There have been better winners, says Obama as he picks up Nobel

Barack Obama today said he was not as deserving as previous winners of the Nobel Peace Prize.

In his acceptance speech, the US president said his accomplishments were "slight" compared with past laureates such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.

After he was presented with the prize at Oslo City Hall, he said: "I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labours on the world stage.

"Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize, my accomplishments are slight."

The decision to give the prize to Mr Obama in his first year of office has been criticised, with many commentators joking he has been chosen for "not being George Bush".

Critics also said it was inappropriate for the prize to go to the commander-in-chief of a country fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He answered the point by saying: "The most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the commander-in-chief of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek."

The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, described Mr Obama as "young and energetic". He said: "I think the Nobel Peace Prize gives him more encouragement and also gives him more moral personal responsibility."

Nine days ago Mr Obama announced he was sending 30,000 more troops to the war in Afghanistan, prompting former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, 83, to denounce Mr Obama's acceptance of the prize as a "cynical act".

As he collected the prize, protesters plastered posters across Oslo featuring his image from his election campaign poster, emblazoned with the word "Change?"