US vote: Scenes from Obama's victory night

After a nearly $2.5bn (£1.5bn) campaign and months of punditry and speeches, Barack Obama has been re-elected to the American presidency.

The night was long and all eyes were on the United States. When Mr Obama took the stage, as he did four years ago, he pledged to bridge the partisan divide.

His former opponent, Mitt Romney, also stressed the need for both parties to find common ground.

Mr Obama must now prove that his continuing plan for America is the right one.