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| Afghan election goes to run-off | Afghan election goes to run-off |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Afghanistan will hold a second round of its presidential election on 7 November, electoral officials say. | Afghanistan will hold a second round of its presidential election on 7 November, electoral officials say. |
| The run-off will take place between President Hamid Karzai and his main rival Abdullah Abdullah. | The run-off will take place between President Hamid Karzai and his main rival Abdullah Abdullah. |
| The announcement comes a day after a UN-backed panel said it had clear evidence of fraud in the first round of polling in August. | The announcement comes a day after a UN-backed panel said it had clear evidence of fraud in the first round of polling in August. |
| Initial results suggested Mr Karzai had received 55% of the vote, and ex-Foreign Minister Mr Abdullah 28%. | Initial results suggested Mr Karzai had received 55% of the vote, and ex-Foreign Minister Mr Abdullah 28%. |
| But the panel, the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) ordered that ballots from 210 polling stations be discounted. | But the panel, the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) ordered that ballots from 210 polling stations be discounted. |
| One poll monitoring group said this meant that Mr Karzai's total was reduced to below the 50% plus one vote required for outright victory, indicating that a second round was needed. | |
| Mr Karzai said at a news conference announcing the run-off that he accepted the ECC findings. | |
| He said that the decision was legal and constitutional, and a "step forward" for Afghan democracy. | |
| He hoped to see a better turnout in the second round than in the first, Mr Karzai added. |