DW

Early counts show hard-liner Saeed Jalili and reformist Masoud Pezeshkian neck-and-neck in Iran’s presidential polls. The snap vote is to elect a successor to late President Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash.

Neither of the two leaders in Iran’s snap presidential elections seems in a position to win outright, making a runoff a likely outcome, according to early results reported by Iranian state television on Saturday. WIth more than 14 million ballots counted, moderate candidate Masoud Pezeshkian had garnered some 5.9 million votes, while his hard-line challenger Saeed Jalili had won more than 5.5 million.

Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf was in third with some 1.89 million votes, while the fourth candidate, cleric Mostafa Pourmohammadi, received only some 111,900 votes.

The Tasnim news agency said a runoff election was “very likely” as the country votes for a successor to hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in May.

Under Iranian electoral law, a runoff between the two top candidates is held on the first Friday after the result is announced if neither wins at least 50% plus one vote from all ballots cast, including blank votes.

U.S. to send Ukraine air defense missiles in next aid package, officials say

CGTN

The Biden administration will provide Ukraine with $150 million worth of weapons and ammunition, including HAWK air defense interceptors and 155 millimeter artillery munitions, two U.S. officials said on Friday.

The weapons aid package is expected be unveiled on Monday, the officials said, declining to be named because the package was not public.

5 Army soldiers killed during tank exercise near LAC in Ladakh

Hindustan Times

The T-72 tank with five soldiers on board sank due to flash floods while they were crossing the river, the officials said

Five soldiers of the Army are feared drowned after being swept away while crossing a river in a T-72 tank near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Nyoma-Chushul area in Ladakh early Saturday, officials told PTI.

According to the officials, the incident occurred near Mandir Morh, 148 kilometres from here, during an exercise around 1 am.  “There were five soldiers in the tank at the time of the incident including one JCO and 4 Jawans. One person has been located while the search for others is still going on,” defence officials told ANI.