US President Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

The Norwegian Nobel Committee says U.S. President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

U.S. President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for giving the world "hope for a better future" with his work for peace and calls to reduce the global stockpile of nuclear weapons. The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Obama for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

The first African-American to hold his country's highest office, Obama has called for disarmament and worked to restart the stalled Middle East peace process since taking office in January.

"Very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," the committee said in a citation.

It awarded the prize to Obama less than nine months into his presidency. Despite setting out an ambitious international agenda, he has yet to score any breakthrough on the Middle East or Iran's nuclear program, and faces difficult choices on the conduct of the war in Afghanistan.

Last month Obama chaired a historic meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which unanimously approved a U.S.-drafted resolution calling on nuclear weapons states to scrap their arsenals.

Obama is the third senior U.S. Democrat to win the prize this decade after former Vice President Al Gore won in 2007 along with the U.N. climate panel and Jimmy Carter in 2002.

The prize worth 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.4 million) will be handed over in Oslo on December 10.

America has its roots in India

As the world celebrates International Day of non-violence, US President Barack Obama today said America has its 'roots in the India of Mahatma Gandhi.'

His teachings and ideals, shared with Martin Luther King Jr. on his 1959 pilgrimage to India, transformed American society through our civil rights movement, Obama said on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Americans owe enormous gratitude to Gandhi, he said.

The America of today has its roots in the India of Mahatma Gandhi and the nonviolent social action movement for Indian independence which he led, Obama said in a statement.

On behalf of the American people, Obama said he wants to express appreciation for the life and lessons of Mahatma Gandhi on the anniversary of his birth. This is an important moment to reflect on his message of non-violence, which continues to inspire people and political movements across the globe, he said.

We join the people of India in celebrating this great soul who lived a life dedicated to the cause of advancing justice, showing tolerance to all, and creating change through non-violent resistance, Obama said.

As the world remembers the Mahatma on his birthday, Obama said: We must renew our commitment to live his ideals and to celebrate the dignity of all human beings.Last month Obama had said that if given a chance

he would love to have dinner with Mahatma Gandhi.

Obama expressed his desire in response to a question from a student Lilly during his discussion with 9th graders at Wakefield High School in Arlington Virginia where he, accompanied with the Education Secretary, gave a national speech welcoming students back to school.

Obama called for students to take responsibility and to learn from their failures so that they succeed in the end. Hi. I'm Lilly. And if you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be, Obama was asked by one of the students.

Dinner with anyone dead or alive? Well, you know, dead or alive, that's a pretty big list, Obama responded amidst laughter. The next moment he was serious. You know, I think that it might be Gandhi, who is a real hero of mine,

Obama said. Now, it would probably be a really small meal because he didn't eat a lot, he said amidst laughter. But Mahatma Gandhi is someone who has inspired people across the world for the past several generations, he said.