Machado was blocked from running in her country’s 2024 presidential election and has worked tirelessly to unite forces resisting strongman President Nicolas Maduro. She has been forced to live in hiding over the past year due to threats against her life.
Donald Trump had lobbied hard for the prize. At least the committee chose a leader who shares a common enemy with the US president: Maduro. It is understood Trump called Machado to congratulate her. In a post on social media, she dedicated the award to the US president and to the Venezuelan people. She praised Trump’s “decisive support.” He reposted her statement on his own account.
Meanwhile, officials in charge of awarding the prize are investigating information that online bets on the winner had surged overnight, suggesting there had been a potential information leak.
Three accounts at gambling site Polymarket that had mainly placed bets on Machado, made a combined profit of about $90,000, according to local newspaper Finansavisen. — Jennifer Duggan
What You Need to Know Today
A ceasefire is in place in most of Gaza and Israeli troops have begun to pull back from their positions, said US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. He added that a 72-hour period for Hamas to release the hostages is now underway. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition gave its approval overnight on a deal that will see Hamas free all hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for around 2,000 prisoners. It is a major step toward ending a two-year war that’s killed tens of thousands of people and destabilized the wider Middle East.
Palestinians walk along a street at night in Gaza City, Gaza, on Oct. 9, 2025. Photographer: Bloomberg/Bloomberg
Russian President Vladimir Putin was forced to delay the debut Russia-Arab summit because not enough Arab leaders were attending. The conference was due to be held in Moscow on Oct. 15 and Putin had hoped it would boost his standing in the region. It has now been officially postponed as heads of state are unable to travel to Moscow while the Trump-brokered Israel-Hamas proposal is being implemented, the Kremlin said in the statement.
The European Union will work with the US on a fresh plan to enact the next phase of their trade deal. It aims to sideline Washington’s proposal that the bloc unwind regulations Trump has long derided, according to people familiar. It is understood, the idea is to create a checklist that ensures the pact remains on track and moves forward within the parameters the two sides established this summer. It comes after the US administration asked Brussels earlier this month to revise several tech, digital and corporate environmental laws.
French President Emmanuel Macron told political groups at a crisis meeting that he will name a new prime minister in the coming hours rather than calling snap elections. During the meeting, Macron indicated that he didn’t plan to name a prime minister from among left-wing parties, Marine Tondelier, the head of the Green party, said following the talks. Macron also discussed the possibility of delaying the application of scheduled increases in the minimum retirement age, she said.
Emmanuel Macron, France's president, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on Oct. 8, 2025. Photographer: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg
A rally in gold prices is lifting the wealth of Turkish households by billions of dollars, complicating the central bank’s efforts to rein in prices. Turks’ stock of gold outside the financial system, often called “under mattress gold,” is worth half a trillion dollars, according to central bank estimates. Surging bullion prices have created a wealth effect — where consumers spend more because they feel better off — of more than $100 billion over the past year, Governor Fatih Karahan has said.
Nigeria is considering adopting a law aimed at increasing female representation in its legislatures. The country ranks the lowest in Africa on a proportionate basis. A proposed bill seeks to amend the 1999 constitution to reserve a total of 183 seats in the National Assembly and state legislatures for women. If approved, it will increase their numbers more than fivefold. Just four of Nigeria’s 109 senators are woman and they fill just 16 out of the 360 seats in parliament’s lower chamber.
Travelers entering Europe face new digital controls that could lead to increased delays. The new Entry/Exit System is due to come into force on Sunday for non-EU nationals entering the Schengen zone comprising 25 EU countries along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Visitors will be required to register for the new system by scanning their passport and having their fingerprints and photograph taken. To minimize disruption, the system will be phased in over six months.
