After nearly 12 hours of often tense negotiations, Secretary of State John Kerry announced Saturday that Afghanistan would audit all eight million votes cast in a runoff presidential election last month as part of a deal to end a tense power struggle between the top two candidates.

The aftermath of what appears to be widespread election fraud in Afghanistan may cost the imperilled nation its American backing, the United States is warning. As Afghanistan awaits the threatened announcement of a government by the ostensible losing presidential candidate - who may actually be the winner - the US secretary of state warned that taking power "illegally" would "cost Afghanistan the financial and security support of the United States and the international community."