Los Angeles  - Nine films have advanced to the next round of voting in the foreign language film category for Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday.

The list includes the recent Golden Globe winner for foreign language film, the acclaimed Israeli animated documentary Waltz with Bashir, about the country's invasion of Lebanon in 1982, as well as the German film the Baader Meinhof Complex, a unique look into that country's notorious terrorist group, the Red Army Faction.

Wellington  - Torrential rains lashed flood-stricken Fiji again on Wednesday and weather forecasters warned that worse was to come as another tropical depression settled over the Pacific island state.

The town of Nadi, where the country's international airport is situated, was reported to be cut off under 1.5 metres of water after a nearby river burst its banks for the second time overnight and police allowed nobody to enter unless they own a business.

Riga  - Riot police clashed w

Washington  - US President George W Bush Tuesday offered his last message to the people as Cuba as he prepares to leave office: keep fighting for your freedom.

Bush praised the communist island's political dissidents for their stance against the Castro regime, and reiterated his pledge to assist Havana once it agrees to a democratic transition.

"The United States stands prepared to respond to any request for assistance from a Cuba that transitions to democracy," Bush said in a statement.

New York  - Many US newspapers are planning special commemorative issues to mark the January 20 inauguration of Barack Obama as president, the trade journal Editor and Publisher reported Tuesday.

The Washington Post is to cover the event with more than 70 reporters and plans to put out a special afternoon edition of the paper on the day of the inauguration. The paper will hit newsstands by 6 pm and will sell for two dollars.

Detroit, Michigan  - With a worldwide recession driving car sales sharply lower, this week's Detroit Auto Show left most carmakers touting cheap, fuel-efficient and even electric cars as the wave of the future.

But Fisker Automotive, a California-based startup founded in 2005, is hoping the wealthy are just as interested in the environment as those looking to save money. The company rolled out a production-ready luxury sports car this week with a twin electric and petrol engine.