Ukrainian drones target St Petersburg as Putin attends scaled-down Navy Day
Ukrainian drones targeted St. Petersburg on Sunday, Russian authorities said, forcing the airport to close for five hours as Vladimir Putin marked Russia's Navy Day in the city, despite the earlier cancellation of its naval parade due to security concerns, Reuters reported.
St. Petersburg usually holds a large-scale, televised navy parade on Navy Day, which features a flotilla of warships and military vessels sailing down the Neva River and is attended by Putin.
Last year, Russia suspected a Ukrainian plan to attack the city's parade, according to state television.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Sunday that this year's parade had been cancelled for security reasons, following first reports of its cancellation in early July, according to Reuters.
Iran executes 2 opposition members over alleged attacks on civilian sites
Iran said Sunday it has executed two members of the exiled opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq after convicting them of carrying out attacks on public and civilian infrastructure, Associated Press reported.
The judiciary’s official news website, Mizan Online, reported that Behrouz Ehsani Eslamlou and Mehdi Hasani were hanged on Sunday morning after being found guilty of using improvised mortar launchers to target residential areas, educational institutions and government buildings.
The report said Eslamlou had a long history with the group, dating back to the 1980s. He was previously imprisoned, rejoining the group after his release, according to Associated Press.
Thailand and Cambodia agree to talks in Malaysia after four days of fighting
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to hold talks in Malaysia on Monday in an attempt to negotiate an end to a conflict that has lasted four days, BBC reported.
Thailand said on Sunday a delegation led by acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai would attend, after US President Donald Trump called the leaders of both countries on Saturday to press for an immediate ceasefire.
The Thai government said it had been told by Malaysia that Cambodian Prime Minister Hum Manet would also attend.
At least 33 soldiers and civilians have been killed while thousands of Thai and Cambodian nationals have been displaced since border fighting broke out on 24 July, according to BBC.
Russia starts first Moscow-Pyongyang passenger flights in decades
Russia will launch direct passenger flights from Moscow to North Korea's capital Pyongyang on Sunday, Russian authorities said, as the two former communist bloc allies move to improve ties following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Reuters reported.
The start of regular flights between the capitals for the first time since the mid-1990s, according to Russian aviation blogs, follows the resumption of Moscow-Pyongyang passenger rail service, a 10-day journey, in June.
The first flight will leave Sheremetyevo airport at 7 p.m. (1600 GMT), according to the airport's timetable.
The eight-hour flight will be operated by a Boeing 777-200ER with a capacity of 440 passengers, Russia's RIA state news agency said on Sunday. It said tickets started at 44,700 roubles ($563), and the first flight quickly sold out, according to Reuters.
