Trudeau: politician and star of his own viral universe

New York

WITHIN the past two weeks, nearly 1.5 million people have watched a YouTube video clip featuring an explanation of quantum computing. Such an esoteric subject may not generally attract intense interest, but when Canada's new prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is involved, these things have a tendency to go viral.

Mr Trudeau has become a digital star many times over since his election in October. Videos of the leader explaining his brand of feminism or hugging baby pandas have become a near-weekly staple of social media feeds.