Iran counts votes in election stacked in favour of hardliners

Dubai: Iran has started counting votes in its parliamentary election, state TV said on Saturday, in which hardline allies of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are likely to gain a seizable majority based on preliminary results. Iranian authorities have yet to announce the turnout in Feb. 21 election for the 290-seat parliament – a litmus test of the popularity of hardliners. Some early results announced by the...