"A UN-backed election watchdog has declared invalid hundreds of thousands of votes for Afghanistan's president in the disputed August election, apparently stripping Hamid Karzai of outright victory and setting the stage for a second round. After nearly two months of investigations, the Electoral Complaints Commission – controlled by a majority of non-Afghans – found Karzai's total fell below the 50% needed for outright victory, international officials said. But a separate election commission that backs the president will have to endorse the findings and call for a second-round vote." - Steven Perez from Bookmarklet