Socialist Bachelet wins Chilean presidency

By Ap, Santiago
A socialist doctor and former political prisoner was elected Sunday as the country's first female president, defeating a conservative multimillionaire opponent in a race that reflected Latin America's increasingly leftward tilt.

The victory of Michelle Bachelet a political prisoner during the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet and defence minister in the current administration extends the rule of the market-friendly, centre-left coalition that has governed since the end of Pinochet's 1973-90 rule.