Vote counting in Afghanistan

Vote counting began in Afghanistan yesterday, five days after millions of men and women shrugged off militant threats to take part in a landmark presidential election they hope will bring peace to the war-weary nation.

With the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan expected to start today, counting now under way at five of the eight regional counting centres will halt until tomorrow and it could be another week before any trends are evident.

Irregularities in Saturday's poll overshadowed an otherwise triumphant exercise in which millions of men and women defied threats of attack by remnants of the fallen Taliban militia whose fiery warnings of chaos and car bombs proved empty.