Obama in the News: What the World is Saying

• Venezuela to mend fences with U.S. following Obama's victory
• ``A black man may become president of the U.S., and we can say that's no small thing,'' Chavez said in a speech on state television. ``Hopefully, the next government of the U.S. will listen to the mandate, not just of morals, ethics and the times, but also the mandate of the UN that days ago voted, once more, asking the U.S. to eliminate its savage blockade of Cuba.''
• Israel cautions against Obama dialogue with Iran
• IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as calling on Obama to make significant changes to America's approach to its role in the world. "You are generally expected to make a fast and clear response to the demands for basic... change in US domestic and foreign policy, which all people in the world and Americans want on top of your agenda,” the Iranian president wrote to his new counterpart. Ahmadinejad went on to discuss his views on the extent of American involvement in the world. "They also want US intervention to be limited to its borders, especially in the Middle East. It is highly expected to reverse the unfair attitude towards restoring the rights of the Palestinians, Iraqis and Afghans,” he said.
• China Looking at Possible Meeting Between Hu, Obama
• President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia greeted his future American counterpart, Senator Barack Obama, with bristling language on Wednesday, promising to place short-range missiles on Russia's western border if Washington proceeded with its planned missile defense system in Eastern Europe....
• Obama Faces Tests in Japan and Korea--From security issues to trade, multinational executives from Korea and Japan aren't yet sure whether to celebrate the Democrat's victory or not
• Iraq's prime minister Nouri al-Maliki has claimed privately that embracing Barack Obama's plans to withdraw from Iraq was instrumental in securing the US presidency for the Democratic candidate.
• Palestinians expect US president-elect, Barack Obama, to play a more efficient role in enhancing peace and stability in the world in general and in Palestine in particular, says Saadi Altumaizi, Palestine’s Ambassador to Ghana. “We would fully co-operate with the incoming American Administration to work for peace and implement all signed agreements and accords between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel,” he said.