Latest news with #NobelPeacePrize
The Star
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi marks 80th birthday in junta jail
(FILES) Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (C) pays homage to Buddhist monks at the Kan Tat Kone monastery during a visit to Mandalay on February 14, 2015. Myanmar's deposed democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi was set to mark her 80th birthday in junta detention on June 19, 2025, serving a raft of sentences set to last the rest of her life. (Photo by Ye Aung THU/ AFP) YANGON: Myanmar's deposed democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi (pic) marked her 80th birthday in junta detention on Thursday (June 19), serving a raft of sentences set to last the rest of her life. Suu Kyi was the figurehead of Myanmar's decade-long democratic thaw, becoming de facto leader as it opened up from military rule. But as the generals snatched back power in a 2021 coup, she was locked up on charges ranging from corruption to breaching Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and is serving a 27-year sentence. "It will be hard to be celebrating at the moment," said her 47-year-old son Kim Aris from the UK. "We've learned to endure when it's been going on so long." He is running 80km over the eight days leading up to her birthday, and has collected over 80,000 well-wishing video messages for his mother. But Suu Kyi will not see them, sequestered in Myanmar's sprawling capital Naypyidaw from where the military directs a civil war against guerilla fighters. Aris said he has heard from his mother only once via a letter two years ago since she was imprisoned. "We have no idea what condition she's in," he said. While she remains hugely popular in the majority Buddhist country, her status as a democracy icon abroad collapsed before the military takeover after she defended the generals in their crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim minority. Hundreds of thousands were sent fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh under her rule, though some argued she was powerless against the lingering influence of Myanmar's military. Nonetheless institutions and figures that once showered Suu Kyi with awards rapidly distanced themselves, and her second round of imprisonment has received far less international attention. Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar independence hero Aung San, became a champion of democracy almost by accident. After spending much of her youth abroad, she returned in 1988 to nurse her sick mother but began leading anti-military protests crushed by a crackdown. She was locked up for 15 years, most of it in her family's Yangon lakeside mansion where she still drew crowds for speeches over the boundary wall. The military offered freedom if she went into exile but her poised refusal thrust her into the spotlight and won her the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. This time, she disappeared from the public eye on the eve of the coup. Aris said he fears she is suffering from untreated medical problems with her heart, bones and gums. Myanmar's junta offers only intermittent updates on her status and the conditions of her incarceration. "She is in good health," junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told reporters in March, adding that she was provided with routine medical check-ups but was not unwell. Suu Kyi was freed from her first confinement in 2010 and led her National League for Democracy party to electoral victory in 2015, never formally in charge as army-drafted rules kept her from the presidency. The military has promised new elections at the end of this year, but they are set to be boycotted by many groups comprised of former followers of Suu Kyi's non-violent vision who have now taken up arms. If the octogenarian were released, Aris predicts she would likely step back from a "frontline position" in Myanmar politics. - AFP
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Trump Peace Prize': GOP's Matt Gaetz says Israel giving up nukes could win Trump Nobel; MAGA split over Iran
Matt Gaetz (AP photo), Donald Trump (AI image) Matt Gaetz, the former Republican Congressman from Florida, said Thursday that Israel should also give up on its nuclear weapons and if US president Donald Trump could get it done, he would win the Nobel Peace Prize. 'If Trump pulled that off,' he said, 'they wouldn't just give him the Nobel Peace Prize — they'd rename it the Trump Peace Prize,' Gaetz said on his prime time show on One America News Network he hosts now. The Republican sharply criticise US involvement in the Israel–Iran conflict. He argued that what's being sold as a war to stop Iran's nuclear programme was another push by Israel for regime change in the Middle East — one that looks a lot like the lead-up to the Iraq war. 'Israel didn't kick their regime change habit with Iraq or Libya or Syria. It seems they need another fix,' Gaetz said. 'I wish this was really about Iran's nuclear programme, but it's not.' Gaetz further said Iran, unlike North Korea, didn't currently have nuclear weapons, long-range delivery systems, or re-entry capability. 'North Korea could launch a nuclear weapon at the US today. Iran can't even get their bird in the air,' he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scam Exposed: What They Won't Tell You about zero trust! Expertinspector Click Here Undo Gaetz served on the House Armed Services Committee for eight years and claimed to have seen the intelligence briefings himself. He pointed out that North Korea had issued open threats against US cities like Los Angeles and Seattle, but the US wasn't bombing their missile sites. Gaetz said that the current war push was politically motivated and hypocritical — especially because Israel's own nuclear programme remained off-limits to international inspectors. 'There's a secret nuclear programme in the Middle East — and it's Israel's,' Gaetz said. 'They won't allow inspectors, they operate in full secrecy, and everyone in Washington knows it.' He said he didn't blame Israel for wanting a nuclear deterrent, but called it unfair to push the world towards war over one country's suspected weapons while ignoring another's. 'To drag us into a regime change war over secret nuclear weapons when your ally also has secret nuclear weapons — that's hypocritical.' Gaetz played old Fox News clips showing support for the Iraq invasion, where anchors described Saddam Hussein as an urgent threat and promised a quick, decisive victory. 'I saw how wrong they were,' he said. 'I went to the funerals. I saw the graves. We paid the price. Iraq war cost America $3 trillion and contributed to the rise of ISIS and China's global power." He also aired a recent clip from Tucker Carlson's show where Senator Ted Cruz couldn't tell the population of Iran while defending military action. Gaetz used it as an example of how disconnected Washington leaders were from the wars they supported. 'It's easy to back war from a Senate office or Fox News studio. No one's firing missiles at you there,' Gaetz said. 'But real people — soldiers — will have to fight and die. And many will.' The Israel–Iran war has caused divisions within Trump's MAGA circle. Gaetz, Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Steve Bannon have all warned against US involvement. In contrast, Fox News hosts like Sean Hannity and Mark Levin, along with Senators Lindsey Graham and Cruz, support Israel's actions. Trump himself has not made things clear. He has demanded Iran's 'unconditional surrender' but also said, 'Maybe we won't have to fight. I'm not looking to fight. But if it's a choice between fighting and them having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do.'
Hans India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
The US should go for recalibrated South Asia policy
US President Donald Trump seems to have become obsessed with his role as a dealmaker and peacemaker. In the run-up to the presidential poll, he promised to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. To his credit, he has made a lot of effort but without much success. Evidently, he wants to bolster his image as a peacemaker by taking credit for brokering a 'ceasefire' between India and Pakistan. Facts suggest otherwise. To begin with, India's objective was limited: it just wanted to attack the terrorist network in Pakistan. It did that; Pakistan retaliated but was soundly thrashed, resulting in considerable losses to its airbases. Islamabad and Rawalpindi both realized that any escalation would be costly and dangerous for them, so they requested a cessation of hostilities, which India agreed to. The reason was simple: hostilities, let alone war, were not on India's agenda. This is much different from Israel's war against Iran: Tel Aviv wants regime change in Tehran. Trump's repeated claims of bringing peace to the Indian subcontinent - and the moral equivalence implicit in his statements - have been deeply painful to India. They have also tarnished the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This was the reason that Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri recently said, 'President Trump enquired [in his 35-minute phone conversation] if Prime Minister Modi could stop over in the US on his way back from Canada. Due to prior commitments, Prime Minister Modi expressed his inability to do so. Both leaders agreed to make efforts to meet in the near future'. Declining the invitation was a snub enough, but Trump seems unrelenting in his claims. Apparently, this is because for Trump, politics and diplomacy can sometimes become personal. His family's involvement in the crypto business has a Pakistan connection. Further, Pakistan army chief Asim Munir's statement that Trump should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize appears to have earned him dinner at the White House. To be sure, Trump is doing a good job for his country by deregulating the economy, securing its borders, augmenting energy production, supporting free speech, and combating the toxic effects of the radical Left on campuses. He can do better by improving ties with India, the world's largest democracy, and downgrading relations with Pakistan, the world's biggest engine of terror. Trump must deepen the United States' strategic partnership with India - the world's largest democracy - and decisively reassess America's long-standing. India, with its population of over 1.4 billion, a robust and growing economy, a vibrant democratic system, and a commitment to the rule of law, is an indispensable ally for the United States in the 21st century. The two countries share a common interest in promoting peace, regional stability, free trade, and a free and open Indo-Pacific. India is also a key partner in critical areas such as counterterrorism, cybersecurity, renewable energy, and defense collaboration. Strengthening ties with New Delhi would allow Trump to align US foreign policy with the values of freedom and democracy, while counterbalancing the growing influence of authoritarian powers such as China. Concomitantly, downgrading relations with Pakistan would send a strong message that the United States no longer tolerates duplicity in its partnerships. A recalibrated South Asia policy - one that rewards integrity and punishes duplicity - would mark his evolution from a smart dealmaker to a genuine statesman.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
The bomb from hell... So will the US deploy it? Can it take out Iran's nuclear site? And what would happen next?: MARK ALMOND
Donald Trump loves to back a winner. And with the military momentum now heavily on Israel 's side, it would be no surprise if the 47th President eventually decides to join the party and attack 's key nuclear facilities. The prospect of a quick win – of epoch-making regime change, even – must be tempting for a man who has already let it be known he wants a Nobel Peace Prize.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Honoured to meet Pak army chief Asim Munir, says Trump after their discussion
Two "very smart" leaders of India and Pakistan decided to end last month's conflict that could have turned into a nuclear war, US President Donald Trump said after holding a rare luncheon meeting with Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Those are two nuclear powers, big ones, big, big nuclear powers, and they decided that (to end the conflict)," Trump said. The comments were seen at variance with his claims over a dozen times in the last few weeks that he brokered the India-Pakistan "ceasefire deal". The unusual display of self-restraint by the US President in not squeezing himself in the frame immediately attracted attention in India because it followed PM Modi's Tuesday conversation with Trump, in which Modi had made plain that India would never let anyone meddle in its dealings with Pakistan. tnn & agencies In the telephonic conversation, Modi had also refuted Donald Trump's public claim that he had brandished the threat of not doing a trade deal to get India agree to suspend the conflict with Pakistan, and asserted that Islamabad sued for peace after severe damage to its nine strategically crucial airbases by the IAF. In his remarks to the media, Trump said he was "honoured" to meet Munir and that he discussed with the army chief the situation arising out of Iran-Israel conflict, amid speculation that Washington was looking at using Pakistani military bases in case it decides to launch attacks on Iran. Trump was effusive in lauding Modi, and referred to his telephonic conversation with the PM Tuesday night. In a statement, the Pakistani Army said the US President expressed keen interest in forging a "mutually beneficial" trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests. Trump was accompanied at the meeting by secretary of state Marco Rubio and US Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Munir was joined in by Pakistan national security adviser and spy agency ISI chief Lt Gen Asim Malik. Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Munir reportedly pitched for Nobel Peace Prize for the president for "preventing a nuclear war" between India and Pakistan. "The reason I had him here was that I want to thank him for not going into war (with India)... Tired of too many ads? go ad free now And, I want to thank PM Modi as well," Trump said. "We're working on a trade deal with India. We're working on a trade deal with Pakistan." Hours before hosting Munir, Trump claimed credit for ending the conflict but he did not repeat it in his media remarks after the meet. Asked if Iran was discussed in the meeting with Munir, Trump said: "Well, they know Iran very well, better than most..." "It's not that they're bad with Israel. They know them both, actually, but they probably, maybe they know Iran better, but they see what's going on, and he agreed with me," he said. The US-Pakistan trade partnership discussions, the Pakistan army said, encompassed avenues for expanding cooperation in domains such as economic development, mines and minerals, AI, energy, cryptocurrency and emerging technologies. It is rare for the US President to host a lunch for a foreign country's army chief. There have been precedents of Pakistan army chiefs, including Ayub Khan, Zia ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf, receiving such invites. But they were holding the post of president as well.
