The decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union was apparently a unanimous one by the five-member Nobel panel - but a major surprise.

BBC: Nobel Peace Prize: Surprise in Brussels at award for EU

In 1988, Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar hailed the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to U.N. peacekeeping forces as a tribute to idealism, valor and sacrifice.

CNN: Monday,

The award last year of the Nobel peace prize to East Timor's Bishop Belo and an exiled activist, Jose Ramos Horta, has kept international attention on the issue.

ECONOMIST: A survey of Indonesia

Her focus led her homeland to award her its first National Peace Prize last year.

CNN: The girl the Taliban wanted dead

Today's was the second Nobel peace prize awarded to peacemakers in the Middle East, the first being the 1978 joint award to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israelia Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

BBC: 14 October

In October 1998, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize with John Hume, an award which was seen as recognition for Mr Trimble's ability to hold his nerve and back the agreement, despite the doubts of many unionists.

BBC: David Trimble: More enemies than friends