Seoul - Shares surged for the fi

New Delhi - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday called Barack Obama an inspiration as he congratulated the senator for winning the US presidential election.

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

He said India and the US, working together to address global issues and challenges, would be an important factor for world peace, stability and progress and invited Obama to visit India soon.

Leaders of India's ruling Congress Party and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Wednesday that they believed Obama's election would further improve bilateral relations with India.

Beijing - China on Wednesday launched into orbit two satellites to monitor the weather and natural disasters and test technology for atmospheric exploration, state media said.

Stockholm/Copenhagen - The election of Barack Obama as US president was described as "historic" Wednesday by Nordic leaders, who expressed hopes for more dialogue and cooperation.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he hoped to cooperate closely with the new American leadership, just like he had with President George W Bush.

Rasmussen said he hoped to cooperate with Obama in "the fight against terrorism, the mitigation of climate change and the development of new economic growth based on free trade."

Jerusalem - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni congratulated US president-elect Barack Obama Wednesday on his victory in the US presidential election, saying it was a "badge of honour for American democracy."

"Israel looks forward to a continuation of the close strategic cooperation with the new administration, with the new president and with the US Congress, and to the continuation of the strengthening of the special and unshakable relations between the two countries," she said in a statement.