The world in brief

In a high-stakes television interview President Joe Biden insisted that all is well with his re-election campaign. Asked by ABC News whether he would step aside if Democratic grandees urge him to, he said “they’re not gonna do that”. Pressed whether he has a viable shot considering his approval rating of 36%, he replied: “that’s not what our polls show”. He also refused to commit to taking a cognitive test.

Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist candidate, won Iran’s presidential election. The former health minister secured 16.5m votes, around 3m more than Saeed Jalili, a hardliner. Mr Pezeshkian has promised to pursue better relations with the West and ease enforcement of the country’s mandatory headscarf law. He was helped by greater voter turnout, which jumped to around 50% compared with a record low of 40% in the first round.