Protesters gathered to oppose the construction of a high-speed railway in the Italian region of Piedmont. Police officers used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators.

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The Syrian port of Tartus hosted a parade of warships and support vessels from the Russian Navy's permanent operational formation in the Mediterranean Sea, as Russia celebrates Navy Day.

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Olympic transport chaos in Paris

The transport system at the Olympic Games in Paris is still not up to scratch. Videos have been shared on social media showing how members of the Greek water polo team had to get off the bus and move cars that were parked in a dangerous position blocking their way.

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🇻🇪 Venezuela kicks off voting in presidential election

Polling stations officially opened in Venezuela on Sunday for a presidential election that will shape the nation's political trajectory for the next six years.

Voting is taking place from 6 a.m. (10:00 GMT) to 6 p.m. local time, with the possibility of extended hours based on voter turnout.

The National Electoral Council is expected to announce the initial official results late Monday night once the counting trend becomes irreversible. Candidates need a simple majority of the votes to win.

Incumbent President Nicolas Maduro was among the first to cast his ballot in the presidential election. He arrived at the Simon Rodriguez ecological school polling station in Caracas shortly after it opened, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

This year's election day coincides with the birthday of former President Hugo Chavez. Maduro's supporters, following Chavismo, are expected to back him for continued economic recovery despite sanctions. Meanwhile, the opposition seeks to return to a liberal market system, hoping for US support in the event of a victory.

The president-elect will assume office on January 10, 2025 and serve a six-year term.

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The consecration ceremony of the New Chersonesos Museum and temple complex took place in Sevastopol

12 bishops and more than 100 other clergymen marched in a procession from the Museum of Christianity to St. Vladimir's Cathedral in the Tauride Chersonesos, consecrating the main objects of the museum and temple complex: museums of Christianity, Antiquity and Byzantium, Crimea and Novorossiya, the temple park, the Griffin Arena amphitheater and the reconstructed Byzantine Quarter.

After the procession, the opening of the monument to the Holy Prince Vladimir, equal to the Apostles, took place. The monument is installed near St. Vladimir's Cathedral, which was opened after restoration.

The New Chersonesos was built with unprecedented speed — in just a year and eight months.

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