Miami - The victory of Democratic candidate Barack Obama in Tuesday's US presidential election was so solid that he even scored a clear win in Florida - one of the toughest states - as he made his way to the White House.

Obama obtained 3.99 million votes in the state, 50.9 per cent, to rival Republican John McCain's 3.79 million votes, 48.3 per cent of the total cast.

Paris - Formula One engines will have to last for three instead of the present two race weekends from the 2009 championship season, motorsport authorities decided Wednesday.

The decision was taken by the world motorsport council of international motorsport federation FIA in a further effort to save costs in F1 racing.

The council also agreed to some adjustments in its officiating system following a number of controversial rulings by race stewards in the just-ended 2008 season.

Hanover, Germ

Taipei - Hundreds of anti-China protesters clashed with riot police Wednesday evening trying to prevent Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin from leaving a Taipei hotel where he was attending a banquet.

The protest by members and supporters of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) began at about 4:30 pm (9:30 GMT) and continued until after dark around the Regent Hotel on the Chunghsan South Road.

Islamabad - Pakistan's president, premier and opposition leaders on Wednesday congratulated US president-elect Barack Obama on his watershed win, saying they were looking forward to promoting peace and stability in the region with his cooperation.

"President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed the hope that Pakistan- US relations will be enhanced under the new American leadership that received a popular mandate in Tuesday's poll," said Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, reported the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.