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9 News
2 days ago
- Politics
- 9 News
Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by Pakistan
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Pakistan has formally recommended US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his "decisive diplomatic intervention" following a spike in violence between India and Pakistan earlier this year. The government praised Trump for leveraging his "pivotal leadership" in May, when several days of cross-border strikes marked the worst regional fighting between the two nuclear-armed nations since 1971, killing dozens and stoking fears of a wider war. Islamabad and New Delhi agreed to a US-brokered truce on May 8, as one final burst of strikes ripped through parts of the long-disputed Kashmir region – to which both countries claim full sovereignty. President Donald Trump walks out of the Oval Office and views the Rose Garden construction before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, June 20. (via CNN Newsource) "At a moment of heightened regional turbulence, President Trump demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi," Pakistan's government said in a statement on Saturday. The US president helped in "averting a broader conflict between the two nuclear states that would have had catastrophic consequences for millions of people in the region and beyond," the statement added. "This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker and his commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue." Indian and Pakistani officials gave contradictory accounts of how the agreement on a truce was reached at the time. While Islamabad lauded the involvement of the White House, New Delhi downplayed it – keen to relay the ceasefire as a victory and saying the neighbors "directly" collaborated on the truce. Indian and Pakistani officials gave contradictory accounts of how the agreement on a truce was reached at the time. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) Governments, other institutions and certain individuals can nominate any living person or active organisation for the Nobel Peace Prize. The winner is decided each year by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Trump has long sought to present himself as a global peacemaker. Before his second term in office, the Republican leader ferociously criticised his predecessor President Joe Biden's failed attempts to negotiate an end to Israel's brutal campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine the year prior. More than 400 people have been killed in Iran, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported on Saturday, citing Iran's health ministry. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed, according to the Israeli government. Trump suggested he would not be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in a message on Truth Social. (AP) Israel says the attacks are targeting nuclear sites and high-ranking military officers, several of whom have been killed. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks deep into northern and southern Israel. Earlier this week, Trump set out a self-imposed two-week timeline for a decision on US military involvement in Iran. After meeting with a top EU official and foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, Iran's foreign minister said his country would not re-enter negotiations with the US while it remains under attack from Israel. Just on Friday, Trump sought to stress his diplomatic successes in the Middle East and beyond, while suggesting he would not gain recognition for them. "I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan," he posted on his Truth Social platform. "I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be." Donald Trump Pakistan World USA CONTACT US
9 News
2 days ago
- Politics
- 9 News
US moves B-2 bombers as Trump weighs Iran options
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A US defense official said there has been no order given to move forward with any kind of operation against Iran using the B-2s. As of Saturday, the planes are flying over the Pacific and appear to be headed toward Guam. A B-2 Spirit Bomber is seen in Nevada on January 23. (Carlos Barria/Reuters/FILE via CNN Newsource) Two US defense officials cautioned that any movement of B-2s does not mean an operation is imminent but rather is intended to provide the president with options. Another US official said moving aircraft can be a show of force and a deterrent as Trump deliberates. B-2 bombers are the only plane capable of carrying the Massive Ordinance Penetrator, which experts have highlighted as the only type of bomb potentially capable of destroying Iran's underground Fordow nuclear facility. Each B-2 bomber is able to carry two of these "bunker buster" bombs, which weigh an impressive 30,000 pounds (13607kg) each. The movement of the B-2 bombers comes as Trump has spent much of the past week in the Situation Room, reviewing attack plans and quizzing officials about the potential consequences of each. The president indicated that his two-week timeline for a decision on US military involvement in Iran is the "maximum" amount of time – and that he could make up his mind sooner. Donald Trump speaks with reporters upon arriving at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey on Friday, June 20. (AP) Trump is set to hold a meeting with his national security team in the Oval Office on Saturday and Sunday evening. The White House didn't respond to a request for comment. On Friday night, eight US Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers took off from Altus, Oklahoma, according to data from FlightRadar24. Over Kansas the tankers refueled two groups of planes, identified on air traffic control audio by their callsigns MYTEE11 FLT and MYTEE21 FLT. The callsign MYTEE has previously been associated with special activity flights by B-2 bombers, and multiple flight trackers on social media said the planes being refueled were B-2 bombers out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Flight tracking data and air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN show the bombers refueled again off the coast of California, and over Hawaii. Satellite imagery taken on Thursday showed six KC-135 refueling planes stationed at Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean that could be used to refuel the bombers should they continue onward to Iran. Israel World Iran conflict USA US POLITICS Donald Trump CONTACT US
9 News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- 9 News
Israel confirms it is arming Hamas rivals in operation opposition calls 'complete madness'
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Israel is arming local militias in Gaza in an effort to counter Hamas in the besieged enclave, officials say, as opposition politicians warned that the move endangers national security. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the covert enterprise on Thursday, calling it "a good thing." In a video posted on social media, Netanyahu said Israel had "activated clans in Gaza which oppose Hamas," and that it was done "under the advice of security elements." Opposition leader Yair Lapid speaks in Israel's parliament in October last year. (Debbie Hill/AP via CNN Newsource) Former defence minister and Netanyahu rival Avigdor Liberman divulged the move on Israel's Channel 12 News on Wednesday, saying that Israel was distributing rifles to extremist groups in Gaza and describing the operation as "complete madness." "We're talking about the equivalent of ISIS in Gaza," Liberman said one day later on Israel's Army Radio, adding that Israel is providing weapons to "crime families in Gaza on Netanyahu's orders." "No one can guarantee that these weapons will not be directed towards Israel," he said, a warning echoed by one of the officials who spoke with CNN. After Liberman's revelation, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying, "Israel is acting to defeat Hamas in various ways upon the recommendation of the heads of the security establishment." The ongoing operation was authorised by Netanyahu without security cabinet approval, two officials told CNN, which is the normal forum for making major policy decisions. Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners would likely have vetoed such a move. Meanwhile, Hamas said the plan revealed "a grave and undeniable truth." Gaza City's Shujaiya neighbourhood in October 2024. (Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) In a statement, the militant group said: "The Israeli occupation army is arming criminal gangs in the Gaza Strip with the aim of creating a state of insecurity and social chaos." One group that has received weapons from Israel is the militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab, officials said. Abu Shabab heads an armed group that controls some territory in eastern Rafah and he has posted photos of himself holding an AK-47 rifle with UN vehicles behind him. Though Abu Shabab has denied receiving weapons from Israel, Hamas has accused him of being a "traitor." "We pledge before God to continue confronting the dens of that criminal and his gang, no matter the cost of the sacrifices we make," Hamas said on Thursday. Opposition politicians ripped Netanyahu for the plan to arm militias and the secrecy around it, lambasting it as a continuation of the Israeli leader's decision to allow millions of dollars in cash to travel from Qatar to Gaza beginning in late 2018. They accused him of strengthening Hamas in the past as an alternative to the rival Palestinian Fatah faction, and now arming gangs as an alternative to Hamas. "After Netanyahu finished handing over millions of dollars to Hamas, he moved on to supplying weapons to groups in Gaza affiliated with ISIS – all improvised, with no strategic planning, and all leading to more disasters," opposition leader Yair Lapid said on social media. Netanyahu has not laid out a plan for who will govern Gaza in the future and has hardly made clear any of his post-war intentions for the coastal enclave. Part of Israel's war goals include the complete disarmament of Hamas and the end of its ability to govern in the territory. The arming of militias in Gaza appears to be the closest that Netanyahu has come to empowering any form of alternate rule. Despite nearly 20 months of war, Israel has not been able to dislodge Hamas completely from large swaths of Gaza, and the militant group – classified as a terrorist organisation in Israel, the United States, and the European Union – has clung to power. Yair Golan, head of the left-wing Democrats party, said in a post on social media: "Instead of bringing about a deal, making arrangements with the moderate Sunni axis, and returning the hostages and security to Israeli citizens, he is creating a new ticking bomb in Gaza." Israel Hamas Conflict Israel Palestine Gaza World War CONTACT US Property News: The last inner Sydney suburbs where houses cost under $2m.
9 News
01-06-2025
- Politics
- 9 News
Mystery 'balloons' swarm stricken North Korean warship
New satellite images show North Korea has deployed what appear to be balloons alongside its damaged 5000-ton warship that has been laying on its side and partially submerged since a botched launch last week. While the purpose of the objects is unclear, experts told CNN they could be used to help get the ship back upright, or protect it from the prying eyes of drones. The stricken destroyer was the country's newest warship and was meant to be a triumph of North Korea's ambitious naval modernisation effort. A satellite image shows what appear to be white balloons floating above the stranded North Korean warship that was damaged after a failed launch. (Maxar Technologies via CNN Newsource) Instead, a malfunction in the launch mechanism on May 21 caused the stern to slide prematurely into the water, crushing parts of the hull and leaving the bow stranded on the shipway, state media KCNA reported, in a rare admission of bad news. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who witnessed the failed launch in the north-eastern city of Chongjin, called it a "criminal act" and ordered the country to swiftly repair the as-yet-unnamed ship before the late-June plenary session of the ruling Workers' Party, calling it a matter of national honour. Officials have since scrambled to undo the damage and punish those they claim are responsible, detaining four people in recent days, including the shipyard's chief engineer. READ MORE: Multiple dead after bridge collapse derails train in Russia The warship was previously covered with a tarp. (AP) Analysts say it appears balloons are being used in North Korea's effort to swiftly repair the destroyer. "It looks like what appear to be balloons have been installed not to refloat the ship, but to prevent the ship from further flooding," said Representative Yu Yong-weon, a South Korean National Assembly lawmaker and military analyst. Retired United States Navy Captain Carl Schuster said if the objects are indeed balloons, they could have one of two purposes – either to prevent "low- to mid-level drone reconnaissance," or to reduce the stress on the part of the ship still stranded on the pier. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared the action criminal. (KCNA/Reuters/File via CNN Newsource) "That is the area that is most likely to have been damaged, suffered the most severe damage and remains under intense stress while the forward area remains out of the water," he said. Nick Childs, senior fellow for naval forces and maritime security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said North Korea could be in danger of further damaging the ship if it's using balloons to keep it afloat or raise it. "It is highly likely that the ship is under quite a lot of stress anyway," and lifting from above could compound those stresses, he said. North Korea has been trying to modernise its navy. (Maxar Technologies via CNN Newsource) Normal procedure would be to get as much buoyancy as possible in the ship and then raise it from below, Childs said. According to satellite images shared by Maxar Technologies, more than a dozen white, balloon-like objects have been deployed around the destroyer since May 23. Based on the objects' shape and what appear to be tail fins, they could be smaller versions of what are known as aerostat aircraft, balloons with a slight resemblance to dirigibles, defense experts told CNN . Like blimps, dirigibles get buoyancy from a lifting gas that allows them to float in air or in water. The staggering sums countries spend on defending themselves View Gallery The images don't appear to show any flotation bladders supporting the hull or the body of the ship, Schuster said – something the US might use in such a situation. He added that North Korea's maritime industry might not be advanced enough for such techniques. North Korean state media had previously reported that the damage was less severe than initially feared, and that there were no holes in the hull, though it was scratched along the side and some seawater had entered the stern. It estimated repairs could take about 10 days – though analysts are skeptical. Schuster had previously told CNN that repair work could take up to six months, depending on how far the hull damage extends, how much water entered the warship, and how much "salt crust" might have formed on metal surfaces such as joints. The ship's precarious position also makes the salvage operation unusually complex. "Having it half in and half out of the water is basically the worst possible situation," said Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at CNA, a nonprofit specialising in defense research. He added that the operation would be simpler if the ship had fully capsized into the water, or if it had fallen over entirely on land. "But as it's half on land and half on water – if you try to pull the sunken half out, you're risking twisting and breaking the keel," Eveleth said, referring to the structural spine running along the ship's bottom. "And if you do that, the whole ship is junk." Childs said North Korea may have to cut the ship into pieces and then try to salvage what it can because righting it from its current position is an extremely complex task. "Very often the only way you clear the dock … is to dismantle at least part of the ship to make the operation easier, right what you have left and tow it away and make a decision on whether you rebuild it or scrap it," he said.
9 News
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 9 News
The Golden Globes will add a new podcast category starting next year
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here The Golden Globes are adding a new category to recognise something other than achievements film and television. The Globes today announced that a best podcast of the year category will be added to its awards slate, to debut starting next year when the ceremony will be broadcast on January 11, 2026, according to a news release. The category will honour the "extraordinary and diverse talents in podcasting," the release read, while acknowledging that the annual awards ceremony is committed to giving a platform to "the full spectrum of entertainment, while reflecting today's audiences and consumption behaviour around the world". The Golden Globes are adding a podcasting category. (Getty Images via CNN Newsource) "As the world of entertainment continues to evolve, we are excited to recognise new forms of storytelling," Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne said in a statement. Hoehne added that "by celebrating achievements in both audio and visual podcasts, we aim to honour our heritage categories while making room for new voices and formats to be heard". According to the release, only the "top 25 podcasts" will qualify for the award and the category will include a total of six nominees. A representative for the Golden Globes confirmed to CNN that narrative, video, interview and news-based podcasts will be eligible. The Golden Globes will announce more eligibility criteria in the coming weeks. Comedian Nikki Glaser is set to emcee the glitzy awards ceremony in 2026, marking her second time serving as the show's host after her debut earlier this year. In March, Glaser said that hosting "was without a doubt the most fun I have ever had in my career. I can't wait to do it again, and this time in front of the team from The White Lotus who will finally recognise my talent and cast me in season four as a Scandinavian Pilates instructor with a shadowy past." entertainment TV celebrities Podcast World Golden Globes CONTACT US
