21.   Ortega and Arnulfo Aleman, the conservative popular former mayor of Managua, are considered the two top candidates, with Aleman in the lead in recent polls.

22.   Outside, police and firefighters were on alert in case the verdict sparks violence in favor of the popular mayor.

23.   Outside, police and firefighters were on alert in case the verdict sparks violent protests in favor of the popular mayor.

24.   Ravalomanana, the popular mayor of the capital Antananarivo, claims that he won enough votes in the election to win without a run-off.

25.   Ravalomanana, the popular mayor of the capital, has named a Cabinet and taken control of most government buildings in the capital.

26.   A general strike called by Ravalomanana, the popular mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, has brought the country to a standstill for three weeks.

27.   A general strike called by Ravalomanana, the popular mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, has brought the country to a standstill for nearly three weeks.

28.   A prosecutor on Thursday charged the popular Islamic mayor of Istanbul with inciting hatred based on religious differences.

29.   A popular former mayor of Santo Domingo, Pena Gomez failed on three occasions to become the first black leader of a Spanish-speaking Latin American nation.

30.   A third contender is the popular former mayor of Taipei, Chen Shui-bian of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party.