Zagreb  - Barack Obama's election victory opens "a new chapter" in US relations with the rest of the world, Croatia's president said Wednesday.

Stjepan Mesic congratulated the US president-elect in a statement.

"I am convinced your arrival as US president will mark the start of a new chapter, not only in the lives of many of your compatriots, but also of US relations with the world and of the world's relations with the US," Mesic said.

Chicago  - African-Americans wept and hugged as the diverse crowd in Chicago's Grant Park erupted with joy at the news that Barack Obama would be the nation's first black president.

But the roar that went up from the 65,000 people admitted to the official rally quickly subsided into reverence and awe as the Illinois senator began to speak.

The ovations and cheers that punctuated Obama's speech were more in the worship style of an African-American church than a raucous victory rally for the next president of the United States of America.

Warsaw - US president-elect Barack Obama will create "a new image for America across the world," building on an election victory that seems "like a fairy tale," Poland's foreign minister said Wednesday.

"It's a joyful moment, because Americans feel that something very important has taken place," Radek Sikorski told Polish Radio, calling Obama "charismatic" and "unbelievably intelligent."

"That opens a new chapter in their history, and something that makes them feel they can again feel proud as Americans."

Hanover, Germany - German investigators sought Wednesday to find out how a fire began in the toilet of a coach and quickly spread through the vehicle, killing 20 pensioners on a day's outing.

Uwe Schuenemann, interior minister of Lower Saxony state, stressed the cause of the Tuesday evening inferno, on a highway just outside the northern city of Hanover, had not been discovered yet.

Prosecutors opened a criminal inquiry to establish if any person had caused the fire, which gutted the passenger space but left the lower half of the coach largely untouched. The bus was towed to a police compound during the night with the remains still inside.

Manama, Bahrain  - The US Navy 5th Fleet command in Bahrain an issued statement on Wednesday communicating a US Defence Department authorization for adult family members of servicemen to return to Bahrain.

According to the statement the return of adult family members for all Department of Defence personnel permanently assigned in Bahrain will be allowed effective immediately.

The decision marks a change to the Defence Department policy that had been in place since July 2004, when families were required to relocate following security concerns.

"We are extremely pleased with the policy change," said Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, Commander, US Naval Forces Central Command.