Opposition challenger 'leads presidential race'

Opposition challenger Viktor Yushchenko won a resounding victory over Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych in Ukraine’s presidential race today, collecting 58% of the vote, according to an exit poll.

The poll, conducted under a programme funded by several Western governments including the US, was based on responses by 20,000 voters at polling places throughout the country up to 1300 GMT, according to the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, which co-ordinated the effort.