World greets Obama with jubilation

The world yesterday embraced the Barack Obama era but the leaders that the new US president will have to deal with also warned him of the difficulties ahead.

Millions followed the inauguration around the world and underscoring the huge show of faith, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said: "We are eager for him to get to work so that with him we can change the world."

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown hailed Obama as a "man of great vision" and his arrival as a "new chapter in both American history and the world's history."

"He's not only the first black American president but he sets out with the determination to solve the world's problems," said Brown.

Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso also vowed to work with Obama to boost "peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world."

Obama parties were held in capitals from London to Sydney and thousands danced in the Kenyan village where his father was born.

But some leaders sought to douse the high expectations.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel wished Obama "the best of luck" but gave the latest in a series of warnings to the new US president.

She said Obama would not sway Germany to add further to its committed 4,500 force in Afghanistan. "We took our decisions based on our capabilities, our skills -- not on who is president," she said.