Obama victory sparks worldwide excitement

LONDON (AP) — Barack Obama's triumph over Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination has triggered hope among people around the world.

Many expressed optimism that a November victory by the cosmopolitan Obama would mark a major shift from the divisive and deeply unpopular administration of President Bush.

The excitement was less about Obama's foreign policy — which remains vague — than a sense that his victory marks a historic moment.

The Times of London said in an editorial that Obama's campaign "has rekindled America's faith in its prodigious powers of reinvention — and the world's admiration for America."

The respected Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad said Obama's nomination was "a historical event even if he does not become president in the end." It said Obama had overcome racism and "represents a new generation born after the baby boom."