AMERICA WAKES TO A BRIGHT NEW DAWN
 America's first black president, Barack Obama, was inaugurated in Washington yesterday. Millions listened attentively as he delivered a charismatic address full of passion and hope, which cut to the heart of cataclysmic problems affecting a world in crisis.
"Things are going to be different round here," he said. "Stronger. Fairer. Hopefuller. This is a threefold challenge. We must acknowledge our responsibilities, face up to our duties, and aspire to our destinies. We must strive to attain, and reach for prosperity, and delve deep into our thesauruses. It's not going to be easy, because my predecessor made a complete balls-up of absolutely everything he touched. But change we can, and change we must, and change we will. And I am the catalyst of that change."
After Obama had finished speaking, he sat back down and his wife smiled a lot. The distant crowd burst into spontaneous cheers and waved flags. Some of the onlookers reflected on the turbulent life of civil rights campaigner Dr Martin Luther King and his struggle for equality and acceptance. Others downloaded photographs to their Facebook accounts saying "look at me, I am here, and it is very special". Then a woman in a warm coat read a poem, and the world was born anew.
And so, from coast to coast across the land of the free, millions of Americans will wake this morning to a transformed nation. The sun will shine a little brighter, the economy will glow a little stronger, and the end of prejudice will edge a little closer. All hail the Obama nation! Because, for a moment in time, anything is possible... | | OTHER TOP STORIES
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