Bratislava  - Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic won re- election Saturday, in a popularity test for leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico, preliminary results showed.

Gasparovic, 68, emerged victorious with 55.5 per cent of the vote, defeating opposition candidate Iveta Radicova, 52, who followed with 44.4 per cent, the Slovak Statistics Office said as 99.9 per cent of polling stations finished counting votes early Sunday.

The run-off election brought 51.6 per cent of Slovaks to the polls, the statisticians said.

Bratislava  - Slovak voters began electing their new head of state Saturday as polling stations opened across Slovakia, following two weeks of a nationalist-tinted campaign.

The new president is set to emerge from a tight duel in the run-off between the incumbent, President Ivan Gasparovic, 68, and opposition lawmaker Iveta Radicova, 52.

The run-off is viewed as a test for highly popular Prime Minister Robert Fico, who heavily campaigned for the incumbent, and hopes to retain control of all top posts in the Central European country of 5.4 million.

Bratislava - Neither of the main candidates in Slovakia's presidential election secured enough votes for outright victory, results showed Sunday, forcing a run off contest in two week's time.

Saturday's election was won by incumbent President Ivan Gasparovic, 67, with 46.7 per cent of the vote, whilst his chief rival, lawmaker Iveta Radicova, 52, had 38 per cent.

That result is far closer than final opinion polls had beeen predicting, but neither due to low turnout neither candidate could be declared president.

Sunday's complete, but unofficial, results were provided by the Slovak Statistics Office.

Bratislava - Slovaks began voting for their new head of state on Saturday, in an election that is likely to turn into a duel between the centre-left government and the right-wing opposition.

The race is led by the incumbent, President Ivan Gasparovic, 67, who is supported by highly-popular Prime Minister Robert Fico, an association heavily employed in the campaign.

Polls showed that lawmaker Iveta Radicova, 52, the joint opposition candidate, is the only one of the six remaining contenders who stands a chance to defeat the president.

Bratislava - Twelve people were killed Saturday when a local passenger train crashed into a tourist bus in central Slovakia, police said.

The police updated its earlier reports that put the accident's toll at 13 victims after the bus wreck was removed from the tracks, police spokeswoman Maria Faltaniova said.

"The investigator on the spot confirmed that 12 victims were found (at the scene)," Faltaniova told Deusche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Bratislava - At least 13 people were killed Saturday when a local passenger train crashed into a tourist bus in central Slovakia, police said.

The collision took place at around 9 am (0800 GMT) on an "unprotected" railroad crossing by a village of Polomka, police spokeswoman Maria Faltaniova told Deusche Presse-Agentur dpa.

The bus came to a halt on the crossing as the driver was shifting gears, Sme daily reported on its web site sme. sk.

Police would not elaborate on the accident's cause, which is under investigation.