Barack Obama gets Nobel Prize for Peace

October 11th, 2009 LONDON - Former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has termed the controversial awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama as a 'positive step'. But Castro's thumbs-up may be the last thing Obama wanted, as his words will only strengthen conservative complaints that the prize was an anti-American gesture.

October 10th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik Saturday created a four-foot high sand sculpture on Orissa's Puri beach to congratulate US President Barack Obama on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Pattnaik created images of Obama and the Nobel Prize bearing the message "Let peace prevail" on the beach in his home town Puri, 56 km from here, using about three tonnes of sand.

October 10th, 2009 Speculations are on a high after the US President Barack Obama was declared as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Obama, who is running the office for a period of less than nine months reportedly said that he himself was "surprised" by the startling announcement.

October 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Barack Obama has not won the Nobel Peace Prize as a reward for his peacemaking efforts, rather, it has been bestowed upon him to encourage peace across the world, the Christian Science Monitor opines. The report quoted Gro Holm, the senior commentator on foreign affairs at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corp., as saying that the prize committee was probably trying to put pressure on him to deliver on the promise of greater international peace and stability.

October 10th, 2009 RAICHUR - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday deftly tossed back a question on whether US President Barack Obama was the right choice for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. "How can I sit in judgement?" he asked in response to a question on Obama being for the award.

October 9th, 2009 LONDON - The Nobel Peace Prize, the world's most recognised award for efforts to bring about global peace, was founded by Alfred Nobel, who gave a chunk of his personal fortune to fund the prizes. The first Nobel Peace Prize was given in 1901.

October 9th, 2009 VIENNA - The head of the international nuclear test ban organisation, Tibor Toth, Friday said the Nobel Prize for Peace awarded to Barack Obama would strengthen the US president on his "arduous path" towards nuclear disarmament. Toth, the executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) noted that Obama has declared his commitment to ratify the treaty.

October 9th, 2009 The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize citationOSLO, Norway — The complete text of the citation awarding the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to President Barack Obama as delivered by the Norwegian Nobel Committee: The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

October 9th, 2009 Excerpts from 2009 Nobel Peace Prize citationOSLO, Norway — Excerpts from the citation awarding the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to President Barack Obama: The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

October 9th, 2009 TEL AVIV - Israeli leaders congratulated US President Barack Obama Friday on winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, saying they hoped it would add force to his efforts to push for peace in the Middle East. President Shimon Peres sent a message to Obama, saying "there are few leaders who succeeded in changing the mood in the world in such a short time", it said, Israel Radio reported.

October 9th, 2009 OSLO - United States President Barack Obama has been surprisingly given the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 for his extraordinary efforts in strengthening international diplomacy and for taking landmark initiatives to create a nuclear-free world. Announcing the award here, an official of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said that Obama was yet to be informed about the award, and would receive the award on December 10 this year.

October 9th, 2009 LONDON - US President Barack Obama gets the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples", it was announced in Oslo Friday. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

October 9th, 2009 Obama's daughters excited about dad's Nobel prizeWASHINGTON — Moments after President Barack Obama got the news about winning the Nobel Peace Prize, his excited daughters came to congratulate him. Eleven-year-old Malia and 8-year-old Sasha came to see their dad not long after White House press secretary Robert Gibbs telephoned Obama with the news, awakening him in the early morning hours.

October 9th, 2009 GOP chairman scoffs at Obama winning Peace prizeWASHINGTON — The chairman of the Republican Party is contending that President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize as result of his "star power" rather than meaningful accomplishments. Michael Steele issued a statement Friday saying, "The real question Americans are asking is, What has President Obama actually accomplished?" Steele, who took over the reins of the party earlier this year, said he thought it was "unfortunate that the president's star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights." He said he doesn't think Obama will be "receiving any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action." (This version CORRECTS SUBS 3rd graf pvs to correct spelling of 'reins')

October 9th, 2009 LONDON - US President Barack Obama is the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples", it was announced in Oslo Friday.