With counting almost complete in the first round of Finland's presidential elections, no candidate has emerged with a majority.

A runoff will now be held in three weeks time between the foreign minister, Tarja Halonen, and the former prime minister, Esko Aho, of the opposition Centre Party.

Mrs Halonen, a Social Democrat, gained around forty per cent of the votes, with 34 per cent for Mr Aho.

A BBC correspondent says the election campaign was driven by personalities and gender rather than politics.

Mrs Halonen would be the country's first ever female President, a role that gives the incumbent influence of foreign and security policy but not over economic matters.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service