World Hails Obama's 'Brilliant' Victory

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And the band played on !

World hails Obama's 'brilliant' victory

PARIS (AFP) – World leaders hailed Barack Obama's triumph Wednesday in the US presidential election as the start of a new era while calling for the global superpower to change the way it does business.

Obama parties were staged in capitals around the world. A national holiday was declared in Kenya -- where Obama's father was born -- to welcome the first black US president.

But in a reminder of the global rivalries that Obama will have to confront, within hours of his victory speech, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Russian short range missiles would be aimed at a US missile shield in Europe.

Nothing however could stop the wave of optimism that spread out from the United States after Obama's victory over Republican rival John McCain.

South Africa's iconic first black leader Nelson Mandela said Obama had shown that anyone could change the world.

"Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place," Mandela wrote to Obama.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081105....AjfCaLQZ34T0D