India and Pakistan are on the brink of a wider conflict
India struck Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir with missiles on Wednesday and Pakistan vowed to retaliate, saying it shot down five Indian jets, in the worst clash in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
India said that "if Pakistan responds, India will respond," fueling fears of a larger military conflict in one of the world's most dangerous - and most populous - nuclear-weapon regions.
India said it hit nine "terrorist infrastructure" sites, some of which were linked to an attack by Islamic militants that killed 25 Hindu tourists and a local in Indian Kashmir last month.
Pakistan reported that at least 31 civilians had been killed and 46 wounded, a military spokesman said, and that India had "ignited a huge fire in the region".
Vatican Conclave: Black smoke rises
Black smoke billowed from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the 133 cardinals locked inside failed to elect a new pope on the first day of the conclave.
The voting process began yesterday at around 5:45 p.m. After a tense wait, the black smoke appeared at 9:05 p.m. and was accompanied by applause from the crowd.
The conclave will continue on Thursday and will only end when a new pope is elected.
Russian attack caused tens of millions of dollars worth of damage to Chernobyl
A Russian drone is estimated to have caused tens of millions of dollars worth of damage at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site, according to initial assessments and engineering experts.
The cost of full repair will likely be covered by Western governments, including the UK.
The strike occurred in mid-February and did not cause an immediate radiological hazard, but it significantly damaged the €1.5 billion structure built in 2017 to encase the reactor and is likely to take months, even years, to fully repair.
European Parliament: Turkey's accession remains on hold, with no progress since 2018
Turkey's EU accession process remains frozen due to democratic backsliding, despite Turkey's strategic importance and cooperation on migration, MEPs said in their latest report.
Turkey's EU accession process, which has been stalled since 2018, cannot be restarted under current circumstances, despite Ankara's geopolitical and strategic importance, a European Parliament report says.
MEPs in Strasbourg approved the report on Wednesday, with 367 votes in favor, 74 against and 188 abstentions.
