Early results from the state elections in the north German city of Hamburg point to a possible defeat for Chancellor Schroeder's Social Democrats.

The SPD -- who's ruled the city for forty-four years -- could be ousted because of the poor performance of its coalition partner, the Greens; and the strong showing of a new right-wing Law and Order Party headed by a Hamburg judge, Ronald Schill, who has pledged to rid the city of crime. The main opposition party, the Christian Democrats, actually lost votes -- but could now head a coalition with the Law and Order Party and the liberal Free Democrats.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service