Votes from 83 stations thrown out

KABUL (AP) - A U.N.-backed fraud commission threw out votes Thursday from 83 polling stations and ordered recounts at hundreds of others in three provinces that form Afghan President Hamid Karzai's political base, reducing his chances of avoiding a runoff. With results in from 92 percent of the country's polling stations, Karzai has 54 percent of the vote, according to the latest official count.

That's enough to avoid a runoff election with Abdullah, who has 28 percent.