MOSCOW -- Russia's incumbent President Vladimir Putin is set to win with 87.3 percent of votes in the presidential elections after 57.5 percent of ballots were counted by late Sunday, showed preliminary data from the Russian Central Election Commission.

Under Russian presidential election regulations, a candidate who receives more than 50 percent of the votes will secure victory. (Russia-Presidential Vote)

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GAZA -- Relief and food aid, mainly flour, reaches Palestinian families in the northern Gaza Strip for the first time in about 4 months, local sources said on Sunday.

Local sources and eyewitnesses told Xinhua that 12 trucks loaded with relief and food aid entered Gaza City and reached the cities and towns of Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun, where the cargos were unloaded in warehouses belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. (Gaza-Flour Aid-Palestinian)

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DAMASCUS -- An explosion shook the eastern countryside of Daraa province in southern Syria on Sunday night, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. (Explosion-Syria)

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TEHRAN -- The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) on Sunday signed contracts worth 13 billion U.S. dollars for the development of six oilfields with a number of domestic contractors, Shana News Agency affiliated with the Iranian Oil Ministry reported.

The signing ceremony was held in the Iranian capital Tehran and attended by Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, Oil Minister Javad Owji, and NIOC's Managing Director Mohsen Khojastehmehr, the report said. (Iran-Oilfields-Development) Enditem

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