Despite brokering ‘peace in the Middle East’, US president is overlooked for accolade he has so openly coveted
Donald Trump has lost out on the Nobel Peace Prize despite heavy-handed lobbying to clinch one of the goals he most desires.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee handed the award to María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition politician, on Friday.
Ms Machado was honoured “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy,” said Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the chairman of the committee, in Oslo.
Nicknamed Venezuela’s “Iron Lady”, Mr Frydnes added that she was a “unifying figure” in the country’s deeply divided political opposition and showed unmatched “courage” in the face of threats and intimidation.
The committee’s role is to award the peace prize to the figure, or group, that has done the most to “promote fraternity between nations”, in accordance with the will of Alfred Nobel.
Two days before the committee announced a winner, the US president declared he had secured “peace in the Middle East” after brokering the agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the two-year conflict.
At the 11th hour, Mr Trump’s campaign received a
But despite claiming to have brokered the elusive peace deal and ended “seven unendable wars”, it was not enough.
Ms Machado has emerged as one of the strongest and most critical voices denouncing Nicolás Maduro’s regime and its campaign of repression. She was banned from standing against Maduro in the presidential elections last July.
Edmundo González Urrutia, a relatively unknown opposition candidate, won about 70 per cent of the vote, but Maduro declared victory and refused to hand over power.
Mr González fled into exile in Spain, while Ms Machado went into hiding in Venezuela. She has only left her refuge on a handful of occasions and has not seen her three children in months.
In an Interview with The Telegraph in May., she advocated for Britain to join America and other allies in maximising the pressure on Maduro.
“The regime is in the weakest position ever and this is a historic opportunity that comes once in a lifetime. We want the UK to be a part of it,” she said.
“I can only dream of a Venezuela that is free.”
Mr Trump has been outspoken about his desire for a prize won by four of his predecessors – Barack Obama in 2009, Jimmy Carter in 2002, Woodrow Wilson in 1919, and Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
All but Carter won the award while in office, with Mr Obama honoured less than eight months after taking office.
In his first term in office, Mr Trump brokered what are known as the Abraham Accords, normalisation deals between Israel and Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan.
Ultimately, the five-strong committee would have probably chosen its winner long before the Gaza ceasefire agreement, after months of deliberations. It held its final meeting on Monday – two days before Mr Trump announced that the first phase of the peace deal had been agreed.
Experienced Nobel-watchers had said that a Trump win was extremely unlikely, citing what they saw as his efforts to dismantle the post-Second World War international world order the Nobel committee cherishes.
Nina Graeger, head of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, said Mr Trump’s withdrawal from the World Health Organisation and the 2015 Paris climate accords, and his trade war with allies, went against the spirit of Nobel’s 1895 will.
“If you look at Alfred Nobel’s will, it emphasises three areas: one is the achievements regarding peace – brokering a peace deal,” she said. “The other is to work and promote disarmament and the third is to promote international cooperation.”
Asle Sveen, a historian of the award, cited Mr Trump’s attempted rapprochement with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, among other reasons.
“His admiration of dictators also counts against him,” Sveen said. “This goes against Alfred Nobel’s will.”
Kristian Berg Harpviken, the committee secretary, who participates in all the deliberations of the five-strong panel but does not vote, said the award was not intended for last-minute achievements.
“This is a prize primarily for work done in 2024 and prior years, it’s not a prize for the work done in the most recent weeks or months,” Mr Harpviken told broadcaster NRK early on Friday.
Insiders say the award follows a year-long, deliberative process, during which candidates’ strengths and weaknesses are debated by the five-strong committee.
Nominations for the prize must reach the committee by Jan 31. Committee members can also make nominations, but they have to be made by the committee’s first meeting in February. Thereafter, the committee meets about once a month. The decision tends to be taken in August or in September.
The Nobel committee says it is used to working under pressure from people, or their supporters, who say they deserve the prize. Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the leader of the Nobel committee, told Reuters: “All politicians want to win the Nobel Peace Prize.”
On November 8, 1935, in the quiet Parisian suburb of Sceaux, a boy was born who would one day be hailed as one of the most handsome men in the world and an icon of international cinema. His name was Alain Delon, and his journey from an unsettled childhood to worldwide fame remains one of the most fascinating stories in film history.
For seniors who grew up watching the golden age of cinema, Delon’s name still carries the glamour of a bygone era — when movie stars were larger than life, yet deeply human beneath the surface.
Alain’s early years were far from easy. His father owned a small cinema hall, and his mother worked as a pharmacist. When the family business shifted, she later took a cashier’s job at the theater. But when Alain was only three years old, his parents divorced.
Both parents remarried, leaving Alain caught between two households. His stepfather was a butcher, and his mother worked alongside him in the shop. With little time to devote to their young son, the family hired a nanny to care for him.
In later interviews, Delon admitted that while he initially enjoyed the novelty of splitting time between two families, he eventually began to feel like no one truly cared for him. This sense of displacement left a mark that shaped much of his personality.
School did not come easily to Alain. Bright but restless, he was known for mischief more than academic success. Teachers often found him unruly, and he was expelled multiple times, forcing him to bounce from one institution to another.
Eventually, he abandoned formal schooling altogether. Instead, he began training as a butcher, following in the footsteps of his stepfather. But the work failed to inspire him, and after three months behind the counter, he moved on to a series of odd jobs. One of those jobs was in a local shop; another was as a waiter. Each gave him discipline, but none hinted at the legendary career that awaited him.
In his late teens, Alain enlisted in the French military. For a young man who had spent much of his life in rebellion, the discipline and rigor of army life were transformative. Delon later credited his service with teaching him responsibility and shaping the man he would become.
Those years instilled in him a new sense of purpose. When he returned from service, he once again found himself working in ordinary jobs, including waiting tables. But fate had other plans.
Alain’s entry into acting was almost accidental. His striking good looks and undeniable screen presence caught the attention of filmmakers and producers in Paris. By the late 1950s, he began landing roles in French cinema.
It didn’t take long for audiences to notice him. His piercing blue eyes, chiseled features, and charismatic aura made him a natural leading man. Critics soon dubbed him the “male Brigitte Bardot,” a symbol of French beauty and allure on the global stage
The 1960s cemented Alain Delon’s place as an international film star. He appeared in a string of films that remain classics today, including:
These films not only showcased his talent but also expanded his reputation far beyond France. Hollywood took notice, and Delon’s career became truly international.
Delon’s appeal went beyond acting. He embodied a style and elegance that defined European masculinity in the 1960s and 70s. Tailored suits, trench coats, and his signature cool demeanor made him a fashion icon. Photographs of him walking through Paris or relaxing on the Riviera were as captivating as his on-screen performances.
For seniors who rmember the glamour of that era, Delon represented a time when cinema stars seemed untouchable — magnetic figures who defined beauty, sophistication, and intrigue.
Yet, like many legends, Alain Delon’s personal life was complicated. His childhood feelings of abandonment sometimes spilled into his adult relationships. He was known for passionate romances, stormy breakups, and a headline-making lifestyle.
Despite his fame, Delon admitted to battling loneliness and insecurity. These complexities often gave depth to his on-screen characters, who frequently balanced charm with melancholy.
As the decades passed, Delon continued to act, taking roles that reflected his maturity and gravitas. Though his appearances became less frequent after the 1990s, his influence on cinema remained strong.
Directors from Quentin Tarantino to John Woo have cited Delon’s work — particularly Le Samouraï — as inspiration for their films. Even today, younger actors look to him as an example of screen presence and timeless style.
In 2019, Delon was honored with the Palme d’Or for Lifetime Achievement at the Cannes Film Festival, cementing his place among the greatest figures in world cinema.
For American seniors who grew up during the golden age of Hollywood, Alain Delon represents a bridge between European artistry and global stardom. He was part of a generation that believed film could be both entertaining and profound.
His story — from a troubled boy bouncing between families, to a rebellious teen, to a disciplined soldier, and finally to an international film legend — embodies resilience and transformation.
Delon once said, “I have been very lucky, but I also had to fight for everything.” His journey reminds us that even the most glamorous stars often come from humble, difficult beginnings.
Alain Delon’s life is more than a biography of an actor. It is a story of survival, reinvention, and timeless charm. For seniors who remember his films, watching him on screen was more than entertainment — it was witnessing the birth of a legend.
Though now retired from acting, Delon’s influence continues to echo through cinema, fashion, and popular culture. His films remain a window into a world where style met substance, and where one man’s journey from instability to international fame continues to inspire generations.