British Broadcasting CorporationHome

Accessibility links

Skip to content
Skip to local navigation
Skip to bbc.co.uk navigation
Skip to bbc.co.uk search
Accessibility Help

BBC News Updated every minute of every day

One-Minute World News

News Front Page

Africa

Americas

Europe

UK

Business

Health

Science & Environment

Also in the news

-----------------

Video and Audio

-----------------

Country Profiles

Special Reports

Related BBC sites

Page last updated at 15:54 GMT, Friday, 9 October 2009 16:54 UK

E-mail this to a friend

In pictures: Controversial Nobel winners

Nobel committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland holds a picture of Barack Obama in Oslo, 9 October 2009

Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, a decision that caused surprise and some criticism given the early stage of his presidency. But it is not the first time that a Nobel Peace Prize has sparked controversy.

File photo of Yaser Arafat (l), Shimon Peres (c) and Yitzak Rabin (r), 1994

In 1994 Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat won the prize jointly with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin, as right-wing Israelis staged protests in Oslo.

File photo of Nelson Mandela (l) and Frederick De Klerk, Oslo, 10 December 1993

The previous year, Nelson Mandela shared the award with former South African President FW de Klerk for their role in ending apartheid, although Mr De Klerk also led the party that had instituted the racist policy.

File photo of (left to right) John Hume, Bono, Tim Wheeler and David Trimble, 1998

In 1998 John Hume, left, and David Trimble, right, received the award for their role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland, following the Good Friday peace agreement. But radical Unionists called the award a "farce".

File photo of Le Duc Tho (l) and Henry Kissinger (r), 23 January 1973

Perhaps the most controversial laureate of all was former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who won the prize with Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam for helping negotiate an end to America's role in the Vietnam War.

E-mail this to a friend

Bookmark with:

What are these?

MORE GALLERIES

Oil spill continues
Images from the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico

Mother's love
A glimpse of what life is like for a carer

Your pictures
Readers pictures on the theme of football

World Cup concert
A huge concert in Soweto, South Africa.

Week in pictures
A selection of pictures from the news this week

Trooping the Colour
The 84th official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

BBC navigation

BBC links

- Parental Guidance

Copyright © 2017 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.