Fourteen hours after their initial descent, the two tree-sitters, a male and a female who goes by the name "Olive, " left their tree-top roosts after speaking with Celaya.

CNN: In Oak Grove, three tree-sitters remain

The centre-left Olive Tree coalition is more popular than it has ever been.

ECONOMIST: Italy

As voting day approaches, Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right House of Liberties coalition is maintaining a clear lead in opinion polls over Francesco Rutelli's centre-left Olive Tree Alliance.

CNN: Italy's radicals raise clone debate

Mr Prodi, whose own centre-left alliance, known as the Olive Tree, won the 1996 general election in cahoots with the unreformed ex-communists, is said to be bitter that Mr D'Alema snatched his job without winning an election.

ECONOMIST: Leaving donkey droppings behind

His moment came in 1995 when he helped Mr Prodi launch the Olive Tree, gathering ex-communists, leftish Catholics, greens and a sprinkling of socialists in its shade.

ECONOMIST: D’Alema and Veltroni, rivals on Italy’s left | The