Despite brokering \u2018peace in the Middle East\u2019, US president is overlooked for accolade he has so openly coveted<\/p>\n
Donald Trump has lost out on the Nobel Peace Prize despite heavy-handed lobbying to clinch one of the goals he most desires.<\/p>\n
The Norwegian Nobel Committee handed the award to Mar\u00eda Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition politician, on Friday.<\/p>\n
Ms Machado was honoured \u201cfor 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,\u201d said Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the chairman of the committee, in Oslo.<\/p>\n
Nicknamed Venezuela\u2019s \u201cIron Lady\u201d, Mr Frydnes added that she was a \u201cunifying figure\u201d in the country\u2019s deeply divided political opposition and showed unmatched \u201ccourage\u201d in the face of threats and intimidation.<\/p>\n
The committee\u2019s role is to award the peace prize to the figure, or group, that has done the most to \u201cpromote fraternity between nations\u201d, in accordance with the will of Alfred Nobel.<\/p>\n
Two days before the committee announced a winner, the US president declared he had secured \u201cpeace in the Middle East\u201d after brokering the agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the two-year conflict.<\/p>\n
At the 11th hour, Mr Trump\u2019s campaign received a\u00a0<\/p>\n
But despite claiming to have brokered the elusive peace deal and ended \u201cseven unendable wars\u201d, it was not enough.<\/p>\n
Ms Machado has emerged as one of the strongest and most critical voices denouncing Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u2019s regime and its campaign of repression. She was banned from standing against Maduro in the presidential elections last July.<\/p>\n
Edmundo Gonz\u00e1lez Urrutia, a relatively unknown opposition candidate, won about 70 per cent of the vote, but Maduro declared victory and refused to hand over power.<\/p>\n
Mr Gonz\u00e1lez 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.<\/p>\n
In an Interview with The Telegraph in May., she advocated for Britain to join America and other allies in maximising the pressure on Maduro.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can only dream of a Venezuela that is free.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Trump has been outspoken about his desire for a prize won by four of his predecessors \u2013 Barack Obama in 2009, Jimmy Carter in 2002, Woodrow Wilson in 1919, and Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.<\/p>\n
All but Carter won the award while in office, with Mr Obama honoured less than eight months after taking office.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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 \u2013 two days before Mr Trump announced that the first phase of the peace deal had been agreed.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Nina Graeger, head of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, said Mr Trump\u2019s withdrawal from the World Health Organisation and the 2015 Paris climate accords, and his trade war with allies, went against the spirit of Nobel\u2019s 1895 will.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at Alfred Nobel\u2019s will, it emphasises three areas: one is the achievements regarding peace \u2013 brokering a peace deal,\u201d she said. \u201cThe other is to work and promote disarmament and the third is to promote international cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asle Sveen, a historian of the award, cited Mr Trump\u2019s attempted rapprochement with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, among other reasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis admiration of dictators also counts against him,\u201d Sveen said. \u201cThis goes against Alfred Nobel\u2019s will.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a prize primarily for work done in 2024 and prior years, it\u2019s not a prize for the work done in the most recent weeks or months,\u201d Mr Harpviken told broadcaster NRK early on Friday.<\/p>\n
Insiders say the award follows a year-long, deliberative process, during which candidates\u2019 strengths and weaknesses are debated by the five-strong committee.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s first meeting in February. Thereafter, the committee meets about once a month. The decision tends to be taken in August or in September.<\/p>\n
The Nobel committee says it is used to working under pressure from people, or their supporters, who say they deserve the prize. J\u00f8rgen Watne Frydnes, the leader of the Nobel committee, told Reuters: \u201cAll politicians want to win the Nobel Peace Prize.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u00a0Alain Delon<\/strong>, and his journey from an unsettled childhood to worldwide fame remains one of the most fascinating stories in film history.<\/p>\n For seniors who grew up watching the golden age of cinema, Delon\u2019s name still carries the glamour of a bygone era \u2014 when movie stars were larger than life, yet deeply human beneath the surface.<\/p>\n Alain\u2019s 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\u2019s job at the theater. But when Alain was only three years old, his parents divorced.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Alain\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t 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 \u201cmale Brigitte Bardot,\u201d a symbol of French beauty and allure on the global stage<\/p>\n The 1960s cemented Alain Delon\u2019s place as an international film star. He appeared in a string of films that remain classics today, including:<\/p>\n These films not only showcased his talent but also expanded his reputation far beyond France. Hollywood took notice, and Delon\u2019s career became truly international.<\/p>\n Delon\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n For seniors who rmember the glamour of that era, Delon represented a time when cinema stars seemed untouchable \u2014 magnetic figures who defined beauty, sophistication, and intrigue.<\/p>\n Yet, like many legends, Alain Delon\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Directors from Quentin Tarantino to John Woo have cited Delon\u2019s work \u2014 particularly\u00a0Le Samoura\u00ef<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 as inspiration for their films. Even today, younger actors look to him as an example of screen presence and timeless style.<\/p>\n In 2019, Delon was honored with the Palme d\u2019Or for Lifetime Achievement at the Cannes Film Festival, cementing his place among the greatest figures in world cinema.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n His story \u2014 from a troubled boy bouncing between families, to a rebellious teen, to a disciplined soldier, and finally to an international film legend \u2014 embodies resilience and transformation.<\/p>\n Delon once said, \u201cI have been very lucky, but I also had to fight for everything.\u201d His journey reminds us that even the most glamorous stars often come from humble, difficult beginnings.<\/p>\n Alain Delon\u2019s 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 \u2014 it was witnessing the birth of a legend.<\/p>\n Though now retired from acting, Delon\u2019s 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\u2019s journey from instability to international fame continues to inspire generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Despite brokering \u2018peace in the Middle East\u2019, 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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t