41.   Traders also were concerned by new polls showing government-backed candidate Jose Serra remaining stagnant behind a leftist candidate in the presidential race.

42.   Three other leftist candidates are also running but are expected to poll only a handful of votes.

43.   Three leftist candidates picked up the remaining votes.

44.   Zapatistas charge fraud in Chiapas state vote, say ruling party gubernatorial candidate Eduardo Robledo Rincon will not take office and throw support to leftist candidate Amado Avendano Figueroa.

45.   In more bad news for the government coalition, leftist candidates swept to victory in five out of seven by-elections to the French National Assembly on Sunday.

46.   In more bad news for the government, leftist candidates won five of seven seats in by-elections held on Sunday.

47.   In more bad news for the government, leftist candidates swept to victory in five by-elections to the French National Assembly on Sunday.

48.   Delors is thought to be the main leftist candidate in French presidential elections next year to replace socialist Francois Mitterrand in the top French political post.

49.   The split in the French right risks giving ground to a leftist candidate in the race to replace the ailing Mitterrand in the Elysee Palace.

50.   The rift in the French right comes amid a steady rise in the fortunes of the likely leftist candidate for the presidentials, outgoing European Commission president Jacques Delors.