RUSSIA

Direct commercial flights to Pyongyang begin

Russia opened a regular air link between Moscow and Pyongyang on Sunday. The first flight operated by Russian carrier Nordwind took off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport carrying over 400 passengers. Russia's Transport Ministry said that there will be one flight a month to meet the demand. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who visited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's new Wonsan-Kalma beach resort earlier this month, promised to encourage Russian tourists to visit the complex.

IRAN

IAEA official will visit country within 2 weeks

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that an official of the United Nations nuclear watchdog will probably visit the country within the next two weeks. Baghaei made the remarks at a weekly news conference while commenting on the form of the future cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency and the country's position on the continuation of uranium enrichment. He said Iran sought to define a new protocol with the IAEA.

UNITED STATES

Boeing's union turns down contract offer

Union members who assemble Boeing's fighter jets in the St. Louis area have "overwhelmingly voted" to reject the company's contract offer on Sunday, with the company now preparing for an imminent strike. Boeing's proposal, which was sent on Tuesday to more than 3,200 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers-District Lodge 837, included a 20 percent general wage increase over four years and a $5,000 ratification bonus.