Without a doubt, the Philippines is finally on the move -- and well on its way to regain its long-sought place of pride among Asian nations. After decades of stagnation, political uncertainties, and anemic economic performance, the country has emerged from the ashes of despair, confidently riding on a wave of cautious optimism.

In marked contrast to a euphoric surge four years ago, when many hailed Mr. Obama’s victory as a herald of renewal, the mood was subdued, reflecting not only the shadings of opinion between the American leader’s friends and foes but also a generally lowered expectation of America’s power overseas.

Supporters of both candidates rode an emotional rollercoaster last night as results were slowly reported, ending in disappointment for some, elation for others, as Barack Obama now heads into a second term as President of the United States. Collected here are images from yesterday's election, from here at home, and abroad.

By shifting from aid to investment, from throwing money at governments to targeting projects with the private sector, from dictating terms to encouraging reforms, the U.S. can with greater agility and precision affect how development plays out in poorer countries worldwide.

The ROC Ministry of Culture is set to increase its overseas missions from three to 11 during the coming year as part of efforts promoting Taiwan’s soft power, according to MOC Minister Lung Ying-tai Nov. 6.

Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance visited his Tunisian counterpart on Sunday. The Iranian minister said that Iran is ready to cooperate with Tunisia for translating precious Iranian works into Arabic.

The minister said she would “like to focus on increased coordination with ministry of tourism, human resource development and external affairs to ensure a focussed and coordinated effort to promote culture which not only projects India’s soft power, but also benefits the cultural and economic lives of all our citizens”.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan dashed hopes for a normalisation of his country’s relations with Israel, on his return to Ankara from a state visit to Berlin Friday, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel directly appealed to him to reopen dialogue with the Jewish State.