World briefs 12/02/02

Exit poll: Prime minister is new Slovene president

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia -- Long-serving Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek, who has led this former Yugoslav republic closer to the West, claimed victory in Sunday's presidential election as preliminary results gave him a commanding lead.

With 25 percent of the ballots counted, Drnovsek had more than 55 percent of the vote, according to the State Electoral Commission.

State prosecutor Barbara Brezigar, a political novice who campaigned on a message that her young country needs new leadership, had some 44.5 percent, the results showed, confirming earlier exit polls.

"I am looking forward for us together to open a new chapter in our Slovene homeland," said Drnovsek, who has been prime minister since 1992, except for a brief spell in the opposition in 2000.

Ethiopian plane diverted to remote Israeli airport

JERUSALEM -- An Ethiopian plane bound for Tel Aviv was diverted to a remote airport in southern Israel on Sunday because of Israeli security concerns, an official said.

Israel's civil aviation ordered the Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane to land at the Uvda military airfield in the Negev desert after deciding the security check before departure from Addis Ababa was not adequate, said Amos Amir, the general manager of civil aviation.

A security check of the airplane and 70 passengers found nothing suspicious, and the plane was allowed to continue on to Tel Aviv, Amir told Israel TV. One Nigerian with a false passport was taken off the plane, but he did not pose a security threat.

Israeli security did not have any specific information about a threat on the plane but was acting out of a general concern after the shooting of two shoulder-held missiles at an Israeli passenger plane Thursday in Mombasa, Kenya, Amir said. The plane was not hit and no passengers were injured.

Fire aboard cruise liner forces evacuation

PAPEETE, Tahiti -- A fire broke out Sunday on a cruise ship in the South Pacific, forcing the evacuation of 127 passengers, authorities said.

U.S. tourists were among the passengers cruising among the Tahitian islands. They were safely transferred to a transport ship dispatched from the port of Tahaa, said Christian Jouve, of the prefecture in Papeete.

Seventeen of 92 crew members stayed behind on the "Wind Star" to try to extinguish the blaze, Jouve said.

Seattle-based Windstar Cruises said the cause of the fire is unknown. The ship was headed for Bora Bora when the fire started in the engine room.

Russian president begins Asia trip in China

BEIJING -- Russian and Chinese flags flew side by side on Tiananmen Square as Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing Monday for a visit he said he hoped would strengthen relations between the countries as China undergoes a change in leadership.

After improving ties with Western countries following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Russian leader is turning his attention to the East.

Putin arrived in Beijing at about 1:40 a.m. and was met at the Beijing airport by a deputy Chinese foreign minister and China's ambassador to Moscow, Zhang Deguang.

In July 2001, Putin and Chinese President Jiang Zemin signed a friendship and cooperation treaty ending half a century of often strained relations -- the Soviet Union and China were foes for much of the Cold War. Putin's visit is meant to reaffirm Russia's goodwill and set an agenda for closer cooperation.

Car company chairman Peugeot dies at 70

PARIS -- Pierre Peugeot, chairman of the supervisory board of French car maker Peugeot SA, died Sunday at the age of 70, the company said.

Peugeot was a member of the company's board of directors from 1972 to 1988, during which time he helped shape the group's strategy and expand sales, the company said in a statement. He had been chairman of the supervisory board since 1988.

Company spokeswoman Liliane Lacourt said Peugeot had been ill for some time but could not provide further details about the cause of death.-- From wire reports

Supervisory board vice-chairman Jean Boillot will stand in for Peugeot until a new chairman is named, the statement said. Two other family members, Jean-Philippe Peugeot and Marie-Helene Roncoroni, also sit on the supervisory board.

The car maker, which first started producing automobiles in the late 19th century, is 28 percent owned by the Peugeot family, Lacourt said.

-- From wire reports