World datelines

Austria: Haider 'was drunk'

VIENNA — Austrian far-right politician Joerg Haider was drunk at the time of his fatal car crash, his spokesman said Wednesday.

Stefan Petzner said Haider's blood alcohol level was significantly above the legal limit when he crashed his car early Saturday in the southern province of Carinthia, where he was governor. Police said his high-powered Volkswagen Phaeton was speeding at twice the posted limit when it veered off the road, crashed and flipped.

Petzner said he felt obliged to confirm widespread speculation that the former Freedom Party leader was intoxicated.

Azerbaijan: Presidential vote

BAKU — The president of oil-rich Azerbaijan headed for re-election Wednesday with the opposition boycotting the vote and accusing the West of ignoring Azerbaijan's democratic shortfalls while seeking its energy riches.

Six candidates were running against President Ilham Aliyev, although none was considered a true challenge.

An exit poll pointed to an overwhelming victory for Aliyev, showing him receiving 80.5 percent of the vote, with the second-place candidate trailing far behind with just 5.4 percent.

Cambodia: Border clash

PHNOM PENH — Escalating tensions between Thailand and Cambodia over a disputed border near a historic temple erupted Wednesday in a deadly gun battle, prompting officials to quickly declare that they would resolve the dispute through talks, not bullets.

Two Cambodian troops were killed, the first deaths in a 4-month standoff that began when UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, approved Cambodia's bid to have Preah Vihear temple named a World Heritage Site. Thailand feared its claims over nearby land would be undermined.

Canada: New economic plan

OTTAWA — Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a new economic plan Wednesday, a day after his Conservative Party's re-election victory fell short of a Parliament majority amid voter disgruntlement over his slow response to the global financial meltdown.

His plan calls for reined in government spending and presenting Parliament with a budget that takes account of the credit crisis by the end of November. He said he would meet with Canada's provincial leaders as well as his counterparts in the Group of Seven major industrial nations to discuss economic needs.

Chile: Whale-hunting ban