Jakarta  - US president-elect Barack Obama's childhood years in Indonesia may provide him with a unique personal link to South-East Asia, but it remains to be seen how deep the old school ties go, analysts warn.

Obama, the first African-American to be elected president, can also claim to be the first US president to have spent almost four years of his childhood in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, two years attending a public Muslim school and two more in a Catholic school.

Dharamshala, Nov 6: The Tibetan exiles in Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, are hoping that Barack Obama the US President-elect would help them restore human rights in Tibet.

The exiles hope that Obama will extend full support to the people of Tibet in their fight for freedom from the alleged Chinese suppression.

Frustrated with the lack of progress with China despite rounds of talks and the March crackdown on riots against Chinese rule in Tibet, many exiles wish that Obama would make the much-needed difference.

New Delhi - Hundreds of tribal people in India's eastern state of Jharkhand on Thursday celebrated the election of Barack Obama as US president by beating drums, singing songs and distributing sweets, news reports said.

The tribal people, who are among the most underprivileged sections of Indian society, gathered for the celebration near a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Morabadi grounds in Jharkhand's capital, Ranchi, the IANS news agency reported.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has congratulated Barack Obama on his election as the president of the United States and said his "journey to the White House" would inspire people around the world.

"Your extraordinary journey to the White House will inspire people not only in your country but also around the world," Manmohan Singh said in his congratulatory message.

New York, Nov 6: As Barack Obama embarks on his own presidency, he faces the challenge of building a administration that does not look like a third term for former President Bill Clinton as his advisers are divided to have more experienced people or have a fresh team.

During the campaign trail, Obama had argued for months that victory for his opponent John McCain would be akin to a third term for President George W Bush, the New York Times reported.

Paris - An overwhelming majority of the French people think that the election of Barack Obama is good for the image of the United States, according to a poll made public on Thursday.

In the survey, conducted by the OpinionWay institute for the daily Le Figaro, 85 per cent of respondents said that Obama's election as US president was either very good or good for the country's image.

That sentiment was the same across the entire French political spectrum, with even a majority of supporters of the anti-immigrant right-wing extremist Jean-Marie Le Pen agreeing with it.