Can US President Donald Trump win the Nobel Peace Prize?
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an Invest America Roundtable in the State Dining room, at the White House, in Washington, U.S., June 9, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the most prestigious honours that can be awarded to individuals and organisations internationally.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the prize.
If Trump wins, he will be the fifth U.S. president on the list after Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama. Here is a look at how the award works:
WHO CAN WIN?
According to the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, the prize should go to the person "who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses."
In an introduction on the Nobel website, Chair of the Peace Prize Committee Jorgen Watne Frydnes says "in practice anyone can be the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The history of the prize shows clearly it's given to people from all layers of society from all over the world."
WHO CAN NOMINATE?
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10
Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants
Singapore Man arrested for allegedly throwing bottle at SMRT bus, injuring passenger
Asia As Trump plays tariffs hard ball, Asean has little choice but to play on
Asia PM Anwar called out by his own lawmakers as Malaysia's judicial crisis heats up
Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue
Sport Speeding likely cause of Diogo Jota car crash: Police
Business Great Eastern could resume trading after delisting vote fails to pass; OCBC's exit offer lapses
Thousands of people can propose names: members of governments and parliaments; current heads of state; university professors of history, social sciences, law, and philosophy; and former Nobel Peace Prize laureates, among others. You cannot nominate yourself.
Nominee lists are kept secret for 50 years, though there is nothing to stop those who make nominations from disclosing their choices.
WHO DECIDES?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which consists of five individuals appointed by the Norwegian parliament, is the arbiter. Members are often retired politicians, but not always. The current committee is led by the head of the Norwegian branch of PEN International, a group defending freedom of expression.
They are all put forward by Norwegian political parties and their appointments reflect the balance of power in Norway's parliament.
HOW DO THEY DECIDE?
Nominations close on January 31, meaning Netanyahu's nomination of Trump would not be considered this year. Members of the committee can make their own nominations no later than the first meeting of the committee in February.
They make a shortlist, and each nominee is then assessed by a group of permanent advisers and other experts.
The committee aims for unanimity but can decide by majority vote. A final decision is often only made a few days before the prize is announced.
CONTROVERSIES
The Nobel Peace Prize has often been seen as having a political message. The Nobel website says some recipients have been "highly controversial political actors," while the prize has also increased public focus on international or national conflicts.
Obama won the award just a few months after taking office. Two members of the committee stepped down over the decision in 1973 to award the Peace Prize to U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Vietnamese politician Le Duc Tho for negotiating an end to the Vietnam War.
One member quit in 1994 when Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shared the prize with Israel's Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin.
WHAT DOES THE LAUREATE GET?
A medal, a diploma, 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.15 million), and immediate global attention, if they are not already famous.
WHEN ARE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE CEREMONY?
The announcement of this year's prize will be made on October 10 at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.
The ceremony will take place at the Oslo City Hall on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
EU says Israel has agreed to ‘expand' Gaza aid access
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The deal means more crossings open, aid and food trucks entering Gaza, repair of vital infrastructure and protection of aid workers. BRUSSELS - The EU on July 10 struck a deal with Israel to increase aid access to Gaza that should see more food trucks entering and the opening of additional crossing points, the bloc's top diplomat said. 'Today, we reached an agreement with Israel to expand humanitarian access to Gaza,' European Union foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X. 'This deal means more crossings open, aid and food trucks entering Gaza, repair of vital infrastructure and protection of aid workers. We count on Israel to implement every measure agreed,' Ms Kallas added. Gaza's two million residents are facing dire humanitarian conditions as Israel has severely limited aid during its devastating war with Hamas. In a statement, Ms Kallas said that the measures agreed by Israel 'are or will be implemented in the coming days, with the common understanding that aid at scale must be delivered directly to the population.' She said the steps included a 'substantial increase of daily trucks for food and non- food items' going into Gaza, the opening of several more crossing points in both the northern and southern areas, and the reopening of routes from Jordan and Egypt. 'The EU stands ready to coordinate with all relevant humanitarian stakeholders, UN agencies and NGOs on the ground, to ensure swift implementation of those urgent steps,' the statement said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore to launch new grant for companies, expand support for workers amid US tariff uncertainties Singapore Spike in piracy, armed robbery cases in straits of Malacca and Singapore in first half of 2025 Singapore Singaporean fugitive charged over alleged drug trafficking, faces death penalty if convicted Singapore KTPH trials 'smart diapers' for adult patients to prevent skin conditions, relieve burden on nurses World 'Do some homework': 6 key exchanges between US Senator Duckworth and S'pore envoy nominee Sinha Sport No pain, no gain for Singapore's water polo teams at the world championships Singapore New regional centre for sustainable aviation in Asia-Pacific launched in Singapore Multimedia 60 objects to mark SG60: Which is your favourite? The move comes as Israel and Hamas continue to haggle over the details of a US-backed ceasefire deal to halt the war. The EU has been weighing taking measures against Israel after finding it in breach of a cooperation deal between the two sides because of its actions in Gaza. But the 27-nation bloc has struggled to find consensus on what steps to take as it is divided between staunch supporters of Israel and countries backing the Palestinians. The war in Gaza began after Hamas militants attacked Israeli border communities on Oct 7, 2023, leading to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians. Israel's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 57,680 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations deems the figures reliable. AFP
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
PSP's CEC renewal shows its commitment to being a reasonable alternative choice, says Stephanie Tan
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE - Recent changes to the Progress Singapore Party's (PSP) senior leadership represents 'the first step' of its plans to come back from a disappointing performance at GE2025, said PSP's Ms Stephanie Tan. Besides nurturing new leaders, the PSP intends to update its image by putting more of its younger members in the public eye, and to find new ways to engage Singaporeans on important national issues, Ms Tan told The Straits Times on July 10. On July 5, PSP announced that party founder and chairman Tan Cheng Bock had stepped down from its central executive committee (CEC) , alongside vice-chair and former Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) Hazel Poa. Party treasurer S. Nallakaruppan also relinquished his position. In their place, Ms Tan, 37, was co-opted as a new CEC member, together with Mr Sani Ismail and Mr Lawrence Pek. The three of them had been first-time PSP candidates at the May general election. Speaking on ST's The Usual Place Podcast show, Ms Tan said PSP had been gathering feedback from Singaporeans in the two months since GE2025 to 'know where we went wrong and how we can do better'. PSP had fielded 13 candidates in six constituencies, but saw its vote share decline compared to its first electoral outing in 2020. It also failed to keep its parliamentary presence compared to the previous term, when it had two NCMPs. 'We might seem to have been a bit slow in coming up with a response right after the GE, but that's because we were hard hit, to be honest, and we took time (to) come up with a new plan to see how we can steer this ship forward,' said Ms Tan, who ran in Pioneer against the PAP's Patrick Tay. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore to launch new grant for companies, expand support for workers amid US tariff uncertainties Singapore Spike in piracy, armed robbery cases in straits of Malacca and Singapore in first half of 2025 Singapore Singaporean fugitive charged over alleged drug trafficking, faces death penalty if convicted Singapore KTPH trials 'smart diapers' for adult patients to prevent skin conditions, relieve burden on nurses World 'Do some homework': 6 key exchanges between US Senator Duckworth and S'pore envoy nominee Sinha Sport No pain, no gain for Singapore's water polo teams at the world championships Singapore New regional centre for sustainable aviation in Asia-Pacific launched in Singapore Multimedia 60 objects to mark SG60: Which is your favourite? 'In the next four to five years, we want to continue to make an impact even if we have no parliamentary presence.' Ms Tan said one of the main things PSP is tackling is perceptions by some that it is an ageing political party, and that the latest leadership shake-up has the support of party chief Leong Mun Wai and the CEC. 'The party does have a pool of young talent,' she said, citing the two elected CEC members who are younger than her: deputy organising secretary Soh Zheng Long, 36, and youth wing head Samuel Lim, 29. 'It is just that, for the past few years, they have been working mostly behind the scenes.' Going forward, the party will give more opportunities to its younger members to raise their public profile, although this has to be balanced with each individual's comfort level at being openly associated with an alternative party. PSP also intends to hold outreach events targeted at specific demographics, alongside the usual walkabouts and house visits. This could include visits to nursing homes to understand issues faced by elderly residents, their family members and the staff, which could be due to 'certain gaps in the policies that we have', said Ms Tan. The party is also thinking of starting a podcast, and wants to up its game on social media to keep putting out its views on key issues, she added. On Dr Tan's move to step down as PSP's chairman, Ms Tan said this is to give party leaders 'a clean slate to work from, away from his shadow'. Dr Tan, 85, has been designated party adviser. Having set its foundations and core values, he trusts that the other party leaders can take PSP forward in the long political journey to come, said Ms Tan. 'He said that he will not interfere on his own initiative. He will help when help is asked for,' she said. A homemaker and former lawyer, Ms Tan said she sees her role on the CEC as a progression from leading her own campaign during the election, to making decisions at the party level. While the party is no longer in Parliament, she hopes that Singaporeans can take a long-term perspective on the PSP's journey. She noted that other opposition parties like the Workers' Party and Singapore Democratic Party have been around for decades, and their experience showed that it takes a lot of time and consistent effort to build a political party and gain the trust of voters. 'Our commitment to Singaporeans is still that we want to continue to build ourselves to be a credible, rational, alternative political party, to give Singaporeans a choice at the ballot box,' she said.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Conference commits over $15 billion to Ukraine rebuilding
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The conference, attended by political leaders including Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, is taking place against a backdrop of further intense drone and missile attacks on Kyiv. ROME - Participants in a Rome conference on the economic recovery of Ukraine have pledged over 10 billion euros (S$15 billion) to help the war-torn country, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on July 10. The conference, attended by political leaders including Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, is taking place against a backdrop of further intense drone and missile attacks on Kyiv. Speaking at the opening of the conference, Mr Zelenskiy described the attacks as 'pure terrorism'. Ms Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cited the recovery of their countries from the ruins of World War Two as an example of what Ukraine could achieve. 'I think we should be proud of the result we have achieved together today – nations, international organisations, financial institutions, local authorities, the business sector, and civil society,' Ms Meloni said in her opening speech at the conference. 'Together, at today's conference, we have made commitments totaling over 10 billion euros,' she added. The conference Italy is hosting is the fourth such event since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022, and is mainly aimed at mobilising international support for Ukraine. The European Commission detailed 2.3 billion euros in support to Ukraine to help it rebuild. 'With 2.3 billion euros in agreements signed, we aim to unlock up to 10 billion euros in investments to rebuild homes, reopen hospitals, revive businesses, and secure energy,' the Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen said. 'We are literally taking a stake in Ukraine's future,' she added. REUTERS
