The World's latest sensation.

The world has a new celebrity.

You see him (yes, it's a he) on the covers of magazines, Times, Newsweek, he commands whole pages in The Strait Times, with dozens of photos of him, and columnists debating, extolling, urging, cajoling him. There are dozens of books written about him, yet just a year ago, he was just a nobody, someone who was only occasionally given attention to.

Yup, you guessed it, the fellow is Barack Obama.

Now, with some spare time on my hands (a rarity these days), I'm going to give my two cents worth about him.

Past few days, when we sad army boys were munching food at the crack of dawn, the TV was showing Entertainment Tonight!, that gossipy celebrity show. And Obama was featured many times, be it his dress sense, his wife's dress sense, his many Hollywood supporters airing their views, whatever.

That got some of us thinking. Wah, this guy popular sia, not actor also appear on this kind of show.

True. When Bush was elected nearly a decade ago, there was fanfare, but this? The election, the inauguration, the victory parades- you'd think that Obama was an angel sent from heaven.

But then, he is, even among that sacred group that is the US presidency, unique. Young, African- American, he is coming in at a time when the US, the world's most powerful country, is in turmoil. The financial sector is a mess, the economy is in a slump, unemployment is at a high, the debt is massive, Iraq is a morass, and let's not forget the millions around the world whose sole purpose in life is to die-while harming the US.

The US President doesn't just rule the country. He influences and shapes the world.

His predecessor's record is a matter for historians. Good or bad, the record is a challenge that Obama has to face up to.

His popularity is based on his message of hope, of change, that resonates with millions of Americans who are now in great despair. From all accounts, he does look promising. Being a politician, however, he may have promised far too much then what he can deliver. Or that he may even be a competent President, with all style and no substance.

Only time can tell, if this man can solve the many problems that face him, or add on to the world's woes. One way or another, he will make history. And that, inevitably, will decide the future.