Austria gov't confirms ecologist won presidential election

The Austrian government today confirmed that green-backed candidate Alexander van der Bellen narrowly beat his far-right rival Norbert Hofer to the presidency after postal votes broke a tie in the closely watched race.
Van der Bellen beat Hofer of the anti-immigrant, populist Freedom Party with 50.3 per cent to 49.7 per cent -- "a difference of 31,026 votes," Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said during an official announcement in Vienna.