THE gods, yi that certain way in which people invoke mythology, have been kind to Barack Obama ever since he made it known that he wished to be president of the United States. I Ie came from way behind to beat the mighty Clinton machine and seize his party's nomination for the White House, before going on to pummel John McCain into defeat and succeeding George W Bush. Now he has won this year's Nobel Prize for Peace, which is clearly a testament to the sheer sense of excitement and idealism he has brought to politics not only in his country but also across the world in the months since he was inaugurated as America's new leader. He has been travelling to myriad places, to inform people that a new sense of purpose is there, symbolized by his leadership. He has been doing all he can to convince sceptics everywhere that the America he leads intends to be less arrogant and more responsive to global opinion.

Which is why it is quite proper to think that President Obama has richly deserved the Nobel. His efforts to build a new construct of diplomacy with Russia; his attempts to prod Palestinians and Israelis into new negotiations for peace; his forceful oratory outlining the programmes he has of jengaging with the Muslim world (note his address in Cairo), et cetera, have in these past nine months gone a long way towards creating a new image abroad for his country. The antipathy that people everywhere felt towards the Bush-Cheney administration has softly and steadily given way to a better understanding ofWash-ington because Mr. Obama has sought to present Washington in new and refreshing light before the world. The Nobel Committee has noted what it calls his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples through giving multilateralism a central position in the scheme of things. One thinks here of the positive approach the Obama administration has taken over global climate issues, in stark contrast to the obduracy with which his predecessor handled them. The Nobel is thus a proper celebration of new leadership and new idealism in America.

And yet the prize will be seen as a challenge for President Obama. That is because so far he has not made much headway, in practical terms, with his vision of a newer and better world. The Middle East remains intractable. Iraq still cannot do without America's military presence and Afghanistan shows no sign of being able to stand up for itself. North Korea has defied Obama while Iran remains adamant about the nuclear programme it means to pursue. Guantanamo and, with that, terrorism remain big question marks for the president. It is on how Mr. Obama deals with these issues that the justifiability of the Nobel Peace Prize will be measured.

For now, though, the man who has promised change deserves our congratulations. We give them to him freely.