ago
- Politics
- Metro
Trump told he might be nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by world leader
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Donald Trump was told by a reporter that he might be nominated for one of the world's most prestigious prizes after his help in brokering a peace deal. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a peace deal facilitated by the US to help end the decades-long fighting, which has killed over 6,000,000 people. The agreement, signed on Friday, was lauded by Trump as a 'big day for the world, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio signified how important it was after 30 years of war. The deal, signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries, will also help the US government and American companies gain access to critical minerals needed for much of the world's technology. 'President Félix Tshisekedi is thinking of nominating you for the Nobel Peace Prize. You deserve it,' a reporter told Trump in the White House. 'You have been working to bring peace in the world, not only in the Congo, and he's very hopeful to meet you in the future,' she added. 'Tshisekedi told me that for many years, American presidents have overlooked this conflict. They didn't do anything.' Do you think Trump should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize? The fighting between Rwanda and the DRC has been going on for more than 30 years. The tensions began shortly after the Rwandan genocide in 1994, which saw Hutu extremists murder more than 800,000 Tutsis. After the government which allowed the genocide was overthrown, the Hutu extremists fled to the DRC, which borders Rwanda. The dense jungle and lack of government in the rural area allowed the extremist group to hide among civilians and continue their onslaught against Rwanda, leading to multiple wars that have lasted until today. Millions have been killed and millions of others displaced as armed groups took over areas of the DRC. The DRC is known for its mines of cobalt, which is vital for tech, making this conflict even more heightened, as other countries bid to get the natural resources. Official details of the agreement aren't known, but earlier drafts have given an insight into key details of the peace agreement. More Trending Each side would have to respect the other's territory and stop hostilities towards one another. They would also disarm and return refugees and displaced persons to their homes. But the elephant in the room is the minerals across the DRC, which Trump said the US was getting 'a lot of rights to'. The DRC previously offered a deal which would trade some of their precious minerals for a security guarantee, and it appears this might have gone ahead. We'll know more in the coming days, but for now, it appears the two countries have agreed to a historic peace deal. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Trump warns it 'will only get worse' for Iran as he lays into 'so-called' Supreme Leader MORE: What the US Supreme Court ruling means for Donald Trump's birthright citizenship plan MORE: Donald Trump is already selling 'Daddy' T-shirts for £20
Egypt Independent
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
As two African nations sign a peace deal, Trump wants credit. But some fear peace may still elude them
CNN — A peace agreement brokered by the White House to stem the bloodshed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a militia allegedly backed by Rwanda occupies vast swaths of land, was signed in Washington D.C. on Friday by officials of the two African nations. But many remain unconvinced that the accord – portrayed as a 'wonderful treaty' by United States President Donald Trump – can end the complex and long-running conflict, while the militia itself has yet to commit to laying down its weapons. Trump was upbeat about the prospects for peace when teams from Rwanda and the DRC initialed a draft agreement on June 18, while at the same time suggesting that he would not get credit for his role in ending this or other conflicts. On June 20, he wrote on Truth Social : 'This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World! I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for this.' He added: 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be, but the people know, and that's all that matters to me!' Trump touts himself as a 'peacemaker' and has expanded his interest in global conflicts to the brutal war in the mineral-rich eastern DRC. His peace deal could also pave the way for America's economic interests in the region, as it eyes access to the DRC's critical minerals. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio presided over the signing of the peace agreement by DRC Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner and her Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe on Friday. 'This is an important moment after 30 years of war,' Rubio said before the three officials signed the agreement. 'President Trump is a president of peace. He really does want peace. He prioritizes it above all else.' Congolese families displaced by ongoing clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo line up as they wait for Rwandan police and immigration officials to allow them to return to the country, following the takeover of the Congolese city of Bukavu by the M23 movement in February. Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images Displaced persons, believed to be Rwandan nationals, stand in line for a check after being dropped off at the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, in Goma on May 19, 2025. Jospin Mwisha/AFP/Getty Images More than 7,000 people have been killed, and some one million others displaced since January, when the M23 militia waged a fresh offensive against the Congolese army, seizing control of the two largest cities in the country's east. There has been increasing reports of summary executions – even of children – in occupied areas, where aid groups say they are also witnessing an epidemic of rape and sexual violence. A complex war The crisis in the eastern DRC, which shares a border with Rwanda and harbors large deposits of minerals critical to the production of electronics, is a fusion of complex issues. Daniel Kubelwa, a Congolese activist and researcher told CNN that the DRC's feud with Rwanda is 'deeply rooted in colonial-era border disputes, unresolved regional tensions, and the consequences of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.' In that genocide, hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu militias. Rwanda criticizes the DRC, which faces problems with militia violence, for integrating a proscribed Hutu militia group into its army to fight against the mainly Tutsi M23. M23, which first emerged in 2012, is one of the most prominent militias battling for control of the DRC's mineral wealth. The rebel group also claims to defend the interests of the Tutsis and other Congolese minorities of Rwandan origin. UN experts and much of the international community believe that Rwanda backs M23 and supports the rebels with troops, leaving the nation on the cusp of war with the DRC over this alleged territorial violation. The Rwandan government has not acknowledged this claim but insists it protects itself against the Hutu militia operating in the DRC, which it describes as an 'existential security threat to Rwanda.' M23 occupies strategic mining towns in the DRC's eastern provinces of North and South Kivu. In a report in December, the UN Group of Experts on the DRC said they found evidence that minerals 'were fraudulently exported to Rwanda' from the DRC 'and mixed with Rwandan production.' Rwandan President Paul Kagame drew outrage last year when he admitted in a public address that Rwanda was a transit point for minerals smuggled from the DRC but insisted his country was not stealing from its neighbor. What's contained in the US peace deal? Washington's peace accord contains provisions on 'territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities,' including 'disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups,' according to a copy of the document viewed by CNN. Before hosting the signatories in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon, Trump told reporters that the accord allows the US to get 'a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo.' While the signed peace agreement does not specifically forfeit any mineral rights to the US, the document includes a framework 'to expand foreign trade and investment derived from regional critical mineral supply chains,' specifically to 'link both countries, in partnership, as appropriate, with the U.S. government and U.S. investors.' Other points include 'facilitation of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as humanitarian access' and the establishment of a 'regional economic integration framework' that could attract significant US investments into Rwanda and the DRC. Members of the M23 armed group ride in a vehicle formerly belonging to the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) while patrolling a street in Goma on January 29, 2025. AFP/Getty Images However, the rebel coalition Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), of which M23 is a key member, told CNN it did not participate in the US-brokered peace process between the Rwandan and Congolese governments, but was instead committed to a separate negotiation process mediated by Qatar in its capital Doha. Asked whether AFC would surrender its arms, Victor Tesongo, a spokesperson for the coalition, said it was 'not there yet' and that it was waiting on developments in Doha. He did not confirm whether airports in the eastern DRC that had been shut by the rebels would reopen for aid supply. Why US efforts may fail Previous truce agreements have failed to bring lasting peace between M23 and the Congolese armed forces. In April, the rebels jointly declared a truce after meeting with representatives of the DRC during negotiations led by Qatar. Fighting flared up days after. Qatar has been facilitating talks after Angolan President João Lourenço quit his mediation role following months of inability to broker peace. Activist Kubelwa told CNN that while the US and Qatar-led peace efforts were commendable, 'any deal that doesn't address the root causes (of the conflict) will only serve as a temporary truce.' One of those root causes, he said, was the 'unfair distribution' of the DRC's mineral wealth, which he claimed, 'benefits a small elite and foreign powers, while ordinary Congolese, especially in the east, suffer displacement and misery.' The DRC is roughly the size of western Europe and is home to more than 100 million people. The Central African nation is also endowed with the world's largest reserves of cobalt – used to produce batteries that power cell phones and electric vehicles – and coltan, which is refined into tantalum and has a variety of applications in phones and other devices. However, according to the World Bank, 'most people in DRC have not benefited from this wealth,' and the country ranks among the five poorest nations in the world. Kubelwa said another trigger for the conflict in the DRC was the country's 'weak institutions' and 'suppression of dissent.' A fragile peace Ahead of signing the US-brokered peace deal, Nduhungirehe, the Rwandan foreign minister, told CNN that his nation was 'committed to supporting the ongoing negotiations,' but warned that ending the conflict 'will depend on the political will and good faith in Kinshasa,' referring to the DRC's government. The DRC foreign minister's office said it would comment on the deal after the document is signed. Congolese human rights activist and Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege has described the deal as 'vague' and tilted in Rwanda's favor. After details of the draft agreement were announced last week, he posted a statement on X criticizing it for failing to recognize 'Rwanda's aggression against the DRC,' which he wrote, 'suggests it (the peace accord) benefits the unsanctioned aggressor, who will thus see its past and present crimes whitewashed as 'economic cooperation.'' He added: 'In its current state, the emerging agreement would amount to granting a reward for aggression, legitimizing the plundering of Congolese natural resources, and forcing the victim to alienate their national heritage by sacrificing justice in order to ensure a precarious and fragile peace.' Congolese political and economic analyst Dady Saleh told CNN he 'remains skeptical' about the ability of the US peace treaty to ensure a path to peace. For Kubelwa, 'a true and lasting solution must go beyond ceasefires and formal agreements. It must include genuine accountability, regional truth-telling, redistribution of national wealth, reform of governance, and a broad national dialogue that includes all Congolese voices not just elites or foreign allies.' 'Without this, peace remains a fragile illusion,' he said. CNN's Jennifer Hansler and Max Saltman contributed to this report.
Deccan Herald
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
50 years of Emergency and the Trump-ceasefire saga 2.0
Greetings readers, A slew of events unfolded in the political arena this week, with US President Donald Trump effortlessly taking the center stage. Forced by his habit of taking credits, Trump 'almost' took the credit for brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran too, after days of conflict. Back home, Shashi Tharoor and his English-speaking skills dominated the headlines, with the Congress leader praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi post Operation Sindoor. The praise is not sitting right with his party leadership and speculations have emerged of Tharoor looking for alternatives with his newly found 'wings'. So bear with us as we unpack each of the significant political developments one by one in this week's DH Political Theatre. A Nobel 'act'.After 12 days of air strikes on each other, and a cameo by the US–much like President Trump's cameos in several TV shows and movies prior to him stepping into politics, Iran and Israel finally agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday, albeit a fragile one. Trump first declared a ceasefire between the two West Asian nations, hours after Iran fired missiles at the US military base in Qatar on Monday night. Trump later berated both sides for violating the ceasefire he had announced. While Iran said it would respect the truce if Israel did, Israel said it had refrained from further in announcing it had agreed to Trump's plan, said it had achieved all its military prior to all this, Trump was probably just inches away from clinching the Nobel Peace Prize, when towing the lines of previous US Presidents, he decided to meddle in the Middle East and sent B-2 bombers to attack Iran's nuclear sites. While the damage incurred by Iran's nuclear dreams cannot be ascertained clearly, the damage to Trump's Nobel dreams is done and in his own words the award may once again end up in the hands of a 'liberal'. Emergency 50-50.'The biggest flaw of democracy is that you can't permanently take someone out of the picture. …What can you even call those High Court judges, who so promptly hand down verdicts against the government. They are all ungrateful.'The above excerpt from Urdu and Hindi author Rahi Masoom Raza's 1978 book Katra Bi Arzoo perfectly encapsulates the power of a democratic setup and why political leaders feel the need to trample upon it for extending their year marked the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, lesson that can be learned from the chapter of Emergency of Indian history is the perils of the occasion, Home Minister Amit Shah released a book titled The Emergency Diaries - Years that Forged a Leader, a compilation of Modi's experiences during the anti-Emergency book describes how 25-year-old Modi distributed many newspapers published secretly in markets, among students and women, reminiscent of the times when the prime minister was probably not aversive to press conferences its futile attempts to justifying the reasons for the imposition of Emergency, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared a White Paper tabled in Parliament on July 21, 1975 saying the government had imposed Emergency to put democracy "back on the rails" and in the wake of activities of "fascist groups" in the country that crossed all permissible president Mallikarjun Kharge said an 'undeclared emergency' has been prevailing in the country for the last 11 years, an accusation which did not sit well with the BJP leaders.'Saffron'...gives you wings?.'Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours and the sky belongs to no one,' read a post on X by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor sometime after party chief Mallikarjun Kharge expressed displeasure with the Thiruvananthapuram MP's praise for PM Modi. Tharoor, in an article published in a leading newspaper on Monday, said Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remained a "prime asset" for India on the global stage but deserved greater backing. The article has elevated the uneasiness in the relationship between the Congress leadership and Tharoor. Though Tharoor on Tuesday tried to clear the air around the issue and said that his article was not a sign of his "leaping to join" BJP and just a statement of national unity, it did not stop Congress leaders from questioning Tharoor's conduct since he was chosen to be part of an all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor. Congress' Manickam Tagore even warned his Lok Sabha colleague that free birds should be aware of 'hawks, vultures, and eagles' preying in the the 'free-spirited' Tharoor will stop by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Marg and are BJP leaders secretly taking English speaking lessons, is still unclear. Bypolls: A boost for AAP and Trinamool Congress retained their four sitting seats in the bypolls on Thursday while Congress snatched one held by a former Left-backed independent in Kerala, putting the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front on the won its two sitting seats in Gujarat's Visavadar and Punjab's Ludhiana West while it was pushed a distant third in Gujarat's Kadi, where the BJP retained the seat. Trinamool Congress won the Kaliganj seat while in Kerala's Nilambur, Congress won with a convincing margin against the CPM. Buoyed by the victory, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal told reporters that if the bypolls were semi-finals to 2027 elections then there will be a 'typhoon in 2027.' No mention of Pahalgam in SCO document .Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday refused to sign the joint communique of the Shanghai Cooperation Organsation's defence ministers meeting as the document neither mentioned the dastardly Pahalgam terrorist attack nor took into account India's concerns on terror strikes emanating from Pakistan. Because of India's refusal, the SCO, which follows the principle of consensus, could not issue a joint statement after the two-day meeting at Qingdao, sending a strong message to Pakistan and its all-weather ally China, who are understood to be the main players behind making such a draft. Kanhaiya, the twelfth leader Kanhaiya Kumar accepted being "the twelfth man" in Bihar polls and said that he will contest the upcoming elections if the party tells him a cricketing analogy, Kumar said that just like batting, bowling, and fielding are responsibilities that have to be fulfilled on the cricket field, fighting polls is also a responsibility in politics."If the captain tells me to sit outside and deliver drinks for those at the crease, I will do that. And if the captain tells me to, I will also pad up and bat," Kumar said. He also said that there is no confusion or dispute in the 'Mahagathbandhan' over Tejashwi Yadav being the main face for the Bihar chief minister's post. That is all about the political drama that unfolded this week. DH Political Theatre will come back again next week with more political advancements from around the world. Exit Stage Left, DH Newsletters Team
Sky News AU
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
DRC President to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
African reporter Hariana Veras tells US President Donald Trump, the President of Congo wants to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize. 'President Tshisekedi, he's very thankful for what you are doing,' Ms Veras said. 'Finally, they will have hope. 'Tshisekedi also mentioned … when peace finally comes to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he's thinking to nominate you as a Nobel Prize Peace.'
